This is the point where it starts feeling as if progress is being made. I have spent the last year or so tearing assemblies down, noting what can be used as is, what can be refurbished, or adding "must buy" parts to my list. My shelves are getting full of parts and its almost time to make the BSA look like a motorcycle again.
Running out of room on my storage racks. It must be time to start assembling.....
So, where to start? On this go around I am beginning with the chassis. Although I usually start with the engine components they are not ready due to the machine work that has yet to be sourced. Time to assemble but first a few things must be prepared to make life easier and the final result better.
The frame ID number was taped off so it didn't get filled with powder coat material. The numbers were covered with a thin coat of brushed acrylic.
Before the build up began I decided to add the "Made in England" script while the frame could be set flat to work on. I used a varnish transfer and coated over it with varnish. A bit of a fussy process that looks great when finished and is quite durable. Hint; buy extra decals and practice.
Front and application sides of the transfer.
Backing removed and varnish applied to the transfer.
How is it done? (taken from print, internet sources, and my experience) The mounting side of the transfer is coated with varnish and applied to the part when it is tacky. The transfer is pressed gently to smooth and remove bubbles. Next the backing paper is dampened and removed. The transfer is then cleaned of excess adhesive left by its paper with a damp cloth. The surrounding area is cleaned with mineral spirits to remove varnish that escaped during the transfer's application. When all is thoroughly dry, about 24 hours, the transfer is varnished over for durability. Sounds easy, right?
The practice piece.....My shop dustpan is not actually "Made in England" but it was powder coated black making it a good practice part. The decal has been varnished and applied in this photo. It took about 20 minutes for the varnish to get tacky enough to apply. Not enough varnish and the decal will not stick. Too much and it will not dry properly when applied....too dry or not tacky enough and it will pull up when you remove the backer.....don't ask how I know.....
Transfer in location and pressed flat to remove bubbles.
I let it set for 10 minutes before removing the backing paper.
Wetting the paper and removing it from the transfer taking care not to lift the transfer. I pressed down the decal as I removed the paper to keep the decal in contact with the part.
Excess varnish being removed with mineral spirits.
Adhesive can also be wiped from the transfer with mineral spirits after it has dried.
Varnish being applied to the transfer after it has dried for 24 hours.
The completed frame transfer looking better than my dustpan. An incremental improvement in my process I think. In full disclosure this was my second attempt on the frame. I did not let the decal set long enough on my first attempt and it lifted while removing the paper. Mineral spirits easily removed the botched transfer before it dried so don't be afraid to try..... just buy extra transfers.....
The powder coating looks great although it has added thickness in some areas that needs to be removed. The rear hub spines were not masked - my bad as I forgot to point this out to the coater. I used Citristrip to clean them. Citristrip is applied as a gel and then covered with cling wrap which keeps it from drying. As long as it stays moist it will continue to work. It usually takes twenty four hours to complete the process. The paint comes off as a soft layer and usually requires one application although the splines took several goes at them.
Stripping a few items that lent themselves well to this process. Others will be drilled or worked off with sand paper or abrasive discs. Most areas were plugged or masked before powder coating
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The Norton guys strip the powder coat from their engine mounts to stop them from working loose and elongating the holes Having an engine with a fair amount of vibration I decided for the same treatment of the BSA. Once stripped the engine mounts were painted with a thin coat of enamel to keep them from rusting. The bottom engine mount was left bare to facilitate electrical conductivity, and let's be real, no steel below a BSA engine will rust anyway.....
Frame mounts and stand pivots being cleaned and repainted. BSA used silent blocs on the Lightning Rocket. They are tubes bonded together by rubber which flexes as the swingarm rotates. They were off center showing degradation and replaced. This is a pretty straightforward process although removing them is much more difficult than installing them.
My campfire worked well to remove the rubber and inner tubes.
The outer tubes were cut through with a Sawzall and pried out which sounds simple but was quite the pain in the ass....
Threaded rod and tubes just smaller than the swing arm inner diameter were used to pull the silent blocs in place. The outer tube should end up inside the end of the swingarm while the small diameter remains outside of it. They hit a stop in the center of the swingarm when fully installed.
Pressed in place and ready to install on the frame.....almost
The silent blocs were slightly offset, which is normal, making it difficult to get the swingarm tube through. Next time I will chamfer the end of the inner tube before assembly to facilitate spindle installation.
The offending silent block was chamfered after the fact with a pencil grinder providing enough of a start to let the spindle tube align the two units. The spindle tube could have been chamfered but CAD coating would have been lost on its end. Chamfering the silent bloc before assembly would work best.
All of the holes of the triple trees were cleaned and threads were chased.
The fork legs received the same cleanup and prep work.....
I used Emgo shocks on my first restoration and was not very impressed with them. While the ride is not bad they squeak quite loudly which is annoying and does not emanate quality. I used Hagon shocks on the Interceptor build and I am very happy with their ride quality. The only issue being they are a bit larger and have a few finish differences from the stock units. I reworked them to look closer to the originals although I do not think they would score 100 points in a AMCA meet. I plan to show the Interceptor when they resume after Covid is gone and I will learn the deduction for them if any.
The Hagon units disassembled and ready to be "Girlingized" The offending bits below....stainless retainers were sandblasted to replicate Cadmium and the adjusters painted black.
"Girlingization" complete....not perfect but not bad.
Another detail that needed attention was the "shakeproof" washers. They have a blue black finish that I have not found on ones manufactured today. Brownell's Oxpho-blue paste was used to recolor them. I am very happy with the results.
A sad sight....my"riders" covered for Michigan's winter.
Sleep well 'til spring my little friends.
Sidetrack....building a barn door to seal off my workshop from the rest of the house....
