1955 A10 plunger

[Rainmanshaun]

I have recently bought a 1955 A10 with Plunger frame. The engine starts and runs well but when hot the engine is rather rattly from the timing side. I am told the engine was rebuilt with an SRM crank conversion and that spitfire cams have been fitted. Being unfamiliar with the A10 engine I was wondering how rattly these engines tend to be or should there be very little rattle at all ! :-/

[Justin_Faithfull]

If your engine has been rebuilt properly it should not have many rattles at all. You say that it has an SRM crankshaft conversion, I assume you mean that it is their crankshaft oil feed conversion which is good.
Who rebuilt the engine? I have come accross loads of so called rebuilt engines which have been stuffed full of new parts, but rebuilt by amateurs who are very well meaning but not always capable of doing a good job as they believe.
If SRM rebuilt the engine, they have a good reputation, & I would contact them & have a chat.

[Rainmanshaun]

Thanks for the advice and yes I was going to call SRM to see if they keep a record of the serial numbers of the engines that they have re-built.

The noise seems to be coming from the magneto and dynamo drive areas of the timing case...

[Blue]

You do get a bit of clatter from the gears that drive the camshaft from the crank, and you'll get rattle from the dynamo drive-chain if it isnt properly tensioned, but neither would be particularly deafening.  You might also get a noise breakout from the lumpy cams if it's a 357 camshaft, and it's not uncommon to find the cam-followers ground dead flat in true home-mechanic style which makes for a noisy cam.

It's hard to be sure without hearing the engine personally, but these are ideas to bear in mind.

Good luck,
Blue

[Rainmanshaun]

Thanks Blue - I think the only way I will find out what is going on is to take off the timing casing and have a look at it all but thanks for the pointers ! I called SRM and the chap I talked to says that they engrave a 4 digit job number onto the inside of the timing case so I will be able to see when I take it off - I will also be looking for the roller main bearing - if its still a bush then I will know that the SRM story is a load of tosh