Monday, January 30, 2012

Frame, Wheel, Tyre and Fuel Tank Issues- BSA Build Progress: Pt 3

Hello all, and Happy Monday. With an extremely hectic schedule lately, I haven't had much time to update the rider's blog. As I recall, in the last post I left off with the readying of the engine and gearbox. Once again a huge thanks to the masters at Vintage and Veteran, Ken and Phil. These chaps have gone far above and beyond with the work they are doing to this BSA. On behalf of the CCM team, I can definitely say that we are eternally grateful to our friends Ken and Phil. When you chaps arrive for the Cannonball, be prepared for a Texas-style welcome!

Closeup of the original, damaged petrol tank

  This post I'd like to go over some of the updates to the frame and petrol tank (fuel tank, for fellow Americans) as well as the work done to the wheels, tyres, and brake system. To begin with, the fuel tank is a prime example of how my friends K and P have gone far beyond anything I could expect. Upon removal, it was discerned that the mounting points on the tank itself have been ruined over the years. It seems that prior owners have enlarged the threaded holes and ruined said threads. Ken took the tank to a specialist to discuss suitable methods of repair, and in the end they decided to actually make a brand new tank.


New fuel tank in progress

The master at work!


Final fitting to BSA, prior to painting
With possible fuel tank issues out of the way, I started to think about other sources of failure. One of the points I thought about was the mounting tabs on the frame. Having strong welds on the engine and gearbox tabs is incredibly important. Anytime you ride, whether it's a brand new Harley Davidson or in this case an 85 year old BSA, vibration is going to play a significant role. What no Cannonballer needs is for his power plant or gearbox to come loose and start doing major damage to other components. After consulting with Mike Wild (#25) and Ken, we all agreed that the strength of these tabs was important.
  Anyway, other updates on the build- the front end has since been disassembled, cleaned, and re-fitted with new bearings and grease. All spacers and spindles were found to be in good condition. Both wheels have new rims and spokes, new tyres and tubes. On the front wheel, new bearings on a new axle with a re-lined brake set up finished off the front end. The rear wheel has sufficient brake lining, and clean bearings. Both wheels were reassembled with new grease.

Til Next time

Buck Carson
Confirmed Cannonballer # 3
Carson Classic Motors Race Team

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Giving the gearbox new life: BSA Build Progress: Pt 2

  Now that the heart of the machine, the motor, is ready to be buttoned up and returned to the frame, the other major mechanical component to be assessed and "Cannonball-ized" is the BSA's three speed gearbox. As of this post, the gearbox has since been re-installed into the frame and is awaiting the return of the motor. Here's what was discovered upon removal and disassembly, as well as what was repaired and/or updated.

 When the gearbox was removed, it was found to be in good internal condition. From appearances, new cogs and selectors had recently been fitted and were in good shape. The mainshaft has acceptable, but not excessive end float. As the oil was being drained from the box, it was filtered in the process. This filtration process produced a small piece of metal, which was later deemed to have come from the corner of the first tooth in the kickstart quadrant. Ken and Phil determined that the piece was installed one tooth too far and was almost leaving the register with the mainshaft. Luckily the evermore attentive and skilled duo were able to correct the issue.

  All of the oil passages were found to be clear of debris, which is very important as we all know. An un-lubricated motor or gear change set is an unhappy fellow, something that cannot be afforded on a trans-continental journey. An important update to the gearbox is the addition of oillite bearings. These provide a larger and much more suitable surface for absorbing oil to lubricate. Ken has also chosen to update his Rudge with these bearings, and as I stated before I feel completely trusting of Ken and Phil's judgement.

 The only other area of concern was the gear change selector, which was improperly fitted by a previous owner. The downside to this was the vital importance in positioning the hand shifter on the fuel tank in order to properly select gears one through three and neutral. It was found that the gear change selector was not registering on the spring loaded locator, which has since been adjusted and now functions properly.

