The lightning Project, 12…

I  have slightly neglected the A65L due to sorting out the Guzzi Eldo, but when time has allowed I have been picking off the jobs that need doing. The biggest holdup has been sorting a replacement set of forks, as when I bought the BSA it had the wrong year forks and front wheel fitted. But finding the correct forks proved to be a lot harder than I thought it would be, but with the help of one of the inmates on BritBike.com I was able to get a set that needed a full rebuild.

Back at the beginning of the year I found a complete front wheel at Shepton Mallet VMCC jumble, and then I grabbed some tyres at the following Kempton, I have since fitted the tyres and new tubes, but managed to pinch and hole the new tube on the front wheel.

A65L New Tyres

I also have the motor all bolted up and ready to go, just need to add fuel and oil, so when I finally get the front end all back in the frame, I can get the bike off the bench.

My 1970 A65L motor.

The Lightning Project… part ten.

My head having returned from SRM, was now ready to be fitted, and after a question asked in the competition section of BritBike forum, I equipped myself with some copper sealant, and a pair of small o-rings, so I was ready to go.

Barrel and gasket prepared and ready for the head to be fitted..

Ready to go

Returned head

Copper seal and o-rings

Coming together

The Lightning Project… part eight.

Pulling it all apart, putting it all together.

I have now for the moment taken the motor as far apart as I intend to go for the time being. I have drained and flushed through the crank cases, and was pleased to find no metal in the drained oil after letting it stand in the tray for a week, and filtering it off over a strong magnet.

The cylinder head has gone off to SRM in Wales for full refurbishment, which includes lead free seats, new guides, valves, springs etc. This work wasn’t cheap by any means, but it should last me out, and make for a good top end. I am looking forward to getting the head back so I can button up the top end.

Last weekend I cleaned off all the old base gasket material, and fitted the new pistons, I also honed out and painted the barrels ready to be fitted. I would have fitted the barrels but the supplied base gasket in the kit I bought was for the 1/4″ stud version cases and not the 3/8″ as required on the later cases, so again I find myself waiting.

New +20 pistons

Next I turned my attention to the front end and dropped out both fork legs, water had got in through the torn gaiters, and was evident in both legs, water came out of the right hand side, but the left hand stanchion is at the moment seized solid. So I have left it soaking in some penetrating oil for the week, I shall see how it does this weekend.

The Lightning Project… part six.

SRM.

I just ordered and received this new SRM magnetic sump plate assembly for the BSA Lightning. The quality is outstanding as I hope you can see from the pictures.

I also sent my head off to SRM to have new valves, guides etc. It is right about now that I hope the bottom end is all ok! everything seems fine but I won’t know for sure until I fire the bike up. A scary thought.

SRM sump kit.

http://www.srmclassicbikes.com

 

The Lightning Project…part five.

A couple of pictures from todays visit to my lockup, first up is the front wheel I picked up yesterday at Shepton jumble, as you can see the brake plate is nice, but the rim is shot, so I think I may well get a new rim fitted when I do the front end change.

8″ twin leading shoe

8″ brake plate

The Amal 930 carbs are to head for the ultrasonic tank, matched pair R41  L42

Amal Mk1

And back at the last Kempton Jumble, I picked up a nice set of Craven Comet panniers, and an old rack that may well end up being fitted to the Lightning. or maybe they will go on my Guzzi, we shall see.

Classic Craven Comet panniers

The Lightning Project… part four

The next step is to remove the head, so we can check the condition of the combustion chamber, the valves, the bores, and of course the pistons. Somewhere in here is the reason for the low compression in the right hand cylinder, it is just a case of checking out the parts as you see them.

The valves seem fine, and have no leaking, so that really only leaves the piston or rings.

Valves

Now we get the heart of the matter, the first look at the bores, and piston crowns, there was a fair bit of carbon build up, which I have started to clean off the pistons. There is slight scoring in the bores showing signs of previous trouble, a minor nip up, or a ring broken in the past.

A65L barrels and pistons

The barrel just needs a light hone, and will be good to go, the piston crowns show +20 so there was a past problem hence the signs of previous scoring, and with the barrel removed we find the cause of low compression, the rings are all stuck solid in the right piston, nothing too major then.

+20

Stuck rings = low compression

Right time to strip and clean all the parts, hone the barrels, new piston kits, valves, valve guides etc, and start building it back up.

The Lightning Project… part three.

Tank off, and deeper in to the mire we drift…

Original Lucas harness. This is a good sign to me, and I shall go through the connectors, and make sure the solder is good, and all the connections are cleaned and corrosion free before use, I may even put a new fuse board in the mix somewhere too.

Lucas harness.

With the rocker cover off you get to see the pushrods and rocker gear, everything looks pretty tidy in here..

Rocker assembly and pushrods

Remember where all the shims and springs go..

Springs and things

You need to remove the exhaust rocker shaft to access the front head bolts, before removing the head. and the front top stud, so the head can clear the frame top tube. This is also a good time to remove the Amal carbs.

Amal carbs ready to be removed

The Lightning Project… part two.

People Are Strange…

People are strange when you’re a stranger
Faces look ugly when you’re alone
Women seem wicked when you’re unwanted
Streets are uneven when you’re down

When you’re strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you’re strange
No one remembers your name
When you’re strange
When you’re strange
When you’re strange (The Doors)

So said the Doors…. And in some cases it seems to be true, especially when you start looking at old bikes that have an unknown history, and just when you think you have seen it all, up pops something new that makes you chuckle to yourself, whilst at the same time makes you recoil in disbelief as you wonder what other little surprises await as you dig further into that “new” old bike!

Today I started pulling the top end apart to try to discover the cause of low compression on one cylinder, so the first thing that needs removing is the tank, which as had already been noted had the wrong fuel taps fitted….

Oddball fuel taps

but what I discovered here left me speechless, in an amused bewildered sort of way!

No it can’t be?

Yes it really is, a Coaxial cable joint?

Yes, that is an ariel coaxial cable joining piece!

Update…

I have been informed that this is not a CoAx fitting, but is in fact a type of fuel tap specific to the USA, with a ball valve that runs on the nylon liner, but I was also told the flow rate was pretty bad, so they were often replaced.

BSA A65L … The project begins.

The label on headstock says it all… February 1970 A65L.

BSA Label

So that is where I have started, and now I start sorting parts, finding what’s good, and also what’s bad. And ordering new parts as I start to get the bike back on the road where it belongs….

As I intend to pull the top end, I have started getting a few parts for that area, de-coke gasket set was first, and while looking at the SRM site, I saw these nice tappet adjusters, which arrived today…

SRM tappet adjusters

I have also ordered the new fork gaiters, and some stainless cable guides, but a list shall be made of required parts before the next Kempton jumble in a couple of weeks.

 

A New Winter Project…

As one project gets close to ending (the Guzzi Eldo), then I feel the need for something else to fettle in my little lock up, so look what followed me home from Netley Marsh this weekend…

A 1970 BSA A65 Lightning. Originally found in a barn in Indiana over there in the US of A, and sold by the widow of the owner. it is in amazing unmolested condition, apart from those hideous bars! it still has the original keys for both ignition and steering lock. no rust anywhere and the tank inside is all shiney and new looking. But it could all really do with a good clean.
Yes there are a couple of things that need sorting, fork gaiters, bars, and the rear light lens, and guard were damaged in shipping. but with a battery connected, all the lights etc work, as does the ammeter, and when kicked over there is a good spark at the plugs, and a good oil return at the tank.

1970 BSA Lightning

A65 650cc motor

Needing a little work

A good winter project