I thought I started this before, but I can't find a trace.
This build is from a pile of bits that I either traded for or obtained by some other expensive means.
I still think for anyone wanting an old bike, buying a complete one that runs is the answer. Then spend lots of time and money fixing it, despite it being sold as "perfect"
I think the frame I have has changed hands many times, and unfortunately been subjected to "fixing" and modifying.
After lots of stress I think I've finally got it to a condition where it should be rideable.
Some of the errors in alignment of the rear frame could only be down to dangerous enthusiasts.
I did have it shot blasted in the hope of making it easier to repair.
The company I used had this done for me then kindly coated it in primer! So it had to be blasted again.
This has made it very difficult to "wet" the steel whilst bronze welding or brazing.
I think this poor frame has even been subjected to being held in a tree whilst straightening due to the dent in the top tube. For now it can stay.
I first noticed there was an issue with the rear wheel lugs as the Robb Nortier Alignment spindle was awkward to tighten. Not only did the faces not look at each other, hollows had formed from years of retightening the wheel spindles.
I faced these hollows with nickle bronze as it is quite hard, then filed them flat using the original castings as a gauge.
A seat lug had been cut off, so that needed replacing. Also where the field stand had been fitted the tube was crushed. This was also built up with nickle bronze.
I still need to make a new rear foot peg mount and repair the other.
The stop pin for the left hand wheel adjuster was cut flat so that had to be removed.
Quicker to type than do, I think I spend about 10 hours getting it in shape. I have a Motorliner Jig, but the workshop isn't big enough at the moment to use it. I think it would have been easier to have used it.
Not the nicest of pictures, but I never like to mislead by only showing the pretty stuff.
The next task will be to see how well the rack and panniers fit.
Please feel free to criticise ;)
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Unhappy with the rear frame alignment I decided better accuracy was required, so I made three 300mm pins. 3/8", 7/16" and 3/4"
This enabled me to take better measurement. Unfortunately where the rear frame had been damaged from the field stand clamp my simple fix shrank the tube by what appeared to be 3mm.
At these times you have to be bold. Out with the hacksaw :(
Spreading the frame proved the issue as the alignment that I didn't like was corrected.
This gave me the opportunity to cut out the bad area of tubing and replace it with some T45 tubing.
Then just a bit of metal glue applied using the TIG welder.
As the rear mudguard is of Indian origin I think I will fit the rear wheel and build the structure over the wheel to avoid any contact with the tyre.
Ah, tyres! Thats another thing to try and make my mind up over.
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Progress is slower than I hoped, I have a pair of useable wheels. I just needed to get rid of some silver paint splashed over them.
Many ideas were tried, each better at removing the wrong paint. In the end I left them soaking in the ultrasonic clearer allowing the heat to soften the paint. The wheels proved to have been painted many times in many colours. Still unhappy with the results I think I'll have to upgrade the bead blaster and remove the final traces of paint and rust.
So much for a short cut to getting it on the road faster.
I will epoxy prime these and paint with a semigloss 2k paint.
Being premature I even have German tyres for it now. (made in china I expect)
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Finally, after a very long wait my forged M20 pistons turned up.
The complete assembly, piston, rings, clip and pin weight 457 grams.
This will allow me to repair and dynamically balance my crankshaft.
If anyone wants a high-quality standard size (82mm) piston kit, we have them in stock.
I'm out of M20/M21 cylinder liners at the moment so I will machine some spares.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
A slight change of direction, in an attempt to make more space in the workshop I thought I'd make another attempt at resolving my wheel hub problems .
Rear wheel first.
The first problem of the expensive wheel bearings has been solved for everyone.
https://pesltd.uk/?product=26-6890
I now have the correct size brake drum felt 15-7059. 15-7048 remains a problem with all the versions I have purchased being wrong. Fortunately I had a used good one. Remember it's only on the front hub that the felt goes inside the oil retaining cap.
My pan head screws 24-7065 are a little long, so I'll source some better ones.
Please excuse the paint, I will deal with that later. Having all the parts laid out makes it so much easier to assemble.
Front wheel next.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Thanks for your kind words Mark.
Sunday was dry, so no playing with bikes. Bricklaying took priority :(
The front wheel was not much better than the rear, many NOS parts not really fit for purpose and again no felt washers the correct size.
My front hub was the first victim of my modified taper roller bearings. Typical the housing was over size and the outer ring was loose. Fortunately I was able to make an oversize one to take up the slack.
Everything bolted together in the end with the only horror being the outer wheel nuts. Aftermarket ones. Looking good, but not fitting.
I guess I'll make some that fit.
I can't see the brake plates causing trouble, but time will tell. I'll ask my man about bonding the lining on, as if he can it will give a better brake.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Very very slow, but there is progress.
The picture below shows the liner being pressed out.
Below that, the early stages of a new liner being made.
The material is centrifugally cast iron made by Mahle.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Not being happy with the condition of the Barrel casting I decided to get a better one. So back to that later.
Some paint has been applied to a few parts enabling some simple assembly.
The steering stops had to be made up in weld as someone had cut them up. They could be a little long now.
I should have wrapped the fork spring in a towel as I have now made a right mess of the paintwork.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Yesterday I plucked up the courage to look at fitting the rear Indian origin Mudguard again.
It didn't last long as it all looked so wrong.
The idea was, once I had the rear wheel in place it would at as a guide.
Job abandoned before I did something I would regret!
This morning I announced I would not be working today, and maybe not again till further notice.
This puzzle will be solved!
I believe the key was getting Jan's pannier kit to fit.
A few gentle tweaks with a plastic hammer got things to align.
I had the problem that has been pointed out before that the back of the rack looked low.
