Thank you for posting, a very helpful guide to me as I'm in the middle of a 250 Continental rebuild from a basket case, came with 4 and 5 speed g/box bits but I've put the 4 speed in as I found out the 5 speed suffers from false neutrals. This has helped tremendously, thank you.
Hi, Paul great vid I wish I had seen this 30 years ago, due to finances I sold a little Red 1964 Continental GT250, It had a prettier race tank and seat fitted though I can't recall the make but had the standard seat and tank also. I will be honest I never rode it. I got it and sold it with a box containing a 4-speed gearbox. I was told these made next to no difference in performance. I was later told by a guy I befriended who worked for the dealer who sold these RE had so much trouble with the 5-speed boxes they supplied a 4-speed box in a box as standard complete with selector mechanism, some dealers gave them out with the bikes and some kept them. He said they had about 6 sitting on the shelf and dumped them when they closed in the 80s. I don't know how true this is but no reason to doubt him. All that aside if RE couldn't make a reliable box after maybe 50 years experience they should've copied one from Honda. Great job and demo. Thanks
Hi Paul another problem I came across with the gearbox was the gear selector going very stiff. What I found was oil getting behind the the spring plunger that located on the cam plate in the bottom off the gearbox so I drilled a small hole behind the plunger and that cured it. Good informative video thanks.
Great explanation Paul, thanks. Got a 5 speed crusader and starting to get false neutral between 1-2 and 2-3 on up shift only. I’m gonna have a crack at it this weekend, see if I can improve it. 👍
I remember, about 30 odd years ago, my old 1966 Continental GT, 5 speed box with 25 neutrals!!! I changed to a 4 speed box with only a little improvement, I guess the selector assembly was worn, as hours of trying to adjust the pawls had me saying a few swear words! Your video would have been a great help!!
Paulie Paul, you prompt me to ask about the voluminous & impressive amount of mechanical knowledge that you have accumulated vis-à-vis the R.E.-machines. [More than an average mechanician] Is this solely as a result of experience...or have you, in addition, expended a goodly number of heures in studying shop-manuals and such ? Perhaps you were gifted with a wise mentor in this discipline ?
Hi Amelie, I am pretty much self taught as far as my mechanical abilities go, just through always having been very interested in mechanical things. I also started to believe I have a 'gift' when I started my time in the engine rooms of the tugs I worked on, where no-one could understand how I could identify and fix faults before anyone else knew they were present and I could not explain this to myself, let alone anyone else, but sometimes it seemed like a sort of X-ray vision. Whatever it was / is, it propelled me to Chief Engineer very quickly and the largest engine I rebuilt, with a small, hand picked team, was a 2,500 BHP V-16 B&W Alpha, weighing over 16 tons without turbos, intercoolers etc. We totally stripped and rebuilt it with a new crank etc, after the governor jammed and it raced away at over twice its normal maximum speed - all thanks to another 'engineer' making unnecessary adjustments! The R.E. 'thing' just sort of happened, but I have worked on many other makes and models, too. I have many manuals, but rarely need to look at them, but will do so if I am not sure of something and I am always ready and willing to learn!
@@paulhenshaw4514 What you say I understand, no in depth explanation being necessary. I too have this variety of 6th.-sense, and displayed an uncanny understanding of, and relationship with, machines as a preteen. ruclips.net/video/L24rZGTbyzk/видео.html
Hi, Paul. I just bought a nice little Enfield Clipper 250 . It's all good except it is really difficult to change down through the gears , changing up is fine but trying to shift the lever back up especially to get back into 2nd and 1st. Big problem at the traffic lights!!! could it be wear in that spring loaded 5 notch selector mechanism ??? regards David
Hi David - check your gear lever isn't fouling on the head of the screw in the middle of the engine cover, when you hook it up for changing down, I have had that one before.
Hello again. Thanks for your earlier reply I have bent the lever away from the case and it does seem to be a bit better. Now I have another problem which has just occurred, The kick starter just goes down with some pressure as if it is working via a clutch and that clutch is slipping? It's not turning the engine over ? any ideas? Regards David .
Paul, if the gear change is working ok, how does it compare with other British bikes ie. Matchless Bsa ? I’ve been offered a crusader but not sure whether to go for bullet 500🤔🤔
Love the videos very informative but have a problem with sound / I have a 57 reddicth trials I am trying to restore so got lots of questions for you 👍🏴
Thanks Paul, great vid. I’m restoring my ‘62 Crusader sports owned since ‘64! As an impatient 17 yr old I damaged a fin on the ally head, could you recommend any one who repairs them- is it possible?
