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[Isettaman]

Hopefully got it sorted. When we check the crankshaft, it was about 16thou out. After a good deal of huffing and puffing and re-measuring we got it down to 2/3thou which I am happy with. I did trial fit the crankcase halves together without Wellseal first with new thrust washers to check all was ok and then pulled it apart, put the goo on and tightened it up again. Typical, I screwed the oil pump worm onto the timing pinion before inserting the timing cogs, thus obscuring the timing marks!
Thanks for all your contributions.
Dave

[Mark M]

Well done Dave, persistence pays off! On my 1955 350 Bullet I assembled the bottom end complete with an extra thrust washer on the drive side and it took me ages to figure out why the cases wouldn't close! The lesson here is when you're building an engine using a stock of second hand parts make sure that you put the best bits (for assembly,) in one pile and the rest well out of the way!

REgards, Mark

[Isettaman]

I like that, Mark. I have a growing tub of old bits as I replace the worn or suspect parts. I bought some nice new nuts for the crankcase studs, 5/16 cycle for the large ones and, stupidly, 1/4 cycle for the thin ones only to find the 1/4" studs are not cycle thread! Probably BSF when I get round to measuring them.

Dave

[Mark M]

Yep, there are some weird Enfield quirks, one being that the studs that connect to frame components are BSF as you found. Several of the barrel studs on mine had been replaced with home made ones so had to be helicoiled and replaced. I really must get on with it! Where are you by the way, we seem to be at a similar stage of rebuild?

REgards, Mark

[Isettaman]

Wakefield, West Yorkshire. I hope we aren't at the same stage! I bought this Bullet recently as a bike that had been fully re-built "if it moves, it's new" but the conrod had snapped due to bad oil circulation. The engine had been re-built again using a replacement crankcase half and I was assured the only remaining problem was the pump not scavenging properly. However, what I found was the oil pump spindle badly worn, swarf in rocker blocks, oil feed to rockers blocked on one side, thrust washers missing from timing gear cogs and, of course, a mis-aligned crankshaft. No wonder the crankcase nuts weren't fully tightened! I did negotiate an appropriate refund from the seller, though.

Happy days, Dave

[Mark M]

Blimey! Mine was a rash Ebay purchase. It had been recovered from a shed where it had clearly laid for too long resulting in the rear wheel mudguard and swinging arm rusted beyond salvation. Add that to the top end only loosely assembled and many missing parts including magdyno, seat, mudguards and exhaust and we're looking at a total rebuild. However, I've taken the Eric Morecambe approach of "all the right parts, but not necessarily in the right colour" by using autojumble parts as they come or painted Hammerite black if bare metal after repairs! I'm at Trials59(AT)yahoo(DOT)co(DOT)uk if you want to email.

REgards, Mark