The Vintafaker

Monday, 23 January 2023

The BSA B31 that time forgot. Part 16. These are the facts m'lord as I see 'um

23/01/23 Hear ye...Hear ye! Gather round for here's a BSA parts supply tale. A tale of 'What did ya expect?...What did ya get?...and the frustrations of an old skool engineer living in a modern world...an 'It'll do world' ''let's do the minimum effort to earn Big Mc vouchers......maybe enough spondulix to buy a Costa Coffee wi' artistic sprinkles imaging what looks like 3 x monkeys arses....

Ahhh....apart from being at the mercy of Internet Dick Turpins I've found mi' self at the receiving end of some Government bad press this week. Yes! Taken it personally. The very government that has an ex chancellor evading paying his tax share.. ta tune of several millions..Ain't the news brilliant!! So, how come ya Old Uncle Alb fell onto the wrong side of goodness? I'll tell ya.....It won't have escaped ya attention that over the year of 2022 UK inflation went sky high..banging the door of 11%...why?? (Hey....I've lived thru far worse ya set of wooooooosers!..cut ya cloth by binnin' ya I'phone for a start, followed by Netflix) According to government bullshit news-bites it's the fault of those that don't work. Aye...Mi'self and apparantly all the others like me are causing this inflation bollocks. Fact- Becoming a full time Vintafaker meant something had to give...I gave up being an employee to be a stalwart in the fight to save old shiite from the crusher...at my expense....yep!! self funded...surely m'lord that's a good thing??? Didn't realise likkle old me was pivotal to the uk economy. Oh...and unlike that tosser ex-chancellor Nadhim Zahawi (Mr "careless and not a deliberate mistake") which is where I came in...Careless, greedy....and anything but trying tha' best.....Easy route...One day my friends there will be more than a worm turning.

Back to the 'quality thing'. Not gonna throw about aspersions on the internetty. Just facts. Heavy going on the grey cells? Could be but I think most day's ya gotta put ya'sen into zones that work the grey cells..!!! Don't tell me ya' don't???? I'd ordered 4 x BSA cylinder head hold down bolts. Part No 66-0115 from a very well known UK supplier. Opting for the steel version rather than stainless after reading on-line that stainless may not have the correct properties for the job....Expansion rates etc..These were priced at £12.82 + V.A.T. each + Post. (Cost me £61.54 all in) Comparing with stainless at same supplier at £15.40 + V.A.T. each + Post or alternatively on Ebay from different supplier £112 + £4 Post per set of 4 stainless (claimed correct grade)..Hey, I didn't go for the low cost option I thought these were more fit for purpose.

Problem discovered whilst doing the Blu-tac worm ....(read previous blog for a quick catch up) the bolts wouldn't screw into the crankcase...Got the feeling that winding in with a spanner would damage the casting threads, thus spoiling what has survived for 65 years so far. STOP!!!!! was the general consensus among those that witnessed the event. Let's think, take a step back and do it right!! I must add that the 'original' BSA bolts screw into the threads lovely, which ever hole any were placed. Oh. m'lord mustn't forget the old bolts fit the front wheel spindle nut lovely too. (same thread size) Not so the new version (too large again)

1st step on arriving back at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' was to measure the thread external dia with a micrometer. Then compare with the original BSA part. I'm measuring in pre-brexit millimeters.....after 50 years of anti-imperialism it will be hard to swap back to post brexit inches, furlongs, farthings and sixpenn'orth worth.

New hold down bolt - 17.42mm convert to old skool and thats 0.685"

Old hold down bolt - 17.20mm convert to old skool and thats 0.6772"

Reference the reading to a thread chart and see what's adrift. Thread size - 11/16 20 TPI. BSC. Major thread size 0.6875"

Oh, the new are nearer to the required diameter than the old.....Strange and stranger...Surely the old guys at BSA in the '50s could read a micrometer. Well, in for a penny in for a pound as the saying goes. Gonna invest in a die and run it down the threads. As you can imagine dies to match rarely used 'Cycle threads' are not easily come by. Once again I'm not getting involved in second best..Carbon Steel is a no... High Speed Steel only. Not direct from India or China either, sourced from a proper tool supplier not ebay. Sharp intact of breath whilst purchasing...£48!!!! Anyway tools are for life so it doesn't count.

