Looking at that picture of the inside of your tank it looks to me that the layer of sealer is very thin. Not only can you see the shape of the fibers but you can still see the color of them too. Sounds like your not going to go the distance to open it up and you will do more damage trying to remove that hard grey stuff if you don't, so I would try to put another (two) coats of Caswells after doing the best prep you can like abraiding it some how. A friend of mine built a tumbling machine & uses pea gravel & solvents to clean old steel tanks. Improvise but don't think that a hand full of drywall screws shaken for thirty seconds will be good enough. Do a good job and then put two coats of Caswells & you may get lucky. I have little faith in sealers BUT, I do have a glass BSA tank that has been in use for at least 6 years with no signs of failure. Fingers crossed.
Meet my babe.
- Thread starter Orsonoce
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Take a look at http://robertsilas.com/documents/39.html Don't know how it would work with a fiberglass tank, but it could be worth a try.
Jean
Jean
couple of updates after a long silence:
my babe has been carried from London down to Italy where she will live from now on ("carried" I know... shame on me. But we're both not yet ready for long trips).
I rode it to the Swiss Alps at 6500 feet: lost the gear lever twice along the way + beyond 3000 feet as expected the bike started going really really bad -had to run in 1st or 2nd gear with 1/4 throttle max. Removed the air filter: F A N T A S T I C. The bike never ran so smooth. I've been here a week and it rocks! no issues changing gear ay 6500 RPM.... never done that before (did not go beyond 4000). I clearly have to tune the carbs -at the same time- as it is a 1 kicker, I do not want to screw everything up by touching them... dunno. Will see how it runs with no air filter once I go back down...
Fuse broke a few times till I got rid of it... I know I shouldn't have done that but it was the only way to get back home... It actually worked out quite well: when I saw smoke and flames coming from the front front brake light wires I understood where the problem was, and fixed it -actually it was my 7 years old boy who told me "dad, think the bike is on fire, we'd better stop and call the fire brigade".
Went to the local airport. no gas for me. It seems to be impossible to buy avgas here or in Italy (been checking at 4 different places so far...), and the tank is getting worse and worse. Planning to open it up and do the work JeanR suggested... But that is something for the winter.
Planning a nice ride for tomorrow. Will post a couple of pictures later....
BTW have never succeeded finding 2 Borrani Rims so will have to go for something else: Akront or Excel? Pros and Cons? I know Borrani were for sure, were Akront or Excel also used in the 70's?
orso
my babe has been carried from London down to Italy where she will live from now on ("carried" I know... shame on me. But we're both not yet ready for long trips).
I rode it to the Swiss Alps at 6500 feet: lost the gear lever twice along the way + beyond 3000 feet as expected the bike started going really really bad -had to run in 1st or 2nd gear with 1/4 throttle max. Removed the air filter: F A N T A S T I C. The bike never ran so smooth. I've been here a week and it rocks! no issues changing gear ay 6500 RPM.... never done that before (did not go beyond 4000). I clearly have to tune the carbs -at the same time- as it is a 1 kicker, I do not want to screw everything up by touching them... dunno. Will see how it runs with no air filter once I go back down...
Fuse broke a few times till I got rid of it... I know I shouldn't have done that but it was the only way to get back home... It actually worked out quite well: when I saw smoke and flames coming from the front front brake light wires I understood where the problem was, and fixed it -actually it was my 7 years old boy who told me "dad, think the bike is on fire, we'd better stop and call the fire brigade".
Went to the local airport. no gas for me. It seems to be impossible to buy avgas here or in Italy (been checking at 4 different places so far...), and the tank is getting worse and worse. Planning to open it up and do the work JeanR suggested... But that is something for the winter.
Planning a nice ride for tomorrow. Will post a couple of pictures later....
BTW have never succeeded finding 2 Borrani Rims so will have to go for something else: Akront or Excel? Pros and Cons? I know Borrani were for sure, were Akront or Excel also used in the 70's?
orso
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Orsonoce said:
Akront = yes
Excel = no
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How about SUN RIMS. Gold annodised ?
Have used SUN severel times in the past on motocross bikes and they can take it.
