If the C3 is a loose fit on the mainshaft spline, then no amount of seals, or "O"
Sorry......"o" rings will fix the leak, as the C3 will keep the joint working loose, just like a loose sprocket on its spline......This is something that you should check before anything so you are not wasting your time.If the C3 is a loose fit on the mainshaft spline, then no amount of seals, or "O"
I remember back in the sixties when I bought my first Rapide (for £65 to go racing) I used to go to the Oxford VOC section, there were a lot of racers then Mick Winter, John Ward, The Elgers, Ron Kemp, Tom Reeve and others, back then there were few books to read, tuning for speed, a chapter in Robinson and monthly MPH and certainly no internet. I had a little note book and when I got home I would put down all I gleaned from conversations like "copper wire through the brake springs to stop squeal from AM4"Thank you for the credit, or part credit for the O ring mod but I have to give all the credit to Norman here for this tip and honestly a lot of tips over the years to improve our Vincents. I have the advantage over some owners in that I have access to very skilled machinists and welders etc.
Actually, the tip is in one of the Vincent books, (and MPH a few years back) "Into the Millenium" indexed under 'clutches'
I have to tell you all I am not a long term Vincent owner, in fact, less than 10 years.. However, what I decided to do when I started my ownership journey I accumulated books and Knowledge! Mostly from Vincent owners/riders and engineers cleverer than me. This I would advise to most people, several decades of experience are out there, and thanks a lot to this forum (big thanks to He/Him that cannot be named, I believe I have his pronouns correct Haha) for answering many questions, some stupid maybe but not to the poster (?)
Since I've owned my Rapide I've successfully put on quite a few miles and found the bike to be usable and reliable, able to keep up with modern traffic and capable of stopping and being seen by other road users, thanks to disc brakes, LED lighting and signals. I've been less concerned with originality than usability, there are enough stock bikes in collections and museums!
Don't be afraid to ask the 'elders' or read through the books and postings.. Most important.. Ride your Vincent!