hi, never had one of these before,is there anywhere what would tell me the order of puting a m21 together, this bike i have came as a dimantled bike, it is complete, except for the rear number plate and light, all the parts have been powder coated, and want to get the frame up together,i live in between worcester and bromyard, is there any one close to me so i could have a look at their bike. curt
I've found the best way to tackle the job is
1/ assemble frame with gearbox plates (loosely)
2/ fit gearbox loosely
3/ fit engine and tighthten gearbox after fitting primary case, primary chain, clutch etc
4/ fit forks, not forgetting to protect the paint behind the spring with cardboard or tape
5/ fit rear mudguard wheel and rear stand and spring. then stand the back end on its stand
6/ get a helper to put a box under the frame and sit it on that while you put the front mudguard on and front wheel in.
Building pre units is a pretty daunting task if you haven't done one before as a lot of parts are used to hang other parts on and it always seems hard to decide where to start. I have one basic rule though - don't fit a bolt in a hole unless you can tighten it up when you've fitted the part, if you can't finish the part of the job you are doing, leave the bolts out and sitting by the component, that way you never forget to tighten one up! This of course dosen't apply to fitting the gearbox /engine until you've fitted the primary case and chain etc.
Hope this helps
cheers dave , thats very helpfull,the chap i had the bike from had already taken some of the paint off things like mudguards tank, and other tin ware, and as i have a powder coating company about a mile away from me, and will do the whole bike for £200, i had to take as much as i can, evan took some parts from a pre war ajs, so had my moneys worth, having the bike all black with a cream on the tank panels and wheel rims, only chrome i want on it is all nuts and bolts , which will be stainless steel, never had one done before ,but going for a ceramic coating on the silencer, which is a fish tail, i did notice that there was a reducer on the end on the exhaust pipe, is that right or has someone put that on, the bike seems to have all the correct parts, even down to the tax disc holder on the bars, same as in the 39 cat, the chap i had it from said the guy he got it from was the first owner, and the 14000 miles on the clock is right, the speedo still works, and the cable is fine, just wish the guy had not took it apart, mind you the price would have been a lot more. paid £1k for it 2 weeks ago. just got a lucas mt110 tonight on a site called http://www.simonsoldmotorcycleparts.com/index.php
he has lots of old lamps.alan
I work on whatever component that is wanting it. After awhile, I have all the stuff ready to mount.
Frame first though! Get the studs and yoke plates in and make sure you have a straight frame before bolting anything on tightly. After that, it's like routine maintenance that you would do anyway.
Frame first, then any other part you wish. I work on a component as I have the parts to do it. That way, you can look for parts and still make progress.
I had a box for the oil tank and fittings, another box for the battery carrier and fittings, yet another for the electrical bits, then a box for the tank fittings just to keep organized. This is key as small things grow legs!
I use heavy plastic bags to keep all the steering head stuff together.
I also print parts book pages and check off what I have. This gives me a list of what to search for. I put the working copy in the parts box for that component.
thanks for that, the chap that took it apart, had put all the nuts and bolts in the different tins, with a bit of paper in there saying what they where from, but, as they where covered in oil, the paper has soaked up the oil and cant read some of what he has wrote down, has swoped the tins for clear plastic trays with lids from the £1 shop, you get 8 for £1, which you can look in to see whats in there with out opening them up.this bike has been apart since 1977, so will be nice to have it back together,i have other bikes which i have had for years waiting to be done, but has kept them all together, as they are easy to move and you cant lose anything, just buy parts for them when or if they come up. curt.
Hi Curt..It is unfortunate that you have had your powder coating done at this early stage. My advice would have been to 'dry build' at least the complete rolling chassis before painting or refinishing anything. As it is you will now not discover parts that are a poor fit, worn, bent etc. etc. until you start assembly.
That aside, get hold of a parts list and any factory worksheets that are available for your model, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the type. Also gather together the correct tools and special tools (there are a couple) that you will need during assembly.
If anything isn't stripped...strip it..and check everything, particularly if you intend to put some miles on the bike. What you leave now will probably catch you out later on the road.
As well as everything else make sure you have a clutch that is in good condition, a good or reconditioned carb and particularly, a very good or preferably reconditioned mag if you want a bike that is easy to start, runs well and is enjoyable to use....Ian
Hi Curt..It is unfortunate that you have had your powder coating done at this early stage. My advice would have been to 'dry build' at least the complete rolling chassis before painting or refinishing anything. As it is you will now not discover parts that are a poor fit, worn, bent etc. etc., or simply missing, until you start reassembly.
That aside, get hold of a parts list and any factory worksheets that are available for your model, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the type. Also gather together the correct tools and special tools (there are a couple) that you will need during assembly.
If anything isn't stripped...strip it..and check everything, particularly if you intend to put some miles on the bike. What you leave now will probably catch you out later on the road.
As well as everything else make sure you have a clutch that is in good condition, a good or reconditioned carb and particularly, a very good or preferably reconditioned mag if you want a bike that is easy to start, runs well and is enjoyable to use....Ian
thanks Ian for the advice, i did put some of it together, to work out which bolts came from what, the engine is in one lump and the gearbox, just glad he didnt take all that apart as well,i felt if i didnt do somethink to it , it would stay the way it was for a long time, and as the guy had taken all the paint off, i thought it was best to cover it up,i would have liked to have kept it an oil rag bike, thats how i like them, have an montgomery jap, ajs and a sos, all from the 30's in oil rag condition, i just like to do the repairs or replace whats broken. curt