The Vintage Motorcyclists (Radco)
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The Vintage Motorcyclists' Workshop by Radco Foulis Dedication A FOULIS Motorcycling Book First published October 1986 Reprinted March 1987, September 1987, June 1991, August 1994 and January 1997 © Radco 1986 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission of the publisher. G. T. Foulis & Company is an imprint of Haynes Publishing, Sparkford, Nr. Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ, England British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data RADCO The vintage motorcyclists' workshop. John Masterman's workshop was sometimes a I. Motorcycles - Maintenance and repair scooped-out sand dune in the desert or the - Amateurs' manuals shade of a tree in Italy, Africa or Turkey. Yet I. Title somehow he kept "Old Faithful", his 629.28775 venerable 588 cc ohv Norton, going for over half a million miles of globe-trotting. His incredibly scruffy machine bore evidence ISBN 0-85429-472-4 of "temporary" repairs (eg. a screw-jack wedged between the cylinder head and frame Library of Congress catalog card number tube) for over fifty years. This book is 86-82145 dedicated to the memory of John and "Old Faithful", two of England's true gentlemen — Edited by Jeff Clew it must not be forgotten that motor Printed in England by J. H. Haynes & Co. Ltd. cycles are meant to be ridden. 2 Contents Introduction 4 Acknowledgements 5 Chapter 1 Screw threads for the vintagent 6 Chapter 2 The cycle parts 22 Chapter 3 Engine work: The top half 47 Chapter 4 Engine work: The bottom half 82 Chapter 5 Transmission 106 Chapter 6 Carburation 125 Chapter 7 Electrics 155 Chapter 8 Paint work 194 Chapter 9 Electroplating at home 212 Chapter 10 The final touches 224 Index 245 3 "They say' the war may last three years or more ..." were Graham Walker's words on 20th September 1939, when this splendid pen-and-ink drawing appeared in "The Green 'Un". Note the black-out precautions, gas mask and ARP sign on the door. Alas, many enthusiasts were never to see their workshops Introduction again ... SOME books on vehicle restoration commence with the work described herein has been carried out at tempting layout drawings of "The - Ideal some time or other by the writer, so the book is Workshop". This is usually a double-glazed, based on first-hand experience. Some processes, centrally-heated edifice complete with brazing such as saddlery and wheelbuilding, had to be hearth and tiled inspection pit. This book contains learned the hard way — there were no library books no such illustration. to consult, or experts willing to pass on their skills. The author, whilst an engineer by profession, is a A cautionary note for beginners. Patience is a restorer of thirty five years experience and as such quality the budding restorer will need in abundance! recognises that the average motorcyclist has to make There are no short cuts. Restoration work can be do with what he has got. This usually means an tedious, back-breaking and expensive at times. For ordinary garage, garden shed or spare bedroom reasons such as these, many bikes remain in pieces Obviously some tools are needed to undertake a once the initial enthusiasm has worn off. The rebuild and it is anticipated that the reader will beginner is well advised to select a simple machine probably possess such essentials as a vice and for his first rebuild and steer clear of exotica. spanners. By attempting most aspects of the Matchless Silver Hawks, early camshaft Square renovation himself, the restorer will be less depen Fours, Mk 8 KTT Velocettes and Plus 90 Dou dent on outside suppliers and will thus save money. glases are all delightful machines in their own way He will also gain much pleasure and experience. but are best left to the expert restorer. Some of the best restorations are done in tiny Fortunately some restorers stay the course to workshops with perhaps the aid of an ancient lathe sample the pleasures of riding a veteran, vintage, or (man's most useful machine tool!) and a few hand classic motorcycle in the company of like souls. The tools. The writer's first rebuild project was Vintage Motor Cycle Club can now boast of some completed in a wooden hen shed by the light of 5,000 members, many of whom have rebuilt several acetylene gas — there was no electricity supply so all machines. All the hard work involved in transfor holes were drilled by hand and all machining carried ming a useless conglomeration of scrap metal into a out on a tiny treadle-lathe! living showpiece will be forgotten when the bike is This is a book about practical restoration work. It taken out for a trial spin. does