Black Dog Classic Motorcycles
Exhaust, tank and seat were next to be fitted. I spent hours chasing leaks in the tank, using my enormous ex W.D. soldering iron. This iron is the best tool for the job of puddling solder around all the joints and yet having the power to melt more solder and yet more. This is the only way to get a leak free tank, (I still seal the inside with a proprietary sealant however). This was the original tank, still carrying its number plate on the underside. There could be no question of re-chroming, so it was painted black.
AFM 898 was now looking near finished, I held back from trying to start her ‘til the items like transfers and number plates were fitted. The plates could be original, they are early pressed aluminium, somewhat pitted. I had polished them and filled all the pits with Araldite, rubbed that down, painting between the numerals by hand. While fitting the exhaust, I decided to add a stoplight, so a bracket to take the stop light switch was made to fit on the exhaust silencer fixing bolts. This bracket goes up the back of the frame, stopping just above the brake rod; the switch being fitted with the pull spring in line with the rod.
Start up time! Fuel in tank and no leaks! S.A.E. 40 monograde oil in oil tank, bleed the feed oil pipe by undoing the banjo at the engine stud. Turn fuel on; choke on, (I had fitted the choke control on the seat down tube, not wishing to clutter up the bars). Third kick and she fired and ran! Slight piston slap when cold, thinking about this later, I realised it took a while to fill the oil filter housing and circulate to the return on the tank top. I knew the Oil was circulating as I had slacked the return pipe and a steady flow emerged. A steady chare was showing on the ammeter and all the electrics worked. I let the engine warm and then set the mixture screw, not a great tick over, but O.K. for now. As the engine warmed up, piston slap completely disappeared, the bike being on its rear stand, I slipped into gear to see if the speedo worked, it did.
M.O.T. time. I booked AFM for test for the following weekend, planning a longer ride for coming home. The best laid plans of mice and men? I packed my trusty shifter, stubby driver and a plug spanner into the toolbox; the Brough was booked in for eight, only three miles to the test centre and set off at 7.40. AMF started second kick, warm up a little, then, into gear and off down the road, when I say down, I mean a 1 in 4, Pennine hills you see! At the bottom of the hill turn right and 200 yards up the next, BANG! The engine still ran but sounded as if one of the exhaust pipes had blow out. I looked down and found I could see about an inch of head gasket protruding from the side of the front cylinder. I turned around hoping to be able to ride home with the power of the rear cylinder only. Steady does it, but half way up the 1 in 4 and BANG! The rear gasket this time, just as the front. Nothing to do but push, I couldn’t even take my helmet and jacket off, I needed both hands just to stop it rolling back! It was impractical to put the bike on the rear stand, as it would have required a tractor to pull it off on that gradient. With one hand on the bars and one on the rear-lifting loop, I managed to get back to my garage. I haven’t been as knackered for ages. A pot of tea and a phone call to the M.O.T. centre and it was back to the garage.
I removed the heads and the gaskets, these were new but old stock, the very thick, compressed asbestos type. I knew the cylinder to head joint faces were good and that the cylinder bolts did not bottom, this left the fault with the gaskets. Nothing to do, but order two of Mike Smiths solid copper ones. As it was only mid morning and nothing more I could do with the Brough, I went for a spin on my 1929 O.H.V. Norton. Listening to the engine beat and the exhaust bark from the Brooklands can, soon cheered me up. It’s a pleasure riding our single track lanes, with the high stone walls you can hear the click of the cams, the Norton with it’s quick acceleration, long stroke and loud exhaust bark, is great, until you meet a party of horse riders approaching!
Back to the Brough, I received my gaskets, fitted them, and finally got my long promised extended ride on the way home from the M.O.T. The clutch tends to drag and the gearbox has a slight whine in second and third. Handling is good, but the front brake could be better, considering all the work I have put into it, especially with the Druid forks and direct front brake anchor.
I have now covered 500 miles on the Brough; the engine is oil tight, very quiet, with plenty of power all the way to valve bounce, which does not seem to be in a high rev range! The carburettor needs more work, but I sorted the clutch drag by fitting a different set of handlebar levers. If you measure the pull with the lever to the bars, it is amazing how different levers alter the length. I plan to strip the gearbox this winter, but first I intend to check out the internal ratios, maybe that will be another story. Overall, I am pleased with the restoration; it was done on a budget without cutting any corners. I may do a write up of an 11-50 restoration soon!
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