1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Singles, twins and fours.
Gui.dorey
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by Gui.dorey »

Here are some videos I took today after a run. One can clearly see how air and oil is being pumped through the magneto/dynamo cover. Also through the threads on the timing breather. I extended the breather pipe with a hose, but didn‘t make any difference.
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1951 Ariel Square Four MKI
1954 Ariel NH Red Hunter
1929 BSA Sloper
1946 BSA B31 (project)
1954 BSA C11G
1960 Harley Sportster XLH
1951 Harley WL 45
will_curry
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by will_curry »

I wonder if there is an issue with the oil level in the sump?

If, for instance, the oil pick-up pipe has been shortened the level will
be too high but the oil return into the tank will still look normal.
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paul.jameson
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by paul.jameson »

Within the timing case breather, there should be a ball bearing retained by a steel pin. From your videos, it looks to me as if the ball is stuck. Whether you can remove the breather without taking the timing case off I can't remember but if you can't, take off the pipe from the breather and try pushing the ball up with a rod or screwdriver. There is no spring retaining it so it should move freely, a short distance.

Have you rebored the engine? With the drive side breather working, you do seem to have a lot of crankcase pressure which might reduce once the rings bed in. The actual volume of oil coming out doesn't look too bad to me but the pressure does seem excessive.

Have you solved the clutch problem?
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
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Vincent.vanGinneke
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by Vincent.vanGinneke »

looks like piston ring blow by, if you fitted new rings + a light hone just run it for a while (few hundred miles would do) and it must have solved itself.
If not, it's time for a oversize piston + bore.
Gui.dorey
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by Gui.dorey »

That‘s interesting - I don‘t think my timing breather has any ball in there. I also don‘t see any mention of it on my parts catalogue and I can blow through it into the timing case.

The cylinder was rebored and has a new piston (+.030) with new rings, so it could be blow by. I‘ve only ridden it about 370 kms since the rebuild.

I haven‘t solved the clutch yet. At the moment I haven‘t had time to get to it unfortunately. It still slips, especially in top, but it‘s manageable at the moment. It‘s on the list…
1951 Ariel Square Four MKI
1954 Ariel NH Red Hunter
1929 BSA Sloper
1946 BSA B31 (project)
1954 BSA C11G
1960 Harley Sportster XLH
1951 Harley WL 45
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paul.jameson
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by paul.jameson »

1954 Singles Parts List Page 12, Gear cover and fittings. 2073C-41. Elbow union, 90 degree with ball and pin for breather pipe. Trouble is, I don't have one here to look at, all my timing cases being pre war.

Are you using running in oil or normal slippery oil? The rings won't run in on slippery oil any time soon.
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
will_curry
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by will_curry »

I'm pretty sure there is enough room to turn the elbow but whether there
is enough access to undo the locking nut or even the breather pipe
union nut I don't know. Also there may not be enough room to completely
unscrew the elbow from the timing case.

As for getting it all back together again . . .
will_curry
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by will_curry »

Having just looked at the videos again that magdyno is quite a lot older than the
bike and has the HT pick-up at the back rather than the usual front position.
Julian Murphy
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by Julian Murphy »

The elbow can be removed easily from the back of the timing case :

Undo nut and drop pipe.
Undo the elbow lock nut.
Spin out by hand the elbow.

Blow through the elbow from the timing case side. Should allow air out.
Blow through the opposite side. ie. From the outside. No air should pass.

If air passes through both ways, it is not a problem.

Re-assemble and look for another reason.
Gui.dorey
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Re: 1954 NH first proper shake down rides

Post by Gui.dorey »

paul.jameson wrote: Sun Jul 10, 2022 9:27 pm 1954 Singles Parts List Page 12, Gear cover and fittings. 2073C-41. Elbow union, 90 degree with ball and pin for breather pipe. Trouble is, I don't have one here to look at, all my timing cases being pre war.

Are you using running in oil or normal slippery oil? The rings won't run in on slippery oil any time soon.
Reading helps a lot, as opposed to just looking at pretty illustrations in the parts list… :roll:

I Couldn‘t take the elbow out - I can loosen the lock nut but there is not enough space to undo the elbow out as it hits the mag base. So one would have to pull the whole cam cover off. Anyway, if the ball is in there, which I assume it is, it must be loose as I can blow through both ways. I also sprayed some WD40 in there to loosen things up (from the inside) and it comes out the other end.

Paul, I‘m using regular oil, so maybe that‘s not helping things bed in either.

As far as the magdyno, I knew it wasn‘t the original but I hadn‘t realized it was an older one. The dynamo has 55 stamped on it so it might be the right one. The Magneto plate has 46010B and 1045 stamped on it, if that tells you anything.
1951 Ariel Square Four MKI
1954 Ariel NH Red Hunter
1929 BSA Sloper
1946 BSA B31 (project)
1954 BSA C11G
1960 Harley Sportster XLH
1951 Harley WL 45
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