classic motorcycle forum

I have literally spent hours, and hours adjusting my clutch (A10) to no avail. I have checked the plates for burrs and flatness, fitted new springs, and fitted an SRM pressure plate with the radial bearing on the push rod. I set the the pressure plate with a clock gauge to ensure that it was lifting absolutely squarely. none of this has made much difference to its operation. The clutch operates fairly well when its cold but as it warms up the gear change becomes increasingly notchy and neutral more difficult to select. I have just given up on it because I don't know where else to go. I have learned to live with it. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Sorry this is not much help to you, but this is my personal experience. The clutch is a 4 spring clutch by the way. Always when cold first gear engages positively and smoothly with just a click no crunching or difficulty in engaging. A perfection action until it warms up then neutral becomes hard to find and first engages with a clunk. The A10 clutch is an enigma. Some seem to function well, others not so much.

Just how do you "set the timing by moving the magneto gears"  ??
Or is that the time honoured method of tapping the gearwheel onto the taper, and then locking it with the nut ...

Whatever... within half a tooth would be enormously better than it is now.

Are you clicking it into neutral in the last little bit while rolling to a stop.
And from 2nd, or 1st
Or attempting it once stopped.

Neutral (deliberately) has a lesser notch to it, to prevent the 1st to 2nd shift from hanging up.
It can be a very finicky adjustment of the clutch to get this action just right.

Whomever rebuilt it could have improved/changed/altered this ?
Changing the gearbox oil can sometimes work wonders with the action too.
Ain't old bikes fun !

Do we have an example of a Waratah that is not an exact Excelsior model ?

I must have skipped class that day. Or my memory has slipped a cog.
And I saved all posts under W
Inc some from elsewheres .....

Thanks for that. I do have a couple of Mk XVI-A engine numbers (prefix AXF) from Waratahs so that will work.

I'm a bit confused because the Villiers book (Browning) says the Mk XVI-A has an "aluminium deflector piston" while Waratah guff in late 1935, for its 1936 model, says two exhaust ports (tick), 67x70 (tick), detachable alloy head (tick), full roller big end (tick), extra long gas tight bronze main bearings (tick), but "alloy flat top piston"!

The XVII-A (BYX prefix) had the flat top piston, but ball mains!

Not to worry - it's a 250 (notice I didn't say 247 or 249!!) Villiers. Should be enough.

Yes, R, all Waratahs from Excelsior from about 1930, prior to that from Sun Cycle & Fittings. Even Excelsior frame numbers, but not necessarily exact Excelsior models.

Cheers

Leon