Indicator kit

As usual, click any image to zoom in.


I've been feeling guilty about all the work I've been getting Mark to do on my bike. What, with him lecturing in Mathematics at degree level, taking me shopping, cutting my grass, maintaining my car, picking up my pension and looking after his family he probably has enough on his plate.



Therefore I've decided to fit the indicator kit I bought six months ago and have been leaving out on the kitchen table half-hidden under a tea towel every time he comes round for a brew.



What a pain it's been - worse than that time I dropped a dumbbell on Mark's foot, I reckon.  Didn't have a drill big enough, had to file to size, broke several small files, getting the stems to look symmetrical took absolutely ages.  Rear pair should be easier. (Famous last words, ha)

Rebuilt engine back in!

As usual, click any image to zoom in.


It was a lovely, sunny day yesterday. Mark and I started work at 11am and by 8pm all the tools were away.

It wasn't too bad a job really - removed the seat, petrol tank, rear mudguard, chainguard, chain, carb, exhaust, engine and then put it all back together.






Once the new engine was in we filled up the oil tank and gearbox and Mark ran the bike up and down the road with the spark plug out and in gear to get the oil round the engine until we could see the oil return pumping oil.

The bike fired up first kick, which was nice!

We had a bit of trouble starting the bike a while later because the clutch needed adjusting (adjustment bolt was too tight).

I was sitting on the bike ready to ride home when it cut out and we couldn't get it started again.

I left it at Mark's overnight and we had another go this morning, adjusting the timing, and were fast running out of ideas when Mark suggested changing the spark plug. At that point he noticed that the rebuilt engine had a Champion N4C plug and not the recommended N5C. It started first time with the N5C plug in...

Air Filter - Part Deux

As usual, click any image to zoom in.

The first attempt at a replacement air filter (see the blog entry here) has worked fine but Mark noticed that the cloth part of the filter hasn’t survived too well as you can see in the photo on the left

 

While we were out for a ride today, Mark picked up a set of “Splatter screens” from B&M for £1.29 and has made up a replacement inner part of the filter by cutting out two circular elements and mounting them at approximately 45º to each other to form a diagonal mesh.

 

He has been very careful with big, heavy scissors and managed to cut out both the circles from the larger splatter screen. There is still room for a third circle from the larger screen so not that I’m tight or anything but I’ll be able to make a replacement for mine from the same set. Cushty.

 

 

New head gasket

As usual, click any image to zoom in.

It’s been sunny for weeks and today it decides to rain. At least we were able to work in Mark’s garage while we replaced the head gasket on his C15 to try to cure the oil leak.

It seems a little better now in that the top of the crankcase and the vertical part of the exhaust pipe are now dry, but there is still a leak from somewhere putting a light film of clean oil on the front of the gearchange rubber, the bottom half of the crankcase (below the gearchange lever) and the vertical downpipe of the frame on that side.

Smith Speedo dissection

As usual, click any image to zoom in. 

Ignoramus on the BritBike forum pointed me in the direction of a detailed web page that outlines how to disassemble and service a Smith speedo.


Much appreciated!

Speedo calibrated!

Mark has been pressuring me to get the speedo sorted out before he rides it again, and quite right too. In fact, he is always right - he makes me sick.

I reassembled the speedo today after first drilling an access hole in the rear of the speedo casing and then temporarily sat the speedo in the headlamp. I connected the speedo cable and set off to duel with the local radar device.  After the third time of adjusting the magnet plate distancing screw I approached the radar device and it displayed in large green numbers 30 mph.

Went back for a rerun to prove it wasn't a fluke and again it displayed 30 mph. I went back and rode the bike at 31 mph according to the speedometer and as I approached the radar detector  31 mph flashed up on the device. Really chuffed! Rode back home and secured the speedometer in the headlamp. I managed to tap the metal that Smiths had originally "punched" to stop the screw from turning, and secured the screw in place. This was achieved through the new drill hole.

As a final test I rode the bike to the opposite end of town and rode the bike through the other radar speed detector and lo and behold riding the bike at  31 mph the detector confirmed that the speedo is now accurate.

I tested it at 31 instead of 30 mph because the margin for error is less than the thick line of 30mph on my speedometer would show, if that makes sense.

Next on the list is: 

1.  Clean air filter

2.  Make a transparent cover to view internals of the Float Chamber.

Apart from glass, which I assume would be difficult to drill, I need something that is not attacked by petrol that would be easy to buy locally.

Speedo's

As usual, click any image to zoom in. 

No, not my budgie smugglers but the speedometer.


The speedo reads several MPH too fast. The upside is I won't get caught speeding but the downside is the odometer is advancing too quickly.


I've managed to get the speedometer bezel off and I have removed the internal mechanism.


I have repainted the red pointer. The brass adjusting screw was locked in place by the metal surrounding it having been "punched" to prevent movement. I have gleaned that by adjusting the screw the metal plate next to the rotating magnet moves either nearer or away from the magnet. If the plate is nearer to the magnet the speed shows faster than actual and the opposite applies.



I will drill a hole in the rear of the case to allow adjustment of the screw without having to remove the mechanism every time it needs tweaking.


I'll use the speed radar near my house to calibrate the speedo, as well as getting someone in a car to double-check the accuracy.

Trip down memory lane

We found some photos tonight from when I lived in the Isle of Man - these photos would be from 1963.

As usual, click any image to zoom in.

		The old bike leaning against a wall belonged to an old boy that used it to get to work on. I passed this machine every day (parked up) as I travelled to work at Keigs the Photographers.
The guy hanging off the pier (Peel harbour) looking into the water for his mate's magneto cover, which I actually witnessed shooting off his bike like a bullet, spotted the cover and was directing his mate to where it sank. Yes, his mate removed his boots and socks and waded out to retrieve the cover. The things we do for our bikes eh.
		The young lad sitting on his bike resting his feet on my bike lived just down the road from my grandparents' house. His bike was a 350cc Velocette Venom (same model of bike as his father's).
Here he is again - shame I can't remember my old mate's name!
		Ah - there she is.
Percy during his lunch hour, faithfully guarding my old bicycle that I traded in for the C15 above! I never looked back (except for that time when I heard the siren and saw blue flashing lights)