The die was run down the new bolt threads..Hey, what do we have here. 'SWARF' !!!!! The die is shaving part of the thread. Ah ha! knew it!!! Please note m'lord that the die was held in the wrench by the centre fixing screw only so as not to reduce it's pre-set diameter.

Guess what...after a shave the bolts screwed into the crankcase as if they'd been manufactured at 'Small Heath'....

That's banged the cost of believing to buy the best into a different league...yes, could have gone for correct grade stainless and been no worse off. steel -£61 + £48 repair = £109. Blingy stainless all in £112.

Phuffffff. There's more to this cutting threads malarkey than meets the eye so it's just my story draw ya own conclusion.

Saturday, 7 January 2023

The BSA B31 that time forgot. Part 16. Don't forget ta double check the worm

07/01/2023. Happy New Year all you 'Vintafake Appreciating Peoples'. V.A.P.s (Note -No mention of gender, but that's more by good luck than good wokey....Talking like 'it is' aint gonna change in the Shireshireshire so future Vintafake news bulletins may bring quivery lips to those arriving here by mistake) Anyways, Albert's here and ready for another year in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' Why not? It's a wonderful cozy place...Same cobwebs hanging from the roof as last year and same projects on the workbench.. Yipeeeee..let's rock!

News in the big world? It's got to the point where if there's nothing good to say don't say anything...Even a Wokey would punch a politician in the eye these days given the chance..or even give that whinging Harry a kick in his frostbitten bollocks....F.F.S... Ya' couldn't mak' it up...a royal wi a frozen knob!!!!!!!

So, have I mentioned before about the new piston set up in Lovely Maroon?.('The BSA B31 that time forgot..) Only slighty due to the fact that the original piston was totally shot and mainly due to me thinking what a fun thing to do, the bore has been increased to accept a Triumph Bonneville piston. Not my idea, it's a popular mod for those with only 350cc of BSA power under their seat. An increase of 50cc to a big boy 400cc is gonna make all that difference and certainly give something to chat about down at the 'coffee shop' (Not a bloody Costa barista bullshite coffee shop that added sprinkles on the frothy tops and charges 4 x Quid for the privilage ....thinking more a formica table, leatherette buttoned seat jobbie wi chipped mugs and if ya lucky a chocolate digestive on the side. "That'll be 2 and a tanner chuck!" Think 'Greasy Spoon transport' from the 60's and you've got the picture. Makes ya think...Imagine 'Lovely Maroon' suddenly waking up after her 50 year sleep and hearing George Bloody Ezra on the radio....Phufffff. That would be cruel. Will make a point of having some background Bill Haley gently caressing the ear lobes as I push down on the kick start lever for the first firing.

A Maroon BSA... just because..

Anyway.back to the piston story... A compression reducing plate is apparently needed to stop valves touching piston after the above mod. This is placed under the barrel. Recommended thickness of the aforementioned plate varies.(As always, it's a case of wadding through all the internet chaff to find the true version. I've gone middle wicket after reading various posts. My plate is 1.5mm. Skimmed it down from 6mm. (1.5mm currently out of stock in Government store room.)That was a task on the Myford I must admit. Ended up supergluing it to the backing plate to hold firm after it flew out of 4 x jaw a couple of times... narrowly missing your Uncle Albert in the process. Called a Glue Chuck if you engineers want to find out more. Worked a treat, removing after wasn't easy, (used a hot gun and gentle levering)

First attempt in the 4 x jaw

'Chatter'

Creating the 'Glue Chuck'

Every day's a Skool Day - It worked!

Hot Gun and Builders Trowel - Winning Prizing Combo

So, the rebore is done, ....time to test if the compression plate gives the required clearance. I know a chap with some blu-tac and that's the very substance that is needed as a guide to what is happening inside the engine when the piston goes up and downy and the valves open and closey.

Just so happens that the owner of the Blu-tac is an experienced engine tuner, particulary Methanol burning big singles with wild cam timings and high compression..Purely built for no other purpose but to attack Speed Hill-climb records. Let's get over there...double quick sharpish, get the BSA engine on the bench and see if it get's the all clear from the Grand Master.

A room with a view - 1950's Fordson Major

You will maybe have noticed on the above picture...(unless you're a vintage tractor buff looking elsewhere) the wiggly worm of blu-tac expertly laid across the piston top.. Next step, bolt the head on, set the valve clearances and wind the motor carefully through 360 degrees.

