AJS & Matchless Owners Club

That's brilliant news - I'll be needing a set for the next crank when it comes . . . Cheers, Bill

Guys,

So after that a few questions:
Will the club be taking delivery of new stocks of 10 thou' shells anytime soon?
Tried all suggestions to source and no joy so far on 10 thou' shells so what about machining out 20 thou shells? Anyone had success with this.
I could have some old shells white metaled and machined to 10 thou?
Least desirable option is I will have to get a good centre journal ground to suit the available shells - which seems daft but there we are?

Engine ready for re-assembly bar for a set of shells value less than £30!!

The joys of old bikes I guess.......

Kevin

Simple answer is no!

Your only answer may to be an ad in the Jampot and a heartfelt plea in letters to the editor for any member out there who has a spare set to consider selling to you.
Over the years I have known members of the club to boast that they have got spares that probably keep their bikes running to the next millenium given their average annual mileage!
I know I heard several grumbles when the spares scheme started getting hard to find parts made as it "devalued" their stock of spares.

The shells that you want are almost certainly out there, not being used, but being hoard by someone "just in case", you have just got to locate them and get the present owner to part with them........ Good Luck!

AJSComboman,

Thanks for the simple answer.

Equally simple question.

WHY NOT??

I would have thought there is a clear need for these and the provision of such key spares would have been central to the aims of a club spares scheme? It seems the lack of availability of this size of shell goes back a long way - I have see e mails back to 2008 - so 5 years plus to my knowledge - surely enough lead-time to get some manufactured?

In the meanwhile any answers on re-machining 20 thou' shells?

Or as suggested a heartfelt please to anyone out there with 10 thou' shells??

Thanks,

Kevin

kbs1240462 wrote: Or as suggested a heartfelt please to anyone out there with 10 thou' shells??

Kevin, please use the adverts area (www.ajs-matchless.com/adverts.asp) to place a wanted advert - it will get a far wider audience than the people who read this forum. Any form of advertising in the forum area is discouraged and normally removed.

Firstly, we would like to have .010 shells and have spent the last 12 months trying to source them.
Our primary supplier - "we have no stock remaining and not planning to make any".
Secondary supplier - "not making any more".
At present there is no one out there prepared to make a "small batch" - which to us would represent 80+ years stock and the price prohibitive.
Since we purchased our last batch of shells the usage pattern has been clear - only .010./.020 have sold in any quantity - std./.030/.040/.050/.060 are all in plentiful supply.

Please be assured that when we are "out of stock" or "do not stock" a part, it is not through any lack of desire to do so - simply that we are unable (not unwilling) to obtain supplies.

Maybe the simple answer to the problem, bearing (pardon the pun) the availability of loads more undersizes, would be to grind to the next size for which shells can be had. Is what I'd do (have done before now) anyway. If each grind lasts 50K miles on a well-maintained engine (others have done better than that before now but this isn't an oil thread yet) . . . . not so big a problem perhaps? Cheers, Bill

Hi therre,
I have just opened the forum after a long absence and have read about your difficulties with interest.
As it seems that you are getting there I only suggest the following in case it may be of some use later.
As a previous contributor has suggested spitting back is usually down to weak mixture or ignition timing, however I experienced a similar problem owith my G 12 and it turned out to be valve springs becoming coil bound. Many people will say that it does not happen but it does ! In my case the bike had been worked on prior to my ownership and and it would appear that the springs on one cylinder had been assembled wrongly. New springs with the paint markings to assist in getting them the correct way round solved the problem. I hope the foregoing may be of interest