  After all of the diagnosis, examinations and repairs, the transmission was cleaned and reassembled before the re-installation in the frame. On a final note, the clutch and clutch plates have been deemed to be in great condition and were left untouched. That about wraps it up for the gearbox build. Another beautiful and tidy bit of work by the crew at Vintage and Veteran. Next, I will cover the frame and front end repairs and updates.


Buck Carson
Confirmed Cannonballer # 3
Carson Classic Motors Race Team

 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The greasy and oily stuff! (Otherwise known as BSA Build Progress: Pt 1)

  In one of my early posts, I mentioned that our friends Phil and Ken at Vintage and Veteran had graciously offered to undertake some of the "Cannonball-izations" to the machine before the shipment process overseas. Since then, my team and I have been astounded to the lengths that our English mates are going to. Any machine which comes from the Vin and Vet shop is absolutely guaranteed to be a wonderfully tidy piece, and money well spent. I would heartily recommend anyone to purchase a machine from these chaps. As both a customer and friend, I can attest to the very high level of workmanship and that Phil and Ken treat their veteran machines with.

  As time allows (and not to overwhelm or bore readers with one giant post), over the next few posts I'd like to go ahead and document the build on the Veteran BSA I'll be riding in the race. Ken will be posting me a cd with photos and video footage of the build in the Vin and Vet shop, so as soon as it arrives in the mail I will quickly add some pictures. Like I said before, I've honestly been astounded by the amount of work that these gents are putting into our machine. This first post will focus on the motor work. Keep in mind that the BSA was already in sufficient running condition to complete the Banbury Run and other VMCC Veteran runs in the United Kingdom and Europe.

   To begin with, the motor was removed from the frame and dismantled. Upon disassembly it was noted that the barrel was in good condition, with no carbon build up and a recent +.020 rebore. Valve guides and springs were also in good shape with correct tolerances. The valves themselves appeared to be new, so Phil and Ken advised a light grinding. Piston, pin and rings were all in excellent form with correct gapping on the rings, no carbon buildup on the piston crown, and a clearance of 0.007" to the barrel bore.

   The lower end was also in fair order. Crank cases were in order, and new main bearings are in the process of being installed installed. Since then, the cases have been cleaned, blue printed, and reassembled. The flywheels, big end, and axles had decent rotational feel and no play. Conrod and little end were found to be sound as the British pound (pardon my humor there...) with good floating fit onto the gudgeon pin.

    Originally the timing side presented some problems. New timing cover screws had to be fashioned in order to sort out the issue of a previous owner using wrong thread pattern screws in the crankcase. The automatic oil pump body (this machine features both an automatic and manual pump) was fractured below where it connects to the timing cover. At first K and P were unable to extract it for repair/replacement, but have since been able to repair the body. Additionally, the manual oil pump was found to work well. Replacement inlet and exhaust cams are being sourced, as the present set show some marks as if a foreign element had been mashed into the teeth.

    Currently, the motor is awaiting the completion of the main bearing install within the crankcases. Both the lower end and top end are prepped and ready for reassembly. And that, ladies and gentlemen, wraps it up for the first set of updates on the BSA build. As previously stated, Phill and Ken have taken a completely running and rideable machine and built the motor to be better than new. That level of detail cannot simply be found anywhere. A huge thanks to our mates at Vintage and Veteran. Keep your eyes peeled for the next post as I digress into the beast known as the gearbox.


Ride safe!

Buck Carson
Confirmed Cannonballer # 3
Carson Classic Motors Race Team

CB Route Details

 
I've decided to switch things up...after talking about sponsors and publicity and such for so long- let's digress into the race details. I posted a picture of the prize earlier- a beautifully crafted sculpture representing the battle between two riders and their horses (one being of the "iron horse" variety). With the prize in mind, now, I present the route that we will take to compete for that prize. A special thanks to Jeff Alperin and of course the MC Cannonball site for the photo of the sculpture. I also borrowed the route table listed below from Jeff, as he added climate information to the original as found on the home site. 

