What have you done with your bike/s today?

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
As the discussion has been talking about head stradies here is a link to my original post

https://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php?topic=2912.0

John

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
My take on the head steady. As the barrels are only connected to the crankcase at the base and the amount of material above the flange is very thin it's to help keep the barrels in one piece.
My A7SS racer lifted two sets of barrels (OK she was a fire breather). That led me to develop the through bolt system. Raced for another few years with no problem.
The mates T120R I worked on a month ago had a cracked barrel, the head steady was lose.
Cheers

[Swarfcut]

 Success drilling out a sheared rear spindle adjuster bolt on a Plunger Suspension forged lug. No, it was a cheat, not on the bike, but a cheapo ebay purchase. Untouched for years, these 1/4" bolts seize and like sump plate studs shear off just by looking at them. Mounted under the pillar drill, nice sharp drill bit for an accurate pilot, then increasing size to leave a spiral of old thread just enough to catch, collapse inwards and drive out with a needle punch. Proud of that effort, original thread retained. Rare occurrence, I usually bugger them up completely.

 Also took this early frame to Stewart the Welder for consultation. It is in bad shape, looks to have been stored under water and under a pile of scrap. Stewart reckons it can be done, so I'll clean it up looking for cracks and weakness. One front downtube is nicely bowed, but headstock and top tube align OK so worth saving. Has a sidecar lug and curious rusty something bolted thro' the rear brake pedal pivot mount..... The downtube engine steady lug is a welded on solid block, later frames have a couple of back to back pressings brazed on, so I don't know if this is original. Anyone got an early frame to have a looky? The inward bow starts under this lug.

 Swarfy.

[BagONails]

I don't know if this is any help Swarfy but I have a couple of old plunger frames and the older one very scabby and bent like your one, maybe worse    49 A7 (ZA7.S.221) has a solid head steady mounting welded in as you described while the later 53 frame (BA7.S.6318) has the 2 pressings back to back tack welded and brazed I would think.

[Swarfcut]

 Certainly helps.....mine is a 18** series number so quite close and just slightly later,  the steady mount is identical to the one pictured,  as contemporary as you could get. Reckon that BSA experimented with welded lugs before settling for brazed on lugs as shown on the later frame. Nice to know this mount is original, not some backyard codge. Those pictures show the difference to good effect.

 My frame has the left downtube pushed towards the frame centre by about 1/2" but there is no evidence of misalignment of the headstock or bow to the top tube....reckon your example has hit something big time.

 Thanks for the looky.  If and when I'll post pictures in the frame section of any progress we make. Strictly a cheapskate effort, function over form. It is the latter that costs the money, bugger that!  Bondo and Granville Smooth paint daub will do for now. As for scabbiness, reckon mine is a winner.

 Swarfy.

[BagONails]

Yees, you'll need to find someone who really enjoys sand blasting!

[Colsbeeza]

Cleaned and regreased two of my A10 drive chains today. Been putting it off for a year. First time I have used Putoline. It must have a sharp melting point as the chain dropped to the bottom of the tin in seconds. Much like the old beef dripping I used in the 1960s. Has anyone used it and have an opinion on Putoline?

[Angus]

 
I know I know, loads on here about ‘easy’ ways of doing it, but if I can get a time machine I am going back and telling the designer exactly what I think of him. Rocker box 2 hours, countless attempts, tried with & without comb, with & without elastic bands, with bits of thin wire with ‘hooks’ on the end. Even more annoying I had it first time but whilst checking it the box lifted a band sprang off and I heard the tingk of a rod dropping out   
Current status I think all the rods are in their cups, I have not put any bolts in the lightly tighten to check, will leave it till tomorrow so I don’t get any crosser 

[a101960]

Worst job ever

[Worty]

I used Colsbeeza's comb clamping method and it worked well for me - hats off to that fella.

Trust me, if I can do it, you'd be able to do it with your eyes shut.

B^&%$£d of a job - I think it took me around the same amount of time.   Tested it before belting everything up by turning the rear wheel in gear VERY slowly to see if all the arms rocked.

[muskrat]

G'day Fellas.
Lately I've noticed a small oil weep from the oil filter on the A7 plunger (mounted below & behind the battery). Thinking it was the rubber gasket on the filter I replaced it. Took her out for a ride yesterday, about 60 miles. Got home to find it still weeping. Removed the battery to be able to remove the filter head. Found the return hose clamp on the filter head a bit loose, hadn't been touched since the rebuild last year. Tightened it and re-assembled. Took her out again for another lap and left her overnight with a tray under. This morning not a drop.
Now to tackle the speedo drive out of the g/box. There is an O ring fix for this so I'll have a go.
I hate marking my spot on friends driveways.
Cheers

[Worty]

Musky, can you share pictures of the 'O' ring fix?

[muskrat]

G'day Worty.
It's on the forum somewhere, I'll try to find it.
Cheers

[Angus]

Update on rocker box, left it till I had really calmed down and was not too apprehensive of checking it. Finally worked up the courage on Wednesday to check it so lightly tighten the four main bolts and turned it over, that horrible noise again as a pushrod pops out. Went indoor and screamed with lots of unrepeatable word. Thought about it overnight and its always been the same pushrod exhaust primary side AND it was always that rod that I had just coming onto the cam so slightly higher then the others. Thursday new plan took it all off again and checked the pushrods for any damage, none. Put them back in and turn the engine until the inlet on the timing side was just coming onto the cam. Left it as dam cold out there. Friday pop on rocker box with comb and bands on rockers. All pushrods go in except the timing inlet, hook that with a bit of bent wire and in it pops. Lightly tighten the four main bolts and check and check and check Waaaahooo. The pushrods had better be on properly as I then put on all the other fixings on and tightened everything down. She spins over nicely so I am fairly confident that it is done.
ps any secret method for getting the front two nuts on the studs (from the rocker box into the alloy head), nearly had to walk away again as that too took many attempts.

[berger]

for the front two nuts i use a steel 6inch rule with the nut on it then feed it up to the stud and with clean threads it spins on, sometimes help it stay in place with a small ended telescopic magnet.