FH Dry Build - Barrel and Head

After completing the primary case installation, I moved on to the head and barrel. This was pretty straightforward, and I retained the head and barrel in place with a couple of bolts each, though the threads will need cleaning up when I rebuild the engine.

The main purpose of this step is to establish fixing points for the exhaust, carburetter and head steadies. The head steadies fit to two of the downward facing rocker box studs and its clear that the existing ones are fretted quite badly and will need replacing.

Secondly, the kit of parts I bought all those years ago included a brand new Amal Concentric Mk1 928 carburetter so it will be interesting to see how that performs - it will be a new experience for me. The FH was intended to have two bolts holding the carburetter in place, but unfortunately the large tickler fitted to the 928 prevents one of the bolts going in - it will need a couple of studs making up or I could use the 5/16" CEI x 1 1/16" stud specified by Ariel for the iron head singles under part number 0183. 

FH Dry build - primary case

One of the problems you always come across when tinkering with unloved old bikes is broken screws. The Huntmaster hasn't had many, but while I am working on the dry build it is time to fix these kind of problems as we come across them.

This is a typical example - a broken 1/4" BSW screw in the primary chain case. Of course, it is too short to get hold of and Plus Gas has no effect on loosening it enough so that the little bit I can get hold of can help it come free.

The only sensible option is to drill it out and and re-tap the thread. I set the inner case up on the pillar drill and used a centre drill to start the hole, opening it progressively (0.5 mm increments) to tapping size, hoping to release the remains of the screw.

This didn't work out, and after attempting to chase the rest of the bolt out with a tap, for the first time in my life I managed to break a tap in the hole. I spent the rest of the evening laboriously grind it out with a diamond coated tool in the Dremel.

Once I had removed the tap, the next step was to drill out the mess for a Helicoil:

Then tap for the Helicoil:

Then screw in the insert. You break off the tang used to put the insert in when you are done:

FH dry build - one step forward...

 I spent a lot of time reshaping the FERC so that it would fit around the swinging arm, and I'm pleased with it now.

Trouble is, I didn't realise that to get the front section on, the rear has to be off:

And, as if to rub it in, you can't get the rear off with the shock absorber in position... 

So, its all got to come apart again but that's what dry builds are for. It's helped by the removal of the rear end of the mudguard, which looks good. I'm pleased with the work I put in to that. 

When it's back together I can trial fit the inner primary chain case. 

The front section of the FERC has a captive nut to attach to the inner primary case. 

A small job coming up - remove the broken case screw:

While I was poking around the rear end (and wearing working clothes) I used a crayon to make a mark on the swinging arm, with the mudguard, centre stand and oil filter in place. This was where the swinging arm grease nipple would go. 

Model A - Exhaust

Well, that's a job off the list. Thanks to fellow Ariel enthusiast Mark, I have this splendid genuine Ariel tailpipe for the Model A, delivered to me at Holt Station on the North Norfolk Railway. The trouble people will go to to help a fellow motorcyclist leaves me speechless sometimes:

This is a terrible picture but the Model A is sheeted up behind the SQ4 and the W/NG while I am doing the FH dry build:

This might be better:

It looks marvellous.

Thanks Mark.

FH - Dry Build for the cameras

The Huntmaster has made it off the bench!

The plan is to put all the major assemblies together and have a clear up, and then take the pictures for the dating certificate. After that, it will be time to strip and paint.

Charlie's Shed - Re-corking Cutch Plates

 For no good reason, other than the fact that the Square Four cork clutch is excellent, I decided to replace the part-worn Ferodo lined clutch plates. The W/NG clutch had always felt more severe by comparison and while the Ferodo clutch is correct for the W/NG, sometimes I do stuff because I feel like it!

The plates and corks come from AOMCC Gearbox Spares, and very good they are too.

The first step is to warm the corks in boiling water to make them soft and pliable. They were in the soup for about 15 minutes.

I fished the corks out in small batches with a draining spoon.

These are the plates - they look like they have been laser cut. The edges are very crisp and clean - the holes are perfectly shaped and there are no burrs. Oh - and they are perfectly flat!

You push the corks in from the wide end of the slot, trying to keep an equal amount of cork protruding from the plate on each side.

Push the cork down, and manoeuvre the wide end in until it is sitting evenly all around the slot.

