Where is this ball bearing come from?

[Roadrocket649]

Hi Guys

I wonder if anyone can help

I am putting together a bike that has been dismantled for 18 years

The bike is BSA A10 Super Rocket 1958

The engine is in, the cylinder head on, the clutch & primary drive installed
The clutch is the Triumph type 4 spring Cush Drive clutch

However, I have found ¼? diameter ball bearing in the box!!

It is not the ball bearing out of the Pressure Release valve

I have searched the Draganfly catalogue, and they only identify the ¼? ball bearing used on the following A10 assemblies
   Part No.   Description        No.      Group      Year
1.   S9-2    Anti drain valve ball             1         A       1947-62
2.   S9-2    Head race ball bearing, ¼    40   A/B/M (not B 1946-48)  1946-70
(The head races have not been removed)

The catalogue does not show a ball bearing on the end of the 15-4124 clutch Push Rod

Question:
1.   Any ideas where it might have come from?
2.   Did the Triumph clutch have a ball bearing at the end of the push rod?
3.   The bike had plastic/ polythene oil pipes from engine to oil tank
             Did they ever use a ball bearing as a non return valve?
4.   Is the anti drain valve on the inside of the crankcase, as I cannot find it, and the Draganfly
             catalogue is not very helpful here?

Your help would be greatly appreciated

Roadrocket649

[a10 gf]

This one ? maybe.
Search the forum, more 'ball' posts to be found.

[Beezageezauk]

I reckon that there could be a few possibilities here.

Is the ball bearing in position at the centre of the pressure plate?  Some pressure plates have hardened adjusters and some have a ball bearing with no adjuster.  See pic.





If that is not the case.  Is your pushrod in one piece?  Sometimes, to get extra adjustment, it is common practice to cut the pushrod in half, harden each end and fit a 6mm or 1/4inch ball bearing between the two halves.

Finally, if it is neither of these, the previous owner might have dropped the ball into the box just to confuse you!!

Beezageezauk.

[MG]

There is another ball pressed into the adjusting screw in the clutch lever, located in the outer gearbox cover. Sometimes they work loose and fall out. Dunno what size it is though, but from memory could well be 1/4".

Cheers, Markus

[taroha10]

I'd agree with Beezageezauk.It is a common fix for a shortened clutch pushrod to have a ball bearing inserted.The size of it seems to fit that idea.
Good luck with it all.
Mark.

[A10Boy]

Often the clutch push rod was cut in half and a 1/4 ball was fitted in the middle, it can make the clutch action easier. Was your push rod in two halves?

[bsa-bill]

There is also a ball bearing involved in the cam follower set up, don't know that it is 1/4 inch though

[Stu55Flash]

There is an anti drain valve on the inside of the rhs crank case accessed from the inside. It has a ball although not sure of the size. Its the one that allows wet sumping if not cleaned out properly.

Stu

[Roadrocket649]

Thanks Guys ,

Much Appreciated for all your help and information

BeezageezaUK, the photo was excellent, just what I needed

There was no adjuster on the pressure plate, and no ball bearing in said pressure plate

I measured the clutch rod at 11.65", so with the ball bearing it will be 11.9"

Ball bearing has been installed and clutch replaced

Once again

Many thanks

Roadrocket649

[RichardL]

Roadrocket649,

I think you might have misunderstood the issue with the ball bearing adding length to the clutch pushrod. If, I'm wrong, please don't take offense, as I am not setting myself up as the ultimate expert and I could be underestimating your own knowledge. That said, when the ball-bearing is added for the sake of clutch pushrod length, the rod is cut in half and the ball placed in the tunnel between the halves (at least that's how I did it, with advice from this forum). The adjuster that was earlier mentioned is inside the gearbox outer cover (under the oval cover) and has the ball captured in its end. It's good if that ball is free to move, as it limits wear on the end of the rod, but I hear it is common for them to get stuck without doing any serious damage.

Richard L.

[Roadrocket649]

Hi Richard

Thanks for your thoughts, I was looking at Beezageeza's photograph further up, which shows the ball bearing in the pressure plate

I will contact him to confirm

Many Thanks

Roadrocket649

[Beezageezauk]

Hi Roadrocket649,

Sorry for the confusion.  When I mentioned that some pressure plates had an adjuster in the centre I didn't necessarily mean A7 or A10 or BSA generally.  I should have made it clear that some other makes of bikes have adjusters in the centre of the pressure plates.

Anyway, I'm pleased that you sorted out the mystery of the escaped ball bearing in the end!!  You could have done some damage to your pressure plate and pushrod if you ran the bike without it.

Beezageezauk.

[RichardL]

Hi,

First,  Beezegeezauk,  sorry for missing the fact that you discussed the cut-in-half clutch rod a few posts earlier. Second,  Roadrocket649, since I have gotten myself involved and am, apparently,  HWIMC (he who is most confused),  could you kindly say exactly where you put the ball bearing so that I can stop tossing and turning throughout the night,  waking up in cold sweats and grinding my teeth?


Richard L.

 

[Roadrocket649]

Hi Manosound

The ball bearing has been put in the pressure plate, as in the BeezageezaUK photograph in this post

Rocket649

[RichardL]

Thanks.