Silver Lightning

[greg brillus]

If the Dellorto floats are anything like the Amal type 302 float bowls, the level would be somewhere about the middle of the clamp band or slightly higher depending on what fuel you are running too. So that front cylinders fuel level would not be anywhere near the main jet to start with. If that were mine, I would be setting the level somewhere about the base of the air/enrichment corrector housing, but whether fuel would drip from the pilot circuit air bleed would be trial and error. Although this bike is definitely not my cup of tea, I do appreciate the work gone into it, and at least the engine is in a complete state. Not like some of the savage butchery that went into some of the speedway engines here years ago, where the bits just hacked off, the damage caused to some of these engines is unbelievable. I have been repairing a set of Rapide cases for a chap up in Cairns, and these cases have been an absolute nightmare. Generator housing cut off, mainbearing housings flogged out, primary chain let go smashing out the front of the engine, all the threads holding the primary cover on completely stripped out, gearbox spindle boss and bevel gear housings smashed off, cylinder hold down stud holes stripped.........You get the picture............

 

[davidd]

I do know a bit about the Dellorto remote float bowls, but I was curious to know the matching point on the carb. At one point I helped Bev Bowen to determine the height on Felix, but I have forgotten the details. I do remember there are two remotes, SS1 and the smaller SS2. The float height is what Greg suggested near the middle of the clamp. Dellorto measures it at 35mm below the top gasket. I know that Bev has ridden his a number of times:

Quite a difference nestled just below the bell. I have never seen any specs for the remotes used on the Flashes with the big Amals.

David

 

[Peter Holmes]

I thought that was for trials riding, going through deep water.

By the time it got into deep water there would not be much coming out of the exhaust

 

[Bill Thomas]

I do know a bit about the Dellorto remote float bowls, but I was curious to know the matching point on the carb. At one point I helped Bev Bowen to determine the height on Felix, but I have forgotten the details. I do remember there are two remotes, SS1 and the smaller SS2. The float height is what Greg suggested near the middle of the clamp. Dellorto measures it at 35mm below the top gasket. I know that Bev has ridden his a number of times:

View attachment 16990

Quite a difference nestled just below the bell. I have never seen any specs for the remotes used on the Flashes with the big Amals.

David

I would not like a big hole like that pointing down, Something is bound to go down it !!. Cheers Bill.

 

[greg brillus]

Those right angle fuel fittings are nice, but the hole through them is tiny. Not good enough for a race engine on Alcohol fuels anyway.

 

[vibrac]

I'm with Peter Holmes on this its a real sad sight and it doesn't matter what angle the carbs are at they aint gonna flow any fuel of any sort. 49 years in the ruination more like.
And a thought: If every photo of this machine brings to mind mistakes and poorly thought out engineering solutions remember thats because you know something about the original machine ,think of all those choppers and plinth models made from bikes that you dont know anything about....

 

[Bill Thomas]

I'm with Peter Holmes on this its a real sad sight and it doesn't matter what angle the carbs are at they aint gonna flow any fuel of any sort. 49 years in the ruination more like.
And a thought: If every photo of this machine brings to mind mistakes and poorly thought out engineering solutions remember thats because you know something about the original machine ,think of all those choppers and plinth models made from bikes that you dont know anything about....

I think your being a bit hard, A lot of us are running out of time to do something with that pile of bits in the garage.
In the last 2 years , Ron and me have made a 2 bikes out of stuff on the floor, For 2 Widows.
Your BMW with funny forks has been around for a few years.
My L/ning rep was scrap under the bench for 15 years.
The bike on this thread is in one lump !!, I am sure something could be done with it.
The Comet we did for a friend/Widow was never a complete bike to start with !, Just a dream where the bloke ran out of time. Cheers Bill.

 

[Peter Holmes]

I suppose my eyes are easily offended, I still bitterly regret allowing Tony Maughan to polish all the sand casting character off of my crankcases, my fault entirely, Tony asked me if I would like the cases polished to a mirror finish, and at the time I thought it would look nice, oh how envious I am now when I look at all those undesecrated crankcases.

 

[roy the mechanic]

I would not like a big hole like that pointing down, Something is bound to go down it !!. Cheers Bill.

Quite right, it's called money. Roy.

 

[Peter Holmes]

I think your being a bit hard, A lot of us are running out of time to do something with that pile of bits in the garage.
In the last 2 years , Ron and me have made a 2 bikes out of stuff on the floor, For 2 Widows.
Your BMW with funny forks has been around for a few years.
My L/ning rep was scrap under the bench for 15 years.
The bike on this thread is in one lump !!, I am sure something could be done with it.
The Comet we did for a friend/Widow was never a complete bike to start with !, Just a dream where the bloke ran out of time. Cheers Bill.

So Bill, what would Ron and yourself have done with all those lovely parts, build a Chopper?