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Messages - Rex

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1
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: May 29, 2026, 05:49:47 PM »
Just a suggestion for the click-clack.
I've noticed it on singles when they're being turned over slowly by hand that as it goes over the tip of the cam, the follower slaps down on the flank of the cam under valve spring pressure.
The days before quietening ramps and all that.

2
British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« on: May 27, 2026, 10:07:20 AM »
Spheerol. Cheap and cheerful, and works well on old 'boxes.

3
British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« on: May 19, 2026, 10:13:53 AM »
The pretty little bike in the pic-
nothing worse than mudguards which don't follow the tyre properly, although I suppose the builder would argue that he couldn't get a better fitting 'guard at the time.

4
British Bikes / Re: Tiger cub valve timing.
« on: April 22, 2026, 09:59:01 AM »
I think I'd rather look into skimming the piston crown before altering the valve timing.
Personally I can't see how altering the valve timing would or can alter the CR, given that it's a ratio of swept volume to compressed volume of the cylinder.
The CR would be the same even if there were no valves in place.
Altering the amount of time that the inlet valve is open may alter the amount of mixture entering the engine, but that's not the CR.

5
British Bikes / Re: Tiger cub valve timing.
« on: April 21, 2026, 11:20:39 AM »
My Venom was a tooth out on the valve timing and that bike could've been kicked until the next Millennium without starting.
I have two 350 singles, both with decompressors, and using the Big Single starting technique (easing over compression, etc) neither tax my knee, hip or heart too much to fire up. Not like twins, where you're always kicking through compression.

When I inevitably get to the "I can't start them any longer" stage I'll treat myself to a new Bantam at 350cc, or even one of those little AJS 125s, both cheap as chips and leccy start.

That's if I'd still trust myself to last on busy roads!

6
British Bikes / Re: A Tale of Two Gearboxes
« on: April 09, 2026, 05:42:55 PM »
Assemble the boxes and see which one works, or look at the assembly drawing/gear positions and see?

7
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: April 08, 2026, 06:46:09 PM »
Re new pushrods, couldn't you do that old trick of repurposing rods from another engine? Shorten and refix ends as required?
At least you'd know that the material was good for the purpose.

8
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: April 06, 2026, 09:58:57 AM »
Those different tappet settings  when doing the valve timing is a Velocette foible too.
I assume (though I've never given it much thought) that it stops the valve spring operation from affecting the valve timing measurements.
Incidentally, when I was fannying around with the valve timing on my Venom (the timing marks were wrong- another long story) someone more experienced than me said to set the valve timing up just rocking at TDC on the exhaust stroke as a good start, and he was right. It was as near as..
Clearly not satisfactory on a Honda, but for something designed in the 1930s it was OK.

9
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: April 03, 2026, 07:02:32 PM »
If you ever have to (God forbid) centre the conrod in this way again, stick a piece of masking tape on the face of the rod and measure and mark the centre line using vernier calipers.

10
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: March 19, 2026, 09:50:20 PM »
Nice going.
Probably an optical illusion, but is that piston circlip fully seated in it's groove all round?
I've been caught out before where the supplier fitted round section circlips in a square section piston groove, and they didn't seat well.

11
British Bikes / Re: Waratah article
« on: February 28, 2026, 01:09:44 PM »
Seems universal. Now these old bikes and the old boys who "knew" them recede ever further into history, the amount of published BS seems to grow year on year.
Even worse, BS when published, then becomes the truth when later Googled.

12
British Bikes / Re: The $5,800 Secret: Why Binance Miners Are Crushing It Right Now
« on: February 21, 2026, 05:43:07 PM »
The list owner must be asleep..

13
British Bikes / Re: Villiers 196 super sports
« on: February 18, 2026, 09:48:09 PM »
I don't recall ever seeing a BSPT thread on a British bike, they've all been BSP as far as I can recall.
US bikes used them a lot though.

14
British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: February 10, 2026, 11:26:42 AM »
Out the exhaust pipe?

15
British Bikes / Re: Igniton points cam oiler?
« on: February 07, 2026, 10:04:02 AM »
Wicks don't always seem to be fitted to mags, same as the little felt effort that used to be in distributors years ago.
 As the post above says, a tiny bit of grease on the face cam or cam ring is more than enough.

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