Winding report - No resistance felt as piston transfered through top dead centre on firing stroke. Oh yes!...Double check now by lifting head and inspect for deformation of the Wiggly Blu-tac worm. "The worm is intact, long live the worm"

That's it then, the test suggests I have at least a worm clearance running the Standard Cams that are currently fitted. Compression ratio ? Somewhere between 'not much' and 'a tiny bit'..

As a matter of interest guess what piston/valve clearance a Methanol burning Hill Climb Special would have? How does 8 thou sound? Bloody hell....that's only 2 x fag papers .... or a very thin Wiggly worm if measuring in eurovision..

Posh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get tha's kettle on...I've got a reet thirst for a Tetley...(Aye, Tetley Tea bag..white wi nah sugar.)

Images acknowledgement....because anyone appreciating Maroon BSA's and more importantly willing to dress in leather and ride them is ok by me..

Photos -imagefactory-studio.com

Italian Leather - Gin Salemó

Sunday, 4 December 2022

The BSA B31 that time forgot. Part 15. - Contact with the past..

Albert here....So? what's buzzin' in the world? Peter Kay's back!!!! Now I'd suggest that's way more important than any news on the state of the nation, and far funnier than the Saturday night turners that currently performs daily in Parliment. Old Blighty is slowly sinking into oblivion and there's nobody manning the pumps.....

Down tha' yard int' Old Sidevalve Bar parcels have been arriving, which is pretty damn lucky 'cos the posties are either on strike or working to rule.. (Only cos' the Railway chaps did it first)....oh and the nurses too so better be super safe with power tools and such like 'cos there's nobody down int' hospitals to work the sticking plasters. Back to the parcels...at great expense and I'm not jesting I purchased an new oil pump and 'bling' sump plate for Lovely Maroon.('The BSA that time forgot' if this is your first read of any Vintafake blog) Now, the oil pump...although pretty much the only one on the market apart from an even more expensiver one in Dutchman land has rather a significance to your Uncle Albert in it's branding. It's of Hepolite' manufacture. Wow! Never heard of them? You would have if you had been engine building pre-1980, and who didn't? Yes, a long time ago before Pokemon took away the kids brain cells and mobile phones were invented. Oil down finger nails...not man buns and hipster beards.

Hepolite was the brand...Hepworth and Grandage was the company. That's where my Grandad worked....All his working life. They were a manufacturer of Pistons, Rings and such like. The worlds best, race winners ...if you had Hepolite pistons in ya motor tha's knew what's what...

So, just had to have a Hepolite Oil Pump. Certainly not manufactured in Bradford anymore, Hepworth and Grandage long gone, in fact despite the Union Jack flags on the packet top will it be UK manufacture? C'mon let's pretend it's all Blighty.

Aye, Grandad worked in the piston ring department. In fact he was once called back to work during his annual leave to urgently make some piston rings for a ships engine. The ship was stuck in port unable to sail without replacement Hepolite parts.

So, Lovely Maroon's new oil pumping heart has a connection to a family member long passed. How good is that? Not only that but, the bling oil sump plate is thicker than the original so I made some longer studs and nuts in stainless to fix it to the engine (rather than use 'modern allen socket bolts' as suggested and sold). Hey, hang on I haven't finished the connection yet. My tap and die holders were made and used by Grandad. Rather fitting his tooling should help to make the fixings that seal the oil pump in place. An honour to use for such an important job.

What a connection.....hang on there's more!!! The tin badge in the picture was his. Celebrating 'Hepolite Golden Jubilee 1907 - 1957' He not only celebrated at work that year but at some time the same year he celebrated my birth too!!!! I was born 'at home' as they called it...A time when 'Dad's to be' brought boiling water and towels to the bedside just to keep them busy whilst the midwife and 'Mum to be' did all the shouting and pushing behind closed doors. When I say 'At home' I mean I was born actually at Grandads house. My mum wanting to be where her family was.....Now if ya don't think all that ain't connecting with the past then ya not in the same groove as me!!!!!

Posh!!!! Get kettle on, it's time for a cuppa......Wot no beer? Yep.....

Monday, 24 October 2022

The BSA B31 that time forgot. Part 14.

