New (Old) ABC

Looks like you have something interesting to keep yourself busy with during winter.
Keep us posting as this might be of very good use to many other users on this website.
Good luck!

Time for a bit of an update.

When you consider I recently had a week off work recently, I have not managed to do much.

First picture below is a view of the nice new frame clips that I made to replace the horrible half plumbing fittings. The clips are based on examples that can be found on an ABC and a Gnome-Rhone in the Sammy Miller Museum. I was quite pleased with how these turned out and I think they will be just fine once they are nice and black. I still have to make some slightly longer ones fit along the underside of the frame.





Next picture is of the petrol tank back in place and held by a new steel bracket. The bike came with an aluminium plate to hold the petrol tank, but it has seen better days and so it had to be replaced.





Next picture is the upper front of the frame with the petrol tank in place. I have tidied up the various holes in fairing plate, but as I am sure you can see the oil fitting for the oil pump is not clearing the hole in the fairing. So this will need to be adjusted to make fitting the oil pipe later on easier.





So that's the good stuff and now for the problems to be overcome.

The fairing plates on my bike are not original and one of the give aways is the absence of the pressed blister in the rear fairing plate over the swing arm bearing knuckle. So what to do? Plan A is to do nothing and just bend the fairing plate over the swing arm knuckle. This is how the bike was when I first got it and it looks naff. So Plan A is a no-go.

Plan B is to try and get the fairing plate pressed with the right profile blister. Unfortunately, I don't know any one who could do this and I am not keen on having a go. So not Plan B either.

Plan C and my preferred plan is to cut out around the swing arm bearing knuckle and then find a suitable cover. The next picture is of the area to be cut out when I pluck up the courage.





I had hoped that the swing bushes would be OK as I did not find any play during my initial investigations. However, now that I have taken the bike apart I have found that the bearing bushes are in actual fact rubber! I am guessing they might be some sort of car suspension or steering bush. So I am thinking that I need to have some new bronze bushes made, unless it's supposed to have rubber bushes?







Right, I think that is everything for a bit.

Some more picture to share with the world.

First in the engine and frame unit with plate installed after adding elyptical holes over the swing arm. Quite pleased with how these holes turned out.


Next is the engine and frame without the metal fairing plates, this time from the other side and showing off the rather racey gear lever. Which do we think it looks better, with or without fairing plates?


Next problem area for attention is the centre stand. The stand itself is not original and, after some investigation, neither are the engine plates. The main problem is that the pivot holes for the centre stand are worn and loose. So rather than cobble together some form of bush I have decided the best step forward is to make some new replacement ones.



p.s. do you like my bean can dynamo replacement........no, neither do I.

Good work

HI Phil,

I had the same problem with the bearing of the rear swingarm maybe I can help you with the description of the bearings I have installed.
Also with the stand I can help with sketches.
Send me your email address, then I can send pictures if interested.

greeting

wolfgang

Hi Wolfgang

Thank you for the offer. Any information would be greatly received. My email is philbatt86@gmail.com.

Regards

Phil