Tech Tips
A must for all Heinkel owners is the Owner's manual, Workshop manual and a parts guide for the specific scooter.
The Owner's manual and Workshop manuals are listed in the right hand column of this page. Your first parts guide is complementary with membership in the Heinkel Club Deutschland.
Additional documentation is a must for your workshop and the reliability of your Tourist. You will not be able to fully understand your scooter without it.
Listed in the right hand column of this page, you will find a vast selection of topics that you may or many need (at the moment).
I have made every effort to provide content that I think you might need to keep your Tourist alive and on the road. If you come across a topic I don't have posted, please let me know. Chances are very good that others have the same questions.
When pursuing any work on your Tourist, keep in mind you are responsible for anything and everything that occurs. Be very careful when making any repairs. These machines are 50+ years old, and parts can be extremely expensive. If you break a bolt because you didn't read the torque chart carefully, you will be out several weeks waiting for a machinist to fix your mistake.
You must be even more cautious with electrical repairs. Disconnect the batteries prior to any repair. It is very easy to blow a fuse. I keep fuses on hand, no big deal. It is equally easy to fry a dynastart coil. Good luck getting that repaired in the next few months!
The Workshop manual describes most repair procedures very well. There are a few tasks that require additional discussion. Specifically:
- Mushroom seal replacement. Does your Tourist leak oil from the clutch lever on the engine? Or have you found small puddles of oil under your left side rear engine mount? If either apply to your scooter, you likely need a new mushroom seal.
- Throttle tube clean/rebuild. Sticky throttle got you down? You probably need to clean and grease up your throttle tube.
- Shifter rebuild. What about your shifter? Is it sticky? You probably need to clean and grease up your shifter mechanism.
- Dynastart brush replacement. Is your battery fully charged and yet the starter doesn't turn with the gusto you've seen on other Tourists? Your dynastart brushes might need to be renewed.
- Cure for vapor lock. Is it difficult to start your Tourist after a short stop on a warm day? The problem is common - you have vapor lock. Basically your carburetor becomes too hot to function properly. The Heinkel Club Deutschland sells a replacement manifold that will cure this problem.
Can you think of others? If so, please e-mail your additions to me. These tech tips will be added very soon. Please check back for updates.
Tools
Once you've digested the documentation, straighten up your tool box. Tourists require a few specialized tools. Most tools are common place in your tool box. A few supplements might be required depending on the work involved.