classic motorcycle forum

I came across a very original Malvern Star Autocycle in the museum in Pupanyup, not far from Horsham in country Victoria. It originally belonged to the uncle of a chap at the museum.

33d6, is this one listed on the rego records? It's a 1948 model (8M frame number prefix) and the engine number is 586/15554. Interesting to see if the original rego was in Rupanyup!

Thanks

Leon

No, it's not an "Australian copy of FEB Bakers Precision Motor" but a motor built by F.E. Baker for Lewis. The motors were not branded Precision (they usually has Lewis cast into the crankcase, and were usually stamped "Made in England" - a posible clue), and the cylinders (even the air cooled ones) were different from those used by Precision: presumably this was a way of Lewis getting around the fact the A.G. Healing in Melbourne were the Australia-wide agents for Precision engines. The Lewis motors were shipped directly to Lewis in Adelaide.

Nice bike.

Leon

Edit: Should have added: the cycle parts (lugs, wheel hubs, forks, pedalling gear, brakes...) are British Chater Lea. Frames were brazed up and enameled at Lewis; plating was also done in house. The tanks were made my a local Adelaide tinsmith called Memmler. On this model, the whole affair where the tank usually goes comprises a water tank and radiator at the front, and the fuel tank is beneath the saddle. This necessitated a British B&B carb with a really long body to get the float bowl low enough so that the fuel could run into it. I've not seen this carb elsewhere, so like the engine it might have been a special build for Lewis.

Clutch? Gears? Over-complicated.

There's nothing magic about the push rod itself: you can make a new one with the correct length from silver steel, with the ends hardened (heat to cherry red and quench in oil). Usually if there's a ball, the push rod is in two pieces and the ball is in the middle - it will try to fall out is it goes at either end of a one-piece rod.

Leon

A 12" coarse file, which has a name that the site thinks is not ok to publish.

Leon

This is what rusty ones look like - in the same place.

Leon

I'm going with "cheap and cheerful". Actually these things only look really cheap 60 years later when the fork spindles have rusted solid in place, and the nose of the saddle and the handlebar levers have 1/4" free play.

So come on R, time to give your little Waratah a wipe over with an oily rag and a light reconditioning. If the original finish shows unambiguously that it was a Waratah from birth I think it's worth leaving it rather than repaint, so just the mechanicals? But not before you dig down to the Healing frame in the shed and get that frame number for me!

Leon

Worth keeping an eye on the tappet clearance: if it moves more you'd better investigate. If it doesn't move, it's not unusual to see hardened steel caps (think shallow bucket) on top of the valve stems to increase the effective length of the valve. With the rocker arm acting directly on the end of the valve stem it's important that the stem is hard enough to stop it either wearing or mushrooming.

Leon