not pretend to be a reference source on general workshop practice, although the reader will find RADCO many hints and tips on such matters. Every aspect of 1985 4 Acknowledgements FIRST and foremost my thanks are due to Ian Jones of the Panther Owners' Club, Stan Thorpe of Young, Editor of the Official Journal of the Vintage the Morgan Three Wheeler Club, and Tom Wess of Motor Cycle Club, for his encouragement the Scott Owners Club. throughout my long-running Vintage Workshop Of the firms who were kind enough to give series in the magazine. Members seemed to like the permission for their material to be used, special meanderings of Radco, many suggesting that the mention must be made of Triumph Motorcycles information should be collated in book form some (Coventry) Ltd and L.F. Harris (Rushden) Ltd. day. It was Jeff Clew who was to bring the idea into Other companies deserving my thanks are TRW fruition, providing much professional advice Valves Ltd., Thomas Mercer Ltd., Naerok Ltd., throughout the preparation of the manuscript. Wipac Ltd., I.M.I.-Amal Ltd., Hepworth & Without whose help this work would not have been Grandage Ltd., L.S-Starrett & Co. Ltd., James possible is a well-worn expression, but truly applica Niell Tools of Sheffield, Carl Zeiss Jena Ltd., A.E. ble to Richard Platt, VMCC Photographic Libra Autoparts, and also Stan Greenway of Dynic Sales. rian. As always, nothing was too much trouble for Last but not least, my appreciation also goes to all Richard. Les Taverner, whose own instructive those private enthusiasts and friends who have articles appeared in the VMCC Journal, was kind either lent workshop manuals or provided some vital enough to allow me to use excerpts from his shred of information. writings, and also provide photos to accompany them. Help was also generously given by Barry RADCO 5 Chapter 1 Screwthreads For The Vintagent Cycle threads and other screwforms. Taps, dies, Cycle Engineers' Institute (CEI) thread. chasers, with random notes on materials for the restorer. Heat treatment explained. Prior to 1902, when the CEI thread was formulated, cycle and motorcycle manufacturers used a motley variety of screwforms. Some makers stuck to the old Whitworth (BSW) system and those who imported WHEN dismantling a motorcycle prior to restora their engines from France or Belgium adopted the tion always keep nuts, bolts and other fasteners for metric system of the period. It is therefore possible future reference, no matter how rusty or damaged on some pioneer motorcycles to find both metric they might be. It helps to slip a bolt back in its and Imperial screw sizes. Other manufacturers rightful place so you know where it belongs, or could not make up their minds and instituted a failing that to label each special nut and bolt with its thread form of their own. location on the machine. Front wheel nut, LH side or It is generally assumed that all cycle threads are of gearbox mainshaft locking nut, for example. Such 26 tpi (26 threads per inch). Whilst this is true of the items are easily lost and when you come to make a common sizes, ie. 1/4 in diameter to 3/4 diameter, a replacement you might wonder what size hexagons glance at the tables will reveal the use of 40, 32, 24 it had, or how many threads per inch, or whether it and even 56 tpi threads. Indeed, 20 tpi is a pitch was hardened etc. sometimes encountered, although when the CEI Motorcycle manufacturers followed the example thread was superseded by the similar BSC (British of early bicycle makers in choosing weird and Standard Cycle) thread, the use of the 20 tpi series wonderful thread sizes for certain applications. Just was frowned upon. to quote one example, most cycle and motorcycle CEI and BSC threaded screws were to all intents crank cotters are threaded 17/64 in x 26 tpi. It is also and purposes confined in their usage to the cycle hard to imagine why any designer would want to and motorcycle industries, although the odd motor specify 7/32 in diameter screws when he had a car manufacturer was known to slip one in when it choice of either 3/16 in or 1/4 in. Such in-between suited his purpose. Cycle threads have two basic sizes, as engineers are apt to call them, crop up advantages over their Whitworth contemporaries; a periodically on vintage machines so it's as well to be fine pitch means that nuts are less likely to vibrate conversant with the various screwthread systems in loose and the relatively large core diameter results in use. greater shear strength. 6 SCREW THREADS FOR THE VINTAGENT THREAD TERMINOLOGY British Standard Cycle thread (BSC) This thread is identical in thread form to the CEI system which it replaced.