New Guy

[PBMW]

Hello I'm the "New Guy"
Names Jim nad I've been around Brit bikes since my childhood.  I'm 57 now.
I've been riding for 48 or so years.  I've just purchased a barn full of mostly A10 and A7's but there are some A65's, A50's, B40's, B44's and B50's, not to mention a C25.  Also some Triumph stuff as well as three harleys.  Also three Commandos and a 600 Ariel sidevalve single.
I think the first project is a 57 Road Rocket.  Swing arm frame.  I'll need to check and catalog everything but,  I believe it's mostly there save some tin items.
There is also a 52 Golden Flash (At least that's what the engine numbers would have me believe.
The frames and a lot of the tin is arriving today,  this is the third load of stuff.  More to come in about a week.  I'll have pics as well.  I own a small CNC machine shop outside Seattle Wa.  so space may be at a premium. 
My immediate questions are about Road Rocket heads.  I understand they are alloy and not iron?  Are there any specifics about cranks that are specific to this model?  What about gearbox's?  I know there are a lot of different types and styles.  I have a number of them here in this pile of stuff.
I'll have pics up later this afternoon after I get a place cleared for more parts.
I'm also going to have a lot of questions regarding frames.  I "Think" I have A10/A7 frames in Rigid, Plunger and Swingarm.  So,  I'll have questions about frame configurations and fender stuff.
Well...
Nuff for now.  I have to go make parts.
Jim

[RichardL]

Jim,

Hello and welcome. I am really looking forward to seeing your collection of bikes and parts. It sounds like you hit the motherload that many here (like myself) only imagine. I seem to recall a while back when there was a shop or barn in Idaho that was selling as a single lot. I am curious if your collection is this sale, now surfacing.

It sounds like the first thing you need is a good book collection. One basic book that many of us have is the Haynes Owner Workshop Manual for A7 and A10 Twins. Some very expereinced folks call this the "book of lies." While it has its faults, I found it very useful during the restoration of my bike (Richard's 55 on the Bikes and Pictures link). You just need to weigh what it tells you and ask a few questions if it is less than complete or confusing.  Another book that I like is Roy Bacons BSA Twins and Triples. It gives a lot of information regarding the mechanical evolution of the various models. It is typically available on Ebay for $20 (vs. Britishonly.com for $75).  there is also a Roy Bacon restoration book, but I don't have it or have information on it. I've seen it and it looked good. You need a parts manual. let's say, immediately. That one is reasonable from British Only at around $15 for a copy.

Yes, Road Rocket heads are alloy. Road Rocket crankshaft is one-piece with a bolt-on flywheel. There is a sludge-trap through the journals which must be thoroughly cleaned during your restoration. You will find info on that task in this forum and elsewhere. Failure to know enough about the sludge trap and to properly clean it is, likely, the reason much of my engine is in the machine shop right now. I think there is a data sheet on gearboxes posted on this forum. I can't atke the time right now, but I have it and can forward to you if necessary. Using several possible sources, you will be able to match engine number to frame type. The big change in swing-arm frames was when they went from brake pull on the left to pull on the right. The latter requiring a cross-shaft through a hollow swing-arm spindle. Solid spindle is early, may have gone into '56, but no later.


I always look to my friends on the forum to offer corrections in case I have been less than accurate.

Richard

[PBMW]

Thanks for that Richard
This stash did not come from Idaho.  At least,  not that I know of.
A good friend of my wife passed away in 2006.  The estate consisted of some rather interesting things as Dennis was a rather ecclectic individual.
There was this barn full of stuff and some machine tools.  His daughter asked me to come try to put some sort of sense to it.  We sold the machine tools and tried to sell the bike stuff but no one was really interested.  Everyone just wanted to put it on Ebay nad she could have done that herself.
I mentioned I would be interested in putting as many of them as I could back together to be appreciated and we struck a deal
There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 22 or 23 A10'a all told.  Not all of the frames are there,  but many are.
I'll get some pics together this afternoon. 
Thanks for the welcome.
I'll be on Barns and Noble and Amazon in a bit to find some books

[RichardL]

I wanted to add a couple more comments (ohhh, there will be more).

When I was doing my rebuild, I got many parts from British Only, Right at the end of my build, when I needed things like washers, they instituted a $150 minimum purchase because they are heading toward retirement. They have temporarily reduced that to $25. However, just after I completed my build, they sold most of their N.O.S. and new aftermarket BSA parts to Domiracer (domiracer.com). A great source of help and parts is SRM Engineeering in Wales, UK. I believe no one would argue that they are the number one shop working on BSA's and developing new parts.

