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British Bikes / Re: Villiers XIIC 148cc doesn’t run anymore
« on: June 29, 2025, 07:20:39 AM »
I see one of these engine on FB for a coupla bucks .......flywheel missing ,so its just parts.
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British Bikes / Re: Hot Start Problem
« on: June 29, 2025, 07:15:49 AM »
Fail to start can also be flooding of a hot motor ...........I diagnose start problems with a can of starting spray ......this stuff will fire with flooding or with fuel starvation .......but it wont fire with no spark.
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers XIIC 148cc doesn’t run anymore
« on: June 22, 2025, 06:38:51 AM »
I recall when we were kids ,a friend in the next street had one of these .........he couldnt get it going ,ever .......we used to go to his place get the bike going ,race around the streets on his fathers mower petrol until it ran out ..........there was a school and a church across from his house ,and these people didnt appreciate speedway riding in their grounds. ...........I had a terrific crash on it and tore the inside out of my knee.
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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: June 22, 2025, 06:25:33 AM »
The exhaust seat has been well recut (several times) and pocketed ......not that it matters for road use ..........however it means that a new seating ring cant be fitted without major expense..........If your timing is extreme ,you need to be sure the valves wont collide ............Must say it seems strange to me that Burlen and others sell replica Amal carbs for astronomical sums ,when you can buy new carbs for 15 quid on ebay or temu.
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American Bikes / Re: 1949 Indian vertical twin parts
« on: April 10, 2025, 08:17:08 AM »
They were supposed to have a weak bottom end ...or thats what Sucher claims ...........Ive never seen an engineering drawing of one,such as are easy to find for British bikes .........Ive also seen claims the original Edison magneto fitted was no good ,and most owners fitted a Lucas from a Triumph.
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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: April 10, 2025, 08:09:55 AM »
One engine Ive worked on ,the roller tappets had only half an axle ,the other 1/2 of the space in the roller was taken up by a spring looked like a paperclip .....the lifter body had half a hole broached into it,so there was no chance the axle could turn in the lifter ........very reliable system for an engine that would do a million miles.
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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: April 10, 2025, 05:30:42 AM »
The roller axles are rivetted in ,and probably a press fit as well ..........Ive never replaced one......but a while ago ,someone was selling off a well known stash of new Harley parts ,and the set of 4 tappet rollers from a shovel were around $10 ,so I got some ......the Harley ones have needle rollers Ive got a V twin JAP with really bad rollers ,probably 1/8" of losseness .......it was running like that ...but needs to be fixed.
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British Bikes / Re: Troubleshooting a JAP Special
« on: April 08, 2025, 11:45:21 PM »
Thats corrosion pitting..........I wouldnt worry about it .............I can say one thing for sure .....do not replace the rollers with ball bearings ...... disaster when the bearings break up and wreck the cams...........My motor has new rollers and cam ,as the 500 motors use the same parts as the rotary cultivator engines ,and I was lucky enough to find a stash of NOS engine parts
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British Bikes / Re: SturmeyArcher box
« on: September 10, 2024, 06:38:43 AM »
There is an ad on marketplace for some rusty 1920s Harley bits for $1 million ,reduced to $20,000 ..........thats a bargain!
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British Bikes / Re: SturmeyArcher box
« on: September 09, 2024, 03:17:44 AM »
The little Sturmey Archer box is still for sale on marketplace ...down to $400 now.
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British Bikes / Re: Amal 276 carb
« on: August 21, 2024, 04:32:57 AM »
Ariel is a 1950 VG which came fitted with a 1&1/16 Amal 276.........I have lots of bits of smaller 276s ,and boring a worn 15/16 carb seems to be the best way .........the carb is also needing the body sleeved ,and the slide and guide also sleeved or built up, all due to wear ..........might as well do the lot in one go.
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British Bikes / Amal 276 carb
« on: August 20, 2024, 02:45:55 AM »
Im about to bore out a 276 carb to 1& 1/16 for my Ariel .........question is ,can I simply bore out the jet block/slide guide assy as one piece ? ....or do I have to unsolder the lower part ,so that the short tube on the jetblock is unchanged ?...........Unsoldering/resoldering could be tricky so as not to block or obstruct any of the passages or jets...............I see lots of horribly bodged Amals about,seemingly enlarged with coarse sandpaper wrapped around a stick,but they are never attached to engines ..............which Id assume is because they dont work anymore.
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British Bikes / SturmeyArcher box
« on: August 20, 2024, 02:38:06 AM »
Anyone notice a lightweight SA gearbox on marketplace thats very similar to the pics shown on the forum a while ago......One Ive not seen before,not that Ive taken much notice of the LW boxes .
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British Bikes / Re: Villiers chain ?
« on: August 11, 2024, 02:07:04 AM »
All made in China .........except Lucas trade mark is used by Bosch and all Lucas 'genuine'' parts are called 'legacy' and made in India by Bosch......Lucas is actually owned by USA conglomerate TRW Inc.
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British Bikes / Re: Dunelt and Barnstormers
« on: July 09, 2024, 11:37:00 PM »
The tiddler clutches are often clever use of pressed metal with the sprocket as the only solid part ..........by bending the tangs on one plate through slots in the sprocket and using the bent tangs to engage the other plate ............... clever when made ,an awful mess when severely bodged by the last desperate owner.