I repaired a couple by cutting the fins from scrap heads as required and having them alloy welded onto the heads I wanted to repair - just cut them both in the same place, along the same line and get them alloy welded back on, although sometimes, good fins need to be cut off for access for the repairs, then also welded back in place.
Hi Paul, thank you for some great videos ,I have a pre 65 trials bike with continental gt engine in it but the clutch either slips or drags any ideas before i strip it down also it seems to be very high compression unlike the one you started after rebuild so can take a bit effort to start
Hi Paul. Just finished rebuilding my 1962 crusader after 50 years in boxes. I hadn't dismantled the selector so it was working fairly well but jumping out of 1st when off power. I tried to adjust selector and of course now can't get some gears. What order of adjusting the different pawl mechanism parts do you suggest? When I ran it as a teenager it worked perfectly. When I dismantled it I only took off what was necessary to split the cases so maybe it is the slotted plates that I need to set first. All the parts were on the original running bike. Appreciate any advice.
Thanks Paul. I’m stuck in a part of the USA where old Enfield’s are rare and the knowledge base of them seems to be rarer. The local dealer told me “we will only work on them if there is nothing else to do”. I’ve been wrenching on bikes since I was 12, now 59 and I have no problem working on things, would just like any tips that might shorten my learning curve. My guess, based on the condition of the bike when I got it, is that the shift selector plate screws/bolts are loose which is why the gear selection is so erratic. Pulling the sidecar off next week to get the bike into the warm for the work. Cheers.
Thank you for posting, a very helpful guide to me as I'm in the middle of a 250 Continental rebuild from a basket case, came with 4 and 5 speed g/box bits but I've put the 4 speed in as I found out the 5 speed suffers from false neutrals. This has helped tremendously, thank you.
Glad it helped
Hi, Paul great vid I wish I had seen this 30 years ago, due to finances I sold a little Red 1964 Continental GT250, It had a prettier race tank and seat fitted though I can't recall the make but had the standard seat and tank also. I will be honest I never rode it. I got it and sold it with a box containing a 4-speed gearbox. I was told these made next to no difference in performance.
I was later told by a guy I befriended who worked for the dealer who sold these RE had so much trouble with the 5-speed boxes they supplied a 4-speed box in a box as standard complete with selector mechanism, some dealers gave them out with the bikes and some kept them. He said they had about 6 sitting on the shelf and dumped them when they closed in the 80s.
I don't know how true this is but no reason to doubt him.
All that aside if RE couldn't make a reliable box after maybe 50 years experience they should've copied one from Honda.
Great job and demo. Thanks
Thanks for sharing that, I have heard and read similar and also handled several sets of 5 speed gears with little, or no wear, so all quite plausible.
Hi Paul another problem I came across with the gearbox was the gear selector going very stiff. What I found was oil getting behind the the spring plunger that located on the cam plate in the bottom off the gearbox so I drilled a small hole behind the plunger and that cured it. Good informative video thanks.
Interesting, John and thanks for sharing that!
Well sorted Paul !!!
Thank you!
Great explanation Paul, thanks. Got a 5 speed crusader and starting to get false neutral between 1-2 and 2-3 on up shift only. I’m gonna have a crack at it this weekend, see if I can improve it. 👍
Thanks, hope this video helps!
Ta for the informative video again Paul B.W., I think I'll be referring back to this quite often when I start to rebuild the 'GT250 Cotrellnental'.
Great stuff, you're welcome, Dave!
I remember, about 30 odd years ago, my old 1966 Continental GT, 5 speed box with 25 neutrals!!! I changed to a 4 speed box with only a little improvement, I guess the selector assembly was worn, as hours of trying to adjust the pawls had me saying a few swear words! Your video would have been a great help!!
Thanks! Yes, they must have been very time consuming to set up, even when new at the factory, never mind when they are 60 years old!
Wonderful video, very informative. Thankyou.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice work Paul. Thanks!
Thanks again, Herman!
i wish i had your patience!
Paulie Paul, you prompt me to ask about the voluminous & impressive amount of mechanical knowledge that you have accumulated vis-à-vis the R.E.-machines. [More than an average mechanician]
Is this solely as a result of experience...or have you, in addition, expended a goodly number of heures in studying shop-manuals and such ?
Perhaps you were gifted with a wise mentor in this discipline ?
