Matchless G80 Engine reassembly

[Shelby-Right]

I finally got my 1949 motor back together, I have rebuilt the head with new guides cut the seats, top and throat cut to get the seat correct, the head isn't bolted on proper at the moment, I just need to aneal the gasket and sort out the pushrod/ tube, seals etc bottom end all new shafts bearings and camshafts.

 

[johnm]

Is it going into a rigid or spring frame?

My dad bought a new spring frame AJS 500 single from Colemans in Whanganui in 1949. He was told it was the 7th spring frame made. The first 6 going to the Belgium army. Cost him £240.

Unfortunately it was destroyed under a tram in Wellington by a latter owner.

 

[gpzkat]

That's something special. Nice work. I like seeing a real motor on a real garage workbench.

 

[Shelby-Right]

Is it going into a rigid or spring frame?

My dad bought a new spring frame AJS 500 single from Colemans in Whanganui in 1949. He was told it was the 7th spring frame made. The first 6 going to the Belgium army. Cost him £240.

Unfortunately it was destroyed under a tram in Wellington by a latter owner.

Hi John and gpz , it's in a rigid frame, this is it before the rebuild,the frame had a whitish boom on really old powder coat, and it originally had rusty rims, I've fitted stainless rims now in this Pic

, I hand made the muffler, made a stainless side stand, hope to get the head on and torqued up , engine fitted and magneto timed this weekend, maybe get onto the primary, it will be great to have her running again, then the wiring I managed to find the windowed 467 lucas rear light and have since painted the clear glass with lense paint.

 

[johnm]

Very nice. My first bike at aged 15 was a Matchless G3LS. In Ohakune.

 

[mdt-son]

I hand made the muffler, made a stainless side stand,

I am impressed by your side stand - very nice, and seemingly sturdier than the factory stand.
Tell us about how you made the muffler !

- Knut

 

[Shelby-Right]

Cheers for that, I will add muffler pics
I've back purged the welds. If you want to know a cheat method to make your cone pattern, let me know, I made it because a muffler from the UK, plus freight was far to expensive. . Cheers

 

[gpzkat]

Wow. You could make proper Norton kickstands (especially for N15CS, which is too short and has the wrong angle on the toe, and people would beat a path to your door. Not a lot of people, mind you, and fewer still with the kind of money they are worth, but people nonetheless. I'd be one of those people (admitteldy a small number), and wouldn't be able to afford what it's worth, but it's nice to dream . I hold fabricators like you in the highest regard, whatever that's worth.

 

[Shelby-Right]

Wow. You could make proper Norton kickstands (especially for N15CS, which is too short and has the wrong angle on the toe, and people would beat a path to your door. Not a lot of people, mind you, and fewer still with the kind of money they are worth, but people nonetheless. I'd be one of those people (admitteldy a small number), and wouldn't be able to afford what it's worth, but it's nice to dream . I hold fabricators like you in the highest regard, whatever that's worth.

A lot of the side stand you can make yourself , just cut out the two top side plates then taper turn the shaft., make a pad etc then just tack it together bit by bit, if you haven't got tig then just use stainless stick ( but make sure you keep your safety goggles on as the flux likes to ping off, and guaranteed to land on your eyeball , it will all sand and polish up later. Cheers

 

[gpzkat]

A lot of the side stand you can make yourself , just cut out the two top side plates then taper turn the shaft., make a pad etc then just tack it together bit by bit, if you haven't got tig then just use stainless stick ( but make sure you keep your safety goggles on as the flux likes to ping off, and guaranteed to land on your eyeball , it will all sand and polish up later. Cheers

I can do a lot of things, but welding isn't one of them. Not enough space, no gear, and not enough payback in it at this point in my life. If I could turn back time, I'd have gone for it.

 

[possm]

Is the side stand correct for the G80? I ask because it looks very similar to the stand on my 1957 ES2.

 

[Shelby-Right]

Hi possm, "Is the side stand correct for the G80?" well I did have a new Indian one AE or some brand like that, all I can say is it bolted on, but when folded up ended up about 45 degrees under the bike, so I just made mine to look sorta right and hopefully work, my matchy won't be concourse but tidy and usable, I hope. Cheers.

 

[Shelby-Right]

Well, I've had the matchless going, I wasn't holding a lot of hope for the plain cast oil ring, as it was a bit smokey on the second run, I'm not sure if it had some oil in the crankcase, on the next run more throttle and full advance around the 2 acre block, all seems well, it's starting better, previously was flooding, but I think the float was slipping up past the groove on the pre monobloc, my seat that I carefully sprayed with conditioner a couple of years ago must have been the most corrosive liquid known to man, as all the bifurcated rivets were turned to rust , so I made my own out of stainless, and now the seat is back on, still need to make a longer decomp cable and get the tail light on and then the wiring

 

[Shelby-Right]

I've just got the tail light & tank rubbers to fit, then wiring, chain guard was a pain in the ar$e, tweaked but lost some paint, it'll touch up.