69 BSA bobber project...or...the cure for wintertime madness!

[YZman]

If only it was this easy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlax5L8BVGc

[Bloodweiser]

jeezaloo

[YZman]

Well I got some work done this week. Took the rear brake assembly apart and cleaned it up. Looking much better. Just need some new brakes and a little paint on the drum housing and it will be good to go.

Drum cover before.



And after exhaustive sanding and polishing. I still dont have a buffing wheel. But hopefully one will be coming my way Sunday so I can really make it gleam



And the brake and axle parts. I was amazed at how clean they were when they came out. A little hit on the wire wheel and they are looking great.






Im getting a little fustrated as I can only do so much without parts. But I am really close to pulling the trigger on a major parts order. So hopefully I should have some exciting things to show yas in a month or so when/if it all comes in.

[YZman]

Well not much to report. Ive been tinkering with this and that but not making much real progress. $ and my engine builder are what is really holding me up. I need parts and am really trying hard not to just attack my Visa and do it up proper.

I did borrow a buffing wheel from a friend at work.



And attacked that rear drum cover. Its looking better but man is polishing aluminum for a slightly anal personality fustrating. Lots of small scratches are still in there. Im either going to leave it as is or grab another beer and hit the sandpaper again. Well see. Probably no one else will ever see the scratches but when I look at thats all I see....oh well. Its a project right.



I bought a strap wrench the other day and have been trying to remove the fork seal holders. The RH one was hand tight. The LH one aint moving. Ive been spraying it down with PB but it aint moving. I might have to break down and buy the proper tool to remove. But $40 hurts.

http://lowbrowcustoms.com/index.asp?...ROD&ProdID=565

Anybody got any better ideas. The seal holders are in great shape so I dont want to destry them to get them off.

Today I also bit the bullet and got the steering damper rod out. It was rusted solid into the bottom nut. All the strap wrench did was shatter the big plastic knob. Ive been soaking and soaking it in PB, but it wasnt coming out. So seeing as I already destroyed the knob, I broke out the dremmel, cut the top off the damper shaft and drove it out the bottom. Problem solved.





Thats all for now.

[HammerD0wn]

Love your build write-up!!
So the engine guy recons July...lol....didn't state what year though

[YZman]

Ok question for you BSA guys. That chrome nut on the upper tripple clamp, in the picture above. How does that come off? It looks like there is some kind of stub shaft/castle nut thingy under that nut and that has to come out to get the tripple clamp out. The upper tripple clamp also has a pinch bolt, looks to be for that castle headed stub thing. Any idea which way this turns to get it off. THe standard anticlockwise dont seem to be doing it.

Also the forks.

I pulled the front wheel off. BUt when I did the RH lower fork tube litterly fell off the bike. Is this normal? The LH fork is still in tact.




And how do the upper fork tubes come outta the tripple clamps? it apears to be pressed into the upper clamp and pinch bolted into the lower clamp. Any ideas on that. I took the pinch bolts and spread the clamp slightly so it should come loose from the lower. But the upper is locked but good. I even tried hitting the top of the tube with a drift but it aint movin. So once again Im stuck.

Any ideas?

So i guess Ill tear the front hub apart and see what lives in there.




On and yea I know the fork tubes are junk.

Thats why I picked these up

[Bloodweiser]

I remember that top nut being a real sumbitch.

Just work it nicely, I went out and bought the biggest monkey wrench I could find (thanks HF) and went at it.

So IIRC, I left the pinch bolt tight while I broke the chrome nut free - then lossened the pinch bolt and unthread the to nut a little at a time, and I wacked the top nut to drive the fork tube out of the top brace. Everytime the top nut bottomed out, I'd unthread a little and repeat.


maybe that'll help?


Thanks for keeping it real.

[jeep44]

No,the lower fork legs aren't supposed to drop off like that
That chrome nut in the center of the upper fork should unscrew after you remove that pinch bolt below it. When you do get the forks off,be prepared for a million loose ball bearings rolling everywhere
The fork tubes can rust pretty tight into both the upper and lower clamps-I've had to loosen the nut at the top of each tube slightly, remove the pinch bolt at the lower clamp,put a big screwdriver in the slot in the lower clamp,and pry while whacking that nut on the end of the fork tube with a rubber hammer until it gives up-the fact that you have new tubes makes it easier-you don't have to worry about destroying the old ones.

