Author Topic: The road rocket racing sidecar project  (Read 41436 times)

Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #315 on: 17.02. 2021 00:25 »
someone peeping at the hole, that picture looks rude *whistle*
photobombed by Kilroy?

its always rude to see a hole in an engine ::hh::, was just pleased the whole engine didn't Chernobyl.  I still have dents in my fairing from another rigs norton atlas flywheel that once detonated on a start line and tore its engine to pieces quite spectacularly and red flagged the race. Whereas I simply coasted to a close although I knew it was bad. We got pushed back in by another crew on the warm down lap.

A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #316 on: 19.01. 2022 04:51 »
G'day RR.
Saw that race a while back but still had to watch again. You like putting the swinger in the gravel!
What size cons are you using?
Cheers

30's

sorry for the lack of updates, I was probably in denial. Must say 10 years of abuse and it only failed because the dickhead owner thought he could limp back to the pits with the oil return bleeding out. Yes it ran the drive side shells which over the weekend hung together for I think three races hitting 7500 lit up out of the hairpin and cycling nicely from 5000-6500 until it disnt want to spin past 5500 when I shut it down and she let go.
https://youtu.be/BY_woDj0m2s
All the repair works been done, barrels sleeved back to std, new map steel rods big ends on +40.
Biggest pain is getting all the metal flakes out. I have washed and washed the oil tank and still need to reflush engine drillings. Oil lines will be scrapped. hopefully I can get it all out.

Very proud how tough this engine has been! for a fragile road engine they can sure take some abuse. I'm still angry with myself for letting it happen, I could have not raced after the oil leak and stripped and checked it and it would still be making noise. Sorry about the engine p o r n pictures attached.

The big end shells looked like someone had been beating the snot out of them which is sadly the case.
A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Offline muskrat

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #317 on: 19.01. 2022 10:46 »
G'day RR.
I know the feeling. Bugga.
Cheers
'51 A7 plunger, '57 A7SS racer now a A10CR, '78 XT500, '83 CB1100F, 88 HD FXST, 2000 CBR929RR ex Honda Australia Superbike .
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Offline Topdad

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #318 on: 19.01. 2022 15:49 »
Hi RR, just checked 2009 I started reading about you and this rigs exploits ,what a story and my god you've stuck at it, not forgetting some of the tough times to! Re the wrecked motor strange sometimes you know you just have to let it run its course ,the rebuild now will produce another superb motor and you'll decide which way to go. Good luck to you and thanks for all the interesting posts past and to come ,cheers Bob.
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #319 on: 19.01. 2022 19:49 »
Hi RR, just checked 2009 I started reading about you and this rigs exploits ,what a story and my god you've stuck at it, not forgetting some of the tough times to! Re the wrecked motor strange sometimes you know you just have to let it run its course ,the rebuild now will produce another superb motor and you'll decide which way to go. Good luck to you and thanks for all the interesting posts past and to come ,cheers Bob.

Thanks Bob, the forum has introduced me to people worldwide. have even lent vehicles to both a Brit and a German member, sent parts to Ireland and US and do enjoy sharing the journey with my fellow preunit twin enthusiasts. I decided the engine would stay largely stock. I got some 10.5's but found they have quite a gudgeon pin offset so tdc was a few mm down the bore and by that stage had resleeved assuming the same deck height, so couldnt machine more off. So I settled on some 9:1's much like the ones that came out, just std size. I am planning to scale back my racing the outfit but once the rig is race ready still do selective meetings and also get the solo up. Might even look at lending the rig out under supervision...

When I first built the racer I wondered how strong it would be, you hear such horror stories. I'm no engineer, just an IT guy who- has enjoyed fettling and pottering with old shit since he was a teenager.  But in spite of my lack of expertise my engines have largely been able to take surprising abuse.

Getting all the aluminium debris out has/ is being a shocker. after about the 10th wash (every cleaning product I can think of) I rinsed the oil tank with PA10 to lock in any further debris.
But I have to repeat that I cannot praise this engine enough. Its tough and goes so well.

My original stock 54 RR rebuild has taken too long, case alignment issues and  its all matching stock original. But its all happening, if its not right it doesnt go back together until it is.
But Bender my loyal sidecar is top of the queue right now.
A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Online berger

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #320 on: 19.01. 2022 22:48 »
RRacer case alignment issues!! look out for a post on the berger build about a problem a very good engineering workshop has had with my matching A7 ss cases that i got back today. camshaft bushes and alignment, they have gone the extra mile to get things correct , very possibly on the forum tomorrow.

Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #321 on: 20.01. 2022 00:44 »
RRacer case alignment issues!! look out for a post on the berger build about a problem a very good engineering workshop has had with my matching A7 ss cases that i got back today. camshaft bushes and alignment, they have gone the extra mile to get things correct , very possibly on the forum tomorrow.
Sounds very similar! my excellent engineer has it in hand. mandrel in the camshaft bushes and crank. Will get it right. Its very subtle but I suspect its a factory fault. it relates to a separate thread of mine (renovate not restore) . Its also possible that engine (a first year 54 road rocket) may have had a crank swap as it had a std size transitional crank, not a small jnl. whereas my 55 sidecar engine was as acquired a std small jnl.
A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #322 on: 09.02. 2022 03:14 »
The engine is coming together, just mocked up timing side at present: tappets, timing and replace all oil lines to do.
will be moving oil cooler to new location so I cannot repeat my disaster of having a line rub on the back tyre  *problem*
also fitting oil pressure gauge on deck all mounted over the catch tray and visible by rider and crew.

Really nice to see him coming back together even if all our race meetings are cancelled due to omicron restrictions  *sad2*
Cant wait to hear some noise. Even pondering running him without his front fairing for a few meetings.

Post rebuild will be trialling multigrades rather than castor, also pondering oil temp gauge.
A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Online Roger (Doomtrainbarx)

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #323 on: 09.02. 2022 10:26 »
What difference, if any, has the modded head steady made ?
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #324 on: 04.04. 2022 03:09 »
What difference, if any, has the modded head steady made ?

The stock one broke along with an engine mount on the cases. This much stronger head steady hasnt failed and spreads the load better.

Sidecars are very hard on all rolling chassis parts; I've broken the front down tubes, the front hub failed and broken the head steady and broken off engine mounts from the cases. routine inspection is necessary.
The poor things are abused with two lardy blokes and unlike solos dont lean, so we put side loads through everything, which motorcycle parts arent designed for. Partly why I run such a butty front fork brace and a heavy front axle.

such an upgrade would not be needed on most solos, perhaps on a race engine it might be. my usual strategy is to only upgrade if I've had an issue.
A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #325 on: 04.04. 2022 03:32 »
Had the engine run up over the weekend, the oil rings are a bit sh!t not sure they will break in. Am trying to source some multipart ones but struggling to get some in time for Easter racing.

More importantly since my monumental faux pas where I ran a main bearing, the rebuilt engine now sports at least for the moment an oil pressure gauge.  I initially tried a car one rated to 80 lbs and was rather intimidated when on start up the gauge sailed off the dial!
I had a spare gauge rated to 100 lbs and tried this sunday. The engine at low idle warmed up (NOT RACE HOT) sits at 65lb and with a few revs was blowing the pressure valve at 85. I swapped out the OPV to another one and that blows at 75. Apparently the Les Williams ones are rated at 75-85lbs, so the pressures seem within the realms of reality, whereas SRM ones are more like 50 I'm told.

The gauge appears to flutter at  high pressure, presumably the valve working. We ran it up and down the road a few times keeping it to under 5k, and the pressure was nice and solid.
I'm assuming the pressures are high because of the SRM pump and the lack of timing side bush instead running a end fed crank.

At present I am blowing a lot of smoke with the one piece rings. Hopefully we can get it a bit more settled before easter. New avon sidecar tyres fitted front and rear, looks nice with out the fairing for a change. Have moved the oil filter so its now fitted inboard. 

Sidecar HAGD happening in May at Taupo too.
A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Offline muskrat

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #326 on: 04.04. 2022 20:37 »
G'day RR.
Best of luck with her.
Nice use of a rigid/plunger tool box for an oil tank.
Cheers
'51 A7 plunger, '57 A7SS racer now a A10CR, '78 XT500, '83 CB1100F, 88 HD FXST, 2000 CBR929RR ex Honda Australia Superbike .
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Offline Rocket Racer

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #327 on: 05.04. 2022 00:59 »
G'day RR.
Best of luck with her.
Nice use of a rigid/plunger tool box for an oil tank.
Cheers

yes that was a replica tool box, anything that needed to be chopped or modified I bought repro bits. the rear mudguard was off a bobbed royal star. My engineer made things like the sliders from scratch with hydraulic pipe so they look like stock but have brace mounts and leading axle. I still love the look of this bike, based on the daytona bikes and the rigid BB goldies of the day. crazy to think its 12 years old now. Imagined when I was stuck in Australian hotels working away from home. All built from bits and pieces and bloody mindedness.
A good rider periodically checks all nuts and bolts with a spanner to see that they are tight - Instruction Manual for BSA B series, p46, para 2.
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Offline RichardL

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #328 on: 05.04. 2022 14:53 »
I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but there are a couple of things there that may not be factory original.

Richard L.

Offline muskrat

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Re: The road rocket racing sidecar project
« Reply #329 on: 05.04. 2022 21:21 »
I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but there are a couple of things there that may not be factory original.

Richard L.
*lol* *lol* *lol* *roll* *work*
'51 A7 plunger, '57 A7SS racer now a A10CR, '78 XT500, '83 CB1100F, 88 HD FXST, 2000 CBR929RR ex Honda Australia Superbike .
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