Next project .

[fastbob]

1 hour ago, dynax said:

Don't know what to say really, some people just don't deserve nice things.

I don't know how much it would sell for but £45 for some peace of mind is nothing, he sounds like a complete w@nker tbh

This isn't a restoration , it's putting an oily rag bike back on the road . For all I know it probably won't even smoke . This isn't a jap bike where everything is swimming in oil . The rocker shafts are fed internally and the majority of the surplus goes back down the pushrod tubes . We'll see . 

[skyrider]

3 hours ago, fastbob said:

Right then . A preliminary gentle bolt together to make sure everything fits . I haven't put the pushrods in yet but it's got compression and the oil pump works . But that's not the point right now . Dosen't it look pretty ? 

bike looks great Bob but i think i would be doing away with those ape hanger handle bars 

[Six30]

2 hours ago, fastbob said:

Probably not . This is what it should look like . I think someone took off the nacelle and fitted a Tacho . 

looks a lot better with flatter bars i think .

[fastbob]

Nah . Don't forget , it's not my bike . Anyway I rather like them . They remind me of better days . Look at that grinning fool ! 

[gymwitch]

Looks lovely and its making you happy so thats all that matters. Great job !!!

[Ian Frog]

11 hours ago, fastbob said:

Nah . Don't forget , it's not my bike . Anyway I rather like them . They remind me of better days . Look at that grinning fool ! 

What year was that taken?

Did you ever visit any of the biker pubs in London back in the day (Think circa Fred Hill MAG protest days).

Cheers

Ian

[fastbob]

2 hours ago, Ian Frog said:

What year was that taken?

Did you ever visit any of the biker pubs in London back in the day (Think circa Fred Hill MAG protest days).

Cheers

Ian

I took part in numerous MAG Demos in the 80's where Fred Hill was present including one where Trafalgar Square was taken over by motorbikes . I've no idea when the pic was taken , could be around '85 . I had a few false starts to my biking journey due to mechanical issues, changes to the learner laws  , poverty and run ins with the law . 

[Ian Frog]

1 hour ago, fastbob said:

I took part in numerous MAG Demos in the 80's where Fred Hill was present including one where Trafalgar Square was taken over by motorbikes . I've no idea when the pic was taken , could be around '85 . I had a few false starts to my biking journey due to mechanical issues, changes to the learner laws  , poverty and run ins with the law . 

I remember that occasion in Trafalgar Sq and have a suspicion it was Fred`s last one.

I asked because something about your bike is familiar.

Good old days lol.

Pic below about the same time and that was the particular pub I had in mind, my Ducati 2nd from right with my mates V50.

Cheers 

Ian

[fastbob]

Back to the matter in hand . A good bit of work this evening . Pushrods in and rockers lightly bolted down .  The  engine turns over freely ,  the valves go up and down nicely and the oil pump is working . So now it's just a case of torquing it all down and fitting the external oil feed .  After that I took the silencers indoors and decided to try the tinfoil method of cleaning up the chrome . Wow ! What a result . Absolutely brilliant . These are stamped as Campbell's Replacement Silencers so this is vintage British chrome. 

Edited January 5, 2021 by fastbob

[S-Westerly]

13 hours ago, fastbob said:

Back to the matter in hand . A good bit of work this evening . Pushrods in and rockers lightly bolted down .  The  engine turns over freely ,  the valves go up and down nicely and the oil pump is working . So now it's just a case of torquing it all down and fitting the external oil feed .  After that I took the silencers indoors and decided to try the tinfoil method of cleaning up the chrome . Wow ! What a result . Absolutely brilliant . These are stamped as Campbell's Replacement Silencers so this is vintage British chrome. 

Did you use salt water or cola as the liquid as I've seen both recommended albeit for boat chrome?

I'm seriously considering some bots of my bike exhaust system chromed but not even sure if its possible.

[fastbob]

9 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

Did you use salt water or cola as the liquid as I've seen both recommended albeit for boat chrome?

I'm seriously considering some bots of my bike exhaust system chromed but not even sure if its possible.

