AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Technical Tip (22) Dealing with new dynamo brushes

admin2 — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:40:08 +0000

Bedding New Dynamo brushes

After fitting new brushes to your dynamo, before the cover is fitted, start the engine and then, whilst you let it tick over for a few minutes, just press gently on the brushes to help them bed in and make the best contact

Technical Tip (21) Spark plug threads in cylinder head

admin2 — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:57:35 +0000

A simple tool for the maintenance and repair of cylinder head plug threads can be quickly made out of an old spark plug. Carefully file four “V” grooves up the length of the threaded part with the Vees angled slightly to the left to give cutting edges to the grooves.
Heat up and quench to harden the new “plug tap” and it can happily live in your tool box until it’s needed.

Technical Tip (20) Dating a Post-War Burman Gearbox

admin2 — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:49:55 +0000

If you are viewing a basket-case or need to check whether a bike all started life together, it is useful to know that all Burman boxes carry a date identification.
Before 1952, the stamping for boxes starts with “G”. The later B52 boxes after 1952 start with “GB” .
The following number stamped on the box indicates the year it was built and the letter shows the month. Remember, though, production of the following year’s models always started after Plumstead’s summer holiday break, so a 1954 model could get a September ‘53 box
To check which model a box was originally fitted to, refer to Christian’s Archives-“Burman Transmission” (via LINKS)

Technical Tip (19) Greasing single-sided hubs easily

admin2 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:00:20 +0000

Greasing single sided hubs easily

The grease nipples on these hubs are awkwardly placed just where you can’t easily get a straight push on a grease gun.
Take a length of wood of the right size to fit between the spokes and cut a recess halfway along its length to locate the cap end of the gun. Place the nozzle of the grease gun on the greasing point and slip the wood into place.
By pressing both ends of the wood, greasing is accurately done with no messy loss of grease

Technical Tip (18) Replacing Early Twin Cylinder Heads

admin2 — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:09:40 +0000

1. Put engine into high gear so as to use the rear wheel for turning the engine.

2. Right-hand cylinder: turn engine to compression t.d.c. (inlet pushrod has just gone down and piston is at t.d.c.); fit head, taking care to ensure rockers are in the pushrod cups; finger tighten the cylinder head nuts (with spacers and washers underneath!)

3. Turn engine forward so that left-hand piston is at compression t.d.c. and proceed as above. This ensures minimum strain on head nuts that would have occurred if tightened against valve spring pressure.

4. Fit manifold and fully tighten manifold nuts

5. Working in a diagonal pattern torque cylinder head nuts to 22 foot pounds

When the bike is fully re-assembled start engine and run until warmed up but not too hot. Re-torque nuts to 22 foot pounds. Leave engine to cool over night. Gently ride bike for 100 miles then torque down the nuts again to 22 foot pounds. Final re-torque after 500 miles.

Technical Tip (17) Improve You(r) Dipswitch!

admin2 — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:24:08 +0000

The motorcycle dipswitch is a cheap and crude device and there’s always the risk of the rider fumbling and being accidentally left in the dark, so when converting to brighter 12v lighting, fit the same reliable method of headlamp dipping used on motorcars. A small relay, called a latching relay, is required and will easily fit in the headlamp shell. One beam or the other is always connected and switching is by a push button on the handlebar. A vehicle electrician will help you identify the part you need and wiring is straightforward. (Mine came off a VW in a scrapyard.!)

Technical Tip (16) Don’t Throw Away Old Bearings!

admin2 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 07:57:08 +0000

Uses for old bearing races

Rejected or scrap bearing races are worth keeping. They are accurately ground to size, they’re dead flat and they can be ideal for use as spacers, support packing and parallels in the workshop.

Technical Tip (15) Bathe your nipples for a stronger joint!

admin2 — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:58:01 +0000

When soldering a cable nipple, the best way to be sure solder has fully penetrated the joint is to immerse it in solder rather than using a soldering iron, and this pipe fitting from a builders’ merchant makes an ideal little solder bath.
Buy a stop-end fitting intended for copper pipe and with a gas torch, melt a stick of plumber’s solder to fill it to the brim. With its flat base, the little pot is perfectly stable when you to need to dip the cable in. After the job is done, allow the solder to cool and the bath can be kept in the workshop ready for use next time.

Technical Tip (14): Testing a rebuilt gearbox

admin2 — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:28:56 +0000

How do you check that a rebuilt gearbox is good? Installing it in the bike and connecting to engine power could be disastrous so, to be safe, bench test it. Mount the ‘box in the vice and prepare the test kit: cut a short length of garden hose and in one end insert an engine stud or a bolt, securing it with a jubilee clip. Attach a second jubilee clip on the other end of the hose and attach this end to the gear shaft and secure. Insert the stud end into the jaws of a battery operated drill with variable speed and reverse. You can now slowly drive the gears and change gear to test the ‘box, increasing speed as your confidence grows! Should the ‘box seize up, the hosepipe acts as a flexible connection and takes the shock, preventing damage to gears.

Technical Tip (13): Bending small bore pipe

admin2 — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:50:51 +0000

When you need to bend up some small-bore copper tube, for oil or petrol pipes for example, prevent annoying kinks by first of all slipping a length of discarded speedometer drive cable into the bore of the pipe. For larger bores, the outer could be used, or for larger sizes still, possibly one of the seat support springs of an old Parker Knoll chair may be just the right size.