My 36MX4

[geoff lemar]

Hi everyone here is some photo's of my original 36MX

[Colin Sparrow]

Now I call that very nice! Hope it goes as well as it looks!

[geoff lemar]

36mx4

Thanks Colin and yes it goes very well I'm sure the pinging problem wont take much to correct and other than that it has a couple of age related issues but nothing to major, Can't wait to ride it properly.Do you know how much oil the front forks take?

[Colin Sparrow]

Do you know how much oil the front forks take?

Cerianis? I used to when I was running the 380 Griffon for my son, but all my records are packed away pending my delayed house move

Someone on here will know - any offers folks?

[John-Boy]

I run mine with 180cc of oil.

The information from Greeves seems to vary between 145 and 175 cc.

Some folk remove the springs, bottom-out the forks and then fill the legs until the oil is within 6 inches of the top of the stanchions. You need to extend and compress the forks a few times first to eliminate air locks. Using this procedure my forks take 200cc in each leg.

[geoff lemar]

front forks

Thanks John I will give it go this forum is working well , is that a picture of your current bike and has it been restored?

[John-Boy]

Hi Geoff,
yes this is my current bike. I bought it as a non-runner in a poor state and spent a lot of time and money to get it into racing condition. It wasn't until I stripped it down that I discovered it had a 380 engine with the original Challenger gearbox and clutch.

Other non-standard parts are the exhaust which I adapted from a Circle-F Bultaco expansion chamber supplied in pieces, which I welded together; Electronic ignition from Simon Bateman (Nametab Engineering) aluminium wheel rims and stainless steel spokes.

I ride the Greeves for fun in local Classic scrambles and in several of the Greeves Championship meetings.

By the way, going back to your original question about the pinging sound. You should have a thick 'composition' gasket under the cylinder base, as well as two paper gaskets. It is a 1/16 of an inch or more in thickness and as well as affecting port timing and compression, it provides a heat barrier between the cylinder and crankcase.

I hope that helps.

Regards

John

[geoff lemar]

current bike

Thanks John,your bike looks good I was lucky finding an original one but I bet you I will end up spending just as much money keeping it going as age is not friendly to most parts of any bike.

[riflegreen]

Geof & John ,

Nice pair of 360 there , they were my favourite .

John , you turn a 360 into a 380 by sticking a bigger piston in , the works 360were at varous times 390 & 400 using a 83mm & 84mm piston .

The last works 360 ( ! ) , had nickel plated frames & red fibre glass also we ran them with a BVF carburettor ( East German ? ) . In photos you can tell which ones because they had a a rexine shield hiding the carb and clipped to the rear frame tubes . There is one in the Greeves book, entitled Bryan Wade goes ploughing .

The cover was to hide the carb from the Amal peoples sight .

Like all Comp Shops we could be devious as well .

Chris

[Bearingman]

Geof & John ,

Nice pair of 360 there , they were my favourite .

John , you turn a 360 into a 380 by sticking a bigger piston in , the works 360were at varous times 390 & 400 using a 83mm & 84mm piston .

The last works 360 ( ! ) , had nickel plated frames & red fibre glass also we ran them with a BVF carburettor ( East German ? ) . In photos you can tell which ones because they had a a rexine shield hiding the carb and clipped to the rear frame tubes . There is one in the Greeves book, entitled Bryan Wade goes ploughing .

The cover was to hide the carb from the Amal peoples sight .

Like all Comp Shops we could be devious as well .

Chris

I like the MX4 as well. I was chatting with Dick Mann one day and he rode a 36MX4 in the 68 Inter-Am series, he told me it was Greeves best scrambler ever, said the Griffon handled like a Husqvarna.

I think I saw a photo of Wade using what looked like a Bing side bowl carb as well on his prototype.

Kenny

[John-Boy]

Hi Chris,

thanks for the info on the 360. I wasn't sure whether it had a different bottom end from the 380 but apparently not. My crankcase doesn't have an engine number so I guess it has been replaced at some time.

John

[Bearingman]

Hi Chris,

thanks for the info on the 360. I wasn't sure whether it had a different bottom end from the 380 but apparently not. My crankcase doesn't have an engine number so I guess it has been replaced at some time.

John

Hi John,

Something to know if your searching for cases...

The 380 Griffon cases are machined flat on the back side for the Greeves gearbox and mates up a little differently than the Albion G/B.

Regards,
Kenny

[stormer254]

Did any of the360s have a single port exhaust? I have one but always thought it was a retrofitted QUB barrel,

[John-Boy]

Hi John,

Something to know if your searching for cases...

The 380 Griffon cases are machined flat on the back side for the Greeves gearbox and mates up a little differently than the Albion G/B.

Regards,
Kenny

Many thanks Kenny, I guess mine must have a 360 crankcase as it fits the Albion box OK. I noticed from the parts manuals that the 360 and 380 crankcases have different numbers.

Regards
John

[Bearingman]

Many thanks Kenny, I guess mine must have a 360 crankcase as it fits the Albion box OK. I noticed from the parts manuals that the 360 and 380 crankcases have different numbers.

Regards
John

Hi John,

Happy to help.

Funny story, I built an MX4 250 for a fellow using your Circle-F patterns. Kevin shipped me the pieces tack welded together and we made the rest using the single exhaust header pipe for the 250 motor.

I've been piecing a MX4 together for myself for a few years now and can never finish due to so many other projects and other pressing issues.

Regards,
Kenny