welbike Posted July 18, 2023 Share Posted July 18, 2023 Yes, saw that too, maybe take it up with him, I'm not too popular with him!!🤪 Let me know, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 Yes I've asked him the price. But I'm still smarting over the gearbox sprocket that he sold me for my WB30 that didn't work. Nothing serious in the end as my mate John machined my original boss to take the teeth from the duff sprocket. Darren at Armours welded it for me. All done for free. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 My mate Steve came round yesterday to help me fit the head. It's a right work up, fitting it with the engine in the frame. We were starting to think that the engine must come out? But I thought surely a WD bike must be possible to de-coke with the engine in place! Fortunately the riders handbook explains how to remove the head ........Which made total sence when we thought about it. The gland nut at the top of the pushrod tube can test your patients! I'm currently getting my head around the tappet adjustment sequence. But first I'm going to grind the outside of the jaws of a couple of old spanners to make them more usuable in the tappet chest. Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted July 18, 2023 Share Posted July 18, 2023 Good show! reminds me of the rockerbox on the G3WO, you'd think it impossible to fit with the engine in the frame, but it's doable if you know the trick. Lex 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 18, 2023 Author Share Posted July 18, 2023 Yes I've been there with that one Lex! Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 23, 2023 Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 My new sprocket is fitted and the gearbox is in the frame. So I've been doing a dummy run with the clutch and chains. I bought extra length chains with half links so that I could adjust the links according to my gearing. One thing I've just learnt though. Is that my very expensive WD tool box from Cairo can't be used as the kickstart seriously fouls it. I was talked into the fact that the WB30 was fitted with the wider WM20 toolbox. But the parts list clearly shows a different number. Fortunately I have the slimmer civilian type which will have to be stripped, prepared and sprayed. Two steps forward and one step back. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Ron, will you be fitting the low-level silencer ? I've seen it suggested more than once that WD Nortons had kickstart levers with more offset due to the wider WD toolbox, but in fact the silencer extends well beyond, as it would have done with the civilian models. You don't have a kickstart from a high pipe version, do you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 23, 2023 Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 Hi Rik. I'm not aware of a different kick start. They are quite unique becuase of the ear on the back for the rubber stop. In fact I've just checked the parts lists and it's exactly the same kickstart as fitted to the B29 which had the slim toolbox. So I'll be working on my civy toolbox now. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyob Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 H ron I am with Rik on this one Ref the kickstart photos of the contract you are building to show the wider tool box / using a slightly adapted kick start to clear the toolbox would allow its use agreed the earlier bikes with smaller brakes & those seen in tests / have the narrower box the huge number of part numbers created by bsa especially pre war / wartime is something I now take with a pinch of salt - many replicated with tiny changes implemented- the tool box would be a big change jo’b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyob Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Hi Ron you are fairly advanced in your project - when you get to the silencer stage please let us know 1/ what style you are looking at having made 2/ approx cost - can we get a better price if we request a batch br job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 23, 2023 Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 I am not convinced John! The parts list for our contract, definitely has an earlier number for the toolbox than the M20 list. Also as I stated, the kickstart has the same part number as the B29. Anyway I'm going with the thin toolbox as per the parts list rather than try and find an unobtainable kickstart with an extra crank in it. I'll keep you posted about the silencer. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Ron, as John implies. A bit of a parts-bin special. Going back to the photos which Jan posted earlier in the thread, C4379578 seems to have a narrow box which extends roughly to the centre line on the silencer. FOM 785 which Jan suggests might be the RN contract factory hack seems clearly to have a wider toolbox which sits roughly in line with the outside edge of the silencer. My worry is that regardless of the toolbox, the straight ("narrow") kickstart is going to conflict with the silencer. If you clear the silencer on a low level system, then you clear the toolbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 24, 2023 Author Share Posted July 24, 2023 (edited) Yes Rik. John convinced me ages ago the the RN bikes were fitted with a WM20 toolbox. But it just dosen't work with my kickstart. You say that if it clears the toolbox, then it will automatically clear the silencer! But the earlier bikes and the B29 also had the same size silencer with the standard kickstart. (listed in the 1940 civy list and my RN list) Anyway I've just dummied my front pipe on and done some scaling calculations re the silencer. ie:- The main body exluding front and tail spouts is 17" long and 3" diameter. Which happily is exactly the same size as both my WD C10 silencers (Probably the