Terrot MT 1, 100cc 2 stroke: non-starter!

[Terrotmt1]

Well...

Took the condenser out and the new one was glued by me to the aluminium base as per picture below.
I now remember from nearly 2 years ago I put a coil of copper wire between the alum base plate and the cond body to ground it all with a ring of araldite around the cond base.
Don't remember testing it for continuity.....too keen to get it all rebuilt, dreaming of this neat sharp French Folly cruising down the lanes with a light smoke trail after it.

So, rigged-up the new condenser from yesterday, a Wipac one with one lead, but got it all together and earthed to the motor outside of the case as suggested for trials by Villiers.

Got the fuel set up better, the medium hot plug in and set the flywheel to 5mm BTDC having checked the points for their 0.4mm gap. All cock-on.

Down on the floor with the rig and a small squirt of EasyStart for good measure.

2 kicks, nothing.

Another 2 and BRUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM   the bloody thing started!

AND it ran, AND it throttled vroom, vroom vroom and all that stuff.

FFS it was working!

Stunned after a good minute I ran out of fuel!

Nipped the plug out, clean and slightly wet. Opened the sump drain and a very small trickle came out and stopped.

Felt the float was a bit high as neat fuel was over the carb (the original carb no less) so clicked that a few notches and re-tried the whole lot again.

Second kick, and Vrooom, vroom, vroom for ages, smooth for a 2 stroke and it ran on constant throttle as well as throttle tweeking, the rig skimming over the garage floor with the vibration and me standing on it along for the ride.

Fred Carnow's circus with a clown aboard!

What can I say, a chance conversation, a nudge on here too and the problem is SOLVED.

My stupid installation of a non standard condenser into an awkward space and that is all it was.

So, excitement cooling down as I type this, what is next?

Tidy the condenser installation into the magneto and try to fine tune the carb.
It does not like hot starting, so I hope that can be fixed by the fine tuning.

Some cosmetic work to make the motor look pretty again and then remove the 4 stroke 50cc engine and re-fit this one and get it all tidy.

My next problem I know will be will I want to sell it now I'm back in love with my French Fancy?

Once all done for Xmas I will get the Peugeot BIMA, 1952 into the garage, but I will get that engine going before I do ANYTHING else.

You will all be very happy I won't trouble you with my issues on that one!

Is this then the biggest classic motorcycle cock-up in the UK? LOL!

[mini-me]

methinks thou art the author of thine own misfortunes.

All 29 pages of it......................................

[Terrotmt1]

Yep, dead right, cannot blame anyone else but me.

Maybe I should apologise to you all. 

Who would have thought this could be so exciting!

hosting image

[mini-me]

It's not exciting................... only to you perhaps

[Terrotmt1]

LOL! 
Yep, very sad of me. I bought it because I wanted a challenge.
The Honda CB 175 I did before with barely a hitch was easy, just keep on buying new bits from David Silver.
Lovely bike though.
The Lambretta before it was the same.

Maybe I should sell it as 'the alternative Bantam' and see if anyone is brave...

I'd like to say a big Thank You to you and all the others who have supported this quest even though the root cause of the problem was me.

Just WHAT will everyone do without this thriller? 

[mini-me]

Just WHAT will everyone do without this thriller? 

Oh, no fear, there will be another mug along soon enough.

why not get  a decent brit bike project instead of all foreign tat?

[Terrotmt1]

But I already have the Peugeot BIMA and registered it.
But British certainly is easier.

[Rex]

Good job it appears to be finished finally, but the acid test is will it start and run as well, say,next Monday?
It seems that too many times I've thought I've cracked a problem only to find that it's still there a week later.

[Terrotmt1]

Yes, fully understand!

I let it cool till cold (easy to do today...0 and it behaved the same, 2 kicks, no choke or easystart and fired and instantly ran, freely revving and super stable when on an even throttle.
Very little smoke for an old 2 stroke, but we shall see.
Must admit I was tempted to re-fit the original condenser, but made a simple L bracket to hold the new condenser to the mag back plate and all went well.

I could never be sure if my old Lambrettas would always start day by day, the points never seemed to stay gapped.

[john.k]

very little smoke is admirable,but make sure you dont seize the little engine with too little oil....a lot of these things need close to 15/1 oil mix with the ultra thin oils now.Certainly not the 30/1 that modern power snippers and edgers run on.

[Rex]

Even better, use SAE30 at the original (20:1?) ratio. If you're running a pre-war petroil 2 stroke and you have problems, it's the first question Villiers Services ask you.

[iansoady]

Why on earth didn't you do what Villiers Services suggested in the first place? Mind you, as said it's provided us with lots of interest....

[Terrotmt1]

The 'middle' condenser came from them about 2 years ago when I thought I should replace all the original consumables, cond and points.

The points had to come from France, but the cond came with the plug and the re-magnetisation of the Flywheel as I tried to get a regular spark rather than a weak one irratically. The flywheel needed a re-mag.
The cond was the only one they had with a threaded post, but with no means of fixing it to the mag base plate.

I then made my fatal mistake. I'm not perfect, doubt anyone is, but I had a good spark.

So the saga started....all unknowingly self inflicted, all in the past now, and time to tidy it all up and wait until spring.

Next project is a moped 'classification' so I won't post on here to the relief of a great many, hardly a Classic motorcycle.

Having said that, over 43,000 views, so it must have been of some interest.

[Mark M]

Others have said this but it's worth repeating - 99% of carb problems are electrical and vice versa. I bought a non-running Enfield fixed by sorting out the shorted points, thereby benefiting financially from the PO's lack of electrical skills. Still, full marks to you for determination! Will it be for sale at Kempton on Saturday? By the way, it's Fred Karno, my great grandfather used to work for him.
REgards, Mark

[mini-me]

Full marks to you for bearing the piss taking with a sense of humour, unlike some before you who have gone off in a hissy fit and sullked.

Get shot of the other french thing and get a decent bike, at  Shepton last week was a 1953 Norman with a 198cc Villiers with the one year only peculiar rear suspension, sold for around 500 quids, which pleased me as I was going to buy it but spent time working out a plausible reason for the missus as to why I bought another bike so was pipped to the post.

It was just the sort of thing you should be doing. or you could try an LE Velo