For those who like old Motorcycles.

[PupCam]

1 hour ago, spikey said:

 

Is that a milling cutter in the chuck and the cover screwed onto a plate hung off a vertical slide on the cross slide, or am I looking at it wrong?

 

That is correct.       I'd use a collet ........   if I had one the correct size 😀

 

Amazingly versatile machine is the old Super 7.

 

Here it is  with "Big Bertha the Boring Bar"  cutting the base radius of ~3.5" on the base of a telescope focuser.     In view of the machines age and capability the cuts were very light ~0.004".     I had to remove something over 1/2" so it wasn't a quick job 🤣

 

 

Alan

[spikey]

Thought I recognised a Myford.  A few years back, a bloke I know turned his toes up and left a Super 7 in his garage complete with suds pump, capstan attachment and god knows what else, plus a shedful of cutters, tool bits etc.  Last I heard his missus had been trying to get shut at a sensible price for over six months, then let a bloke take the whole shebang off her hands for £250 ...

[PupCam]

1 hour ago, spikey said:

Thought I recognised a Myford.  A few years back, a bloke I know turned his toes up and left a Super 7 in his garage complete with suds pump, capstan attachment and god knows what else, plus a shedful of cutters, tool bits etc.  Last I heard his missus had been trying to get shut at a sensible price for over six months, then let a bloke take the whole shebang off her hands for £250 ...

 

Noooo!   Oh my goodness!     Whilst mine came from the deceased elderly friend of a friend I paid a reasonable amount for it to his daughters which was a good deal for both parties and best of all nobody made a huge profit.     I'd wanted a "proper" lathe to go with the ageing but incredibly useful Emco Unimat 3 for ages.  Shame I had to wait nearly 40 years for it to turn up!     People need to be so careful when disposing of "stuff" they know nothing about.

 

Alan

[rockershovel]

On 22/04/2023 at 22:01, PupCam said:

After almost 2 years and scouring the East of England for bits to get my 84 year old BSA B21 engine back on the road after it finally succumbed to all the butchery inflicted on it by a "Previous Owner" I had a successful first start today.    

 

 

The reason why the poor little thing gave up on me and kept seizing turned out to be a worn timing side case that allowed the bronze timing side bearing to rotate about 15 degrees - plenty enough to completely block the main oil feed to the big end / bottom end ....

 

 

The fact that a replacement conrod and Triumph high compression piston had been fitted that took the compression from the standard 6.2:1 to something like 11.5:1 did for the big end as well (but it didn't half go!)  Other butcher included installation of non standard cam followers and guides with the aid of a big hammer that resulted in great chunks of the timing case casting falling off.   That didn't seem to worry the PO.

 

 

I had to source a replacement timing side crankcase, standard conrod & piston, big end, timing side main bearing, cam followers and tappet adapters. The original engine was a '39 B21 De Luxe.  The best crankcase I could get was a '37 B21 standard so some mods have had to be done primarily to replace the unavailable standard idler gear with timed breather for the later, wider De Luxe version.   The shallow standard timing cover had to be machined to accommodate the "fat idler",  a matching stub axle had to be mounted in the hole that would have had the timed breather running in it, an oil way from the main crank chamber drilled and various other tweaks.   

 

 

 

The MagDyno platform had to be modified to match the later strap mounting (what a carp way of holding the MagDyno on and in the correct mesh!) and the MagDyno shaft (with no mounting shims) was eccentric to the hole in the timing case resulting in the lip seal that keeps the oil in the case and out of the mag not fitting.  A weird and wonderful egg shaped eccentric Nylon plate-cum-seal was made to replace it and hopefully that will stay firmly wedged in place in the timing side casting - time will tell!

 

The clutch still needs attention and I noticed while the clutch was out that the rear face of the teeth on the clutch primary drive sprocket are very badly worn.  After re-assembling the drive it appears that the two primary sprockets are about 10 mm out of line!    No doubt due to the fact that at some point in it's history its gearbox was replaced with an earlier Blue Star one.   Not quite certain how I can sort that, I'll have to put my thinking cap on!