AC.
Have used SUN severel times in the past on motocross bikes and they can take it.
AC.
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Excels weight almost as much as the steel rims. Monad[sp] makes the lightest rims I've hefted so far but could not find them in time so spoked up Exceles from Bucannan but the front is not drilled at same extreme angles as Norton rim so tend to bend/bind spokes, so best wishes there.
thanks for the advice, will go for akront.
quick trip today to 7500 feet. still no carbs issues, engine runs perfectly fine and still starts at first kick (cold or warm engine. no difference).
Only scary part of the trips was to find cows in the mid of the road every few miles (maybe after a nice turn...)
quick trip today to 7500 feet. still no carbs issues, engine runs perfectly fine and still starts at first kick (cold or warm engine. no difference).
Only scary part of the trips was to find cows in the mid of the road every few miles (maybe after a nice turn...)
I'm now back to the flatlands and the engine is still running great
-is this telling me that velocity stacks are the solution for me? I am still running with no filter and it runs much better than when I was running with it...
+ I've lost the kickstart pedal.
During the last few days I've lost twice the gearshift lever, the side stand and (permanently gone) the kickstart pedal.
How do you guys keep your bikes together? I am spending quite a bit of time tightening all nuts and bolts and screws every 50 miles. + I'm feeling very unsafe while riding. always think I will end up loosing a wheel or the brake lever, or the handlebar... Does not look quite right to me.
+ the speedometer works perfectly well, but it is not Miles what is showing me. nor kilometres, is is something in between. any hints? is this something that can be registered easily?
(I actually wanted to show off and upload a picture of my speedo at 130/hr...).
-is this telling me that velocity stacks are the solution for me? I am still running with no filter and it runs much better than when I was running with it...
+ I've lost the kickstart pedal.
During the last few days I've lost twice the gearshift lever, the side stand and (permanently gone) the kickstart pedal.
How do you guys keep your bikes together? I am spending quite a bit of time tightening all nuts and bolts and screws every 50 miles. + I'm feeling very unsafe while riding. always think I will end up loosing a wheel or the brake lever, or the handlebar... Does not look quite right to me.
+ the speedometer works perfectly well, but it is not Miles what is showing me. nor kilometres, is is something in between. any hints? is this something that can be registered easily?
(I actually wanted to show off and upload a picture of my speedo at 130/hr...).
DogT
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If it's shedding parts, I have to assume they were not tight enough.
The grease out of the speedo gearbox is either too much lube or it may be the gearbox inner face is rubbing on the wheel cover or the top hat spacer in the GB is crushed or a combo of all. You may have the wrong gearbox if it's not showing the correct speed. Tighten those things down.
Dave
69S
The grease out of the speedo gearbox is either too much lube or it may be the gearbox inner face is rubbing on the wheel cover or the top hat spacer in the GB is crushed or a combo of all. You may have the wrong gearbox if it's not showing the correct speed. Tighten those things down.
Dave
69S
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I've a tee shirt that says across a British flag
"All the parts that fall off this bike were Made In England"
i figure it takes me about 1000 miles to pick up and nip up enough I don't carry tie wire and stuff. One thing a C'do should have over all other Brit Iron, isolastics on well tuned balanced engine, should not start a timer on brackets and fasteners breaking and backing off. None the less Loctite is a British Iron salvation.
When ya fix the kicker consider grinding the stops to let it turn in more to store.
"All the parts that fall off this bike were Made In England"
i figure it takes me about 1000 miles to pick up and nip up enough I don't carry tie wire and stuff. One thing a C'do should have over all other Brit Iron, isolastics on well tuned balanced engine, should not start a timer on brackets and fasteners breaking and backing off. None the less Loctite is a British Iron salvation.
When ya fix the kicker consider grinding the stops to let it turn in more to store.
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Orsonoce said:
Loctite is your friend...
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Orsonoce said:
The inner steel ring of the drive gearbox should be stamped "BG5330/171" 15/12 or 1.25:1 if the unit is the correct ratio? Alternatively, disconnect the drive cable from the speedo and check the cable turns - 1 rear wheel revolution should produce 1.25 cable turns?
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