Nothing but tinfoil . I think there is a lot of nonsense attached to this practice . All that's happening is that the rust spots are being knocked off by a material that is softer than chrome and therefore dosen't scratch . The Coke , Diet Coke , salt water bit I simply don't get . 

[S-Westerly]

Thanks for the info. Can sort of see the coke argument as its like very weak phosphoric acid which is also not a bad cleaner for some metals.

[Ian Frog]

I have found in the past a 50.50 mix of Coca Cola and diesel is good at breaking down the resin caused by old fuel in carbs.

Please bear in mind the soaking period is not short I did some pretty gummed up GT750 Kawasaki carbs and they soaked for a week but I managed to get them working and this was before I had access to a sonic bath.

Cheers

Ian

[fastbob]

Some shiny bits ready to go back on . I've torqued the head to 18 ft / lbs but it somehow just didn't seem like nearly enough . I actually had to back off some bolts because my preliminary tightening had already exceeded the torque setting . I'm going to verify with another torque wrench at its upper setting because I used my big torque wrench at its lowest setting . 

[Guest Swagman]

On 05/01/2021 at 13:18, fastbob said:

Nothing but tinfoil . I think there is a lot of nonsense attached to this practice . All that's happening is that the rust spots are being knocked off by a material that is softer than chrome and therefore dosen't scratch . The Coke , Diet Coke , salt water bit I simply don't get . 

Well I definitely don’t get using salt water, salt causes rust.

[fastbob]

Meanwhile , in a shed somewhere in England ,  a mere 4.8 miles from where it was created some  55 years ago , a motorcycle is beginning to emerge . A couple of weekends of fettling and I reckon there will be signs  of life . 

Edited January 6, 2021 by fastbob

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

Looking good. That tinfoils done a great job. I reluctantly tried it on the Himalayan exhaust (literally held my breath cos I thought it was such a daft idea) and the results were amazing, wish I’d taken a before and after picture. 

[skyrider]

26 minutes ago, fastbob said:

Meanwhile , in a shed somewhere in England ,  a mere 4.8 miles from where it was created some  55 years ago , a motorcycle is beginning to emerge . A couple of weekends of fettling and I reckon there will be signs  of life . 

neat

[fastbob]

I just couldn't stand the sight of the horn painted in blue Hammerite so I tidied it up a bit . Not in the brief but that's another winter evening consigned to the past . 

Edited January 7, 2021 by fastbob

[fastbob]

So , I've been a bit quiet on this thread for a while . That's because I hit a brick wall with the electrics . I've been trying to work out all the " Modifications " that 55 years of ownership has brought about but  without success . But today I've had a breakthrough . I've got a fat spark on one of the plugs ! 

[Bender]

Another fantastic job, even with limitations imposed.

[Mickly]

27 minutes ago, fastbob said:

So , I've been a bit quiet on this thread for a while . That's because I hit a brick wall with the electrics . I've been trying to work out all the " Modifications " that 55 years of ownership has brought about but  without success . But today I've had a breakthrough . I've got a fat spark on one of the plugs ! 

Ah, yes ... you’ve finally got the battery eliminator set up to work

[fastbob]

51 minutes ago, Mickly said:

Ah, yes ... you’ve finally got the battery eliminator set up to work

I wouldn't eliminate the battery on general principle . Anyway I've got two sparks now !

[linuxrob]

4 minutes ago, fastbob said:

I wouldn't eliminate the battery on general principle . Anyway I've got two sparks now !

More than 2 is waste............. see what i did there?

[fastbob]

A good afternoon's work . It's taken me three weekends to get this far with the electrics .  It proves that sometimes the best thing to do is walk away and allow the problem to ferment in the subconscious until the solution reveals itself .the main thing  I've learned is that the wiring diagram means absolutely Jack Shit if someone has converted the bike to negative earth . Anyway I've now got two decent sparks , lights , dip beam , a horn , and a working brake light . If it's not snowing tomorrow I might be tempted to put some petrol in it and start knackering my leg muscles .