Repeat the process until you have done all the corks in all the plates!

As it turned out, after drying overnight the stack of plates was too thick for the basket.

What you do now is to work each side of each plate against a large flat board covered with sandpaper. This is 120 grit - I rubbed each plate over a couple of times to make sure the corks were level and to take a fraction off each one. Very soon, the stack fitted in the basket.

At the same time, I renewed the clutch springs - also from AOMCC Gearbox Spares. On the left is the old spring; on the right, the new spring. Whilst the old spring is clearly collapsed, the odd thing is that it is the same wire diameter as the new one - springs for a Ferodo clutch should be heavier.

FH Forks

 The next step for the FH is to investigate the forks

With the legs off, you can feel the wobble in the bushes. The seal carriers are in a pretty poor state cosmetically and look like they have been shortened:

The stanchions aren't too pretty either:

Next is the inevitable struggle with the three screws that retain the top shrouds:

With those off, I put the forks back together to deal with later.

FH Front Mudguard

I have had a bit of a debate with myself about which mudguard to use on the FH. It arrived with this one, which is an A10 front mudguard and is not so odd as you might think - it fits, is larger and therefore more protective and it is much stronger than the proper Ariel mudguard which has a reputation for cracking.

It's ugly as sin, but it does suggest that the previous owner moved in Ariel circles as this is quite a common mod. Another option was to buy an earlier mudguard, the ribbed C section guard used with the single sided brake, which is much better looking and matches the rear mudguard.

The final option is to use this, the correct one (i.e. the one which is prone to cracking!), which came from eBay and is in pretty good shape. It does have the beginning of two cracks which will need reinforcing...

The A10 mudguard had this stay in it, which is actually an Ariel centre stay that has been extended in width to suit the BSA guard. The PO was clearly handy with the welder.

I've chopped a little out of the centre to bring it back to size and re-welded it.

It all fits, so that's another job off the list:

Model A - toolkit

Updated: First published May 2021

As you well know I'm very keen to have a toolkit with me on a bike trip. I'm not one of those guys that uses a mobile phone and an RAC card - I like to be able to deal with roadside breakdowns and adjustments myself. It gives me a great sense of security.

In making up a tool kit, I like to start with the tools originally supplied by the works and add to them through experience with the machine as I have done for the Square Four tool kit. The starting point for the bike's original kit is the parts list, which, prewar, carried pictures of all the tools. The parts list for many Ariels are available for download at the AOMCC website. In addition to the parts book, club member Ray Tolman has prepared a booklet illustrating the tools for the singles and a second volume specifically for the W/NG. This excellent volume shows some key pieces of information:

• a photograph of each tool, and the tool roll
• the works drawing for the tool
• identification of the vendor of some bought in tools
• the part numbers for the tool

Using the information available, you can piece together a tool kit - or at least, you can for most of the tools. Some of them are as rare as a rare thing, and have to be made...

Here is the basis of the tool kit illustrated in the 1930 parts book:

Tools part numbers:

Here is the list shown above, retyped so that I can edit it and with some extra notes:

1.	E8/1071		Tool Box with fixing strips, Models A., B., F.	Make at home
2.	*G1/28	6600-26	Double-ended Spanner (fits 3/16 in. x ¼ in. bolts)	Found in stock; these come up on eBay from time to time
3.	*G1/60		Double-ended Spanner (fits ¼ in. x 5/16 in. bolts)	Lucky find on eBay
4.	*G1/59	6603-28	Double-ended Spanner (fits 5/16 in. x 3/8 in. bolts)	Bought on eBay - regularly available
5.	*G1/66	6605-28	Double-ended Spanner (fits 7/16 in. x ½ in. bolts)	Bought on eBay - regularly available
6.	*G1/55	6606-27	Double-ended Spanner (head nut and wheel cone nut, 3/4” & 9/16” BSW)	Bought on eBay - regularly available
7.	G1/55a	6606-30	Single End Spanner (engine sprocket nuts)	Buy/Make. Part number later used for a double ended spanner.
8.	G1/94	6614-29	Abingdon Spanner (3/8 in. x 7/16 in. nuts)	Lucky find on eBay
9.	*G1/58		Tube Spanner (hub spindle nut)	Buy/Make at home
10.	*G1/57	6612-27	Tommy Bar	Make at home
11.	G1/48		Valve Cap Spanner	Bought from AOMCC Singles Spares
12.	*G1/33	6616-26	Screw Driver	Bought on eBay
13.	G1/91		Spanner for Cylinder Base Nuts	Lucky find on eBay
14.	*G1/87c		Valve Spring Compressor (complete), S.V.	Make at home.
15.	*G1/87		Arm for Valve Spring Compressor	Make at home.
16.	*G1/88		Screw for Valve Spring Compressor	Make at home. Ariel drawing available.
17.	*Z/20	6617-26	Magneto Spanner	Bought on eBay
18.	G1/83		Pinion Extractor and Set Pin	Make at home. Ariel drawing available.
19.	G1/81	6621-29	Sprocket Extractor and Set Pin	Make at home.  Ariel drawing available.
20.	G1/81c	6621C-29	Sprocket Extractor, Set Pin and Adaptor	Make at home. Ariel drawing available.
21.	G1/82	6622-29	Adaptor for Sprocket Extractor	Make at home. Ariel drawing available.
22.	*G1/85		Set Pin only, for Extractors	Make at home. Ariel drawing available.
23.	*Z/34	6625-26	Tyre Lever	Buy - eBay
24.	Z/71		Tyre Inflator, 16in. x 7/8 in.	Buy - eBay
25.	*Z/21		Grease Gun	Bought on eBay
26.	*Z/23	6640-26	Canvas Tool Roll	Make at home
27.	Z/98		Set of Tools only, in tool roll, S.V.

What has always puzzled me with these kits is why is there no spark plug spanner?

This was my starting point, a not-so jumbled collection of tools, some Ariel & some unknown...

This is the story so far:

And here we go, collecting tools. This post is likely to evolve over a number of months if not years...

Starting with a genuine Ariel part, these older pressed spanners are a little different from the forged G1/28 spanners that appear in later, post war tool kits:

Item 2, G1/28 Double-ended Spanner (fits 3/16 in. x ¼ in. bolts)

A very lucky eBay find:

Item 3, G1/60 Double-ended Spanner (fits 5/16 in. x ¼ in. bolts)

The forged G1/59 spanner is quite commonly available on eBay:

Item 4, G1/59 Double-ended Spanner (fits 5/16 in. x 3/8 in. bolts)

Here's one that is commonly available on the world's favourite auction site:

Item 5, G1/66 Double-ended Spanner (fits 7/16 in. x ½ in. bolts)

Another genuine part, the common head nut and wheel cone spanner. I have 'adjusted' this one as it had been stretched by someone:

Item 6, G1/55 Double-ended Spanner (head nut and wheel cone nut, 5/8” & 7/8” BSW)

This was an eBay find:

Item 8, G1/94 Abingdon Spanner (3/8 in. x 7/16 in. nuts)

I happened upon these next two - they look very like the illustration in the parts book and they fit the wheel nuts, so they are good to go as far as I am concerned:

Item 9, G1/58 Tube Spanner (hub spindle nut)

It came with a tommy bar:

Item 10, G1/57 Tommy Bar

The valve cap spanner comes from AOMCC spares:

Item 11, G1/48 Valve Cap Spanner

This one is a bought out item. It's a nice Terry's example I bought from eBay:

Item 12, G1/33 Screw driver

I think this is probably repro, but it came from eBay at a good price which saves me making one:

Item 13, G1/91 Spanner for Cylinder Base Nuts

Here's my offering for the valve spring compressor. Not genuine, but approximately the right size if a little over complicated. I might make one eventually:

Items 14, 15 and 16, Valve Spring Compressor

Another eBay find, a common magneto spanner - but this is a BTH one to suit the KC1:

Item 17, Z/20 Magneto spanner

eBay again, and a very lucky find - though it is missing the little adapter cup:

Item 19, G1/81 Sprocket Extractor and Set Pin

And another - the Tecalemit grease gun:

Item 25, Z/21 Grease Gun

There's always little bits you need to carry - cigarette papers, solderless cable nipples, a spare plug or a main jet - and of course, you may need some laxatives but I think it unlikely on a hand change vintage bike with period brakes and 3" tyres:

Period Tin for small things