1951 KH 500 Refurbishment

[Les Carter]

I'm new to 4 stroke Ariels just oined the club having recently acquired a 1951 KH 500 that was last used in 1965. I bought it off the lady who's father got it from Pride & Clarke London in 1958 with a sidecar attached. I have the original invoice, he paid £119 10s for it and traded in a BSA combination and a Bantam and got £21 off paying the rest off in 24 monthly installments. At some time he painted it blue and the sidecar disappeared. I don't think it has ever been ridden solo, the tyres are dead square.

I intend restoring back to the original 1951 spec re using as many parts as possible. I impressed with the Ariel engineering in it abd everything is coming apart quite easy converting the time unused.

I have a few queries if anyone can help:

The bore is good and standard size with only a tiny wear ridge, the speedo says 47k miles but barrel spigots are cracked on the inside near the bottom and one has a chunk missing next to the slot for con rod swing. Any ideas what could have caused this? The barrels are scrap but can't see any debris in the crankcase or sump, in fact the whole bottom end is very clean and doesn't appear to have done much since a long ago strip down. In fact I am loathed to split the bottom end it all looks good.

I am stuck at moment can't get the magneto pinion off it did not pull off the taper when I undid the bolt, any ideas?

[Roger Gwynn]

I see you have a mag with manual adv/retard, the automatic version has a self extracting bolt. There should be a thread for a puller.
If the bottom end is sound, either it was rebuilt after the blow up that damaged it, unlikely. or someone has been a bit rough with the barrels, perhaps dropping them and hoping no one would notice. I suspect you have found the reason for it being off the road all these years. Apart from the colour and the rear number plate it looks like a good original machine. I would watch out for that bracket just behind the seat, that could hurt!

[Les Carter]

Hello Roger
It’s an automatic advance magneto but the self extractor didn’t work, I had to drill and tap the centre bolt to get the ATD off. Yes I noticed a later number plate assembly and light has been fitted, I think repro originals are available which will be used in the rebuild. The colour does not suit the bike at all I intend to put it back to the 1951 colours but not sure what they were. It was build when the use of chrome was restricted by the Korean War so the wheels and tank would have been painted.

[markus.nikot]

51 was still chrome on the bike

52 paint only

Markus

[Les Carter]

Thanks for that that mine has the BA gearbox so presume it' was originally like the 1951 model shown, it was registered in Dec 1951.

[will_curry]

Ariel's model year started in the autumn of the previous year. While the frame
and engine numbers will confirm it I think your bike will be a 1952 model.

My Mk1 is a 1952 model with a BA box and was registered in early November
1951.

[Les Carter]

Thanks that must be what mine is just a month later. Frame no SE 504 and Engine no TE 639C.

[Les Carter]

Thanks that must be what mine is just a month later. Frame no SE 504 and Engine no TE 639C.

[Les Carter]

Thanks to Rob Jameson I split the crankcase to check the sludge trap. It was packed tight with sludge from end to ènd no way could any oil get to thd big ends if I had not done this job.

[paul.jameson]

It left the factory on 19th November 1951.