Polishing Shop update

Boys from Blighty here - Reporting on restoration of the Briggs and Stratton. As the wind and rain lash against the Polishing Shop window we prepare the engine for painting. The previous blog entry showed how we had attacked the rust with a coating of 40% phosphoric acid. Here's the chemistry lesson again -

Rust is really Fe2O3, a reddish form of iron oxide. Iron has another oxide, Fe3O4, which is sometimes called black oxide, black rust, or hammerscale. Our application of acid the other day has now created black oxide which when brushed off gives an ideal surface for accepting paint.

Gloss black engine enamel. (Just like a Vincent Black Shadow.) The first coat of this paint is now drying........

Time for a well earned beer over at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'

Dr Crippen taught me !

B.K. here..reporting from Blighty....

Killing rust - a difficult business......down at the polishing shop the corrosion on the 'Briggs and Stratton' was shown no mercy. Liberally painting on a solution of 40% phosphoric acid the castings of the old motor fizzed and bubbled as the strong acid ate into the steel, and in no time the chemical had completely neutralising the rust.

How do you buy this deadly acid legally ? well it's sold to alter the ph of nutrients in the world of hydroponics. (Growing plants without soil) but for £10 litre you too can have your own disolving bath ?

Next job..paint. Boy is it going to look posh !

Sparkly eyes

Belgium calling!
Still struggling with the CDI-unit of our 500cc engine.We had some sparks today but they went as quick as they came.
How did we get them....just by firmly bashing that good old CDI on a steel bar.
Why did we do that..... maybe we're having a case of "cold-welds" in the unit (some welds maybe came loose causing bad contacts)...by hitting the unit flat on a surface all loose joints come back together...for a while.
We're going to bring that unit to a doctor who will measure it out.

If we were right we'll cut it open and operate .....
Keep you posted.
Koen

Need time to think !

Albert here - reporting in for all you oilyracer fans on progress....Aahh well, lots of thinking and not much doing at the moment. The marriage of yamaha forks to SWM headstock is a tricky one. What I thought would be a case of sourcing 2 bearings from the local supplier (or even off some old redundant machine lying in the scap bin at work) has turned out rather more complicated.
The internal v external sizes are not a manufactured standard. (Well one is but the bottom bearing is not....drat and twice drat) This now means possible remaking part of the steering yoke to suit bearing size. My lathe is too small for this job.......need to call a friend and ask a favour.....
I'll let you all know outcome as and when....

Attic Find

Basil K. here...Whilst rummaging in my attic the other day for parts for the Picklington Precision I came across a box of old photo's. The contents caused great mirth and merriment when shown over the weekend at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'. These are pics from the days when 'Mod's and Rockers terrorised seaside resorts, when 'Northern Soul music rang out all night from Wigan Casino, when England could win a game of football....eeeehhh lad, can't you just hear 'The Who' blasting out 'My Generation'

Just thought you readers may be interested in a couple of shot's of yours truly on his Lambretta probably about 1969.

If that ain't living on the wild side I don't know what is..!

(1970 - I'd upgraded.....To a Ford Popular 103E)

Ok...fun over...back to work !

Resistance is Futile

Albert here - It's all happening this afternoon in sunny Blighty. (Yes it really is sunny) Last job to do before the 'Briggs and Stratton' is transfered to Basil K.s polishing shop is to free the silencer.

(The polishing shop lacks the engineering facilities that are at hand in 'The Old Sidevalve Bar' but I hasten to add is renowned for a quality cuppa tea no matter what hour of the day)

....firmly attached for over 40years the small but effective silencer, product of 'The Nelson Muffler Corp' was not going to be seperated without a fight. But listen....No one crosses Albert !

Call reinforcements.......No2 son Bad Barty(workshop apprentice ) and his monsterous stillson !

Swing as we might on the 3foot wrench it was all in vain. Aahh haaa ! Once more the big blowlamp treatment is called for, and so it was on 12th Oct 2008, 14.00 hours the 'Briggs and Stratton' was legally seperated from it's Nelson Muffler. Free from the shackles that have restricted it's power......releasing only now, its true horsepower.... and ear splitting roar !

The Blighty Boys charge on........forward and upwards towards the creation of the first ever Picklington Precision

cue comb and paper...play 'Land of Hope and Glory'

Lalalalala..laaaa..laaaa.....lalalalalala...la.....

Down at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'

Albert here - just spent some time assessing the extremely large Amal carburettors, one of which was hoped would suit the 'Briggs and Stratton'

Unfortunately..........the missing parts are going to render them useless. The history of them was unknown to me, found in a box in the shed along with some other odds and sods of british bike parts when I moved into my house I thought they may come in handy one day and kept them. Ahh well !

Pricing up the missing parts is going to take the cost to at least half way to new carburettor costs. Even ya Old Uncle Albert draws a line at that sort of behavour. See the chip in the slide that was the final blow......

I did however find out from the reference numbers that they were standard fitment on Norton Commandos....alas they will fill with petrol no more.......R.I.P.

And so ! the search is on again for a huge petrol vapouriser that will suck with such velocity that small children and cats and dogs will not be safe from the swirling vortex as the Picklington Precision passes......

