Where are you all?

allbull · Post by **allbull** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:28 pm

Nice to get some comments, and no, alan, there'll be no thick ears. There are quite a few titbits on the website, I'll keep an eye out. Funny items are just as welcome - remember the one about reconditioning jampot dampers? Anyway, if you have anything worthwhile, send them to me.
Simon.

bag-o-nails · Post by **bag-o-nails** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 11:00 pm

Hello Simon - did Matchless have a works team in the 50's/60s that road raced, or was it just trials etc., and did they win anything . What did they build and race? Or is this a stupid newbe question that everyone else knows!!

Cheers Phill

Biscuit · Post by **Biscuit** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:11 am

bag-o-nails · Post by **bag-o-nails** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:24 am

Thank you Alan
would you be kind enough to enlighten
i did find an article on charlie collier who won
the first TT IN 1907 ON A SINGLE, Also the developement of the G15 750 ENGINE from the
norton atlas but not much else

ajons · Post by **ajons** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 5:03 pm

Hi Simon,
At this ,moment it is but a rather sad tale to tell of my attempt to resussitate a model 20 of 1953 vintage.
Purchased in 2000 and it's spent more time in bits than on the road initially with oiling problems that would have tried a Saint.
Eventually found that the RH little end bearing ( I know that these bikes are supposed never to need little ends) had rotated in the con rod end. As a consequence, I found that when asked to do a little bit of work, the gudgeon was gripping and setting the piston at an angle causing lots of crankcase pressure resulting in oil transfer to the chaincase etc etc. Shot cut measure, I drilled extra holes into the little end and hoped ---- found to be to no avail.
Feb this year total engine strip down, the first I have ever undertaken. The things I found in just dismantling the engine!!!*%"*?. Frequent forays onto the web and many e mails from superb helpers from all over the world (mainly USA and Australia) where I think even tey were a bit taken a back by the things with which I wrestled. Final upshot was to find that the crankcase halves are not a matched pair. Drive side is '53 whereas timing side is 58 /59 and there had been changes to the oiling pathways. Now comes the interesting bit. A previous owner come restorer had attmepted to make the 58 case into a 53 case by use of a drill to score down the RH barrel spigot such as to link the two annular grooves. Great , but over enthuiastic in that the scoring carried down to below the level of the spigot base therefore oil pressure squirting into the crankcase!!!!! Rightly or wrongly, I elected to have the csore marks filled, my reasoning being that if it had been considered as OK for 58 variants then why mess with the case. Subsequent problems make me think that this might have been a rash decision but I can't for the life of me work out why.
Had little ends bored and bushed sensibly (previous material very very thin gauge) did big ends and centre web bearings and reassembled checking as best I could all the oil ways were OK.
Many other problems were met and overcome during the final reassembly ( my unstinting thanks to JAMPOT Spares for there help) and eventually she fired up. Could not do much running around as no MOT so after short run where all looked fine did 5 mile run to an MOT place. On arrival found oil dripping from LH barrel and cylinder head joint. Despite this, she passed the MOT so rode home carefully and carried out some checks
1/ All rocker covers off and found limited amount of oil in the areas????
2/ The oil seakage is showing as good clean oil therefore assume it to be from the feed to the rockers
So I have 2 conflicting symptoms a) minimum oil at rockers and b) oil squirting from the barrrel / head joint. Note Only the LH barrel head joint is leaking!!! This oil leakage only occurs at higher revs since at fast tickover I gey just a gradual build up of oil at the rocker areas but no leakage at the barrel head joint. This only occurs apparently at highter revs???
I can not believe that I have bunged up all four feeds to the rockers with WELLSEAL although that at this moment this is the way I am thinking since I can't think that whatever else I have done would result in these symptoms.
After 6 months of headaches and reassembly and then dis assembley and still a problem I have taken a few weeks break from the fray
and hope to come back somewhat refreshed.
I don't know if this is any help to your plea for items but if it is printed, who knows maybe someone somewhere will recognise the 'bike ' and some assistance rendered???
Jon Stock alias ajons

lawrence · Post by **lawrence** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:33 am

Hi Jon
It sounds as if it is leaking from the head gasket oilway. Have you checked the torque on the cylinder heads? Do a search and you will find lots of info. Before tightening the nut, slacken it off a touch and then tighten it. This just breaks the nut to stud seal and so gives a correct torque figure. They need frequent tightening for the first few miles. If the cylinder head gasket is not well compressed the oil won't get to the rockers. It's a good design if properly set up.

Persevere with the bike. I took over 8000 miles to get mine sorted. Biscuit sorted out my worst problem and the bike is now such a joy. Yours will be too if you keep on.

Good luck

dabs · Post by **dabs** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 9:32 pm

Hello Simon,, maybe for the winter month you could do a winter overhaul on engines or elctrics ?.
Or a "HOW TO" guide on 12volt and electronic conversions?.

But we need now is a guide to riding in floods and constant rains and also damp prevention?.

Biscuit · Post by **Biscuit** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:06 pm

I think you rather missed the point Dabs, Simon is asking US for contributions.

And how did Ajons M20 slip in?