Im really starting to enjoy this thread! I Quote the one that started this threads, starting comment: "I'm a total newbie but have fallen hard for the incredible form and design of the Vincent bikes. I've done some tinkering on newer bikes such as the sx650 as well as have experience with vintage car restoration and would love to take on the creation of a Vincent."
Then one go on to cheer him on, but later on its stated: "One should never forget that we are dealing with a design that always needs some real old fashioned engineering fitting. It never was a 'screw it in place and race' design". THATS SOUND ADVICE TO A BEGINNER! But having to severly remachine lots of parts, to make them fit, is well beyond what one should expect. (im not talking the usual run in the sunnen honer, or retapping a hole or two.)
To my experience the crank cases is only one of the things that creates problems. I especially like this comment: " The quality of the parts supplied is only as good as the assemblers ability to assess the problems!" Thats really true! I have really had to start suspecting every part to be inferior.. Some sad findings are that hardened axles, that should be 5/16" bsf, are oversize, to the degree that you can brake them by applying a nut, and gears in the timing chest are so out of true from the bore datum, that my "toolmaker friend" and a fairly experienced vin, mecanic were both shocked and thick of laughter... ( we had to grind them on the outside, and both sides.. ) I will absolutly say its possible to build an cpl engine from scratch, but lets be fair and say there are lots of fit issues to take care of. What and were depends on wich manufacturers parst you have...
I must stress that even though this is starting to sound a little sour from my side, its all based on well measured findings, and confirmations to the problem by several of the "shining" experts, in the vin comunity..
Dag