AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Just straightened the mangled centre stand of my newly acquired '57 Model 30. It's now nice and shiny black, too. Have also spent several happy hours trying to relocate it with the hook end of the spring through the hole in the engine plate and the other end under the crossbar of the stand. To no avail. Have I missed the bl..ding obvious or is there a secret AJS method of relocating the beast ?

A friend once rebuilt his 30 from the ground up but the centre stand spring episode was so bad he has blanked the memory. Else it's the 50 year gap, maybe.

I'd very glad of some expert advice.

Many thanks

Clive P.

I made a small hook on the end of a cut and straightened wire hanger slipped it through the hole in the engine plate and pulled the hook end of the spring back and across so that it engaged the other side of the hole. Seemed to be no trouble but I have only done it the once so perhaps I was lucky.

Best method is to :
1) Get an off cut of plastic waste pipe just smaller than the diameter of the spring and as long as spring coil , cut it in half length ways
2) hold spring in vice , and wind up the spring to tension
3) clamp plastic waste pipe around spring with jubilee clips , this will hold tension on spring while you fit to bike
4) fit centre stand and attach spring end into engine plate
5) release jubilee clips completely so you can remove them

Job done !

I put the shorter end in the engine plate first, then slip a small ring spanner over the longer end and lever it over into place. Dave.

Thank you very much Clive, g80csp and Dave. I shall try them all in order tomorrow. My learning curve is steep. Made the mistake of taking the seat off today. Five pieces of wire with twisted joints to reach just the earth on the rear light...! The SS wheels are nice though.

All best
Clive P.

Just reread your original entry and and wondering if you are trying to put the spring in the wrong way. The long section fits against the nearside leg (not the crossbar) and then the short arm goes into the hole in the engine plate, or at least that's the way I did it and the stand springs up nicely.

Thanks Clive, for advice and your further thoughts. The solution for my set up was g80csp11's ingenious jubilee clips and plastic pipe ! Stand now leaps up into the clip. Gratitude all round for all your help.

Having got this pile of filthy dirty worn out M30 bits, I did post a request some time ago, for help as to just how the centre stand spring fits, and it would seem that it is all a bit of a puzzle . Well I have cracked it , it is a doddle . First you take out the engine and gearbox and put the gearbox plates back in with just the bottom bolt in place. Then push the plates back as far as they will go thus shortening the distance the spring has to be stretched . Next make up a hook out of a thick bit of wire, hook it in the spring and pull it back so that it hooks onto the bottom hole of the off side gearbox plate. Simple . Ok, so I have not got around to fitting the engine and gearbox to the bike yet , but I bet that that is how the factory did it.