The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

nevhunter
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by nevhunter »

I like your "butted" spokes. If I use an older rim I set up to where the tire bead sits. In the end it's how true the tire runs that matters and watch that you don't end up with one or two spokes being too tight which makes them more likely to break in use (and make the brake drum run out of true especially with the STEEL ones). . Nev
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

A slight problem has arisen.........

IMG_86166.jpg

The really annoying thing is that I had a spare stirrup but sold it when I thought it was surplus to requirements. Hopefully, Drags have a spare secondhand one in stock.
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.
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Vincent.vanGinneke
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by Vincent.vanGinneke »

its a casting so it was once heated, heat it again and bang it in shape :D
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by nevhunter »

It wasn't hot when it bent. It's twisted, so hold it properly and twist it back. Go slightly Past correct and come back a bit. Put a solid spacer in the forked part with a tight HT bolt to retain alignment. Nev
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

Draganafly have come to the rescue - with impressive speed. I found the problem with the stirrup late on Sunday afternoon, ordered the replacement from Draganfly that evening by means of the internet and received it this morning. That is pretty impressive going for a replacement part for a 70 year old machine during the pre-Christmas postal rush including the loss of 2 days due to strikes by the postal workers.
IMG_86179 lowres.jpg
The plunger assembly is using old spindle parts from my Mk II Square for the purposes of trial assembly so that I can mark out the mudguard stays, etc. Once that is done, another batch of parts will go off for powder coating (Redditch Shotblasting and Powder Coating). Whilst they are being done, I shall be making the replacement parts for the hydraulic damping system fitted originally to this bike as it was a works prepared ISDT model. It was ridden in both the 1952 and 1953 ISDTs by Nipper Parsons of Plymouth. He had to retire in 1952 but 1953 saw him and the other two Ariel team members win a manufacturers prize by not dropping a mark between them all week.

I will post photos of the hydraulic mechanism as it comes together.
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.
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

Upon splitting the crankcases, it has become evident that a previous owner had his money's worth out of the timing side main bearing.
IMG_86232.JPG
Note also the filthy state of the crank and rods in comparison with a square four front crank which is ready to have the flywheel refitted prior to engine assembly. It is that black muck which washes off and fills the sludge traps on a Square Four to make the engine blow up.
IMG_86233.JPG
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.
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

Literally a couple of minutes in the parts washer using the old washing up brush demonstrates how easy it is for modern detergent oils to wash the black deposits off the engine innards to get stuck in the sludge traps.
IMG_86235.JPG


Compare with the photo taken before I started cleaning:
IMG_86231.JPG
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.
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Leejm
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by Leejm »

Hi, Paul, the KHA is looking fantastic! I do like a blue bike .
1948 NH, BSA D10 SPORTS. 1953 VHA, 1951 KH rigid project.
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

I said I would post some details of the hydraulically damped plunger suspension as I rebuilt it. I will start with the main spindles. You may well need to click on the photos and then click again to enlarge them to see what I mean.
IMG_86273.JPG

These are thinner at 3/4" diameter than the standard spindles which are 7/8" but have the ridge half way along which pushes the oil one way or the other. There is no seal on the ridge so this has to be a close fit to the inside of the slider and once wear takes place the ridge will contact the inside of the slider wearing away both ridge and the inside of the slider. You can see the extent of the wear at the bottom of the old spindle.

Looking from the top of the spindle, you see the oil reservoir which extends well into the bottom half of the spindle.
IMG_86275.JPG

The small size of the oil reservoir was seen as a major problem and the ISDT riders used to carry a small oil can to top up the reservoirs whenever they could do to counter the oil lost through leakage.
IMG_86274.JPG
Either side of the ridge is a 1/16" hole into the oil reservoir to allow the oil to pass from one compartment to the other. As I have no information on the clearances between ridge and inside of slider I have no idea how much oil should pass between ridge and slider and how much via the holes. One thing is certain though, and that is by the time the old spindle had started to wear, very little oil, if any, would have gone via the holes.
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.
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paul.jameson
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Re: The KHA restoration starts (slowly)

Post by paul.jameson »

The sliders are a bigger problem. The originals didn't come with the bike and presumably would be badly worn inside around half way along due to the ridge on the spindle. So it was necessary to modify standard sliders.
IMG_86264.JPG
This is a standard slider with the cup over the end which holds the oil seal. You will note that the cup is a bigger diameter than the slider. The cup is screwed internally to match a thread on the outside of the slider.
IMG_86266.JPG
So the diameter of the standard slider has to be increased. First make plugs for each end of the slider so it can be turned between centres. Then turn down the ends of the slider and make sleeves to suit. I silver soldered these on.
IMG_86272.JPG
Then it was back to the centring plugs (which is why they were numbered), turn down the sleeves to size and cut a 1" + 5/16" x 26tpi thread on each end of the slider. Getting the thread the correct size was trial and error to begin with but eventually I learnt what outer size I needed to end up with. These threads are not very deep so the size is fairly critical. The experienced lathe users will notice that the threading operation at the bottom end is hampered by the lug for the stirrup bolt getting in the way. An offset threading tool was needed and even with this, clearances are very tight.

Having struggled with that lot, the next step is to drill two holes at right angles through the threads and thread them in turn 1/4" x 26tpi. Obviously, this messes up the first threads so they have to be repaired with tiny files and a thread file. The bushes in the sliders are held in place by 2 grub screws which go into the !/4" holes. But the heads of the grub screws need to be below the threads on the ends of the sliders to allow the oil seal cup to screw on. This means that the grub screws are about 1/8" long or somewhere about 2.5 to 3 threads. The pip on the end varies in diameter depending on how accurately you made the slot in the outside of the bush and how accurately you located the grub screw hole. Luckily, Tony Pegler lent me his jig for cutting the screwdriver slot on the head of the grub screw. I needed 8 grub screws but probably ended up making about 20.
IMG_86345.JPG
IMG_86346.JPG
Continued on next posting....
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.
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