Vintafakers....and anybody else who wants to stay a while on my blog out of the way of daily politics...I promise not to mention Boris! Fook...just have!...Sorry! The lunatic is trying to make a comeback, 2 day's from now he could once again be steering out great nation further onto the rocks.....Phufffff!

Lovely Maroon? Probably a lady, (hope so) is the BSA B31 that time forgot! (A veteran of 15 Prime Ministers) She's being waiting so long to get her motor running...heading out onto the highway... I promise it won't be long now. I've been doing bits and bob's on her but progress is slow. Massaging her rough bit's back into shape and trying not to spend too much money doing it. Scrimping on mechanicals though isn't the best idea as the risk of breakdowns increases, (probably in the remotest place) so not something I'd be encouraging on myself. With this is mind I raided my piggy bank and bought new internals for the E3L type dynamo. Staying with the 6v set up rather than getting involved in 12v conversions. Not like I'll be doing any long distant night rides. The outer case of the dynamo I'd painted a couple of years ago, just never got around to finishing the job. Until now!!!

Field coil in, oilite bush soaked in lube and pressed into the side casing, armature (UK made!!) next in, followed by the other end casing and new brushes. At this point I had to research how to test the dynamo by 'motorising' it. Wow...everyday is a skool day! It motored!!!! One thing I found unobtainable was the felt lubricating washer that sits on the outside of the oilite bush, surely an essential part in prolonging it's life longevity? Not even availabe to the rich BSA Gold Star boys?

Haha! Albert has a cunning plan and one that Eric Clapton would be proud of. After much research I found a felt washer with almost similar dimensions....Used on guitars....Sold on pk's of 10 for the strap button...at £3 a bag inc post!!! Layla...da..da..da... While my dynamo gently weeps...waaa...waaaaa!

Just had to increase the internal hole by careful kraft knifing and there you have it!. Oiled up, and feeding goodness to the Oilite.

Not done yet though..Sometimes this repro stuff isn't up to much, and my guess is the new bakalite end cap has origins in India...ok for a Royal Enfield but nope, no good for my Lovely Maroon.

The oiling hole covered by a gorgous copper swiveling cover had to be rescued from the old cap and fitted to it's replacement. In Dad's old workshop I found a copper rivet that was a match made in heaven. Only needed to be fixed on somehow after careful drilling and countersinking A 2mm starlock washer sourced on line( in a pack of x5 for £1.75) solved the problem of peening over the rivet end and in the process avoided the risk of cracking that wonderful Deli bakerlite cap. Chuffin quality! With value added after engraving the electrical terminal pick-ups D and F it's as good as a real 1950s one.

POSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never mind the time, it's beer o'clock. And don't just open one I've got a reet thirst on!!!!..

Hang on.........

Sunday, 16 October 2022

Not Covid19...Now Bigger 'Shi*show

Greetings Vintafake Fans! Is anyone still out there? 16/10/2022. So, Covid19 wasn't the worst thing to happen in world history, and in the 8 months (almost to the day that I last posted) I can hardly remember all the shi* that is now the new normal. It used to be 'Sausage Wars' and the odd fisticuffs over a few Jersey molusc's with the 'Frenchies'.... Now most of the western world has got one finger on the Nuclear button...Any post from here on in could be the last. So, enjoy while you can.

Treasure in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar. There's a lot of it. Well, I think there is, and one such jewel is my trusty Schrader Spark Plug Air Pump. I take it everywhere with me. Perfect working order with not a sign of perish on it's pipe.

And the 'chicks' are just begging to have a go with it. Hold it tight, and see what sort of pressure it can pump. Now, I wouldn't say I would let my tyres down on purpose but............................If just suppose there was an 'enthusiast' dressed only in bathing costume and witches hat nearby then maybe a demo could be arranged..................

Unfortunately I don't have the box...which according to publicity of the day was rather special.

Ah well never mind. Probably wouldn't suit me....I'm sensitive to colour clash.

Till next time stay safe..and if you can do anything to help save what's left of 'Old Blighty' that would be much appreciated.

Saturday, 19 February 2022

News Flash Gordon and even more Covid19.

Greetings. Albert here. Still alive and officially jabbed 3 x times. Well ok, once with some dodgy stuff from India, which may or may not hinder any Euro travelling I may wish to participate in. Time will tell. As per usual a bit of news first then onto the story....Date today 19/02/2022. Oh, have you noticed the Vintafake clock is now at zero hours....Shedtime any day of the week now....

