Frame modifications-part 1

It’s been 8 days since my last post.  Actually, I have excuses.  Three major and several minor one’s to be exact.

1. I have an article due next week, so I’m in the process of writing.  It’s taken a bit of my time.

2. My BSA has started leaking oil into the left cylinder when it sits, so time was spent pulling the cylinder head.  Here is a  picture to pique your curiosity.

BSA Cylinder.

I think it’s leaking through a valve guide, but that will be sorted this weekend.

3. Money.  I’m getting to the point where things will start costing, and the money tree hasn’t sprouted yet, so I’m slowing down a bit until it grows.

However, there are free things that still need to be done.  Warning: the following images aren’t for the faint of heart.

Time is being spent grinding extraneous things off the frame.  I started small, with a Dremel tool on the fabricated choppered seat.

Cutting off the fabricated seat.

It was slow going, and I couldn’t get the proper angle due to the main frame on the seat.  So out with the big boy.  The highway pegs were the first to go.

Look at the sparks!

Unfortunately, it’s getting darker earlier, so less time is spent outside the shed.  There is a long way to go with the frame, but it’ll get there.  More importantly, I’m having fun doing it.  Anyone have any suggestions on places to take a frame to ensure it’s straight and might have the various parts I need to fit back on the frame?

Frame (re)modifications

This weekend was rather pleasant with a visit from my dad.  We didn’t do a whole lot, but it was nice to get a chance to visit with him and I got to show him this bike.  Living 1,300 miles away from the rest of my family, it’s always nice to get a chance to see any one of them.

Monday was spent behind a computer again, so I cherished the chance to get out, even just to take a few pictures to start getting the frame sorted.

Photo #1–First, I need to remove the gas tank bracket (A) and move it down to the next tube (B). There is a lip on the back side of the bracket. Does this stay? If anyone needs clarification, I can take another photo. Fortunately, the PO left the old weld bead on the lower tube, so I know where it goes.

Photo #1

Photo #2–Next are the welded highway pegs. I’m pretty sure they need to be removed. There are also some welded eyes just beside the highway pegs to accept the shift and brake pedals (the arrows). Do these come off? Did these two down tubes have anything on them?

Photo #2

Photo #3–Next is the steering tube. There are two weld beads where I think the PO welding something on the front. This object is no longer there. My plan is to grind these down if nothing goes there.

Photo #3

Photo #4–Just on the back side of the steering tube are two drilled holes side by side. Are these supposed to be there, and if so, what are they for? There is a matching hole on the other side.

Photo #4

Photo #5–There is a welded plate on the frame where the arrow is located. Was this a sidecar attachment?

Photo #5

Photo #6–I also need to add the seat post here. I have some measurements (courtesy of Thaemlitz), and will elaborate on this in the future once I get my thoughts and notes together.

Photo #6

Photo #7–The next bit is another seat attachment point. I plan to grind this off where the red line is located. Anyone have any comments about this?

Photo #7

Photo #8–Finally, moving to the back of the frame, I need to weld a sidecar bracket back on. I also need to weld something for a tire pump. Does anyone have any dimensions for either of these? I saw a sidecar bracket on ebay here. Is this correct? If not, does anyone have any suggestions on where to get a bracket? I also need to weld the pillion footrest on the right side.

Photo #8

And…done

At least with stripping things off the frame.  I was able to remove the forks by pounding on the nuts to loosen the stanchions.  With Shanna holding the frame, I rotated the stanchions until they popped out.

Shanna cleaning around the top nut.

I couldn’t find a socket at Lowes to fit the nut, so on with the vice grips.

Removing the nut on top of the triple tree with vice grips.

All the bearings fell out, and I think I got most of them off the floor.  The triple tree is now removed from the frame.  Then I removed something that looks like an electrical connection.

An electrical connection?

Everything that I want to keep is now removed from the frame.  I need to figure out how to remove the top bracket for the engine mount, do some relatively minor repairs, and paint the frame.

The top engine mount bracket I'm trying to remove.

The stripped down frame.

The front fender and wheel

The power was back on in the office today, so that means I’m back behind the computer.  I certainly enjoyed the previous two days and being able to work outside.  That feeling was magnified by the fact that we had some cooler weather yesterday.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  But, because I’m behind the computer, I have the need to get back into the shed, which means more posts.

Monday was spent sailing. Gotta dry out the sails after the hurricane.

Yesterday I was having problems with my BSA.  At first, it was only firing on one cylinder and then, as I got onto the road, the second cylinder kicked in.  After asking questions, I figured out that rain from Monday had made its way into the float bowl.  However, once the water cleared, the bike ran almost normally.  Today, it really bogged down (as in running rich) coming back home and was misfiring.  I also noticed when I tickled the carburetor that the right float bowl filled faster than usual.  Been there, done that.  I pulled the right float bowl and jiggled the float.  Sure enough, the float was partially filled with gas.  That’s two float bowls in two months.  Half an hour later, I had a brand new float installed and leveled and the left float bowl pulled and drained, just to make sure there was no more water.  Everything’s back together and ready for my commute tomorrow.

Then I turned my attention back to my project bike.  The goal tonight was to get the front wheel off.  I started off small, removing the left fork nut from the dampening rod in preparation for removing the forks later on.  Then I removed the front fender.  What a change!  That thing was hideous.

The front of the bike with the fender removed.

Then it was the front axle.  I removed the locking bolt on the left side, removed the nut from the axle on the right side, and used a punch to pound the axle out.  Overall, it came off fairly easily and nothing was damaged.  A stud that keeps the brake plate from rotating by sitting in a groove was a bit tough to slip off, but lifting the bike off the ground and letting it fall several times (in addition to the obligatory PB Blaster) soon loosened it up.  The only thing left to remove from the frame before I can repair and repaint it are the fork stanchions and triple tree.  Getting close!

The front forks sans wheel.