I now have the Electra back on its wheels and off the lift - always a slightly fraught procedure but successfully carried out. Apart from now being able to attack the centre stand which seems to have an array of home-made spacers (but I can sort that out easily) I have removed the gauze sump filter.
What a state! There's supposed to be a hole at the narrow end to allow the scavenge side of the oil pump to pick up from below the gauze, ie the recess in the cover plate. The hole in this one is non-existent but it looks as though someone has attempted to cut a slit in it. This may go some way to explaining why the crankcase (and primary drive) were full of oil. Quite apart from the hacked about holes for the securing studs.
I've ordered a replacement from the NOC shop.
Lightweight centre stand spacers
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Stand Spacers
Hi Peter, do you have the part number for the NOC stand spaces? Struggling to find in the catalogue. Regards Glenn
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Stand Spacers 22150
Hi Glenn,
Put 22150 in the NOC shop search box. Two required.
Peter
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Thanks Peter,
found them but I've ordered some steel and will make my own. Cheaper at a couple of quid and some time on the lathe, besides which I will be sure that they will fit given the variability of original frame parts, stands etc . Not to mention the various creative mods/bodges (delete as appropriate) which have been carried out.
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Lightweight Compendium
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Many thanks Peter.
I should be able to turn up appropriate spacers which will maintain the frame sides so they can't move inwards and will prevent the stand from missing the stops as you say. I did order the NOC stand but was very unhappy with the angle of the lifting lever which, as I may have mentioned before, was hitting the ground when the stand was just off vertical. I' ve bought a scrap Triumph stand with a lever and after careful measurement have chopped the lever off and will be welding it to my current stand.
TBH I will rarely use the centre stand (unless it proves to be even easier to use than I expect) as the Kawasaki prop stand I've fitted is very robust and holds the bike at a decent angle.
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I just thought....
... I'd pop up a pic of my modified centre stand and associated spacers. I've added a foot lever from a scrap Triumph stand, set at an angle which leaves it clear of the deck on full deployment. My welding (basic stick arc setup) skills aren't the greatest but it seems strong enough. Also seen are the spacers which I've turned up out of mild steel.Total cost: £29 for the scrap stand, a fiver or so for the steel. Plus several hours of my time!
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Hi Ian,
The centre stand spacers as fitted on all new lightweights were not very good. There is a shoulder on the spacer, but not in a position to limit the inward migration of the tops of stand legs.
The centre bar joining the stand legs is a fairly thin walled, weak effort.
With time, and particularly if you load one stand leg before the other. Maybe on a slope or bike not upright as you engage centre stand.
The stand legs gradually splay outwards, the tops of the legs move inwards. The engagement of the stand against the frame stops gets reduced. And eventually the stand gives way.
A simple solution is to buy the NOC made stand spacers which have a shoulder positioned to prevent inward movement of leg tops and stop disengagement of stand stop with nasty consequences. See photo on NOC shop.
Sounds like some previous owner of your bike sought a solution by adding spacers to spacers.
These Lightweights merit a technical compendium of their own. The spacers get worn, so I recommend new ones. You may notice the bike loses some of it's slouch with a better fit in the stand legs.
Hope to see you out on the bike this summer.
Peter