 

 

Pretty little bike though 😀

 

 

Alan

 

 

 

Those late 30s BSA singles are very nice machines. Well-engineered, state-of-the-art, reliable machines by contemporary standards. 

[rockershovel]

Busy afternoon Sunday. Getting the two Yamaha flat track bikes ready for the MCN Show in 2 weeks, the last at Peterborough so No 1 Son and I decided to ride in the Evo Vintage (1980s) class.

 

One is an TT500, one an XT500 of sorts assembled from parts but more committed to actual racing, complete with an electronic ignition system which caused endless difficulties getting it timed, Supertrapp exhaust and the original "tractor" carb. 

 

The interesting thing is that No 1 Son has adopted this as "his" bike for a class he originally had no interest in at all. It now starts first kick and idles quite well, after a great deal of experimentation and general workshop time. I can't start the brute, but he can... he now understands why Velo owners were a breed apart! 

[Kickstart]

23 hours ago, rockershovel said:

One is an TT500, one an XT500 of sorts assembled from parts but more committed to actual racing, complete with an electronic ignition system which caused endless difficulties getting it timed, Supertrapp exhaust and the original "tractor" carb.

 

I have a friends XT500 in the garage at the moment as we have done a 12v conversion, made a new loom and fitted electronic ignition. And timing it up is a nightmare! Not helped by the original flywheel being a pain to get off (2 broken flywheel pullers - then the extreme measure of cutting the flywheel off!)

 

Any advice on getting the timing right gladly received!

 

All the best

 

Katy

[spikey]

On 01/05/2023 at 10:15, rockershovel said:

... he now understands why Velo owners were a breed apart! 

It wasn't so much starting mine that took a while to get the hang of, more the matter of adjusting the clutch ...

[MrWolf]

32 minutes ago, spikey said:

It wasn't so much starting mine that took a while to get the hang of, more the matter of adjusting the clutch ...

 

I had the displeasure of mending one of those fancy aftermarket electric starter devices on a Venom. The drive wheel just wasn't man enough to last more than about ten minutes.

[rockershovel]

2 hours ago, spikey said:

It wasn't so much starting mine that took a while to get the hang of, more the matter of adjusting the clutch ...

Yams have that too! The TT/XT clutch is very robust but the adjustment screw is..... value engineered, shall we say? 

[rockershovel]

4 hours ago, Kickstart said:

 

I have a friends XT500 in the garage at the moment as we have done a 12v conversion, made a new loom and fitted electronic ignition. And timing it up is a nightmare! Not helped by the original flywheel being a pain to get off (2 broken flywheel pullers - then the extreme measure of cutting the flywheel off!)

 

Any advice on getting the timing right gladly received!

 

All the best

 

Katy

We scraped away the corrosion under the nut and soaked the flywheel centre in penetrating oil for a weekend before doing anything.

 

we found a slide hammer in a tool shop with a thread which fit the puller instead of the centre bolt. Three or four sharp blows produced a barely-visible crack in the accumulated corrosion and then the puller inched it off well enough. 

 

Our conversion came from Rex Speed Shop and it would not give a usable spark.  Eventually we got it going with the backing plate hard against the screws one end, then adjusted it on the "black box" using a strobe light against the mark on the flywheel. 

[Kickstart]

33 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

We scraped away the corrosion under the nut and soaked the flywheel centre in penetrating oil for a weekend before doing anything.

 

we found a slide hammer in a tool shop with a thread which fit the puller instead of the centre bolt. Three or four sharp blows produced a barely-visible crack in the accumulated corrosion and then the puller inched it off well enough. 

 

Our conversion came from Rex Speed Shop and it would not give a usable spark.  Eventually we got it going with the backing plate hard against the screws one end, then adjusted it on the "black box" using a strobe light against the mark on the flywheel. 

 

The pullers were the type that screw into the flywheel, then a bolt screws into this and pushes on the end of the crank. The flywheel was on so tightly that is even heat, etc, it stripped the thread on the bolt of the puller.

 

This is a Rex's Speed Shop unit as well. We have rewired it with a loom, using 4 fuses, and swapped the headlight to an LED unit (and LED indicators). Owner bought it to do some distance classic trials , hence seeing where she is going is rather important!

