Another clutch question

[trevinoz]

Guy,
           '55 Flash originally had a 6 spring clutch.

     Trev.

               

[Guy Wilson]

The one that came in the box of bits with the bike was a six spring clutch. Its not all there, hence fitting the 4 spring clutch from the later bike.

Can any one tell me about the 'Spacer' bolt or bolts at the back of the chain case? I seem to have two slim headed bolts that held the roughly oval washer/plate that secures the felt washer in place behind the clutch. Both are long, about three cm in length and had a spacer tube before being secured by a nut. Do they serve a purpose? Again the Haynes manual is unclear....

Many thanks
Guy

[bsa-bill]

Hi there - I've not seen those bolts but have heard on here they are for holding the front bit of chaincase on, the spacers going through the chaincase bit.
Sounds like a job for very articulate fingers

[Guy Wilson]

yes, thanks. It makes sense for the enclosed chain guard. My scrap bike must have had one....
 

[trevinoz]

Guy,
            They all used the front section regardless of whether the fully enclosed guard was fitted or not from 1956.
Usual bodge is to fit spacers on the bolts when the section is discarded.
I gather that your bike is a '55. It would have had short bolts originally as there was no front section fitted.
It seems that your inner case came from a later model.

  Trev.

[Guy Wilson]

Thanks Trev,
My bike is 1955 and looks to be identical to yours in your photo, same colour etc. The donor bike I've been using is, I think around 1960. It had had the frame chopped sometime in the 70's (not something I did). I rode it a couple of times with the chopped frame, but with our roads in Kenya, it wasn't easy and I spent more time picking it up of the road than riding it. I bought the second bike as a frame donor, but soon found it be better than the one I had and its now the one getting all the attention. It was in bits when I got and It took me about two years to find all the parts. Its originally a South African ceremonial Police bike. I swapped it for a BMW diff and frame and was assured the missing bits would be available in a week or so. It took two years to find the rest the parts in various sheds around rural Kenya. Apart from being dismantled at some point in its history, it seems to have had an easy life and is pretty standard all through. The biggest problem I have is finding enough time to work on this and few other bikes I have. I enjoy riding and I'd like to get the Gold Flash moving so I can do a bit of bush riding and photograph it in from of an elephant or two...
There still seem to be a number of old bikes to found in Africa.  I have a couple of feelers out in Uganda at the moment. A couple of years ago I bough a completely rust coloured Triumph Model H. I was hesitating about buying it and the seller got nervous and turned it over on the spot and it started. I've not run it since as the oil lube stuff is missing and I don;t want to risk damaging it before I'v e had a good look at it. Time again is the enemy...
Thanks for the info on the chain guard. Its all helping and the bikes (slowly) coming togther
All the best
Guy