Hi Amelie, I am pretty much self taught as far as my mechanical abilities go, just through always having been very interested in mechanical things. I also started to believe I have a 'gift' when I started my time in the engine rooms of the tugs I worked on, where no-one could understand how I could identify and fix faults before anyone else knew they were present and I could not explain this to myself, let alone anyone else, but sometimes it seemed like a sort of X-ray vision. Whatever it was / is, it propelled me to Chief Engineer very quickly and the largest engine I rebuilt, with a small, hand picked team, was a 2,500 BHP V-16 B&W Alpha, weighing over 16 tons without turbos, intercoolers etc. We totally stripped and rebuilt it with a new crank etc, after the governor jammed and it raced away at over twice its normal maximum speed - all thanks to another 'engineer' making unnecessary adjustments!
The R.E. 'thing' just sort of happened, but I have worked on many other makes and models, too. I have many manuals, but rarely need to look at them, but will do so if I am not sure of something and I am always ready and willing to learn!
@@paulhenshaw4514 What you say I understand, no in depth explanation being necessary. I too have this variety of 6th.-sense, and displayed an uncanny understanding of, and relationship with, machines as a preteen. ruclips.net/video/L24rZGTbyzk/видео.html
Hi, Paul. I just bought a nice little Enfield Clipper 250 . It's all good except it is really difficult to change down through the gears , changing up is fine but trying to shift the lever back up especially to get back into 2nd and 1st. Big problem at the traffic lights!!! could it be wear in that spring loaded 5 notch selector mechanism ??? regards David
Hi David - check your gear lever isn't fouling on the head of the screw in the middle of the engine cover, when you hook it up for changing down, I have had that one before.
Hello again. Thanks for your earlier reply I have bent the lever away from the case and it does seem to be a bit better. Now I have another problem which has just occurred, The kick starter just goes down with some pressure as if it is working via a clutch and that clutch is slipping? It's not turning the engine over ? any ideas? Regards David .
Could you do the same video for the 500 bullet?
I had various adventures with adjusting selection.
Hi Hugh, I will keep that in mind for when the next opportunity comes along.
Paul, if the gear change is working ok, how does it compare with other British bikes ie. Matchless Bsa ?
I’ve been offered a crusader but not sure whether to go for bullet 500🤔🤔
Apart from gear change issues, the engines are very good.
Love the videos very informative but have a problem with sound / I have a 57 reddicth trials I am trying to restore so got lots of questions for you 👍🏴
Thanks, and sorry if you can't hear this clip too well.
Thanks Paul, great vid. I’m restoring my ‘62 Crusader sports owned since ‘64!
As an impatient 17 yr old I damaged a fin on the ally head, could you recommend any one who repairs them- is it possible?
I repaired a couple by cutting the fins from scrap heads as required and having them alloy welded onto the heads I wanted to repair - just cut them both in the same place, along the same line and get them alloy welded back on, although sometimes, good fins need to be cut off for access for the repairs, then also welded back in place.
Hi Paul, thank you for some great videos ,I have a pre 65 trials bike with continental gt engine in it but the clutch either slips or drags any ideas before i strip it down also it seems to be very high compression unlike the one you started after rebuild so can take a bit effort to start
Hi Paul. Just finished rebuilding my 1962 crusader after 50 years in boxes. I hadn't dismantled the selector so it was working fairly well but jumping out of 1st when off power. I tried to adjust selector and of course now can't get some gears. What order of adjusting the different pawl mechanism parts do you suggest? When I ran it as a teenager it worked perfectly. When I dismantled it I only took off what was necessary to split the cases so maybe it is the slotted plates that I need to set first. All the parts were on the original running bike. Appreciate any advice.
Hi Ian, I can't really add to what I've said in the video, sorry. They can be a right pain, too.
Would you have a video of this on an Indian 350? Mine will not down shift at all, and the neutral finder takes it back into 2nd.
Sorry, I haven't made one yet, but will do, if / when I get the chance.
Thanks Paul. I’m stuck in a part of the USA where old Enfield’s are rare and the knowledge base of them seems to be rarer. The local dealer told me “we will only work on them if there is nothing else to do”. I’ve been wrenching on bikes since I was 12, now 59 and I have no problem working on things, would just like any tips that might shorten my learning curve. My guess, based on the condition of the bike when I got it, is that the shift selector plate screws/bolts are loose which is why the gear selection is so erratic. Pulling the sidecar off next week to get the bike into the warm for the work.
Cheers.
Made like a gun.
Hair trigger.
Definitely!