Factory tools

[Brian]

This is not a "A" topic as such but I thought it may interest most readers.

It is a genuine factory BSA tool for assembling flywheels on the B and M series singles. Apparently clamping the flywheel assembly in this device and tightening the big end nuts will give you a assembly with less than .003" run out.

Does anyone else have pictures or info on genuine tools particularly for the A's.

Brian.

[RichardL]

Brian,

I assume you don't own this tool. It's very interesting, but also interesting is the array of frames in the background.

Who amonst us doesn't have a pushrod comb? (OK, David and Groily, maybe you guys don't.) However, I wonder if a 1955 comb looked any different.

When you think about it, the factory must have been chock full of production assembly jigs, which is what this looks like.

Now, my curiosity is really up. Do any of you folks live near the original Birmingham factory and are the buildings still there? If so, a tour of the basement of those, now probably, flats would be amazing.

Richard L.

[A10Boy]

I live in Shirley, Solihull. Just about 3 1/2 miles up the main Stratford Road is Small Heath. As far as I know, the only original building from the BSA factory on Armoury Road, is where BSA air guns are still made, as in the photo below. [Not my Lightning]

If anyone ever uses the main railway line which goes past Tysley Station into Birmingham, the Factory was about 1/4 mile on the Birmingham City side of Tysley where are car storage yard now is. You can see it on Google Earth too.




Regards

A10Boy

[RichardL]

Now we're talking. How do you feel about walking up to their front door (or riding,  if it is not too cold),  explain your enthusiam and asking if you could take a tour looking for traces of the past and snapping a few photos? I had a recent experience of touring through the basement of a 19th-century textile machinery factory that lived until the 1960's (now a loudspeaker factory). In the basement I saw a cache of 19th-century belt driven machine tools and other equipment related to their business. Very interesting. For example, an old payroll safe shaped like a bathosphere. OK, 19-th century is not that old in the UK, but, hey, this is BSA.

Richard L.

[groily]

Some tool Brian, and very evocative.
Re pushrod comb Richard, yup, I've got one now (a modern thing of no great beauty or manufacturing quality). About the only BSA tool I have got to be honest.
I'd quite like the ultimate tool, a third hand with extra all-way articulation in all fingers, but I guess I'll have to wait for more progress from the genetic engineers and stem cell farmers!

[A10Boy]

Richard,

I might just do that. I will give someone a call first though. I probably wont get in, I imagine having to do a full days heath and safety induction first...

Anyway.. BSA Tools.. I've just bought one of those fork seal holder keys off ebay and a great bit of kit it is too.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fork-Seal-Holder-Removal-Tool-BSA-All-Models-1947-68_W0QQitemZ400017197107QQihZ027QQcategoryZ108839QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

Hows that for bringing this back on topic ?

Andy