Sometimes I'm envious of you chaps with swinging arm machines. To get the gearbox off my plunger machine is a right ball ache!
You have to remove the engine because the box is bolted to the crankcase and you can't get at the attachments in the frame.
You cannot remove the engine without taking off the cylinder head.
You cannot remove the cylinder head without taking off the carburetor.
You cannot remove the engine and gearbox without stripping the primary chain and clutch assemblies.
You cannot remove the engine without draining the oil tank. You could block up the pipe ends I suppose.
The short engine/gearbox combination is still HEAVY!
You cannot remove the gearbox from the crankcase easily. The two top retainers are large whitworth screws; I haven't found a way to use a socket on them; I had to use a spanner end-on twisted with a lever in the other end. The two bottom retainers are large whitworth studs that have to be removed from the crankcase to be able to pull the mainshaft through the primary case hole. Doubling up a couple of nuts to lock the thread allows the studs to be removed.
Ok, so I now have a gearbox in my arms. I'll just check the oil to see if it's full of nasty metal bits!
..... Oh, I must have forgotten that I used that new invisible oil cos I can't see anything dripping into the tray!
DOH!
I've arranged with Richard Clamp to sort the box out. I'll take it to him tomorrow.
To be continued...