Regarding the Haynes book, for my part the biggest flaw was in not pushing the sludge trap issue hard enough and not giving good instruction in that regard. I bet everyone using that book will have his (her?)own story. I could easily see collecting an addendum of corrections and posting it for the general good.

Richard

 

[PBMW]

ichard
I am fortunate in that there is a local club (Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts) here in Seattle that I am going to be in contact with about identifying some of this stuff.
As to selling some of these...Most likely yes.  But for now,  I need to find out just what is there and get bikes sorted into what goes with each bike.  That'll take a while.  But yes,  Some will  go up for sale eventually.

[PBMW]

Here are a couple of pics of stuff...
This is an A10  plunger I am pretty sure.
I can get numbers...



A couple of tanks. The red and chrome A10 is I beliece a 57 Road Rocket


There were over 50 box's of this stuff.













I'm also going to have many questions about which wheels and hubs are correct for these bikes.

[RichardL]

Just some guesses on the parts. I expect others will chime in to correct me or agree or tell you to read the numbers on the parts and cross them to the books, but you know that.

[PBMW]

Well,  here's some interesting stuff.
There are 5 A10 engines that I have a couple pf questions about.  And an A7 that I just don't know about.
I've been to the Brit Bike forum na dhave been looking at engine numbers.  Now,  this A7 is stamped "YA7 1084"  But as far as I have been able to find out,  there are no "YA7" numbers.  So...what is it?
Then I have an engine stamped "CA10RR 1090"  or "CA10RR 1098"  difficult to tell,  but there are very clearly two R's.  I've never seen that either.  Was that someone at the factory having a happy moment with the stamp set?
ZA10 8726    52 Golden Flash?
ZA10 2346    50 Golden Flash?
CA10 8543   56 Golden Flash?

and heres an interesting one...
DA10R 10100
Just a casual look through the BSA numbers says that it is I think a 63 and "May" be an RGS.
I've known the gent what had these bikes for some years and he's mentioned that there was an RGS in there.  But from what I've been able to gleen,  the prefix is right.  but it could also be a Super Rocket.

I have numbers downstairs for my 57 RR and a couple of others...
I may know more when I get to looking at frame numbers.

[RichardL]

Jim,

Here are some pages of serial numbers, if you don't already have them. Looks like the YA7 is a '48 A7, and ZA10 8726 is a '51 A10, apparently undesignated or Super Flash (S/F) . I didn't look up the others.

Richard

[PBMW]

Yup. I need to get me some books.
I have a 47 Speed Twin in theis mess also.  as well as some mid 60's triumph stuff.
Got to go look at books...

[Pim]

So that's the place where bikes go when they are old and gray:)
that's quite a collection and you'll save a lot of time spending a little money on books. i recentley got myself the spareslist for my A7 and that made life a great deal easier.
In response to Manosound the bottom part in the picture is indeed from an '52(or '55 which is mine) plunger. I just put mine back togehter last week:)

Take care!

[jfligg]

Hi PBMW
  Thats a nice find:
I have a 1956 Road Rocket that has a CA10RR engine prefix.  Good Luck with all the bits.  Jeff

[PBMW]

Well,  That's interesting about your RR numbered Road Rocket.
I hadn't seen any reference to any double R numbers.  But I certainly don't know anything about these bikes.
Could someone be kind enough to suggest where to get the spares list for A10's and A7's? 
I'm going to order Bacons book today nad possibly the Haynes book.  I've never really been a big fan of the Haynes books because of the errors in them but sometimes some information is better than no information.
I have 8 or 9 cranks sitting here so will begin by cleaning sludge traps.  I have to make some parts for a customer today but I may get into this this afternoon.
As an aside....well maybe not really,  what would the opinion be of bead blasting cranks.  They will come apart and thoroughly cleaned,  I have a set of bench centers to check trueness,  I can also use walnut media to blast them,  but I need to do something about the rust.  I would think this would need attanding to prior to opening the sludge traps.
Also,  I have cranks that have the throws knife edges and some that do not.  This appears to be stock from the factory and not done in someones work shop.  Can anyone shed any light on this?   If I could find my camara,  I'd post a pic of the two types.

Oh yea,  Can anyone suggest a source for some open and box end wrenches as well as 3/8 drive sockets.  I'm not a snap on kind of guy but I do like better quality tools.

[a10 gf]

Welcome to the forum PBMW, hope you find it usefull and helpfull, and I understand you may have a lot to contribute (running a machine shop as well).

e

[RichardL]

Jim:

Just touching on one of your questions, re: Whitworth tools in the USA. Try britishfasteners.com or ebay. At both you will find premium UK-made sets, like King Dick (the manufacturer's name, not slang for "really good tool") or, as I would be more prone to buy, Asian made varieties.

Richard