Cannonball 2012!
 Lonnie and the rest of the founders did an excellent job creating a complex route for riders on the first run, and have yet again set up a journey which is just as (if not more) challenging for 2012. As previously stated in earlier posts this year will focus on a more northerly trek across the US, rather than the southerly path of 2010. I think most riders will appreciate the cooler temperatures up north at the end of summer, rather than trying to push their machines through the scorching oven-like temperatures that plague the South until early October. However, with several mountain passes to go through at altitudes of up to 9,000 feet (2,743 metres) a spare set of high altitude carburetor jets will be necessary.

  The route for 2012 has been set up to follow a two week schedule, with 14 days of riding and one day of rest for riders and crew in Sturgis, South Dakota (a shame we will miss the annual rally by a few weeks, but a good time will nonetheless be had). This year will once again feature hosted meals and receptions at several prominent motorcycle museums, with a welcome reception in Newburgh and a farewell dinner in the works for San Francisco. A typical day on the run will consist of 300 miles or less, and has been timed for 8 hours of riding (0800 start, 1600 finish) with three seperate refueling breaks and a 45 minute lunch. Luckily for riders like myself who are looking to see the real USA, the run will be completed on backroads and scenic routes including multiple state and national parks as well as journeying across Lake Erie in Michigan by ferry. Over the entire trip, there will only less than 100 miles spent on the interstate system. A true backroads experience, indeed!

 Without further adieu, I present the general route list: (as copied from Jeff's blog...thanks for putting up with me, Jeff!)

 

Stage
Day
Date
Start
Elev
Sunrise
Sunset
Avg Hi
Avg Lo
Mean
2011
Precip
Finish
Miles
1
Fri
7-Sep
Newburgh, NY
128
6:28
19:20
78°
57°
68°
 65°-57°
4.11
Wellsboro, PA
209
2
Sat
8-Sep
Wellsboro, PA
1,306
6:42
19:31
71°
50°
60°
 73°-62°
3.23
Sandusky, OH
330
3
Sun
9-Sep
Sandusky, OH
597
7:05
19:51
76°
59°
67°
 74°-62°
3.16
Milwaukee, WI
310
4
Mon
10-Sep
Milwaukee, WI
634
6:25
19:11
75°
57°
66°
 75°-60°
3.52
Anamosa, IA
210
5
Tue
11-Sep
Anamosa, IA
815
6:41
19:22
76°
51°
63°
 83°-52°
3.36
Spirit Lake, IA
280
6
Wed
12-Sep
Spirit Lake, IA
1,473
6:56
19:37
74°
52°
63°
 86°-59°
2.79
Murdo, SD
280
7
Thu
13-Sep
Murdo, SD
2,263
7:20
19:57
78°
50°
64°
 72°-44°
1.25
Sturgis, SD
300
Rest
Fri
14-Sep
Sturgis, SD
3,440
6:31
19:07
76°
47°
62°
 54°-39°
1.31
Sturgis, SD

8
Sat
15-Sep
Sturgis, SD
3,440
6:32
19:05
76°
47°
61°
 46°-39°
1.31
Sheridan, WY
250
9
Sun
16-Sep
Sheridan, WY
3,743
6:47
19:17
73°
41°
57°
 82°-39°
1.38
Jackson Hole, WY
320
10
Mon
17-Sep
Jackson Hole, WY
6,237
7:05
19:30
71°
31°
51°
 61°-40°
1.32
Mount'n Home, ID
300
11
Tue
18-Sep
Mount'n Home, ID
3,146
7:26
19:48
78°
45°
62°
 80°-44°
0.68
Burns, OR
275
12
Wed
19-Sep
Burns, OR
4,147
6:40
18:59
74°
34°
54°
 78°-40°
0.50
Alturas, CA
250
13
Thu
20-Sep
Alturas, CA
4,370
6:47
19:03
78°
35°
56°
 85°-39°
0.66
Redway, CA
330
14
Fri
21-Sep
Redway, CA
538
7:02
19:14
82°
50°
66°
 59°-53°
1.31
San Francisco
230
Sat
22-Sep
San Francisco
52
6:57
19:07
72°
56°
64°
 66°-57°
0.28
Total:
3,874



More on fellow entrants soon!


Buck Carson
Confirmed Cannonballer # 3
Carson Classic Motors Race Team