greeves help

[floydbassman]

This is what I have done to my TFS. The kickstart came from Villiers Services and was about £75. I remade the gear lever with what was left of it! I have it in the position showing to keep it clear of the kickstart and my huge boots. Works ok for me. I fold the footrest up.when kickstarting. Footrests I got from Pride & Clarke (they got an ebay shop), and welded them onto brackets made to fit on the swinging arm spindle. The hook at the rear of the bracket prevents it turning and loosening the spindle nut.

[craig]

neat but I really don't want to alter from standard (what ever that might prove to be) , the kick starter you fitted I take it did not clear the foot rests ?

[floydbassman]

The kick starter I got, and the original one both hit the footrest. I fold the footrest out the way to get more movement and and a better swing to start it from cold. Villiers also sell the straight type as originally fitted, I replaced mine as the splines were stripped. I fitted the folding footrests as I believe that its a general safety requirement nowadays if you are going to enter the bike in trials, I'm not sure how sringent that is. Anyone out there reading this may know more on this. The mods I have done to mine are bolt on, so you have the option of putting orignal type footrests and levers on for authenticity if required.

[druid]

Greeves casting techniques

Colin,
I may be wrong but I believe that all the beams were made by the original method of traditional sand castings.
Shell moulding (which incidentally is still sand casting) was only used for the smaller castings such as engine cases and hubs. The shell moulding equipment would only take items less than 12" cube, hence my belief the beams were not made by shell moulding.

Druid

[Phil Hyde]

Sandcaster

I always understood the beams were sand cast in the traditional way with a wooden pattern and split mould cases.

There were quite a few images, still and film of the casting shop showing the process.

I agree with Druid.

A bit of topic but I spoke with the pattern maker who made the pattern for the Millennium Greeves frames. Same process, just a more accurate process with less flashing and sprue. Those frames are easily identified by the addition of the Greeves logo cast in....

[craig]

i wish I could say who is correct but its all new to me so thanks for all your help , I will carry on with the leads I have and see what turns up

[Colin Sparrow]

Colin,
I may be wrong but I believe that all the beams were made by the original method of traditional sand castings.
Shell moulding (which incidentally is still sand casting) was only used for the smaller castings such as engine cases and hubs. The shell moulding equipment would only take items less than 12" cube, hence my belief the beams were not made by shell moulding.

Druid

Far be it for me to contradict one who was actually there, oh Druid, but shell moulding was used for the beams. There is a set of photos in the archive which shows the whole process. I used one of them in the book - which of course you've got - page 20.

Of course it's still sand casting - see my earlier post: "The sacrificial two-piece mould used for each beam was made of sand bound together with a resin and formed around a pattern. This shell mould was then heat treated in an oven. Consequently all Greeves beams have a sand-cast finish. You can see it on my beam."

[craig]

this bike is fitted with a mono block carb (parts missing) has anyone the exact spec this carb should be in for trials use , main jet , needle jet etc . I took the head off and its in very nice condition and on standard boar so I don't think this could be the original engine , my brother put it in the back of his church when it stopped sparking but not until he had taken some parts off and lost them , the parts he gave me which he thought where for the bike have turned out to be for his bultaco (plonker) so I am quite a few parts short and they don't appear to be cheap , he has now said he has two spare engines (Villiers) but both are different , I will collect over xmas . some animal has got to the clutch and no primary tensioner is that correct ?

[floydbassman]

The animal marks on the clutchplate nut are from the lesser spotted hammer and screwdriver, a very common way over the years of tightening the clutch nut. Replacement nuts, and the correect clutch tool available from Villiers services. I have seen one where the damaged holes have been cleaned up by drilling out and a home made tool to suit. Mine has the same animal mutilations from long ago, but these days I use a chain mole wrench which grips around the circumference nicely. The primary chain setup is standard. you can adjust the chain tension by using different gaskets between the engine and gearbox.Villiers services do a neat aftermarket spring loaded tensioner which fits at the bottom of the chaincase and uses a longer bolt to hold it, in place of the drain plug.

[craig]

thankyou , is anyone making or got a spare speedo drive for sale ? looks like its off the rear wheel and must have got damaged very easy

[John Wakefield]

thankyou , is anyone making or got a spare speedo drive for sale ? looks like its off the rear wheel and must have got damaged very easy

Complete gearboxes are difficult to find in good condition, but replacement drive gears for the hub & angle drive (the usual reason for failure) are available from East Restorations, note prices may have risen since this quote from them in 2015.

SPEEDOMETER DRIVE GEARS for GREEVES

44 Tooth/20DP x 1 7/8" 26 TPI left-hand Hub Gear ............................ PRICE: £ 50.00
(including postage within UK)

14 Tooth/20DP Planetary Gear with silver steel pin .............................. PRICE: £ 20.00
(including postage within UK)

East Restorations accept various methods of payment but please note:
CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS - please ADD 3% tariff charge to TOTAL
Any Orders/payments, to be sent direct to East Restorations, address below.

East Restorations 63 High Street Navenby LN5 0ET Lincolnshire England: 01522 810029/FAX: 811975
email: eastrestorations@btconnect.com
By Appointment ONLY: Monday-Wednesday: 8.30am-9.0pm Thursday/Friday: 8.30am-9.0pm
CLOSED: WEEKENDS/BANK HOLIDAYS

Best & cheapest option is to ditch the standard Smiths setup & fit a £5 Halfords cycle speedo. (See my piece in December LL)

[Colin Sparrow]

Couple of points (not in anyway related to the casting of alloy beams! ):

The original engine would originally have been fitted with a Greeves Challenger type head and barrel, I assume ported differently from the scrambler set-up. That doesn't mean that the bottom end is non-original, though. It does appear to be the right type.

The gears and pin that John mentions are not the whole picture. You'll still need the speedo drive itself. You should be able to see a threaded hole low down on the alloy brake plate of the rear hub into which the drive unit fits.

P.S. You need a new primary chain...

P.P.S. John, are you sure that's not the ring gear for the steel hub you're quoting? 44 teeth sounds a lot.

[John Wakefield]

P.P.S. John, are you sure that's not the ring gear for the steel hub you're quoting? 44 teeth sounds a lot.

Yes I think you are right Colin for tin hub, as East was selling the angle gearbox for the tin hub (short thread) I thought the gears were the same for both tin & alloy hubs.

[craig]

thanks , I can see this part would be damaged easy , the engine in the bike now is not the one listed as fitted to the frame in 1965 , I have picked up the engine from my brothers , one was for a james so I left him with that (nice paper weight 250cc) the Villiers one I will post a pic as I don't know what its for but it does have the decompresser I am short of for the engine I have here . not sure if any of the other parts are interchangeable as it looks like a smaller engine

[trialrider17]

Craig I presume you got the list OK.
Simon