Engine assemble Gofo part 1

david bowen

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After working at the 1948 Earls Court show cleaning bikes and handing out brochures returned to the factory to find Ted Hampshire had placed me in engine assemble this was divided in to sections, the first i was placed in was the cylinder head, the heads came from no2 factory with seats and bottom guides fitted this area was run by Ron Keen who was Ted Davis Passenger in his racing outfit. we put in top guides tight push fit placed a expanding mandrill into both guides and ground valve seats with a Black and Decker grind stone. then with the hand sucker valve grinding stick ground the valves in by hand then heads washed in a foot power kerosene bath blown dry then built up with valves rockers and springs yes the ET38 circlips use to fly everwhere and your finger nails were worn out we also gaped the piston rings to the barrels, Ted Davis first outfit was a manx Norton Watsonian. tuned by Jim Smith of Pegsdon nr. Stevenage Jim also had a racing Vincent twin engine in his Cooper car
 
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clevtrev

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VOC Member
After working at the 1948 Earls Court show cleaning bikes and handing out brochures returned to the factory to find Ted Hampshire had placed me in engine assemble this was divided in to sections, the first i was placed in was the cylinder head, the heads came from no2 factory with seats and bottom guides fitted this area was run by Ron Keen who was Ted Davis Passenger in his racing outfit. we put in top guides tight push fit placed a expanding mandrill into both guides and ground valve seats with a Black and Decker grind stone. then with the hand sucker valve grinding stick ground the valves in by hand then heads washed in a foot power kerosene bath blown dry then built up with valves rockers and springs yes the ET38 circlips use to fly everwhere and your finger nails were worn out we also gaped the piston rings to the barrels, Ted Davis first outfit was a manx Norton Watsonian. tuned by Jim Smith of Pegsdon nr. Stevenage Jim also had a racing Vincent twin engine in his Cooper car
You should have used Trevs little tool to put the circlips on.
 

david bowen

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Pm. Yes this was where the heads were ground in to the barrels there was a electric driven turn table jig and you had to put Carborundun grit paste between the head and barrel and work it back and forward untill both surfaces were blended in. Stan Duddington was the clown in the engine section he painted on to the Jig( Iiiegitimi non Cardorumdun ) which he told us ment from the latin Dont let the bastards grind you down. his other saying at the top of his voice what was the engine drivers name of Mallard when it broke the world steam train speed record We all called out Driver Duddington it was Stans uncle, Stan during the war was the engine room engineer on MTBs his engines were Thronycrofts. Stan joined Denis Minetts Lightning shop in 1949 and after a few years was employed by Raymond Mays at BRM racing cars.
 
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