Author Topic: New toy  (Read 14165 times)

Offline mini-me

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Re: New toy
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2017, 12:02:20 PM »
Well, I have seen worse. I expected worse.
If it was a 20s brit bike I'd be more encouraging.

Originally I though you had a sidevalve job.

To me, and as someone who was a professional restorer decades ago, yuu seem to be going a long way round to the end result. Plenty of period magnetos around and as yours is a 2 stroke it won't need advance so look around for one off a stationary engine.

Brazing old french cast iron might be problematic.
I would not have thought it hard to find, [thats find not 'source' notice] a timing cover from France, French ebay can be useful over a period.

That gearbox looks very similar to others in the Terrot/Magnat range, expect it to be knackered.

Use the net for info, this link might help for a start; http://www.terrot.org/musee_terrot/main.php?ID_type=122 

I can help with difficult french technical terms.

Its a better project than I assumed from past experiences, but I still would not have paid what you did for it. Also be prepared for it to be a tad younger, the guys who bring this stuff back are pig ignorant about such things.

Offline mini-me

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« Last Edit: October 22, 2017, 02:42:12 PM by mini-me »


Offline mini-me

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Re: New toy
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2017, 02:45:42 PM »

Offline chaterlea25

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Re: New toy
« Reply #19 on: October 22, 2017, 04:15:18 PM »
Hi ALl,
When I opened the link to an ebay ad on the "What do I have" thread  this appeared in the linked pages

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1927-Motobecane-MB2-Vintage-Genuine-Board-Track-Racer/162721065367?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D46150%26meid%3D37364e8098db461cafde03a71f17950a%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D172936100608&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

What a total mis description and bordering on outright lies ???
Note the upside down mounted Albion gearbox

On French bikes, A friend who speaks fluent French picked up the remains of a 1929 Favor a while ago in France for
less then €200,
No engine, but the rest was almost complete,
The Staub gearbox and clutch (Burman pattern) were fairly well trashed but he was able to source another in France
and I rebuilt one from the two as the casing mounts differed
He had a JAP 250 engine that needed a home and it was an easy fit to the frame
Chambrie in France rebuilt the wheels supplied the tyres and made an exhaust and so on for very little €'s compared to UK prices
It is almost finished now, at a fraction of the price of a pre 30 Uk built bike

So Colin,  keep going on the wee French 2 smoker  ;D

John


WTF!!!
John

Offline Terrotmt1

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Re: New toy
« Reply #20 on: October 22, 2017, 04:23:56 PM »
Wow, that will be an adventure!
Love the ideas to substitute the new parts for the old.
I spent ages getting old original to work, sometimes with success once I had found Villiers Services not far from me.
I look forward to your reports. :)

Always fancied doing a girder fork bike, but if I do it will be a bike where parts are easier to come by...

Offline mini-me

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Re: New toy
« Reply #21 on: October 22, 2017, 05:43:46 PM »
Tha "board tarck" racer is exactly sums up why I get so cheesed off about these imports. What a pile of crap and the whole ad is a tissue of lies.
Its what happens when the trendy blobber crapper crew get near a bike.

As I said before often, I quite like 1930s French bikes, they were often innovative, despite the technology not being up to their ideas, their steel for instance was not as good as ours. But their castings are good, with wide joint faces, they had unit construction, decent electrics, wheel bearing that were ball race not cup and cone, big section tyres and were quite comfortable with large saddles.
France after all is a very big country, the french are skinflints so economy and reliabilty was high on the list.

If anyone is in the market for a decent french bike of that era, take a holiday over there and visit some of their larger boot sales and get a bike thats less knackered and more complete for far less money.

Offline The Artful Bodger

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Re: New toy
« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2017, 07:10:32 PM »
Many thanks for taking the time to find the links, I had seen the barrel on eBay but it defeats the object of the exercise here. I'm a bit strange in so much as I love a challenge and make or repair as much as I can. My aim is to use every original part including screws, washers etc. as I can, repairing whatever along the way. I realise that many of the bits probably aren't 1926 originals, but they're on the bike as I got it so.....
  My foundry set up is all self designed and made, it actually caused a bit of a stir in the home foundry world and due to popular demand I ended up writing a book on it. All my powder coating equipment is home designed and home made, including the sand blasting, powder gun and baking oven. I'm presently building a lathe / mill to give me a larger capacity machine than my Myford super seven, but taking up less space. Not that I will get rid of the Myford once it's done.
  Point being here is, I like to make things! I then get great pleasure putting the things I make to good use making or fixing other things. If this was a Triumph or Norton of the same era I would try to keep it as original as possible, sourcing whatever parts needed to make it right.
  I'm not "disrespecting" this bike but don't feel the same need for perfect originality. I actually first got interested in it as a rolling frame for an engine I intend to build from scratch from a re-print of a 1906 book I have. But then figured there's enough there to get it going as is and build my engine as a direct "drop in" to replace the original engine occasionally. This way I can enjoy it as a stink wheel and then when I fancy it, drop in my own 4 stroke auto inlet lump. Gives me a two for one deal!
  Making the timing cover, primary cover and magneto, repairing the broken fins and inlet stub will cost me nothing and keep me amused in the bargain. It will make it "my bike" and I'll be proud to ride it, even more so with my own engine in it.

