classic motorcycle forum

Gulp.... here we go....

Time to start the assembly!

First I checked the locating of the crank oil feed quill, which, for some reason, my Dad had left out of the engine when it was last buil!  How the big end was getting oil I have no idea.....
I only ordered this recently, I had no idea it was supposed to be there until I spotted it on the Speedway Service list of parts and wondered what it was....  If I hadn't lost the little seal from the timing cover and had to order new ones I'd never have known about this part.



I also checked the crank-shaft oil feed line was clear:


Yup!


I then set up the timing side crankcase on a few blocks so that it would sit easily, cleaned up the remaining lithium grease which was on the thrust washers on the crank shafts, fitted the bearing cage and rollers on that side, and dropped it into the case:


Fitting the bearings was a lot of "fun" - they're soaked in R30 and have a tendency to try to pop out when you're pushing the next one into the slot: this little so-and-so made a bid for freedom and I lost 10 minutes hunting for the git, eventually I DID find it on the floor, I think it somehow ended up under my shoe!


Second set of bearings all in:



I then cleaned up the case mating surfaces with Sika Wonder Wipes,



Then again with meths on a clean bit of cloth.

Just a fraction of the blue paper and wipes I went through....


The Threebond was a lot more fluid than I was expecting, and I lost a bit of time hunting for a nozzle amongst my other tubes of goo - unfortunately couldn't find anything to fit so I had to just dispense from the tube.
I think this was a little too much - but there wasn't a "huge" amount of overflow on the outside of the cases.



Note that on this side of the cases (the Timing side), there's a "wall" or "lip" on the inside of the mating faces - this provides a locating key for the other side and a partial "labyrinth" seal, it also means that hopefully there's a lot less chance of the Threebond getting into the inside of the cases if you apply it to this side of the cases (as opposed to the other half), well - that's my hypothesis anyway...

I fitted the other side of the cases, used the small bolts to hold it together and align them, then fitted the workshop legs and cleaned up the small amount of excess 3Bond that oozed out.  (the Wonder Wipes were very good for that).

The next step was to fit the output side crank seal - this is a modification to the original engine, I'm guessing from F500 racing, and I really ought to try to find another one at some point.
I 3Bonded one side of the gasket (the cases side) and fitted the ally seal mount.
Interestingly, the 3 holes are NOT in exactly 1/3rd circumference locations, the screws wouldn't screw down until I rotated the mount 1/3rd.  If I remember I may etch an "up" arrow into the ally just to make it easier next time.


Test-fitting of the timing wheel - as I was looking at the cases on the legs, and the wheel hanging on the wall I had a sudden panic that it wouldn't fit!!
But it does.


It's a nice tight fit on the output shaft splines.  I also like implementation of the fine-adjustment collar.


Woodruff key, splines, output cog and fixing nut, There's also a couple of large washers that fit over the nut which stop the cog sliding off.



I rummaged around in the box-o-bits but couldn't find another nut of the right size and thread to temporarily hold the splines on the shaft: this nut is the right size, but wrong thread, but it'll do for now just to stop the splines falling off.


I need to make up a pointer for the timing wheel: current thinking is to just use a bit of wire-coat-hanger and one of the mounting studs to hold it in place, can't see any problems with doing that, so will do that when I get to that point.

Next job will be the barrel studs (copa-slipped, and with a touch of grease on the rotating bits), barrel, with 3Bonded paper base gasket, quench the head gasket : Ooo - a heaty bit, watch out for fireworks!, and the head, rocker box, then timing gear..... should be fun!

Now I am NOT going down the "Villiers Inustrial Engines" rabbit hole, but I will admit there is one! As Reg says in his memoir, P&R Williams were a big part of the Australian end of the business, in the 1930s, with a gap for the war, then 1946 into the early 1950s.

I suppose the 98cc Villiers Midget in the Ransome lawnmower is akin to the engine in the 98cc Waratah of the time? On second thoughts, don't answer that!

Leon

Villiers Aust carved out quite a niche for themselves in the small industrial engines market though.
Oddly enough, all 4 strokes !

If ye search on fleabay gumtree marketplace etc, there are whole legions of them.
And especially the instruction booklets, for quite an assortment of models.

I have no idea if the Norton Villiers industrial engines are a carry-on of this, but quite likely ?

I set out to replace the speedo drive bushing and what seemed to be a simple task suddenly isn't.  It seems as if some goober has totally destroyed the retaining pin that holds it in.
If I remove the inner timing cover will I be able to get to the bushing and replace it?

If the answer to that is yes, the next question is how do you get the thing off?
So far I've only found two screws toward the back that seem to hold it on.  That doesn't seem right.

In the attached pic, what must come off to get this plate off?  My parts manual leads me to believe that the shifting mechanism stays in one piece.  Do I remove all the kickstart mechanism?
My shop manual says refer to a BSA dealer.  Those folks are far and between these days.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

At least one Villiers powered Star survives (sort of). I saw it for sale at the VVMCC Scoresby Swapmeet a few years back. Supposedly restored it wasn't done well plus the original Mk XII-C engine had been swapped out for an earlier MK VI-C retrieved from an Atco lawnmower. 
I've long since learnt it never goes down well telling a hopeful owner that his exotic and rare early Villiers engine is in fact a rather common lawnmower engine. Yes the MK VI-C was only used in motorcycles for 1923 but it survived for many many years afterwards for lawnmower use. Anyway, a surviving Star with incorrect engine is better than no Star at all. I hope its still around.

I too found the Williams notes fascinating and the Velo remarks do tie in well with Phil Irving's autobiography but reading them was a pain as when expanded the page was too big for my computer screen. Manoeuvring them around to read was a pain and I probably missed a few of the more subtle points. Pity about that.