Best A10 shop manual, emphasis on engine

[worntorn]

The cycle parts are important too, but generally a bit easier to blunder through.
With engines it's nice to have an expert at your side, even if he is stuck in a book!

Which is the best A10 shop manual to help with 63 SR engine work?

Glen

[paulmbsa]

Use original worksheets

[AdrianJ]

BSA workshop manual and separate service sheets as mentioned above.
Available from BSA owners club and the  Dutch club site  https://www.bsa-oc.com/en/service-sheets-2/
There are some good tips in Bacon - BSA Twin Restoration, but there is only one chapter on the engine and it covers unit engines as well, so not masses of specific detail. It does contain a lot of specification - colours, trim, carb jets, allsorts.
Most of the BSA stuff appears here as well http://www.bsawiki.com/
I didn't find the Haynes manual over useful for my plunger A10.
This site has been invaluable for advice though, i would search out any aspect of a rebuild on here in addition to the manuals.
Adrian

[Billybream]

The Haynes manual does get alot of criticism but personally I still find it a useful assistance. Its certainly easier now with a great forum like this and the information available on the web to tackle most tasks in keeping these old girls going.
I think now the problems we face are in the quality and fit of replacement  components from so many so called suppliers.

[AdrianJ]

Billy,
I think that the Haynes manual is a lot more use for later (swinging arm) models.
A manual of that size just can't cover all the detailed changes to the spec. E.g. I was fooled for a long time by the presence of a crankshaft oil seal which wasn't even in the parts list, till I looked at the next model year and there it was. A generic (is it 47-63?) manual can't hope to cover all the changes. I Found it useful for my 61 A10 flash though.
On reflection though, the one thing that is more use than anything else is the illustrated parts list.
You are right about components. I have had a lot of problems with threads, ranging from perfectly smooth nuts with no thread at all to ostensibly BSCY thread components which just won't start.
Adrian

[duTch]

 I agree with the above re Haynes, but I do find it a handy reference as my Plungo has a few later engine parts, and to their credit they do list some variations in the 'specs' section at the start of each chapter.

 Probably what I use most is the conversion table in the back (I think mine is a '73 print ), but don't know of anything else- I just run on a wing and a few curses

[Swarfcut]

You folks don't know lucky you are. Once upon a time there was just W C Haycraft and Pitman's Motorists' Library.

 Haycraft was good for the basics, but shied away from anything more complicated than a Top End Overhaul.

 Haynes is pretty good, but there are mistakes here and there, so it ain't always the true gospel.

 Roy Bacon's Twins and Triples is frustrating as he will give note of the variation in parts, but not illustrate them specifically. The gearbox is typical, he will say a gear or shaft changed, to improve selection, but not describe or illustrate the change, so you can't tell if you have the correct or spurious part. The oil pump changes are similar examples.

 I have some original parts books, but have invested in modern reproductions for regular use, rather than subject the original greasy ones to more use. Seeing how things go together makes life a whole lot easier.

 Draganfly, although coming in for a bit of stick as regards their spares business, have a great online parts catalogue, often less effort that finding and opening the book.

 Brightspark and Priory Magnetos are my choice for electrics. Literature sections here are very useful for identifying what you have.

 Don't forget the Literature Section of this very Forum, and for a view of how the other half lives, try "Old Thumpers", a US based cornucopia. BSA Service sheets are detailed and there is an illustrated catalogue of BSA Special Tools. Not that you can buy them, more to use as a basis for fabricating your own to overcome some conundrum. Site is easy to navigate, and well worth a look.

Swarfy.

[BSA_54A10]

Nicholson- Modern Motorcycle Mechanics.
Something around volume 4 or 5.
has all of the information in the service sheets plus a great section about individual parts like clutchs, magneto etc.
Before that I used a copy of Munro - The book of the BSA Twins.

[berger]

I use a hammer and chisel ----joke

[worntorn]

I was wondering if there might be a big factory Shop manual like the one I have for my Norton Commando MK3.
As suggested ,the BSA factory service sheets look to do a very similar thing, albeit with a bit of filtering needed to get model specific info.
I see those here in PDF in a couple of places, thanks.
And also, thanks for the reminder about the Nicholson book. Ive had that one since I traded a riding saddle for a Norton ES2 back in 1966 when I was 12 years of age.
Had forgotten all about  "Modern Motorcycle Mechanics", but there it was in my old motorcycle stuff, covered in dust.

Glen

[Topdad]

I remember the pitmans book, in fact still have it slightly fire damaged many years ago when my plunger ignited ,put both out ,bike long gone book kept for some unknown reason !   swafy's quite right it wasn't much help .

[ironhead]

Nicholson- Modern Motorcycle Mechanics.
Something around volume 4 or 5.
has all of the information in the service sheets plus a great section about individual parts like clutchs, magneto etc.
Before that I used a copy of Munro - The book of the BSA Twins.

Still use mine from time to time. Bought it in 1974. If you had to have one book, this is it.