Putting the boot in – into a washer!
I just wanted to mention how much I enjoy Blue’s waffle on page 2, and June’s sojourn in California was, as usual, a welcome distraction from finishing off mechanical jobs on my Triumph and the endless task of rebuilding my Model 19s after 30 years in a box (the Norton, not me). I’m looking forward to your Quail report – no pressure but I know it’s going to be excellent.
You skilfully float in just a squirt of philosophy to broaden the horizon. When I say 'squirt', I’m reminded of my first job. It was serving fuel at the Esso service station at Ipers Bridge, on the edge of the New Forest. I was paid 1s-3d an hour to dispense four gallons of Esso Extra for 19s-6d or, probably more commonly, “five bob's worth of Regular, son”. That was Mr Dunkason, one of my regulars. An aimable Forest man who, like my dad, had served as a despatch rider (actually ‘dispatch rider’, as it was spelt in 1939) he was Mr Dunkason because I was at the same school as his son. Oh, yes, ‘squirt’ – that was Redex upper cylinder lubricant, 1d a shot. I say Redex, but often it was just Esso Lube 20 that the boss had told me was really the same thing if we had run out of the good stuff!
Anyway, back to the workshop. Last week I was on the last job I was aware of needing to be done, on my 1928 Triumph NSD. All important mechanical niggles had been taken care of and she was running nicely… except the gearbox was throwing out rather a lot of oil. This simple Triumph three-speed box relies on a leather washer at the drive shaft. There was a washer there but a bit hard and it was not hugging the shaft. I tried running with semi liquid grease which did help a bit, but there was still too much seepage. The washer had to be done. Now, this bike is designed to be able to be completely stripped and repaired at the roadside, so whipping off the gearbox end plate is not too difficult. It’s just a bit tedious and the leather washer is held in place by a steel ring with six copper rivets.
With the cover off, I carefully (of course) drilled out the 3/32in copper rivets and removed the steel ring (which had cracked) and the leather washer. I made a new ring. The original was 1/16in mild steel but I used 1mm stainless, the nearest match in my bits of useful stuff pile. I have found I can machine out the bore, even with thin plate, on the Myford. For the OD I used a shear and file (I spent three months learning to file straight during my apprenticeship 60 years ago).
Now the leather washer. I had just discarded a pair of Doc Martens that had worn out after only 15 years! The leather was still good, 2mm thick, just right, and there was an area large enough for the washer. I stamped out the ID with a punch made up on the Myford and cut the OD with scissors, giving it enough interference that it would flare on the clutch hub and effect a good seal (I hoped). I would have replaced the ball bearing with a sealed one side item but it is only 3/8in wide and a sealed type is not available.
I put it all back together, added semi fluid grease (the gearbox had felt better with the grease, so I decided to stay with this) and was ready for a trial run. Just five miles to start with and not a sign of leakage. Another 10 miles and still good. Good old Doc Marten! Now I’m looking forward to the West Kent Run, after two Covid postponements.