Category Archives: engine

New parts, new projects, ADD style

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Now that my chassis is done – for the most part – I’m on to the guts. And it’s a little hard to pick what to tackle next. However, I got a bunch of new parts this week, so I had plenty to choose from today.

I gave my frame a good cleaning to make sure there isn’t any rust and all looked well, so I installed my new coils and capacitors, took apart my old headlamp to see what I could salvage, to realize I need a couple more pieces to do the rebuild. So I took the air filter bases off the frame, bead blasted to them look shinier (even though you don’t see them usually) and gave my air filter cover a light coat of gloss black paint.They’re powder coated, but after years of waiting for assembly, had some a couple scratches that were unacceptable. They’ll dry overnight and tomorrow I’ll install my air filter system with the new filters I got this week.

Amal Carbs

Amal Carbs - pre cleaning

Parts drying, I moved onto the carbs. They’re original Amal carburetors, and a total mess – but now’s a good a time as any to get them cleaned up.

When you’re disassembling carbs (or any parts you’re not a total expert on) do one at a time, and take pictures every step along the way. It will save you all sorts of headaches later when you’re trying to put them back together again. Do not trust your memory. I have a great one, and I always second guess myself when I don’t track each step.

I separated all the rubber and plastic pieces from the metal on the first carb. I thoroughly soaked the aluminum pieces in kerosene, scrubbed everything with wire brushes, the dremmel, and wire wheel, flushed everything out with carb cleaner again, and dried everything out with compressed air before reassembling.

This is what gas looks like once it’s sat around for 40 years – like mold!

I’ll need to replace a gasket, an O-ring, found I’m missing a couple springs, a screw and another internal piece, but those will be easy to plug in when I get them. I’m one carb down, and one to go. And countless little parts that I continue to discover I’m missing.

Here’s the before and after of the carbs…

It’s amazing what a little cleaning will do. I’ll get the other cleaned up tomorrow!

Upgrading to a T140

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My sad little engine needs a crank and top end. (See that look on its face?!)Sad Engine

Currently a partial 650 5 speed,  it needs crank work and all new top end parts. My father thinks it would be worth the effort to find a late model T140 short crank and top end to give her a little more horsepower -  and I’ll use the original engine cases and 5 speed transmission. Honestly, I barely know what all of this means. I have an idea, and a basic understanding of engine mechanics, but it’s still a little Greek to me. Looks like I’m going to have to figure it out though.

Here’s a nice dissection of a T120 motor, with photos, which helped me to get a better visual on what this all means.

We’ve got some leads already, but let me know if you might have a suitable T140 donor for this project.  Next step – have a machinist do some mods to the crankcase to accept the bigger jugs (cylinder block) and open some areas around the bearing ends.

This is how dad explains it at least – maybe I can get him to write a few posts and impart some of his knowledge to the gear heads out there. Some of you might know him from the British bike scene, especially in SoCal. His name is Phil Lankford.