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51
British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by Vreagh on May 27, 2026, 10:08:23 AM »
I've used the semi fluid grease in the gearbox and have not had a single drip and a sweet box ( for an Albion). You need patience to fill it though.
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by Rex on May 27, 2026, 10:07:20 AM »
Spheerol. Cheap and cheerful, and works well on old 'boxes.
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by R on May 27, 2026, 08:33:24 AM »
Quote from: 33d6 on May 27, 2026, 08:23:13 AM
Thixotropic?

Yup.
Think OO grade comes into it also.
AKA  semi fluid grease

Ride on lawn mowers use it their gearboxes, almost universally.
So if all else fails, the local mower shop will have it.
Better price too ?
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by 33d6 on May 27, 2026, 08:23:13 AM »
Interesting. I don 't know that I'd be too keen to mix up oil and grease myself but I think I'll look more kindly on that stuff they recommend for vintage car steering boxes and the like. Can't remember what Penrite call it. Thick like grease when cold but quickly liquefies when stirred up. Thixotropic?
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by R on May 27, 2026, 06:12:55 AM »
https://www.barnstormers.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ALbion-PDF.pdf

About halfway down, beyond the parts list and just under the little lubrication chart.
It does note that too much grease may block the lubrication pathways.
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by 33d6 on May 27, 2026, 05:11:05 AM »
Albion introduced their first “Featherweight “ 4 speed box intended for up to 150cc machines in January 1933. Unfortunately the majority of the motorcycle industry were reluctant to take it on for their bottom of the range lightweights as it was dearer than the EJ 3 speed.
Some did but the general attitude seemed to be that they were building cheap’n’nasties and building an optional cheap and interesting version wasn’t going to happen.
I can see why Albion wasn’t interested in making a close ratio 3 speeder when they had difficulty selling their much better 4 speed box intended for the same purpose.

Curiously I’ve never seen any Albion literature advocating a thin grease. Where did you get that?
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by R on May 26, 2026, 11:26:26 PM »
We've seen before you rail against the 3 speed box - simply the 2 speed, now with a stump pulling 1st gear added.
You'd wonder that Albions didn't effectively do a close ratio version  ?

The 4 speeds in my old FB 1H seemed quite a good spread.
But that was another 20 years down the track.

I see the Albions instruction sheet for the 3 speed advocates using oil, with up to 50% 'thin' grease added, and well mixed !
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by 33d6 on May 26, 2026, 09:26:34 AM »
Back to Albion boxes. I've just returned from the State Library where I was ploughing through 1931 copies of MotorCycling. The 11/11/31 copy had a paragraph introducing the new "E Junior", a new 3 speed box for featherweights up to 150cc. Weight 12 lbs. internal ratios 1.57 and 2.78 to 1. High gear the usual direct drive 1:1 of course.
Then referred to the the regular 'E' for 200-300cc machines and advised the smallest 2 speed as redeveloped in 1931 was still to be produced.
The new box of course is the good old EJ, probably the most common survivor found today. As the cheapest 3 speed box they made it was calmly fitted by all and sundry to whatever piece of equipment they needed a box for and  absolutely no notice paid to the factories advice it was a featherweight for up to 150cc engines only. It was the cheapest they could buy and who cared if it was ferociously overloaded. Lucky for us it was tougher than the factory thought. Love them.
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British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by R on May 26, 2026, 12:12:50 AM »
Nortons were in Aston Brook St for a good many years too.
They built/extended through to Bracebridge St in short order, and that seems to have become their primary address.

Don't think any pics of Albions' Tower Works are about.
Online anyway.
Unless the press or a magazine did a feature on them.
Which might be tough to find.
The factory records might have survived ? and been archived somewhere ?
Which might be equally tough to find...

EDIT  Birmingham City Council libraries have an extensive archive of the city's history.
Including a box with 26 photos of Upper Highgate St.
Let us see if they respond to enquiries ...
60
British Bikes / Re: Albion gearbox BF436 - where used?
« Last post by cardan on May 25, 2026, 12:34:58 PM »
I love a good map! Hope to see an illustration or photo of the Albion Works soon.

In the past week I've been looking at the relationship between Precision (Moorsom St), Sun Cycle & Fittings Co. Ltd (Aston Brook St) and A.H. Haden (Princep St) in relation to frame lugs. Interestingly these three are clustered just to the northern side of Birmingham, while Albion (Upper Highgate St) is a couple of miles away on the south side. It was a hot bed of manufacturing in the early days.

Leon
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