550 F2 started!

[Sesman]

Good on yer. Happy new year Roo.

And a Happy New Year to all.

[Laverdaroo]

Had a result today!
Upon chewing the fat with a fellow frozen daft biker in the cheddar gorge this afternoon, talking about all things SOHC (he turned up on a mint 500). I was boring him to sleep regarding the carb issues I’ve had and breather fittings etc when he said he had a bunch of old bits n bobs back home and sure he could cannibalise something for me.

Sure enough, pulled from a stripped carb outside in a bucket of water…….one breather angle. And it fits a treat. Winning!  Cheers for that Dave. Aren’t bikers bloody marvellous?


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[Laverdaroo]

Found this today also hiding in amongst the 550 bits, the long lost tacho cable holder for Chewy. Knew I had one!


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[Laverdaroo]

Two out of three isn’t bad but I’ve been cleaning and batching things to get plated, replaced etc and what I thought was a reasonably good rear brake pedal, spring has  been reduced to this!

I happened upon this one for a K3 I think, wondering if I could somehow nanny it to work but I don’t think it’ll be a goer now the two are next to each other.


I know these are unobtainable now so has anybody had any luck finding/making/modifying anything to suit without reinventing the wheel?


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[Laverdaroo]

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[Laverdaroo]

I was wrong, memory is starting to fail  10 psi for the forks and he says fit 3 washers (but doesn't say how thick they are) in the forks so they effectively preload the springs. So I'd say say 5-10mm of preload. My springs are mismatched in length, so what I'm thinking is to fit the springs etc, no preload at all, place a heavy weight on the top of the fork top, maybe my old vice, measure to see how far it compresses the fork and mark it. Do the other fork and then match the preload so they both compress the same distance. Not sure if that's the correct way but it makes some sort of sense.

Trim those screws into the inlet manifolds, measure the bores of them all and see if they match, if not make them match, smooth out any casting marks, rough spots etc. Should get another 5bhp doing that without affecting engine response.

If you want a little more power, get the cam lobes modified, no more lift, just more duration. So 5 degrees of overlap and 10 degrees of duration. Engine won't be cammy with such a mild mod. Think I have a spare cam so may just try that one.

Id like more of a chat about the cam scenario as that sounds like an easy win for little faff but not opened her up yet, for all i know the lobeson mine will be past repair or similar. Nice one on the sfork DIMS Ken, thats brilliant.

[Oddjob]

Doesn't really matter about the lobes Roo, they will be repaired as the difference is made to them.

As for the spring, get the part you need glowing red, bend it into the new shape and let cool, you should be able to adapt the K3 spring to match the F2 one I reckon with a little work, replate afterwards.

[Laverdaroo]

Do you think although it's a coil less than the spec one, it'll be sufficient?

I had thought about it. I also emailed a company about making some and see wht they say. If anything because of their name. I kid you not... FLEXOSPRINGS, Bristol.....Brilliant, does exactly what it says on the tin


I know they get reground but as I mentioned, It'll just be my luck that they'll be shagged out in a place thats unrepairable! I'd like to have that chat though at some point. I've had nothing to do with modifying engine internals  but only from never having to before. Fully converse with the whys and the benefits etc but not had much to do with it. It's always been two stroke tuning and 4 stroke resto so never approached the tune side from differing internals.

I'm off to get the frame from wakefield in the morning but when I get home I'll maybe have a go at that spring with the gas bottle and torch. Thanks mate.

[Oddjob]

Looks enough metal on the other spring to make another loop to match the F2 spring Roo. Just find something the right diameter to bend it round.

[Laverdaroo]

Gonna have a go on a hot Ken, only just got back from B’ham to finally get my hands on the frame that I bought of Phil back in November!!!


Anyway WHOOP WHOOP! Next stop, the blasters.


Cheers Phil by tjecc be way, it’s a little cracker and no tin worm anywhere, thanks heaps for supplying such a good starting point mate, you’re a ledge


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[Laverdaroo]

Yeah, still decorating


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[Sesman]

 :)Glad,to be of service…crack on.

[Laverdaroo]

On like yer don’t know. It’s going to be blasted tmrw


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[Laverdaroo]

Been slowly fettling the carbs over crimbo and have nanny’d them into something half decent now I think.
Got a box of polishing ingredients in today from Scotland as per Oddjob’s recommended recipe on ‘the preferred polishing method’ so I’m going to have another go at the caps and bowls but really want to see if I can get the balance bar a bit better.
The frame landed finally and already been sent to Yeovil to be blasted and etch primed.

Over the break I also fired the new Steel Dragon air box to Chewy which looks great and started buttoning up the cable routing and holding blocks for all the carb over flows and breathers etc. I’ve settled on a small block of black nylon which I bought from an engineers in town for 3 quid or something like that. I’m going to make a 15mm x 20mm x 100mm block up and drill it to take all the pipe work. This will then be fixed to the lower crossmember of the frame below the swinger, all tidy and out of the way and not a cable tie in sight……..brilliant.

Will report back on progress as and when
attempted


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[Laverdaroo]

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