I bought a pile of bits along with a 1956 NH bottom end. The questions I have are:
1: is the frame correct for the engine (the frame numbers looks to be E9 3181 and PR2154)?
2. Is the swingarm compatible with the frame (I can find no identifying marks)
3. The swingarm has different sizes holes for the axle with the larger hole on the side opposite the chain sprocket (or where that will be). Why is that?
Many thanks,
Dennis
1955 VH500 alloy head
1956 NH350 restoration in progress
E9 3181 is the part number of the seat lug casting ! PR 2154 is a 1956 model year frame number, which very fittingly, left the factory on 2nd January 1956!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. If the swinging arm has (oval) holes for the wheel spindle it is correct for the frame. If the swinging arm has slots for the wheel spindle it is the earlier type so wrong for your frame. The rear wheel is quickly detachable and has a very large diameter spindle on the right (kickstart) side. The stub axle on the left (clutch) side is of more modest diameter. It sound very much as if the swinging arm is correct for your frame from the phrasing of your questions.
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.
Paul,
Thank you for your excellent and comprehensive reply!
Happy birthday to my frame
The swingarm does have oval holes, not slots so that is good.
I need to look for a QD hub wheel and spindle now.
Dennis
1955 VH500 alloy head
1956 NH350 restoration in progress
All of the later, full-width alloy wheels are QD so there should be no problems there.
Except, that is, that BSA also used them and the biggest issue is that the sprockets
are not the same - proper ones are flat while BSA ones are dished.
Drags (Roger) have a doc that details the differences between the BSA and Ariel versions of the '56 full-width alloy hub.
(I've stolen it and put it into a 'HowTo' in the members' area 'Howtos' section. )
'55 Huntmaster, '56 VH, ' 51 VH, '62 Arrow, '80 R100RT, '00 Sprint ST (now with a new Arrow project, and just now those 4-stroke Ariel parts can't even make one running bike...)
Will,
For the curious I attach the original photos. The instructions in the topic link were not quite as the process is now but thanks anyway.
Regards,
Dennis
1955 VH500 alloy head
1956 NH350 restoration in progress
I think that if you clean the paint off you will find that the frame number is 2754 not 2154, which matches your engine number.
Roger Gwynn, Membership Secretary, curator of the Machine Register and the works drawings. Director of Draganfly Motorcycles, Craven Equipment and Supreme Motorcycles mostly retired.
Roger,
Many thanks for that. I was working in a dark garage and found the numbers hard to read .
Shame it negates Paul's information on what would have been an amazing coincidence. That is, that frame 2154 was released on 2nd January, exactly the same day 68 years later that I asked for information about it.
What does amaze me is that the engine and frame are still together given that I bought the whole lot as a collection of dismantled parts that look to have been taken apart years ago.
Dennis
1955 VH500 alloy head
1956 NH350 restoration in progress
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