A wee Matchless project

[Rannsachair]

Matchless finally got electrics and headlamp back together, fired up first kick, hopefully a run tomorrow:

 

[Rannsachair]

Managed a run tonight, problem free, speedo now working as are lights.

I did give it a polish, for an oily rag bike, it polishes up ok:

 

[Rannsachair]

I have all the parts to convert to a 500 including a new exhaust and carb, I still could not resist a very cheap 500 top end:

bore has negligible wear, no broken fins and an original wire bound piston and new rings:

 

[RichardM]

If the prices right you'd be silly not to.

 

[zeppelin builder]

two top ends i can smell
v twin here . its been done already need 2 sets of cases i can weld them

 

[Rannsachair]

two top ends i can smell
v twin here . its been done already need 2 sets of cases i can weld them

So I see!

 

[Seadog]

That is quite amazing .

 

[JEZGUZ]

I saw a bike in a magazine years back, a Harley '45 with Matchless heads and barrels.

 

[Exuptoy]

Firstly, I know nothing of proper classic bikes, what about the impact on a matching numbers original bike? At what point does this work start increasing the value over a nice original bike?
Nice work by the way.

 

[Rannsachair]

Firstly, I know nothing of proper classic bikes, what about the impact on a matching numbers original bike? At what point does this work start increasing the value over a nice original bike?
Nice work by the way.

AJS and Matchless 1950's singles are selling for peanuts now: £1800 to £2500 for a roadworthy solid bike, matching numbers make little difference provided same engine. The 500 and 350 crankcases are identical so just for a capacity conversion the numbers would not change.

 

[Seadog]

I saw a bike in a magazine years back, a Harley '45 with Matchless heads and barrels.

There was a drag bike like that. I saw it at Santa Pod in the late 80s. A fairly common upgrade I believe.
Edit: The Bartram brothers used to run one in the 70s

Motorcycles - page 6

Motorcycles - page 6

theaccelerationarchive.co.uk

 

[octo0072000]

same with the 60s triumphs 350 to 500 mods

 

[Rannsachair]

Decided I would start the clean up of the head this afternoon:

First I cleaned up all the rockerbox mounting threads: 5/16 BSF tap only to find 2 were stripped, so out with the helicoils:

Used a guide to ensure threads are square to mounting face

I keep a supply of most BSF size helicoils

and done, I can see someone has done the spark plug thread already

I use the repaired threads for mounting the valve spring compressor, do not think many if any modern engines use hairpin valve springs.

the tool makes it an easy job, valves and guides seem very good

seats are fine bar some surface corrosion on the exhaust seat

Then to remove the jammed oil control valve, out with the Map gas

Next will get it aqua blasted, great how what you think will be a 10 minute job becomes 2 hours!

 

[Blobber]

I might have been living in a cave but never seen one of the tap guides before

 

[Rannsachair]

I might have been living in a cave but never seen one of the tap guides before

Its a drill guide, was given it a few years ago, google

"Big Gator Tools STD1000DGNP V-Drill Guide"​

 

[julianthegypsy]

Decided I would start the clean up of the head this afternoon:

View attachment 528170
First I cleaned up all the rockerbox mounting threads: 5/16 BSF tap only to find 2 were stripped, so out with the helicoils:
View attachment 528171
Used a guide to ensure threads are square to mounting face
View attachment 528172
I keep a supply of most BSF size helicoils
View attachment 528173
and done, I can see someone has done the spark plug thread already
View attachment 528174
I use the repaired threads for mounting the valve spring compressor, do not think many if any modern engines use hairpin valve springs.

View attachment 528175
the tool makes it an easy job, valves and guides seem very good
Ducati always did, but I don't know about the modern ones?

 

[nickk]

Hadn’t realised those AMC SINGLES used hairpin springs,do the twins aswell?
Have many ‘50’s bikes dropped in value?

 

[redlig]

Didn't Excelsior make a three cylinder two stroke as well?

IIRC it was in a very small 2 seat sports car type of thing.

 

[Rannsachair]

Hadn’t realised those AMC SINGLES used hairpin springs,do the twins aswell?
Have many ‘50’s bikes dropped in value?

Originally they used them from the mid 30's as more reliable, offer better exhaust valve cooling and better at high rpm for race bikes, also do not suffer from resonant frequencies.. Only used in the heavyweight singles and race bikes, the twins used conventional coil springs. By the late 50's metallurgy had improved and coil springs were cheaper to accommodate.

I think all classic bikes have, we are seeing sub £8k gold starts and sub £20k Vincent twins, prices been dropping steadily as less old codgers left who want them or know how to rebuild them...

 

[Cobbler]

IIRC it was in a very small 2 seat sports car type of thing.

There was a Talisman Twin Coronet three wheeler, a bit like a Berkeley. Someone I knew had one back in the early 70’s