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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« Last post by Rockburner on January 30, 2026, 11:03:34 AM »I'd been dong some general tinkering the last couple of evenings, it's frigging cold out there so anything that requires proper thought is being put to one side.
I was going to reassemble the head, and made a start: I'm only going to put a couple of mica washers on each spring assembly because the spring weights are good:

But then I discovered that the valve-stem circlip I put on looked very tired, so I thought, bugger it - should replace them, and tidied the head away again for later.
I've been looking at the engine cases trying to figure out the best way to get the upper-surface as flat as possible (ie where the cylinder sits), and realised that the two small engine case bolts that are the first two that get used, and which hold the cases together while the engine is mounted etc really should be proper shoulder bolts, and I've got 2 set-screws. So I'be been trawling the net for a 1/4" BSC bolt with a long shank (7/8"). See my other thread for details : https://revtothelimit.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=11380 .
So - while I was in the workshop last night I had a good furtle through my collection of Imperial bolts from random sources..... and lookee here!

"Bolt" ( aka "Partially-threaded-Bolt") on left, "Set-Screw" on right.
No idea where this came from... but I have a feeling it may actually be the exact bolt that Speedway Service sell!

Knowing my Dad, he probably didn't fit this because it's actually too long, and would look odd. It's longer, to allow the Magneto Platform Support Bracket to sit on it!
Win!
So - I spent the rest of the evening cleaning up the engine studs:

And then, because the Mag-Platform bracket was on my mind and something was feeling off.... I bolted up the cases (empty) and fitted them into the bike to check a few things :
This is how I was initially envisaging the Mag-Bracket sitting :


But... there's an issue:
The engine stud isn't long enough.

I'm going to have to rethink that Mag-platform bracket. Even though it will be a pain making sure it clears the engine plates - I think I'm going to have to use the smaller bolt as per the usual practise, so I need to remake the bracket. With any luck I can use the existing piece of metal, but if not, I do have more of that stuff, which is quite handy.
This is the rider's view when in the usual riding position :

The cylinder axis is directly in-line with your head!
Incidentally: You can see the longer 1/4" engine bolt in that photo.
While I was looking at less-fundamental things I also tinkered with the "saddle-bag" fitting that I have never been really happy with: it's a cruiser-style "yoke-bag" that uses two thick leather straps and I had it hanging by the side of the saddle, banging against the shock:

I was never really happy with that arrangements, so spent some time trying to figure out a way to improve it, and found a length of Dural in the box of metal bits that Dad had drilled a large number of holes in: no idea what it was for - maybe an early attempt at a brake-tension-arm or something, but it's absolutely ideal for mounting this bag onto the bike. I'll do more photos when I do more on it, but I spent some happy moments on the grinder tidying it up somewhat for use.
So - as part of that I looked into where it would be mounted, and discovered something that made me both laugh and curse.
The bike has always been "bangy" at the rear end when riding. It crashes about and is noisy, not just from the engine. I now know why....




The shock uppers have at least 1/2" of movement side-to-side!! :wtf:
I need to look into what a regular Featherbed frame setup uses here - but at the very least I need a couple of 1/4" spacers to hold the shocks in place properly! I also think that the bolts should again have longer shanks, so we'll see what can be found, or bought to bring these shock support mounts up to scratch.
$%^&&in ell....
I was going to reassemble the head, and made a start: I'm only going to put a couple of mica washers on each spring assembly because the spring weights are good:

But then I discovered that the valve-stem circlip I put on looked very tired, so I thought, bugger it - should replace them, and tidied the head away again for later.
I've been looking at the engine cases trying to figure out the best way to get the upper-surface as flat as possible (ie where the cylinder sits), and realised that the two small engine case bolts that are the first two that get used, and which hold the cases together while the engine is mounted etc really should be proper shoulder bolts, and I've got 2 set-screws. So I'be been trawling the net for a 1/4" BSC bolt with a long shank (7/8"). See my other thread for details : https://revtothelimit.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=11380 .
So - while I was in the workshop last night I had a good furtle through my collection of Imperial bolts from random sources..... and lookee here!

"Bolt" ( aka "Partially-threaded-Bolt") on left, "Set-Screw" on right.
No idea where this came from... but I have a feeling it may actually be the exact bolt that Speedway Service sell!

Knowing my Dad, he probably didn't fit this because it's actually too long, and would look odd. It's longer, to allow the Magneto Platform Support Bracket to sit on it!
Win!
So - I spent the rest of the evening cleaning up the engine studs:

And then, because the Mag-Platform bracket was on my mind and something was feeling off.... I bolted up the cases (empty) and fitted them into the bike to check a few things :
This is how I was initially envisaging the Mag-Bracket sitting :


But... there's an issue:
The engine stud isn't long enough.

I'm going to have to rethink that Mag-platform bracket. Even though it will be a pain making sure it clears the engine plates - I think I'm going to have to use the smaller bolt as per the usual practise, so I need to remake the bracket. With any luck I can use the existing piece of metal, but if not, I do have more of that stuff, which is quite handy.
This is the rider's view when in the usual riding position :

The cylinder axis is directly in-line with your head!

Incidentally: You can see the longer 1/4" engine bolt in that photo.
While I was looking at less-fundamental things I also tinkered with the "saddle-bag" fitting that I have never been really happy with: it's a cruiser-style "yoke-bag" that uses two thick leather straps and I had it hanging by the side of the saddle, banging against the shock:

I was never really happy with that arrangements, so spent some time trying to figure out a way to improve it, and found a length of Dural in the box of metal bits that Dad had drilled a large number of holes in: no idea what it was for - maybe an early attempt at a brake-tension-arm or something, but it's absolutely ideal for mounting this bag onto the bike. I'll do more photos when I do more on it, but I spent some happy moments on the grinder tidying it up somewhat for use.
So - as part of that I looked into where it would be mounted, and discovered something that made me both laugh and curse.
The bike has always been "bangy" at the rear end when riding. It crashes about and is noisy, not just from the engine. I now know why....




The shock uppers have at least 1/2" of movement side-to-side!! :wtf:
I need to look into what a regular Featherbed frame setup uses here - but at the very least I need a couple of 1/4" spacers to hold the shocks in place properly! I also think that the bolts should again have longer shanks, so we'll see what can be found, or bought to bring these shock support mounts up to scratch.
$%^&&in ell....
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