TIMING DISC If you can't find your grandad's old Castrol disc (given away free, I think in the 1970s) then print this off https://www.mmoc.org.uk/MessageBoard/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=65711&p=596679&hilit=timing+disc#p596679 and then laminate it. I'm sure Declan Burns and the Morris Owners Cl...

TIMING THE VALVES ON A VB Greetings Comrades! From experience I've found that the "official" valve timing in the manuals is often not what you get in practice on old vehicles so I thought I'd check what I my VB actually had. With the engine coming together I can't get at the crankshaft so ...

Yes Dave, I wondered about that too. I certainly didn’t fancy being dragged to the Tower and hung, drawn and quartered with my head stuck on a spike on London Bridge. So being an old civil servant I thought I’d call in a favour or two and check with Her Majesty. I explained what I was up to, how I s...

What ho, chums! Wanting some rust proof washers a while ago I found that using UK "copper" 1p and 2p coins was much cheaper than buying non-steel washers but with the advantage that the hole I bored in them could be the size I wanted. Pre 1992 coins are the right ones 'cos post 1992 they m...

Oh dear! Paul says "April fool" and Vincent suggests helium! Well, what can I say? Fortunately, us VBers have a skins like rhinos and so I feel no pain. Our guiding star is St Laurence of South London (the patron saint of sidevalves) who showed us what sidevalves really can do, especially ...

Hmm,
Thanks Volker. So perhaps the VB is about level in valve train weight with OHVs - except for Draganfly gear! Perhaps I'll have a go at reducing the tappet weight.
Regars from MikeN.

Dear all, Will someone please supply me with the weights of Ariel OHV pushrods, both steel and light alloy if possible. I want these because until now I've always thought that a sidevalve had the advantage of lower weights in the valve train but I find my VB's tappets weigh 74.91g for the inlet and ...

MODIFIED RING SPANNER FOR VB CYLINDER BASE NUTS If you've the swinging arm frame like me then the twin front downtubes and the shape of the barrel casting make it difficult to get any spanner movement on the front right-hand nut (looking in the forward direction). The other three can be done up usin...

Hmmm,
Wonder where it went then! Anyway, I’ve got a couple but I’m on hols at the moment. So if you’re not suited shortly, next week I’ll hunt them out and see their condition and discuss with you.
Regards from MikeN.

PM sent. MikeN.