same for a rigid B31) It looks like the kickstart will clear this OK. I need to get over to Armours and ask Darren to prepare me a SS silencer with the correct 1 5/8" ID spouts (Minus bracket, to be welded on later once I've marked it) I'm gutted that after all the expence and effort, I can't use the M20 box. Maybe they did make a modified kickstart for just the 100 RN bikes. But I doubt we'll ever find one. I certainly wouldn't want to attempt heating and cranking over the top few inches of my original. Cheers Ron (still walking two steps forward and one backwards) Edited July 24, 2023 by Ron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 31, 2023 Author Share Posted July 31, 2023 (edited) I've now fitted the much thinner civy type tool box. Regarding the exhaust. Darren welded on the bracket to my mark and also the front silencer clamp. I've just drilled and shortened the bracket and it went on without any hassle, and my kickstart clears the silencer by 1/2"(the SS exhaust just needs to be lightly grit blasted now) This got me thinking about the WD toolbox again. Since the WM20 toolbox is clearly much wider than the silencer.....and also that the part number for the WB30 toolbox neither matches the WM20 or the civy box. I wonder if they made a slimmer version of the WM20 box? Maybe 1/2" narrower? It's something for me to think of doing if I want to refit my WM20 box as it definitely can't be used as it is. Ron Edited July 31, 2023 by Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted July 31, 2023 Author Share Posted July 31, 2023 (edited) I've acquired 6 clutches for this project to pick the best of everything. However there are variations and it's taken me a while to deduce the correct parts. The mainshaft nut is much slimmer than on all the other bikes and turns out to have the same part number as a 50's C12 The shaft thread is 5/8" x 20tpi. No problem! (I thought) As Drags sell these. But the first one came and no way would screw onto the shaft. So I sent it back and they sent me another one....Same thing! So I had to take it to an engineer who has a 5/8" x 20 tap. Quite a lot of metal came out as he cleaned it up, so God knows what size their engineer was working to? Also their special Durilium bearing ring for the clutch center wouldn't fit, so that wend back for a refund. I used the original BSA rings with new quality 3/16" balls. Ron Edited July 31, 2023 by Ron 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 Nice progress Ron! Hope the clutch will work! Putting new corks in the C10's clutch didn't make it any better, hope with the new fangled space material it will be better! Cheers, Lex 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 I've fitted new Surflex plates but left the old corks in the chainwheel as they look in excellent condition. I can but try. Fitting a 3 spring Triumph clutch is the best option, but would require some special machining as the clutch sleeve is unique so would have to be made bespoke for a Triumph clutch. Ian explained what to do and it sounds very complicated....and expensive. ....It's something to think about for the future if the 6 spring clutch is no good! Ron 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 7, 2023 Author Share Posted August 7, 2023 (edited) I've calculated that the brake pedal is 1 1/2" longer than a standard WM20 pedal. It seems odd to me that they made shorter foot rests by 1 1/2" and then had to produce a longer brake pedal by the same amount. I wonder how much weight that saved? Ron Edited August 7, 2023 by Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
79x100 Posted August 7, 2023 Share Posted August 7, 2023 That's exactly the same situation as the WD16H. In order to give a less rear-set and more upright trials type riding position with footrests mounted in the only place they can be, between the gearbox and the engine, it's necessary to have a longer lever, assuming it's pivoted on the frame behind the chaincase. I don't think it's a weight thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 Ah Rik! I hadn't thought of the riding position. Although the rear sets seemed fine enough for many thousands of M20's. Cheers Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 What sort of rear chainguard did they use?? looks a bit like a G3WO Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyob Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 There has been a few types seen lex - you are not the first to say g3wo chainguard but when it was a bike for so long in continual development nothing surprises I think a matchless rear guard was used too - but that’s another story for another day 😃 jo’b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 Lex that grainy picture is one of the only pictures we have of that side of the bike and that is one of the GPO bikes. The parts list for the RN bikes quotes the chaingaurd as number 65-7710. The 1940 civy parts list shows 65-7700 which was fitted to the model B29......Which is the chainguard I have. ......Who knows what it really looked like? Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnyob Posted August 8, 2023 Share Posted August 8, 2023 Have you seen this one Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted August 8, 2023 Author Share Posted August 8, 2023 (edited) Ah yes John. I have that picture. Another G3 type chaingaurd. But based on the part number being so close to a B29 chainguard, it must be similar...... On the other hand it could just be the same chainguard with the lower panel added. (I can almost see the join?) It's definitely not a G3 chainguard as it hasn't got the Matchless swoopy curve at the rear. As you say, they were developing and changing things all the time. Ron Edited August 8, 2023 by Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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