Colin
1926 Magnat Debon, 1953 Bantam, 1955 Ariel Huntmaster, 1961 GPO Bantam, 1979 GS 850, 2001 Burgman 400, 2004 Burgman 650

Offline mini-me

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Re: New toy
« Reply #23 on: October 22, 2017, 09:42:06 PM »
hmmm, I think yuu need a hobby ;)

Offline murdo

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Re: New toy
« Reply #24 on: October 22, 2017, 10:24:58 PM »
Looks a great start and you have some good ideas too.
I would be TIG welding the cast stub to the barrel rather than braising, be a much sturdier job too.

Offline Terrotmt1

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Re: New toy
« Reply #25 on: October 22, 2017, 11:18:01 PM »
I have my Terrot on www.terrot.org and people on there have been great even though the MT1 is not their cup of tea.
Chambrier are a really good company with a lot of parts and not a fortune.

Great project.

Offline JoeJ

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Re: New toy
« Reply #26 on: February 11, 2018, 06:08:41 PM »
Great bike to start with!  I love those flat tank bikes.

Good luck and keep us posted as to the progress!

Offline The Artful Bodger

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Re: New toy
« Reply #27 on: February 14, 2018, 11:11:22 AM »
A bit of a delay with the project, well two delays to be accurate. One is my usual problem with getting side tracked with other projects, one of which was currently taking up a bit of time. The other delay is breaking my knee in two places, 6 weeks of no weight allowed on my right leg of which I'm about half way through. Since this is the third operation on this knee over the years I'm actually obeying the doctors, getting kind of worried about the state it's getting into.
  I've puled the engine apart and it's about what I expected. Water has got into the bottom end and it's not a pretty sight. Typical of small two strokes it has a hardened con rod and crank pin with loose rollers, these are all very rust pitted. The main bearings (bronze) and crank are worn.
  I've made up a tool post grinder for my lathe and re-grinding the crank for the mains has gone well, I've bought some lead bronze to turn up the new bearings. I've had problems with lead bronze with main bearings in the past as it can expand quite a bit as it gets hot, with my Ariel the main bearing expanded in the alli. casing stretching the alli. I had to bore the casing out and make a new bearing with a steel sleeve which has been fine for around 6000 miles. Probably why BSA / Ariel made the bearings sleeved in the first place??
  Fortunately the M/Debon engine has steel sleeves which have stayed in the crankcases so happy days! The bearings are also pinned through the thrust face so I'm happy to use lead bronze for them.
  I have ground the crank pin down more than a couple of mil. and pressed on a bearing sleeve. I now will make a mild steel sleeve to press into the pitted con rod to take up the slight eccentric worn in the 'ole, this I will bore out to take a needle roller bearing. I have a bit of a concern with the bearing as the rollers are quite a bit narrower in width than the original, the overall width of the bearing is the same. However................ How hard am I going to ride this thing and how many miles am I going to do on it? I have a plan B should there be problems, but want to try the roller bearing first as it's cheap and simple.
  The bore and piston are in very good condition but the rings were seized in solid. After much soaking and gentle prodding I've got them out. If this was a 4 stroke I would make new ones straight away, but for now I'll run with the old ones. I have a Bantam which I've played with a little carb and porting wise, the piston slap has to be heard to be believed! Compared to other Bantams the compression is down but the bloody thing flies (well by 125 Bantam standards which ain't a lot!). The new small end is a simple turning  job, the gudgeon pin is good.
 This engine is so simple that pulling it apart in the future is a nothing job, first I want to see how the big end holds up. Whipping the barrel off to make new rings in the future if needed isn't a problem.
  Thanks for the suggestion to tig weld the barrel, I've had a tig for years but never tried cast iron with it, don't know why?? Anyway I had a play with a scrap Bantam barrel ( the missing fins on the M/D will be coming from this) and am kicking myself for not using tig for iron in the past!
  I haven't looked at the gearbox as yet, it selects all three gears but there's a lot of end float at the clutch as the gears are selected.
As soon as the leg's back in business I'll get stuck into it again, getting really bored not getting into my garage / workshop, but my wife's guarding the door armed with a cast iron frying pan with a mean look on her face!

Colin
 
 
 
1926 Magnat Debon, 1953 Bantam, 1955 Ariel Huntmaster, 1961 GPO Bantam, 1979 GS 850, 2001 Burgman 400, 2004 Burgman 650

Offline iansoady

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Re: New toy
« Reply #28 on: February 14, 2018, 12:42:03 PM »
Well done, and I hope the recovery progresses at speed.
Ian
1952 Norton ES2
1986 Honda XBR500
1958-ish Tre-Greeves

Offline murdo

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Re: New toy
« Reply #29 on: February 14, 2018, 08:56:51 PM »
Stick with the recover schedule, trying to get back to work too soon can really set you back (from experience I know).
Depending on what type of iron your welding, I have used old iron piston rings for filler rods with good results using the TIG.