Mounting the frame below the seat brackets seems to have cured it.
The mount fitting into the lifting stay is about a hole out.
I fitted original vertical stays that were a little longer than Jan's
The bracket that is supposed to fit the oil tank plate is about a hole out.
The tail piece just couldn't fit the horizontal stays.
When I placed the mudguard over the tire it looked like the radius was to much.
Now in the chainstay it is too much.
I will now mark the mudguard with a marking pen, before cutting into it with a hacksaw.
Half a dozen cuts should do it.
If another post doesn't follow this one shortly it all went wrong :sob:
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
It's ok Ian, but for now it makes it work.
I could shorten the arms at a later date.
At the moment I'm just trying to get it on the road.
My surgery was more successful than I expected and it fitted quite well.
The only bracket that needed shifting was on the tail piece.
As usual you take a leap forward and have to crawl back!
Getting this far has allowed me to trial fit other parts.
The upper chain guard bracket may need a little work to get it to clear the vertical stay, but that's nothing to what it has shown.
More rear Mudguard surgery! I think I will need to cut 6.35mm out of it to allow the chain cover to fit.
It gets worse! It's clear now that I have the wrong inner and outer primary chain covers.
If it's only the chain guard mounting that's wrong I could move it.
I think I will need the crankcases in place to check for other issues.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Yes, deep joy putting together the rear end of an M20 even when you have all the original parts, never mind an Indian mudguard....Each part has to fit correctly as everything else won't fit if there's any discrepancies ...
I'm doing the same job on mine at the moment as it happens but thankfully it's not quite as much of a drama as it's all been together before and I've rebuilt the bike twice already in the 40 or so years I've owned it!...
Here's a picture of it before I rebuilt it....That's my niece sat on the tank, she's got two kids of her own now...
All over NATO green, made up C Number and tank markings, still with it's post war MU42 headlamp etc....Things were very different and a lot simpler back then when very few people actually wanted ex. WD machines....
I was just about to set off for home from my sisters in Gloucestershire so I had a roughly 150 mile ride to do on a cold January day....Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
That's a picture to cherish Ian, it's a shame mirrors tell another story.
Progress, I haven't altered the B series inner chaincase yet, but I'm sure it will work.
I just need to make sure there are no more holes to drill in the Mudguard.
The horizontal stay fouls the brake arm, but hopefully when the wheel is adjusted back it will clear.
It might be getting closer?
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
An old and beaten fuel tank cut open and given another beating.
Weld it up and paint it, and it should have an eighty year old period look.
Though I must admit that if I had an anvil and some dollies I might have done a better job.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Oil tank fitted (Just) Ian was correct about the carrier mounting over rather than under the seat spring mounts. Clearance being the issue with the Oil tank. It won't take much to alter the carrier to fit the way I like it. Just a case of welding the holes up and re-drilling about a hole to the back. I had to file the slots in the Indian mudguard to allow the bolts/studs to go through.
After reading the late Rob Nortier's notes on oil tank fitting I decided to make his suggested combined studs and spacers. Only two are required as you can get the front spacer in without much trouble. Yes I know it's not original, but it's not stainless either! EN24T as it happens.
I also used an Indian Battery holder to hold one of Ron's cast plastic cases. It needed cutting down to fit the case. Still a little sloppy I'll line the holder with some sticky back edm foam rubber.
What a pain in the backside. The amount you have to do to adjust it's angle. These bikes were not designed to be serviced quickly.
I've shown a picture of the studs/spacers before the hexagon is machined on them. If there is any interest I'll put them on the PES website.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Not a problem Ian, guidance is good. I don't think I've claimed I know what I'm doing.
I forgot about the tank, it's glued together now and doesn't leak.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
The Tease,
I'm sure those of you that have been here many times know that when it looks 90% there, you've only done 10% of the work.
I hope this is not the case this time, but it does seem to be getting harder now.
The rear wheel has been out far too many times.
Hopefully Monday it will look like a bike that might run.
Still waiting for some tooling from Switzerland so I expect I can blame the Swiss for my delays. (should have ordered the tooling earlier)
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
I still want to spend about three more days on it, but this is most of the parts fitted.
Some parts I also forgot to paint, or other bits want repainting.
Pillion foot pegs I will make, and it looks like one needs to be longer than the other?
I purchased to Hair and latex padding for the seats, but it compresses to next to nothing.
I'm sure I remember it being a firm fibrous material.
Some of the cable runs I'm not pleased with so I suspect I'll make new cables.
What's peoples thoughts over doing away with the choke mechanism and lever, I can't remember them being such a pain to set up.
This has been a long journey, and I'm disappointed it won't be riding in the Netherlands at the alternative BSA International.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com
Here's a handy little device, made by one of our Dutch members. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
I'm using this one for my bikes, every full turn is one millimeter down, and the zero collar can be turned, so it's in the right spot to read it. Not sure where it came from, but was something commercial from the 50's.
Something similar can be made for BSA's ofcourse.
Nortons have a bigger timing hole, and I can use it with an adapter (18 to 14mm.)
Works for me, even with a slanted plug hole like a Matchless.
Cheers,
Lex
email (option): welbike@welbi**.net
I got my correct stencil from https://classictransfers.co.uk/ They also have the correct water slide tank transfers(cream)
"Axholme signs" Also have the number plate stencils which is where my RN tanks stencils came from. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
I decided as this bike is well overdue a test ride, I'd ask Anita to hand paint the number plate.
I'm more than happy with it as a first attempt, I can't type what she said when I asked to do the fuel tank!
If I get a chance I'll wire up a brake light for a test ride tomorrow evening.
Mark
email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com