MDS Cush Drive Bearings

[morrad]

Hi.
As I did not have the bearing type fitted to my early 1963 MDS cush drive, I took them to a local bearing company who identified them and sold me the pair. They cost me £32.50 (pair). I later once I new the reference type which is KLNJ 3/4 R12. looked on the good? old EBAY and found a pair of new bearings for £10.20 (pair). Never mind this may help others.

Another interesting one for John Collard is that my 24MDS left the factory in March 1963 with a engine number of 085E200 which villiers list as a 9E 197cc. Interesting did Greeves use old 9E bottom ends with 36A con rods and Greeves Square barrels? Any one know?
Rod.

[Andy Z]

Bearings

Hi.
As I did not have the bearing type fitted to my early 1963 MDS cush drive, I took them to a local bearing company who identified them and sold me the pair. They cost me £32.50 (pair). I later once I new the reference type which is KLNJ 3/4 R12. looked on the good? old EBAY and found a pair of new bearings for £10.20 (pair). Never mind this may help others.

Another interesting one for John Collard is that my 24MDS left the factory in March 1963 with a engine number of 085E200 which villiers list as a 9E 197cc. Interesting did Greeves use old 9E bottom ends with 36A con rods and Greeves Square barrels? Any one know?
Rod.

The KLNJ3/4, or R12 bearing is another one of those bearings which are much cheaper when you buy a chinese-made one than a quality major brand. So even though the ebay ones look really cheap, personally I'd steer clear of them!

I had some cheap ones in a BSA rear hub, both sealed bearings, and they lasted less than 4000 miles.

Cheers,
Andrew

[John Wakefield]

Bearings & Viliers 9E

I agree with what Andy Z has said about bearings. The other thing is that the 'retail' price of bearings is very high & the normal trade price is somewhat 50% cheaper. Of course you need a trade account to get this. Unfortunatly there are not many independent bearing stockist around these days & the likes of Bearing Services Ltd (BSL) have a minimum order charge & really only want to deal with trade customers. Best to use one of the firms that advertise in OBM.
As for morrad's question on whether Greeves used the 9E bottom end, the answer is yes up to 1958 when the 246cc 31A was introduced. (Incidentally according to the book Villiers Singles & Twins by Roy Bacon, the 085E series were 36A NOT 9E.) Hence why Bert Greeves went into producing alloy 'square' barrells that were used on the 1958 ISDT bikes & developed by Brian Stonebridge. Villiers never sold just the bottom end to Greeves (or any other manufacturer) they had to buy the whole complete enging & discard the top end if they wanted to fit an alloy one. There is a story that Greeves sold (or gave away) the Villiers iron barrells to local fishermen for net weights. Other were sold on by Pride & Clark.

[morrad]

Hi John
Many thanks for your reply. I checked a Villiers info web site that stated that all 247cc engine numbers had an A, and that 197cc had an E. But I am sure you are correct. I had read in Leading Link years ago about Greeves getting rid of the new barrels and heads, looking at ebays prices the club could have made a packet, but a cristal ball would have been a fine thing.
Rod.

[riflegreen]

I remember back in the day when all the Villiers barrels were put above the paint shop , there were hundreds , the factory made some money back by selling them to dealers for a pound each ( barrel & head ) .

Plus a lot more just vanished , there were rumours that some works riders were supplementing their wages but that is just hearsay .

Had not heard the one about the leigh fishermen but any is possible .