What have you done with your bike/s today?

[RDfella]

After converting my '49 M21V2 to electric start, starting required a bit of fiddling with throttle / retard to strike a light. And so decided to fit an ATD to improve the spark at low revs. Starting is now much improved. However, when setting the ignition timing I was surprised by the lack of compression on the rear cylinder (finger over plug hole to determine which cyl was on firing stroke).
And so yesterday I took the rear cyl valve covers off to check valve clearances. All good, but with bike at eye level on the lift, noticed the exhaust valve spring retainer was touching the rocker arm. First conclusion was a worn valve cap but closer inspection revealed the cotters were low in the retainer.
So, head off to check that out (first time off since engine was built 30+ years ago). Exhaust pipes off, oil drain pipe from head removed, remove rear carb - hang on a minute, which twit designed that? It's so close to the oil tank it won't come off its studs. Yup, that was me when I built it all those years ago. Must change those studs for bolts ...
So, head was off and exh valve out. All was fine except for those collets in the retainer. Dug around my spares and found another retainer that provided a better fit. Would have made new collets had I known the taper BSA used, but wasn't prepared to extend the job by messing around with trial and error to make new ones.
Mislaid a rocker cover screw in the process so, as soon as I've found (or replaced) it it's tank back on and run her up to see if my oil feed mod is sufficient to supply the ATD with a little lube (I originally created a bleed off the quill feed to put an occasional drop of oil on the timing chain, but that's not enough for the ATD). Trouble is, the big ends are roller so oil pressure is low, meaning enlarging the hole feeding the chain may not prove sufficient. We'll see - if not, I'm minded to fit a small oil cup above the ATD and give it an occasional lube through that.
Day is getting warmer, so time to get back to the workshop ....

[Worty]

Nothing today, or for the past week, getting over nasty, crappy cold type thing - boo, hiss

[jhg1958]

At last I have had my rebuilt GF out on the road.  Just a couple of miles before the rain came in and I retreated to the garage.  Amazingly the brakes worked after being out of use for over 1/4 century.  A big grin every yard.

Still some bits to sort out.  I think I have cured the oil leak from the rocker box.  However the speedometer is not working so I will need to look at that.  The oil still drips from the gearbox speedometer not sure I can cure this.

John

[Worty]

If you can find an easy cure for the speedo leak, let us all know.  As far as I know, they all do, with a few exceptions (bikes owned by geniuses who frequent this Forum).  Seems like it may have somthing to do with a bush, but requires the cover to come off and some clever fettling.  I also love the fact the cable acts like an Archimedes Screw, and can send oil up to the speedo with unfortunate results for the delicate mechanism (if you have a genuine Smiths, of course).

[berger]

worty you can stop the leak where the bush fits but 9 times out of 10 the leak is where the outer covering joins the metal bit with the nut or the flange where the nut is

[Worty]

worty you can stop the leak where the bush fits but 9 times out of 10 the leak is where the outer covering joins the metal bit with the nut or the flange where the nut is

Aye Bergs, exactly where mine is mate!!

[muskrat]

G'day John.
What a beautiful job you've done 
I think a while back the speedo leak was discussed and a fix was done with an O ring. Do a search on it.
Cheers

[Colsbeeza]

After about two months of fettling and idleness, I kicked the Beeza over today by leg, not leccy starter and it started well. That was a great triumph for me - since the right knee replacement last June, and kicked it with a fair degree of confidence in the knee repair - and I didn't hobble away afterwards either . After it stalled, I used the button .
I had replaced the carby with a new one from Hitchcocks, swapped the magneto for a newly overhauled one (with even timing at 31.5 degree BTDC), both timing and chaincases removed and replaced. That involves a near strip down with pipes, footrests etc all over the shed.
As it is raining here today, I'll take it for a spin when it dries up. I had the old carby slide resleeved in case I need it and the old magneto got a new points backing plate and reground cam ring.
One thing I will try is a new electric tacho thingy - you wrap the cable around the HT lead on any cylinder, and read a digital display. The engine feels like it is overrevving at moderate speeds despite a 21-tooth engine sprocket. Keen to sort that out.
Col
John I do like the Nutley Blue - very nice bike.!

[Worty]

So, horn is now fixed - running a new wire from the horn switch loom to the horn live did the trick.  Also ran an additional earth from the headlamp shell to the frame -ve terminal.   Rejigged the oil tank saddle bolt arrangement which wasn't quite right.  Managed to secure seat properly on the front bracket which has always been a bit dodgy.  Found a thin walled socket which allowed me to get under the seat and tighten the nuts.  Primary chaincase is leaking a tiny bit around the drain plug - may even have a hairline crack in it around the boss, gearbox weeps a bit around the speedo cable, find a drop of oil on that big screw thing underneath the gearbox (I believe it holds something in place in the gearbox).  I think the l/h fork seal (which I've just replaced) may be ok.  Did have a slight weeping of oil around the feed pipe into the timing side, but I think that may have been cured.

Overall, a good day.  Can't think of any other jobs to be done prior to its first run out.

Question:  When I turn on the headlight, it sometimes (not always) doesn't come on for a few seconds and is then fine - any thoughts?

[Rex]

Got to be a duff connection there somewhere then. 6V maybe glow-worm's armpit territory but it's still instantaneous.
 Regarding RD and his non-removable cylinder head, you could always do what Velocette did and cut a screwdriver slot in the top of the cyl studs and wind 'em out prior to removing the head?

[RDfella]

Regarding RD and his non-removable cylinder head, you could always do what Velocette did and cut a screwdriver slot in the top of the cyl studs and wind 'em out prior to removing the head?

Only if I drilled a hole through the tank for the screwdriver! Brazed the nuts to the studs so now have bolts. The inner one is a bitch to catch the thread (with the monobloc tickler in the way) but do-able. All OK now and starts with just a dab of the button.

[Worty]

Evening gents, head over to 'Worty's A10 Engine Refurb' for a report on how the first run went.

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
I came across this mod to fix the speedo drive oil leak, where a seal is fitted to the inner end of the bush
I have not looked at a gearbox case to see which way the thrust goes (yet) but if it is against the seal then its a No No 

John

[Colsbeeza]

Hi John, That seems like a reasonable solution. Later drive shafts had an O-ring groove. Somewhere on the Forum, I believe that the grooved model shaft takes a Triumph part for the O-ring. But mine is an earlier gearbox without groove.
Anyway I have two boxes of O-rings metric and imperial, so sure I can find one.
I did try the electrical shrink tubing over the metal hex on the cable and it worked for a while, but eventually the oil got to it and the sleeve slipped along the cable.
Col

[Swarfcut]

 The only spindle bush type I have seen with an O ring seal is the later aluminium alloy type, with the invariably knackered thread at the cable end. This seal is fitted in a groove on the outside of the bush, so seals the bush to the case, an improvement (?) on the more usual fibre washer and nut used on earlier versions.

 CJ's seal is where it should be to minimise oil passing down the shaft. The thrust washer to my mind looks bigger than usual, and the picture in my estimation shows the seal to be recessed deeper than the upper edge of the bush. So it appears that the washer does not press on the seal and all is well. My take is that the rotation of the layshaft  will tend to push the driven spindle towards the cable.

 Swarfy.