 

I have got it running, but it is a pig to start (some of which is no doubt my lack of technique). I have had it running and the timing is close, but can't get it running consistently enough to fine tune the timing. The bike has no airbox and a K&N type filter, so possible that jetting needs a tweak.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[rockershovel]

We also have a K&N filter, it works fine. Also a 44mm exhaust and short Supertrapp silencer. Took a lot of fiddling with the pilot to get it to run well; we have a 260 main jet, I think and lifted the needle one notch. 

 

We have the same type of puller. We found a 5lb slide hammer which fit the thread on the outer part of the puller and gave it a few sharp blows (ie, pulling the flywheel away from the engine)... more penetrating oil, more hammer and after a while it came free. The puller needs to be threaded all the way in for this trick! 

 

Once we saw a crack in the corrosion we put the bolt back in and cranked the flywheel off. 

 

You might try tapping the flywheel on alternate sides, but the great thing about the slide hammer is that it doesn't stress the cases at all and gives a straight blow parallel to the taper.

 

Do you have the decompressor fitted? We turn on the fuel, pull up the enrichener, ease it Just past compression; let the lever return fully and give it a sharp kick, following all the way through. Sometimes we put it in gear and rock it back against compression. No enrichener if warm or hot. 

 

that usually does it. We use iridium plugs and new plug caps every season. Fresh petrol every meeting. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2023 by rockershovel

[rockershovel]

I found that once the RSS electronic ignition was close, it worked well but there were no warnings that you were "there or thereabouts", it came straight in and we grabbed a dremel and marked the plate!  It was nothing like the near-central location described on the instructions. 

 

I also found that the "adjuster screw" needs setting with a strobe light. It seems all over the place and needs a light touch. 

 

pits gossip says the Electrex one is much easier to time, and the light rotor gives quicker throttle response, but the stock flywheel is better for flat track because you want the flywheel weight. 

 

The other bike, the TT500 has stock points with stock 6v coil ignition, it goes well provided everything is clean and tight. All OEM parts and again, iridium plugs and fresh petrol every time

[Kickstart]

The old flywheel is now nomore!

 

Think some fiddling with the carb is probably in order. The timing is now within a few degrees, but hard to see exactly (need to do the final tweaks in a darker environment!). It does have a decompressor, and when I have started it it has been keep that pulled, get the white line in the cam timing window, then take a full swing - it hasn't launched me yet and only one bruise on the back of my calf. It has been suggested that it is kicked over a few times with the decompressor pulled to get a bit of fuel in before trying to start it.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[MrWolf]

That sounds like a lot of aggravation to get an ignition flywheel off, with the chance of bending something important if you aren't careful. 

I suppose that costs prevent the use of a self extracting flywheel like Villiers used to fit on even their lawnmower engines?

[Kickstart]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

That sounds like a lot of aggravation to get an ignition flywheel off, with the chance of bending something important if you aren't careful. 

I suppose that costs prevent the use of a self extracting flywheel like Villiers used to fit on even their lawnmower engines?

 It just sits on a taper. But had probably sat there too long, or had been tightened way too tight. However, does appear to be a fairly common issue on the XT500.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Kickstart]

Finally got around to stripping down the engine for the AF1 Sintesi that I blew up last summer. Big end bearing went, but the barrel and piston were also damaged. While I had dropped the engine out pretty much the same day, I hadn't done any more as I wanted to get the FZR600 sorted first.

 

Took about 45 mins to strip the engine down. Crank will be sent off to be rebuilt.

 

 

All the best

 

Katy

[spikey]

The Lady Wife was looking over my shoulder when I was admiring a particularly nice snap of an old Velo and asked "What was the idea behind the fishtail?".  I have no idea.  Anybody know why they caught on when they did, and why only Velocette stuck with them into the 1960s?

[rockershovel]

On 03/05/2023 at 10:56, Kickstart said:

The old flywheel is now nomore!

