Engine assemble part 2 Gofo

david bowen

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
After a few weeks was moved to Mick (Paddy) Creamers fly wheel assemble the wheels were sent from no 2 factory completed with shafts ,first op. press big end pin into drive side with the aid of a Harbour hand press, tighten pin nut with a torque spanner .place wheel in small jig in a vice pin up assemble B/E with spacers and needle rollers Paddy could put on up to twenty in on go between his thumb and index finger with the aid of oil and a gentle squeeze. con rods were weighed into pairs, then place timing side wheel on to B/E pin, put into jig under press pushed home nut pulled tight with torgue spanner the complete assemble then placed on centres readings taken on bearing area with clock gauge marked with chalk and then the tapped on a lead block to true most cases about .0005 some times a wheel was taken of and replaced if it would not true, Rods B/E pins and rollers coded black, white, and red,there was a code sheet that had to be followed, to build assemble Mick Creamer some years later left Vincents and went to work for Lawton and Wilson who were Vincent dealers in South of England, when he left them he bought a few Rapides which he made into Creamer Black Shadows how many I do not know,
 
Last edited:

Hugo Myatt

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
After a few weeks was moved to Mick (Paddy) Creamers fly wheel assemble the wheels were sent from no 2 factory completed with shafts ,first op. press big end pin into drive side with the aid of a Harbour hand press, tighten pin nut with a torque spanner .place wheel in small jig in a vice pin up assemble B/E with spacers and needle rollers Paddy could put on up to twenty in on go between his thumb and index finger with the aid of oil and a gentle squeeze. con rods were weighed into pairs, then place timing side wheel on to B/E pin, put into jig under press pushed home nut pulled tight with torgue spanner the complete assemble then placed on centres readings taken on bearing area with clock gauge marked with chalk and then the tapped on a lead block to true most cases about .0005 some times a wheel was taken of and replaced if it would not true, Rods B/E pins and rollers coded black, white, and red,there was a code sheet that had to be followed, to build assemble Mick Creamer some years later left Vincents and went to work for Lawton and Wilson who were Vincent dealers in South of England, when he left them he bought a few Rapides which he made into Creamer Black Shadows how many I do not know,

My C Rapide, 1952, was a 'Creamer Black Shadow'. It was originally supplied by Lawton and Wilson, Southampton. with a Southampton registration The original buff logbook stated it was a Black Shadow, although much later I realised the engine number said otherwise. Unfortunately this original logbook was never returned to me, despite request, when exchanged for the green variety. The specification included Shadow carbs, high bottom gear, Lightning style clutch, ribbed brake drums, 8 to 1 pistons and Shadow speedo. I don't know what sort of cams it had. The engine internals were highly polished especially the conrods. These could have been Vibrac but I shall never know. After a big end failure the engine went to a specialist, no longer extant, for replacement. It was only years after that I discovered the original conrods had been swapped for ordinary Rapide ones.The engine was not black enamelled in fact the cycle parts were not black at all. The logbook described the colour as Fish Grey. This was a very very dark grey. When I first got it I thought it had just faded and tried to polish it back to black (I was very young).
The reason I know that it was a Creamer 'Shadow' is that I was in correspondence with the second owner, John Vane, and it was he who had Mike Creamer 'Creamerise' it. John bought the bike as a Rapide from L & W in 1956 with 14,000 on the clock. Apparently Mike Creamer and his wife had both worked at Vincents until production ceased and then Mike became chief mechanic at Lawton & Wilson. It seems he was working there whilst 'Creamerising' these Rapides. John sold the bike in 1961 with 44,000 on the clock. I bought it in 1962 or 3. It had suffered a bit in the interim. John says it really was a quick bike. I quote from his letter of 17th March 1989.

"When Mike Creamer asked a customer what he wanted done (to his Rapide) the reply was 'Make it as fast as John Vane's.'"

Hugo
 

Marcus Bowden

VOC Hon. Overseas Representative
VOC Member
Hugo, very interesting as John Vane has lived in the Plymouth area for over forty years that I know of, in fact shouting distance across the valley from Pat Wilson (of Lawton & wilson) John use to talk a lot (still does) of how good his previous BS went so got another basket case BS from Mike Fiswick and borrowed my recently aquired Scentilla magneto from Roger Slater (£12) he had it a couple of years and also swapped front wheels as he was vertically chalenged so had my twenty inch and I had the 21", recently moved up the road a few miles but still in contact,I went and found Pat's widow Jane last year and had a very pleasant afternoon and hope to meet son & daughter this year as I want to find out a bit more about Pat as I believe held the fastest time on a Vincent round the IOM in 1952 at the Manx how long he held it ??? but as he gave me his Vincent parts stash along with the TRIALS IRON with special chain driven timing I would like to build the complete picture of it's history. Pat died prematurely because I think of his religious belief, but I've been forever grateful as he took me to the 21st dinner / dance then on the Sunday took Mr Vincent home after a nice lunch at Kettener's (posh retaurant in London) then Phil's home No 7 Quew Bridge apartment and then followed 2-3 visits a year when coming home from sea visited PCV with Whisky in one hand and banana's in the other, until his first stroke, I had called but no one home , as I was leaving so an ambulance arrived seeing Phil come out with his left side nearly all useless and struggling to make the steps picked him up and carried him up in doors, and was more interested in show me the latest developments on his rotary than wiping the dribbles from the left side of his moth that his wife got quite uneasy with him and she was dashing about trying to get a meal on the table. That was my last visit but looking back now it was then I should have visited more as he loved talking about his ideas and would put them into a marine situation as that is what I was in. Very very interesting gent to talk with. John Vane worked for Pat on several occasions in the Auto Trade.
bananaman
 

david bowen

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Denis Minetts notes, Flywheels car engines were balanced by opening the top two out side holes to 17/32inch and the four below opened to 7/8inch with standard crank pin all this was done in the Special Engine department. I have just been informed the balance factor of this is 60% the guy that informed me has a Norvin mounted at the bottom of engine to Frame to this factor If any one living in Australia needs this done I can put them in touch with this guy who balances flywheels ,
 
Last edited:

jim burgess

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
David, why was this done please? Because the engines were more rigidly held? It must have moved the balance factor away from 46%?
Jim Burgess.
 
Top