AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi Ron
Are you sure that the balls are 3/16" and not 5mm
Best regards
Poul

Hi Poul, definitely 3/16 inch. Andy

Yes I know it has to be 3/16 " but last time I ordered balls for the head stock I got 5mm instead of 3/16"
Poul

Poul - micrometer gives 0.1873 which is close enough! Good idea though - hadn't thought of that.

Half a grommet could definitely look right Rob - will try that.

I had this very same problem on my G11 a few years ago when I cleaned and re-greased the bearings. The same ball races went back so I couldn't understand why I had a small gap in the leg shield. I did pack this with a rubber made out of an inner tube because it made the headlamp loose. My friend also had the same problem and he had not had the head stock off at all, he cured it the same way. Talking to several local AMC owners and this seems to be a common problem, maybe somehow the washer gets crushed after a time. It seems strange to me that there is no adjustment to tighten the shield/sleeve as it rely's on the set distance between the headstock and lower stock.

REW wrote:I checked the races were properly seated on installation - the crown is easy to see, the handle bar lug can be seen with a dental mirror - both were flat on their seats.

Hi

I'm not conversant with the 51 lug but the one for my 61 is designed to have the race recessed into it - are you sure your race is fully seated?
Regards Mick

Yes, definitely Mick - using a dental mirror it is possible to look at the bottom of the race where it sits in the lug yoke and it is indeed fully seated.

You did leave one ball out as per the photo didn't you (28)? A fully packed set of races might not be sitting down properly but would probably feel very harsh.

Yes Clive, just 28 each race and they feel smooth in operation. I am going to do it all again today (count balls, reassemble yokes) but I do think the discrepancy lies in the two frame races having a different curve on the back, enough to sit slightly proud of the frame cups. Can't see a lot to be done about that other than cosmetic "cures"

Hi Ron

It would be interesting if you could list the dimensional discrepancies between the races - there may be a better solution in surface grinding the new race.

Regards Mick