Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Royal enfield forum 59 Chief breather pipe and vent

On the left with the 3 screws is the breather body with pipe broken off. I can see where it broke off but where did the other end route to?
On the right you see the rusty vent for the primary case. Did that just vent to the air right there?

Hi! Correct the iron rattle vent just vent to air. Broken pipe had a long (or short) rubber pipe with a quill tip directing oil "spewed" on to the rear chain. Some variance in different applications & year models.... At least that is the configuration on my current Chief project.

REgards!

Bigtwin

Al, as I recall, the early twins simply ran the output of that breather, as BigTwin says, via a pipe to lube the rear chain. Later machines ran the output of the breather to a banjo on the top of the oil tank.

I have spare breather assembly and banjo assembly complete (below), which came off an early Interceptor I had.



Note that the pipe is shown "upside down" to its normal routing so you can better see the inside of the valve body.

.. gREgg

Hi, again!
As usual, gREgg is right on! Just looked & my other Chief engine does, in fact, have the remnants of a broken banjo attached a tall breather bolt with a short pipe on top of the bolt & fitted into the top of the oil reservoir. I used the wrong term for the older rubber breather pipe. It should have a flattened "duck bill" tip on the end. That Interceptor piece shown is a good reference and yet another "upgrade" by RE.

REgards!

Bigtwin

The engine does not have a banjo fitting nor a place for one. The breather appears to have been the type with a pipe (which is obviously broken off) and there is a space forward in the front chainguard where the pipe could have been routed.
The little rattle vent cleaned up well with a wire brush and some Ospho rust converter.

Up next - the battery tray is disaster area. I think the only original parts of it are about 2 or 3 inches of the two upper tab mounts and the battery tray itself. Everything else is a variety of size flat bar and thick gloppy welds.
I went to the hardware store and bought some flat bar and spent the afternoon bending it to match the part photo I found on Hitchcock's. Should have it done and mounted by tomorrow afternoon.

Hi, & right on!
The "standard" battery holder on every Chief (including Police) I have ever seen, looks like it was cobbled together at an ace Hardware store! Whatever you come up with will be equal to or even better than original, I'm sure. Info from Hitchcocks' is the best resource. You are well on your way with this project!

REgards!

Bigtwin

Anyone know of a source for the Chief emblem that attaches across the front of the instrument bracket ?
Also, is there supposed to be an ignition switch on the toolbox lid ??

All by 60 or so (my vax was made mid year in 60) some cases were venting similar to the one Gregg had but not with a banjo but rather a flared union. Have a look just under the where the rocker oil pipes go out and see if you have a threaded union coming out of the flat portion of the lower case.

Craig, see if you can come up with two badges - that Indian Head on the instrument cluster is missing from my Chief also. I will fabricate a badge of sorts until an Indian Head shows up. Maybe an email to Hitchcock's would turn up something?
Apparently the ignition switch was in the toolbox lid and the switch on the instrument panel just controlled the lights. I have no original tool box and have used a small tubular toolbox with a 9N Ford tractor key switch mounted in the back end.
benebob, thanks for the reply and info. I checked very thoroughly and there is no fitting of any type. Also the breather appears to be the style that had the metal pipe extending into the chainguard.

Hi Al,
Checked with H's about that gauge bracket emblem....NADA
They do have some NOS front fender head ornaments (one piece alloy,not the type with the plastic Indian face that lights up) but very expensive..

Thanks for confirming my suspicions about the ignition switch location.
My toolbox has had the switch and wiring holes covered over with fiberglass mat on the lid and a washer(!!!) braised over the wiring hole in the box itself.
Oy vey, some people's kids !!

I'm thinking of making a brass oval to fit the instrument panel holes. And in the center of the oval solder an Indian Head penny. My boss showed me one he got in change recently - made me think of this idea.

That coin idea is clever,and FWIW... the "Buffalo" nickel has a really nice representation of a native American on the obverse, plus it's a bit larger than the "Indian" head penny . Nice conditioned ones aren't too expensive either, if you buy a common date.

Al, I know this is an old thread, but I finally found

THE BOX!



I've got no penny, I 've got no nickel, but will a half penny work for you?






Let me know and it's yours.

Wow. Thanks for thinking of me but I'm all set. I have a 1901 indian head penny and a nicely styled oval plate. I had considered using the buffalo nickel's indian but they weren't minted in 1901 - the year both Indian and Royal Enfield built their first motorcycles.
That half penny is the same age as me!