Almost a year from my last post (22/03/2021) so what's happened in the world? Phuff, Brexit has sort of fizzled out in the news, but no change, we're still fooked, same old bickering at borders. Fish wars? Sausage wars? all came to nowt. Still can't take a packet of cheese and onion crisps over the channel. Covid19? All restrictions regarding masks, work practices, parties just lifted... UK government not tracking cases and deaths anymore.....Get back to work ya lazy blighters! Covid test kits in very short supply.....Like it never happened. Russia gearing up to start a war...!! Is this how it all ends??? In a big nuking?

Closer to home, in fact in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' I made a fascinating discovery. Only due to the fact that I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I need to downsize my treasure. 2 x old innertubes were de-classified and heading towards the dustbin when I noticed the puncture repairs on the tube that had been fit in the front wheel of 'Lovely Maroon' the BSA B31. Oval on shape, red in colour and embossed with the wording 'Stenor Patch'. Curious to what a Stenor puncture outfit tin may look like I turned to the electronic encyclopedia commonly known as T'internet.

Steno - inventor of the Stenorizer. A clamp like creation with what appears to be an embossed heated plate that bonds the patch in place when under pressure. Wow! Straight out of 'Practical Mechanics' magazine, with added Flash Gordon....

Here's my Stenorized tube.

A Stenorizer - for sale on Ebay....over £100 Great British Poonds

If ya had a time machine ya could see one in action at Earls Court.. Set the dial to 1959!

As a secondry observation, (and when you have an interest in puncture patches you notice these things) the 2 x other patches on the long suffering Dunlop inner tube were actual cuttings from a sacrificial donor which most have holed so badly it was unrepairable.

Got this theory, 2 x owners....one could afford the best professional puncture repairs money can buy and the other having to make life choices....is it a posh patch or the kids eat tonight and I go down the shed looking for a bit of old rubber?...Aye....back in't day.

Flash!!! For Fooks Sake!!! Don't let Ming get the Stenorizer!!!! He'll destroy the earth!!!

(Which is where I came in, but it's now Putin with a Stenorizer and a finger on the switch)

Monday, 22 March 2021

Covid19 (Phuff...again), The Great Reset (can't stop it), Crackxit & a BSA rear sprocket

Anyone out there? Albert calling from base...are you receiving? .....over....Vintafake news update transmitting...over......

Ah good ya there, A.C. here. Still in Covid19 lockdown, but keeping the homefires burning in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'. Staying out of mutant E484K's way. Latest nasty variant with Brazilian and South African overtones. Yes, all that waxing with a bit of added Boerewors wrapped in a nasty genome. One day my dear readers in the far distant future it may be possible that homebrew beers could once again be shared with chums. Maybe we can all partaking in a trip through country lanes on or in vintage road machines. What about a longer road trip to Skirtland? Nah, that ain't gonna happen. Krankie Sturgeon (more toxid than Covid19) still stirring the proverbial shi#. That's why I've raised the flag....The flag of my 'Shire'. Flying on your screen now...."Eyes right... Boy Scout salute and play Bugle Reveille" Bah ! Baaah !!! I've gone independant without a referendum. Aye, all on mi own. I've had a 'Crackxit'. Asked permission from nobody. The flag? Proper genuine design for the western 'Shire'.

Extra news - This week gone, my number was drawn out'a hat by the big government computor. Step forward Albert we have a small portion of Aztra-Zeneca for ya. So, outcome of accepting that is I've now got added chimpanzee ChAdOx1. It's in mi blood.....Shi# no going back.......Side effects??

Got me a rear sprocket for 'Lovely Maroon' the BSA that time forgot. UK supplier but as soon as I unwrapped the outer packaging I thought 'aye aye' recognise that there design. Origin 'India'. Let's have a closer look....Under the paint was an almost undetectable defect which had undergone a high quality repair before leaving the factory. It's on the back so hey ho, I'll live with it.

Safe to say BSA B31's are not known for light weight, and on this 'every part must weigh a ton' requirement the sprocket was up to OE standard. Tipping the scales at 1.6kg.

A sprocket is a sprocket, but this is an ugly monster. A more sporty look could possibly be achieved by stripping the 'only for old duffers' black paint and then treating it to a session under the pillar drill. Yes, old skool speed holes coming up.