Leaderboard

Got a bit more done today. Getting the lift right was a bit of a problem. When down, the downward curve of the lift arm fouled the guard and top pulley. Eventually I decided to disconnect the lift chain and cable tie the arm up as far as I could. I could have cut the downward curve off, but I don't want to alter things if I can help it. With the arm up I fastened the lift chain to the guard/frame. Next I had to have someway of holding the cutter bar in the vertical position. Had a root round and came up with this. Finally a couple of shots of it down and up. Next thing to do is make a handle to lift the cutter bar. Again I don't want to alter the original handle. Get that done and I can work out a belt length.

For those that don't know the cluch assembly just slides off or would if it hasn't gone rusty and needs a little help with a puller. The crankshaft hasn't got a tapper nor any hidden set screws just a woodruff key.

Cured the belt whip with a salvaged tensioner from a Daewoo Matiz! (I don't own one, just asked my mechanic friend if he had any old ones) I looked at several from different cars, most were way too big. But this one proved perfect once I had made a bracket to mount it on...... Also tidied up the wiring and fitted the 'no charge' light in the panel.

Thanks Chris! New bits arrived at 10.30 this morning....... The list of 'to do's' was.... 1.Hone bore. 2.Scrape ring grooves. 3.Fit new rings. 4.Refit piston. 5.Refit oil dipper/conrod end cap. 6.Make new sump gasket. 7.Refit sump. 8.Refit cylinder head. 9.Refit air shroud and tank. 10.Bolt engine back onto trolley. 11.Add oil and fuel. 12.Refit belt and tension. 13.Start.......... All done by 12 noon! 😁 Am very pleased to say it started 1st pull and NO more smoke from the breather! Here's a short video and a piccie of an old ring(silver ring)against a new(black)....

Good, Sounds like progress of a sort! Cant remember the exact figure but Magnetron units need around 350 rpm to produce a spark - considerably more than the old points and condenser set up , so you may not have lost the spark, just not pulling hard enough. If you have not already done so, remove the cutter belt until you have every thing working. On an Osprey there is a fair amount of inertia to overcome in the belt and cutter disc . if the engine will only run on full or part choke you have a carburettor problem - not ignition ; time for a strip and clean. Loosing your post - remember that we are into page three of a long thread!!!

Thats a bit of a setback Darren after all your work but at least you've found the problem and on the way to getting it fixed. well done mate.

You may have noticed in the videos that the Villiers is smoking from the breather......? I was suspicious of the condition of the piston rings? The restoration was purely a cursory check of the bore and that the rings weren't broken. Everything else seemed fine, no excessive play elseshere........ Well, initial checks to see if i'd overfilled the oil or put the wrong stuff in proved I hadn't, so yesterday I decided to investigate things a bit further...... I pulled the shroud and cylinder head off and found oil on the piston crown and inside cylinder head. The plug was also black and oily! Rings it is then..... After stripping the sump and removing the oil dipper/end cap, I removed the piston to get to the rings. Once the rings were removed I compared them with some +20 I have spare? I'm pretty sure +40 rings should be bigger than +20s??? These weren't...... Either someone has put standard rings on the +40 piston or these rings are worn excessively? I checked one in the bore too and it was so loose, it doesn't even close the gap!!! New rings ordered, should be here today!

Last week or maybe the week before, I finally got around to getting some pulleys, bearings and 20mm bar for the mule drive. So today I got stuck in and got a bit done. First I made a couple of pins. And yes there's only one in the photo. These go here. One each side and QD. Next I made a couple of new mounting plates. After that there was much putting on, taking off, head scratching, fiddling and general phaffing about. But finally I had this....... apologies for the poor photo. This..... This.... And this Tomorrow I may get more done.

Bars fitted........