 

Think some fiddling with the carb is probably in order. The timing is now within a few degrees, but hard to see exactly (need to do the final tweaks in a darker environment!). It does have a decompressor, and when I have started it it has been keep that pulled, get the white line in the cam timing window, then take a full swing - it hasn't launched me yet and only one bruise on the back of my calf. It has been suggested that it is kicked over a few times with the decompressor pulled to get a bit of fuel in before trying to start it.

 

All the best

 

Katy

"Timing within a few degrees" isn't close enough for a bike like this. Set it on the adjuster screw (on the black box under the seat) using a strobe light, a cheap one from Halfords will do. 

 

then try adjusting the carb. If the timing isn't right, the symptoms are similar and you can fiddle around for ages. 

 

Get the enrichener conversion using the black plastic button, instead of the cable; saves a lot of fiddling about. 

 

They aren't really sensitive to carb settings; the power output isn't high enough. The twin-cable carb is a bit agricultural but works well enough for all-round use. Ours is a bit touchy with the 44mm exhaust but quite reliable. 

 

We don't have the indicator fitted. 

 

 

[rockershovel]

On 04/05/2023 at 17:21, spikey said:

The Lady Wife was looking over my shoulder when I was admiring a particularly nice snap of an old Velo and asked "What was the idea behind the fishtail?".  I have no idea.  Anybody know why they caught on when they did, and why only Velocette stuck with them into the 1960s?

They were derived from a design specified at Brooklands. Hence the name "Brooklands can". They were the Supertrapp or Vance and Hines of their day!

 

Big singles, particularly older magneto equipped ones. were notoriously finicky about exhausts. The BSA "Goldie" was another example. 

 

I suspect that Velocette stuck with them because they pretty much stopped developing the big singles in the late 1940s. They bet the business on the LE and were left stranded by the Honda Cub. 

[tractionman]

Here's my Dad on his Ariel 350, it was ex MOD, a 350cc, he had it from aged 17 or thereabouts and went all over the country on it with my Mum in the 1950s and early '60s--for many years after the bike was kept in the shed slowly decaying, but then Dad got it restored and used it for the odd VMCC rally in his older years.

 

It was a beast of a bike, sounded fantastic, I wish I'd learned to ride myself and been able to keep it in the family. In the end Dad sold it to a bloke in Wiltshire.

 

Here's Dad starting up at the back of our house in 2006:

 

 

 

[Kickstart]

On 06/05/2023 at 12:39, rockershovel said:

"Timing within a few degrees" isn't close enough for a bike like this. Set it on the adjuster screw (on the black box under the seat) using a strobe light, a cheap one from Halfords will do. 

 

 

Yep, problem is getting it started to do this final adjustment. Too likely at the moment I will just be a messy heap beside the bike! It should be close enough now to do the final adjustment on the cdi adjuster screw.

I have a half decent timing light, but even then it is hard to make out the marks on the drive. Need to clear enough space to do this inside the garage to cut down the ambient light.

 

Mixture wise, with the K&N I am not sure if it is a touch lean for cold starts - not too far out but just making what is already a not easy to be even harder.

 

Thank you

 

All the best

 

Katy

[rockershovel]

59 minutes ago, Kickstart said:

 

Yep, problem is getting it started to do this final adjustment. Too likely at the moment I will just be a messy heap beside the bike! It should be close enough now to do the final adjustment on the cdi adjuster screw.

I have a half decent timing light, but even then it is hard to make out the marks on the drive. Need to clear enough space to do this inside the garage to cut down the ambient light.

 

Mixture wise, with the K&N I am not sure if it is a touch lean for cold starts - not too far out but just making what is already a not easy to be even harder.

 

Thank you

 

All the best

 

Katy

Ha ha, we put our bike on the starting rollers and timed it that way! As long as you have a spark you will see the marks.

 

RSS units seem to have a very mixed reputation, like the notorious Boyer Bransden of old! Ours seems to go very well now it is going, but I'm keeping the points on the other bike. 

 

I have heard of starting the bike using the coil and points, and checking the timing on the electronics that way. 

[Kickstart]

Starting rollers would make life a LOT easier!

 

I can just about see the marks, but quite dim and hard to see when outside. In the darker garage they should be clear and easy to see.

 

All the best

 

Katy

[rockershovel]

Vintage Flat Track at East of England Showground today