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 eleven.

Now where was I?

With the head all bolted down, and the rockers installed, it was time for those new SRM tappet adjusters to be fitted…

SRM tappet adjusters

SRM upgrade

Tappet angle

Next on the list was cleaning and refitting the exhaust system…

BSA A65L motor

Original exhaust re-fitted

So I am getting there slowly, I need to order a few small parts, rocker cover studs, headstock bearings, and I still need to find some forks, but so far so good.

 

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 nine.

And another unexpected bike joins the group.

The lightning seems to have taken up residence on the bench right now, the whole front end is out, the head is away at SRM having a full on valve job, I was hoping the head may have been completed this weekend but not so. As can happen sometimes, I managed to break a piston ring fitting the barrel, and the broken piece of course dropped into the crank cases, and could not be seen. But some fishing around with a telescopic magnet found it in the bottom of the cases. So after again fitting a spare ring to the piston, and some help from Paul, I managed to get the refinished barrels in place, bolted down.

A65L new +20 pistons all fitted.

Next it was time to fit my new SRM magnetic sump kit, after removing the old studs I offered up the new gauze filter, only to find that it did not fit! it seems that SRM sent me out a kit for a B50 or other single, as the hole in the gauze was too small (8.5mm instead of 11.5mm) to go over the scavenger pipe. Luckily my old filter gauze was in very good condition, so I decided to use that rather than wait for a replacement from SRM.

Then it was just a case of bolting it all up to the underside of the motor.

SRM magnetic sump

It won’t stay shiny for long.

Vincent Comet…

I had a call from a mate in the US, telling me to go look over a Vincent Comet with a view to buying it, well a long story short, I did, and so I ended up with a Comet. I never thought I would ever own a Vincent, so getting this has come as a real surprise to me.

Vincent Comet

The Vincent

Vincent 500cc single

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 seven.

It has been a wet day here in the UK, heavy rain on and off all day, so not too much done with the A65, but I did manage to hone out the bores on the barrels, and run the carbs through the ultrasonic tank. maybe if it is dry tomorrow I can get a bit more done.

Cleaned Amal 930’s

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.

The Lightning Project… part one.

It was a good day walking around Kempton Jumble today, I managed to get a few things for the Lightning, so I can now start to get this thing headed back towards the road where it belongs.
The first things on my list were the handlebars, and the Lucas rear light, well as you can see I found some new Triumph western style bars, and I also found a genuine Lucas rear light unit. These two items alone have transformed the look of the bike.

Before…

Old style West coast bars, and smashed rear light.

New bars, and genuine Lucas rear light

Lucas tail light

Triumph style western bars

I also have new gaiters to fit, new fuel taps, and fuel line. but first tomorrow I will be pulling the head to see what the top end looks like, due to the fact the bike has low compression on one side, maybe a stuck valve?

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.