It's been a while since the last update, I'm not really doing a great job of documenting this for myself. Since about January I have finished and timed the motor. I'm going to double check this a few more times before attempting to fire. But the magneto is coming on at 30 degrees BTDC. I played a bit with the cigarette paper trick, but didn't have too much confidence in it. Ended up buying one of those little magneto timing light boxes, and it gives much better feedback. Getting the auto advance on without it moving the timing is absolutely hilarious. So I'm sure you all know how that process goes, but in reality, I don't think it took much longer than an hour to get it set and tightened on. The chains feel to have good play in them. And the motor feels smooth as the pistons come up and down. Feels to have good compression as well with just my finger over the spark plug hole.
I'm happy with how the cases ended up. They're polished, but not quite full show polish. I wanted to keep some of the now 60 yr old patina where I could. I've since decided agains polishing every single piece of everything. I really do like how the scotchbrite polishing looks. I also really love that it can be done in place to finish up any blemishes that come from reassembly. To me there is nothing more annoying than having a bunch of "almost perfect". I'm certainly more inclined to the perfectly imperfect.
I had ran into a few issues on the assembly of the motor. I had mistakenly not specified 1.4" intake valves when I had ordered them. Kind of a bummer, to have to stop the build after fitting the barrels, but the correct sized valves showed up pretty fast. I used the time to purchase a neway cutter and took off a small amount of material to get a nice seat. I used the recommended fitment from the JS manual, using the thin gauge copper wire, with the pliobond cement. Everything was torquing on just fine. Hilariously, or maybe not, upon fitting the rocker spindle covers, one of the small hex nuts slipped from my finger and went down the spark plug hole. I honestly couldn't believe it, and felt a real ass for not fitting the spark plugs. Guess I was too excited. So, the whole head came off and the process was restarted.
Th seat has been sent to a semi local guy who I think is going to do a decent job. He kind of gets the all aluminum style that I'm trying to do, and that I don't want it to look like "new upholstery"
I've yet to get finished photos of the full motor, but the mono blocs are back on, and looking great. Replaced all of the necessary jets, pilots, floats, and a few other screws here and there. Got them all scuffed nicely with scotchbrite too. I've also bought some 2" stainless mesh discs from McMaster Carr. They will go over the bellmouth openings. I'm not clear how I will fit them in yet. Either going to be solder, set screw, or cut 4 notches around the bellmouth with a Dremel for the disc to sit in. I've set up the carbs to the spec recommended in the Dunstall Tuning book for Monoblocs, on a 650, with open Megaphones. So figured that should get me kinda close. They'll be sitting on 1.5" extensions with the longer studs.
As was suggested by a few with the open primary cover and bob newby belt drive, I also ordered larger stainless discs also from McMaster and epoxied them in to the back of the aluminum case. It looks wonderful, and quite stock. I love McMaster.
Brake lines have been run to the front four leading shoe, and the rear brake assembly has been double checked to be in good tension. I'm still deciding how I am going to fit the rear brake switch, but I'm getting there, and keeping it semi hidden using what may be the exhaust mounting point.
On the exhaust side of things, I have a set of Sweptback pipes that I've just gotten from Armours in the UK. I was a huge fan of the megaphone they make for the Manx single, the one that has the flat side to it. So I asked them if they could make them to the same opening that would fit the sweptback, and they said they could do it no problem. Pretty awesome, and I'm excited to see how they will look on the bike. They'll of course be way loud, so I may put something in the end of the swept back before it hits the opening. I've yet to decide on the exhaust nut that I will use. I presently have the brass one, and the stainless one sold by Molnar.
On to the tank. I'm super happy with how it sits. A local shop was able to cut off some of the older tabs and grind them smooth, and fit the crossbar so that I can fit the tank strap. I still need them to weld on a rear brake stay. I've also decided to go with the larger Tab classics Manx tank. I originally thought that I would do the lyta, but it just looks too small, and a bit odd with clip ons, and no clip on indents. I may end up using the Lyta on a different bike in the future, and I think that the Manx one looks perfect. I was also able to use a black leather strap that I bought for my Thruxton under the tank strap. Fit perfectly, especially around the gas cap filler neck. The same shop also helped me out with straightening and replacing some of the engine plate mounting tabs. Some or all of them were bent in someway, and I wasn't able to fit the motor between the front plates.
Other than that, spent a good bit of the few weeks putting things together, and fitting the cables, and how they will run and making sure that they don't bind. Made up the spark plug wires, and throttle cables. Fitted up the headlight, and switch gear, hopefully this will all make wiring a bit easier when I get there. The whole bike is now completely disassembled in a ton of zip lock bags. Next steps are to get the rear brake stay welded on, get nicer weather to paint everything and let it dry, wash all of the small bolts and bits in a ultrasonic before assembly, then have someone help me wedge the motor into the frame. Cross fingers, hope it starts.
Spent some time thinking about steering stops. I thought I had a solution combining the RGM stops with another companies stops. In the end, the still didn't clear the underside of the tank to meet the bottom yoke. Came up with this as a part time solution and will be looking at it a bit more upon reassembly. Hard fitting rubber grommet fit around the outside of the clip on bolts. Works really well, and prevents the yokes from doing too much damage.
Thats it for now. Not too much else that I can think of that is proving an issue at this point.