[YZman]

What these ol parts???



I just had to get serious with them. A big socket and extension on the end of the tube did the trick.

Originally Posted by jeep44

No,the lower fork legs aren't supposed to drop off like that

Yea there is a loose part floating around in the lower tube that I assume is supposed to be attached to the Bottom of the fork tube. What I am wondering is with that loose how am I supposed to get the the bushings out of the lower. Thats going to be fun for sure.

be prepared for a million loose ball bearings rolling everywhere

Now ya tell me ...yes they went everywhere. I think I found most of them but think I am missing one. They are probably cheep. Just buy new. I knew it was going to happen. Just wasn't really prepared for to happen I guess.


Im a little scared of those forks. I pored what looked like water outta them. I dont think it was oil. It was clear. 40 yr old fork oil usualy dont come out clear. Me is a little scared. The LH fork wont move at all. Should be fun to take that apart. I envision a hydraulic press of some sort being used.

[jeep44]

Another hint: When you go to reassemble the front forks, you will need a special tool to pull the tubes up through the triple clamps-especially if you plan on using the stock headlamp supports. Chances are,the nuts at the top of each fork tube are all chewed up and rusty anyway,so get two new ones,and take one of the old ones,and cut the head off it. Drill a hole through the center,and put a fairly long piece of threaded rod in it-now you have a tool you can thread into the new fork tube,and pull it up into the triple clamps-otherwise,the gaiters and fork springs and headlight ears make it tough to do. You probably already know this,but if not,it can really make this an easy job.

[YZman]

Yea I was just eyeballing that tool to install the forks. But looking at my new tubes they slide right into the tripple clamps with ease. Even the stock ears are easy to slide them thru (even though my headlight ears are trashed and will have to be dealt with). Only thing I can see as being dificult is to overcome the springs. Not sure how much preload they have on those. Ill cross that bridge when I come to it I guess.

Amazingly my stock top nuts are perfect.

[Vince]

I would forget the ball bearings and look for tapered rollers,there are kits for Triumphs,maybe also for BSA

[YZman]

Originally Posted by YZman

Yea I was just eyeballing that tool to install the forks. But looking at my new tubes they slide right into the tripple clamps with ease. Even the stock ears are easy to slide them thru (even though my headlight ears are trashed and will have to be dealt with). Only thing I can see as being dificult is to overcome the springs. Not sure how much preload they have on those. Ill cross that bridge when I come to it I guess.

Amazingly my stock top nuts are perfect.

Now that I look at how the forks work I see what you are talking about. With the stock ears it would be a sumbitch to get the forks up thru the ears and into the top clamp because they will just fall down into the lower fork tube if you let them go. Interesting.

But I may just eliminate the stock headlight ears in lue of an aftermarket solution. Aftermarket headlight mount that I was looking at is around $85. Fork tool costs around $85 plus replacing my trashed stock headlight ears...Im thinking aftermarket may be the solution. Cheeper in the end that way.

[eyedragaknee]

I bought a strap wrench the other day and have been trying to remove the fork seal holders. The RH one was hand tight. The LH one aint moving. Ive been spraying it down with PB but it aint moving. I might have to break down and buy the proper tool to remove. But $40 hurts.


Try an oil filter strap wrench and put some wood and rubber(inner tube) between it and the tubes to take up the gaps in about 3 places. Ductape it to the tube.

Usually works and cheap

[YZman]

Originally Posted by eyedragaknee

Try an oil filter strap wrench and put some wood and rubber(inner tube) between it and the tubes to take up the gaps in about 3 places. Ductape it to the tube.


Usually works and cheap

Thanks for the tip. But too late. I already ordered the tool. Should be here this week. Started selling off crap on ebay to finance this project. So this wrench was basicaly free (thats what Im telling myself anyways )