Heat required.

Albert here.....just back from 'The Old Sidevalve Bar. (No not sampling the homebrew beers this time) No readers, I have been turning up the heat to release the 'dinner plate' flywheel that was attached firmly to the right side of the 'Briggs and Stratton'

You know how it is....something won't budge and you've just got to stick with it till it does....

First I made a puller from 1" angle and tightened to the point of stripping the threads....next I applied shock treatment....yes an almighty blow with a hammer on the puller centre.

Nothing was giving so the blow torch was lit and heat applied, smoke was rising from the penetrating oil as I give another shock blow and BANG ! off it came. You see...Albert knows the tricks...

Couldn't resist stripping off the carburettor for a close look before the motor is taken to Basil K.s polishing shop. You know what, it looks like an Amal MK1 would fit nicely on the motor, the one I have which is about 32mm may be just a couple of millimetre too big but doesn't it just look great....I shall discuss with Basil K. at the first opportunity what his thoughts are on this proposed carb modification, and to my additional thoughts on a bit of flywheel lightening.....!

Time for tea....

Picklington Engine Specification

Albert here..As promised, with details of our monsterous

'Briggs and Stratton'

After much looking through magnification lenses I have discovered the details that identify our engine. Just in the nick of time mind as the stampings were suffering from rust and it's highly unlikely they would have survived many more years....

Anyway....we have them recorded now and the numbers spell out the story.

Model - 233401

Type - 024801

Code - 6706051

Useful to a 'Briggs and Stratton' geek, but not meaning much to your average 'oilyracer' so a search on the tinternet was in order.

Here are the details -

Model - 23= 23 cubic inch displacement 3= Design No 4= Horizontal shaft 0= Plain Bearings 1= Rope start

Type - more info required

Code - 67= Year of manufacture 06= Month 05= Day 1= Assembly line

So there you have it - a 40 year old yankee 23 cubic inch Flathead

Exhaust system at moment courtesy of 'The Nelson Muffler Corp' (Expect changes on this spec)

Next job will be to take the motor over to Basil K.s polishing shop for a total clean and tune....we will keep you posted on progress as and when..

23 cubic inch Flathead ....awesome......should just about pull the skin of a rice pudding....which is plenty powerful enough....(Have you seen a Yorkshire rice pudding skin...thick as a paving slab!)

'Signs of Life'

Albert here.....Reporting breaking news...

On returning to base we wasted no time in analysing our treasure.....Basil K. set to work removing the guards (after I inflicted damage to my finger when the spanner slipped... owch... blood...owch....it's ok it's only a scratch)

A feast of mechanical beauty awaited, under the guard was the most gorgeous flywheel the size of a dinner plate with a small coil sat topside.....not quite so gorgeous was the mouse nest that at first glance appeared to be uninhabited. Team leader has it's benefits and I ordered Basil K to remove it with caution. Yorkshire mice are well known to be extremely dangerous when cornered).

Panic over..no mice.

Onto the workbench, clean the points, flick the flywheel and check for sparks, flick the flywheel again and check for sparks.......hold the lead and check for H.T. voltage.....OOOOWWW ! Yes it's there alright.

So there........'Signs of Life' .........a little heartbeat after so long...........

Time for tea, we will add petrol another day.

American Iron for Picklington Precision

Albert here....I have had tentative conversations with Team Linky Soup over the last few weeks regarding our chosen power plant. Only clues given until now was our engine being of American manufacture and a sidevalve.

Today we can reveal all.....

Earlier this morning Basil K. and myself travelled to 'Crackleport Towers' my ancestrol home to once more search the labarinth of catacombes underneath this ancient building for parts suitable for the 'Biker Build Off' competition. Our quest was to find a motor of immense power and reliability. I knew it was in here somewhere......and down the narrow passages under the 'West Wing' our journey ended in success.

Brushing away the cobwebs I gazed in awe at a huge vintage sidevalve....the ancient water slide transfer on it's guarding proclaimed proudly its origin. 'Briggs & Stratton' Milwaukee U.S.A.

"I've found it !" I shouted back to Basil K. In a matter of minutes our prize was free from the dark tomb in which it had laid for over 20 years.....

Up the twisty staircase, through the secret door and once more into the open air.....the Briggs & Stratton' was forgotten no more...It would once again breath petrol and spit fire !

"No good"

Belgium reporting on status
A bit of misery today.We've inspected our engine and came to the conclusion it was broke.The previous owner must have had a chain-failure which demolished the engine casing at the front sprocket.Maybe it's reparable... otherwise we'll have to use the spare-one.No sparks yet neither... "each engine has it's secrets" as Marc stated in philosophical enlightenment ....staring at the skyline of Balen city as the curtain closed..........still a lot to do

LinkySoup Introduction 2

Last but not least (I hope) me, as in "Mister Koen"

New LinkySoup Headquarters in Belgium

Belgium calling !
Just because we're a bit quite doesn't mean we're slowing down!

Our new LinkySoup headquarters is being build to assure plenty of space for huge foreign engines accompanied by their two senior master crafters.

A BIG hug for Trixy!!!

She came over all the way from Germany to help me putting it all together.