Wrench'n Ride'n

Did a bit of Study time today. Then butchered one stem to get good use able bearing cup for the stem I want to use. Started to respray the gloss black on the engine with high temp satin black. Removed black paint from rocker cover. Gold paint on push rod tubes gone.

Valves are out. Both seem ok!? Will do further checking of them. Inlet was held in by surface rust and spider webs. They both look like they are not original. Clean up of head and valves then lap the valves in.

BSA Firebird scrambler fiberglass tank has now set the direction this build will go in. Inside of tank will get treated with Caswell epoxy liner. Need to make mounts that come off the original frame's mounts so tank sits level.

Lets see if I can get this BSA Firebird scrambler fiberglass tank to fit on the Matchless.... As a precaution may seal the inside with Caswell Expoxy Tank Sealer. I have read it works very well with fiberglass tanks and modern fuel does not eat the epoxy coating. With BC comic Grog.

I used the AJS Matchless UK club dating service to date the frame. No doubt about the engine. 

Dived into some work on the big Matchy today. Combined tow seats to make one. I had a replica seat already. The seat that came with the Matchy was bigger. So chopped them up. Black paint. Seat is done. Just need 2 new big springs for the seat to bounce me around on now. Seeing how bunged up around the bottom of the push rods is I took the barrel off. One big ugly piston. I love 500 singles. This one has some scoring. Inlet valve seems to have been kissing the top of the piston. There is no scoring on the bore that I can feel. Should I replace the piston and hone or re-bore to match the replacement piston? Don't know yet. 

Making sure oil ways are clear. In the photo below we see part of the push rod assemble. Oil passes through these. Well it will when I clean it up and re-assemble.

Today the Matchless came here and these 3 left here. Bye bye Bantam, Gilera and Rusty-too.

A number of years ago I owned a 1953 Matchless G3LS. I never really got to do much work to it. I ended up selling it to pay a tax bill. This is the only bike I have ever regretted selling. Today I was able to get hold of another Matchless. A 1947 G80L 500cc. Its needs lots of TLC. It will take time to give it that TLC. My regret has now gone. Photos below show the progress the previous owner has gone through from barn find to what it is this very day. Today it arrived and I started work on it straight away. 

First time in many months that #Rus-ty-too has come off the bike bench. Now to make sure everything I have put on it and or will add to it stays on it. It will get dirt type rubber.

An hour to travel 12 kilometers. Yep that slow. When there is thick sand to ride through. Collectively just over a kilometer of deepish sand. Yep it slows you down. Today I rode Red Hill Rd, Ourimbah.  Dirt road. Used by 4x4s, mountain bikers and logging trucks. First few kilometers was up hill and winding. Hard packed. This is fun and easy. Then I hit the first patch of sand. Feet down. First gear. crawling. Letting the front wheel goes where it likes. Came wheel to wheel with old mate on a mountain bike. Me "How much more sand up ahead?" Old mate "I had to get off and push trough buts is only 50 meters in length, then there is another section as you climb up the hills and then the ruts. You have ridden the worst of the sand so you should be ok. You have wide tyres." Me "Thanks mate." off we go. Old mate is heading for the deep long sand I have come through. Ruts he said. Bet they are just wash board and I can get some speed up and skim over them...