As mentioned elsewhere, I've bought yet another rusty wreck. Being as "over there" will be interested, and they get snotty about linking here, I've done a blog thingy. It's just for long, picturey posts I want to put in multiple places, I'm getting fed up of repeating myself when I could spend the time spannering. It's a Universal 125, villiers unit engine with 3 speed box and supposedly 40mph on tap...might have to order race leathers!
http://oldnailsandswarf.blogspot.com/20 ... lsior.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
Greeny,
Do what I do when posting the same message to several sites. Copy your response, before submitting, and just paste the text into the next sites posting window. The posting sytax seems the same with whatever forum software they use.
Cheers Zunspec
Do what I do when posting the same message to several sites. Copy your response, before submitting, and just paste the text into the next sites posting window. The posting sytax seems the same with whatever forum software they use.
Cheers Zunspec
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
I prefer to post in one place and link, if they dont like it then its their loss.
Classics ain't built in Metric
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
Its the pictures I find a ballache, flickr was OK til I hit the limit and am too tight to pay if I can avoid it! The blogger thing seems pretty good actually.
I'm whipping the top end off. So far, torch down plug hole and inlet looks clean as inside. I'll pop some oil everywhere of course, but hopefully no need for a full strip...pretty sure its plain bearings so no seals to go to shit.
I'm whipping the top end off. So far, torch down plug hole and inlet looks clean as inside. I'll pop some oil everywhere of course, but hopefully no need for a full strip...pretty sure its plain bearings so no seals to go to shit.
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
Well, looks pretty good: http://oldnailsandswarf.blogspot.com/20 ... ngine.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Annoyingly, ball bearings and presumeably rubber seals after all, so might still need a full strip. Oh well.
Annoyingly, ball bearings and presumeably rubber seals after all, so might still need a full strip. Oh well.
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Rick Parkington
- Posts: 511
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:21 am
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
Well, that's a good acquisition, greeno.
I'm nearly as rusty meself on this subject now, there was a time when yours truly was Excelsior Marque specialist for the British Two Stroke Club but I forgot to pay me subs for a few years and they bumped me... Anyway these O series Universals date from the mid to late thirties, the model changed annually starting with GO I think.There was an HO and a JO - this code should be found in the frame number I think. I need to have a look at my old paperwork. After the war the design continued as just plain Model O, whose most noticeable feature was that the gearchange gate was right through the centre of the tank. The engine in yours is probably a Mark 8d 122cc, the post war one was a 9D, basically the same thing. I had something similar many years ago which I did up (and later sold) as a 1937 Excelsior. It was years later that I realised it had been an early post war Norman. They seem to be identical as though Excelsior sold the design to Norman. They're a super little bike to ride, real vintage feel, the only thing is the gearbox might as well be 2 speed, you can climb a ladder in first but the engine is so torquey it doesn't really matter.
Enjoy!
R
I'm nearly as rusty meself on this subject now, there was a time when yours truly was Excelsior Marque specialist for the British Two Stroke Club but I forgot to pay me subs for a few years and they bumped me... Anyway these O series Universals date from the mid to late thirties, the model changed annually starting with GO I think.There was an HO and a JO - this code should be found in the frame number I think. I need to have a look at my old paperwork. After the war the design continued as just plain Model O, whose most noticeable feature was that the gearchange gate was right through the centre of the tank. The engine in yours is probably a Mark 8d 122cc, the post war one was a 9D, basically the same thing. I had something similar many years ago which I did up (and later sold) as a 1937 Excelsior. It was years later that I realised it had been an early post war Norman. They seem to be identical as though Excelsior sold the design to Norman. They're a super little bike to ride, real vintage feel, the only thing is the gearbox might as well be 2 speed, you can climb a ladder in first but the engine is so torquey it doesn't really matter.
Enjoy!
R
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
Greenbat,
You can link to pictures from the forum gallery, although sites like Real Classic might not like you linking to a site they perceive as competition
You can link to pictures from the forum gallery, although sites like Real Classic might not like you linking to a site they perceive as competition
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Rick Parkington
- Posts: 511
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:21 am
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
ps forgot to say it's probably ball race bearings and bronze bush seals, depending on the year of the engine, I think the postwar 9D differed from the earlier 8D in having garter seals. The timing side rubber seal if fitted is normally in the magneto backplate making it easy to change although generally with the big flywheel whirring round the bearing needs replacement. Good news is that even compared with a Bantam, Villiers engines are very easy to work on. No special tools required, the flywheel centre nut is the extractor - just keep unwinding it it will loosen then tighten again as it starts pulling the wheel off its taper. These particular engines are slightly more complicated by being unit-construction but still essentially very simple.
R
R
Re: Excelsior yet again-third time lucky!
Bizarrely, a couple of nights ago I had a dream about getting it to run. No idea why, but the thought pleased me. Since we live in an age where young people are constantly told to follow your dreams, I thought I'd join in just once.
The villiers ignition coils appear to be utterly dead, so I had a brainwave. Borrow a coil off a honda 400/4 project I recently bought, wire that into the points then power it up off a battery charger. Put a little petroil in the carb, kick it over and hope you don't blow your face off. End result-it runs! Just. It's flooding quite badly and won't run properly, but I've managed a good 10-20 seconds at a time of hit and miss running. I'll have another look tomorrow (good job it's very quiet, it was about 1 in the morning), hopefully I'll get a decent video of it gasping and spluttering.
The villiers ignition coils appear to be utterly dead, so I had a brainwave. Borrow a coil off a honda 400/4 project I recently bought, wire that into the points then power it up off a battery charger. Put a little petroil in the carb, kick it over and hope you don't blow your face off. End result-it runs! Just. It's flooding quite badly and won't run properly, but I've managed a good 10-20 seconds at a time of hit and miss running. I'll have another look tomorrow (good job it's very quiet, it was about 1 in the morning), hopefully I'll get a decent video of it gasping and spluttering.