Poll

Sadly, I am colour deficient, and useless at making decisions upon colour choices. What colour should the BSA be in your opinion? (I withold the right for my wife to veto any of your choices) :-)

Black with red upholstry
1 (12.5%)
Cream sides, green bonnet and boot with black upholstry
2 (25%)
Dogsc0#k red (sorry, apparently it is a thing so my decorator colleague says) and black
0 (0%)
British Racing Green + black upholstry
3 (37.5%)
Cream and navy upholstry
2 (25%)

Total Members Voted: 8

Author Topic: BSA 3 wheeler.  (Read 13147 times)

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1077
  • Location: Cumbria
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
    CKGB Committee
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #30 on: 26 Mar 22, 01:51 pm »
So, this week I have found a little time to progress.

Got some spacers made up for the rear axle

drilled some stainless steel strip for the front end (old 2' rules that were deemed out of standard)

Shaped and sized the front springs

Dry fit the front end and worried it was too stiff. - Stopped worrying and got on with it.

Shaped its mouth parts

Ground and set up my rear "drop outs" for the rear axle, drilled the ends ready for the chain tensioners, marked my milled slots out for a mate to do and set out the hole for the brake caliper retaining pin.

I am still finalising the design of the floor box but need a bit more time as work is busy. Easter might see some more progress.
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Stan Laurel

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 312
  • Location: Taunton Somerset
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #31 on: 26 Mar 22, 06:05 pm »
Great job !!  Like the use of Stainless Steel Rule.   ;D


  • Forum user
  • Posts: 171
  • Location: South Yorkshire
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #32 on: 26 Mar 22, 06:49 pm »
Looking amazing Jim.
I'm not quite as green as I'm cabbage sounding.

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1077
  • Location: Cumbria
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
    CKGB Committee
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #33 on: 27 Mar 22, 08:39 am »
Looking at body line this morning and pondering clamping brackets for the front springs

I am happily within proportion for width from the original BSA (42" and 47.5") at 900mm for the body and a small shade under 1000m for the track. It looks like the starter pull of the motor could stay inboard which was one of my concerns.

I will re-site the fuel tank on the other side to the engine to balance things out a bit.
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Stan Laurel

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1284
  • Location: Tamworth
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #34 on: 27 Mar 22, 09:17 am »
I'm hoping I'm not teaching anyone how to suck eggs, but you do know the starter unit can be rotated to several positions, it doesn't have to be in that location.
We must avoid torturing our brains with false problems, it occupies but it can annoy. In jest!

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1077
  • Location: Cumbria
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
    CKGB Committee
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #35 on: 27 Mar 22, 09:31 am »
I did not Rhys! Thanks for the tip, this engine is new territory for me :-)
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Stan Laurel

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 356
  • Finally getting back to my build after a few years
  • Location: Suffolk
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #36 on: 27 Mar 22, 12:07 pm »
It looks extraordinarily innovative and so well executed, Jim. Do I gather you have a technical background?

What tyre did you choose?
I don't want to bore you all with the details, here. But if you are interested, have a look at my blog https://peteskart.blogspot.com/

-Peter

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1077
  • Location: Cumbria
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
    CKGB Committee
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #37 on: 27 Mar 22, 12:15 pm »
@ Tinworm, I am a wood butcher by trade, built bars, guitars, bench work, furniture, site fixing and shopfitting  but have spannered things in the past. I built a Lomax 223 back in my late teens early 20's and it took me forever in a rented council garage with no electricity in the late Eighties.
I have probably got the cheapest tyres on Ebay on the front end, which I will regret I'm sure as although the wheel runs true the tyre does not when you spin it up. The rear is a bit better quality but still a no-name scooter 13" job.
The point of the tyres was just to get me started with sizes and stop me knocking hell out of the rims with all the dry fitting before paint.
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Stan Laurel

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 503
  • Location: Llangadog
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #38 on: 27 Mar 22, 12:35 pm »
There are six holes in the pull start flange, and 12 holes in my aftermarket shroud, only 3 of those have threads. So you can unbolt the pull start and rotate it to a position that suits you. A longer pull start cord can also be fitted to allow "remote" operation. If you can't get the position you want you could always add rivnuts to 3 of the other holes.

As for tyres you don't want too much grip on the back, if you have there's a tendency to end up on two wheels, not telling how I know that.
 
Chris

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1077
  • Location: Cumbria
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
    CKGB Committee
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #39 on: 03 Apr 22, 08:15 am »
Thanks all for the tips on turning the starter, it was a 2 minute job and seems well sited now.
Lots of little jobs this week,

Rotating the starter
Getting the rear wheel attachment milled, drilled and welded to its sub-frame, sorting out the chain tensioner / wheel aligning mounts.

Getting the brake retaining pin in the right spot and welded up

Making a set of spring clamps and adding a bit to the front end to make the springs sit parallel (more grinding and drilling still need fixing)

Taking a diversion when the guts of a door closer drew my eye towards it's rack and pinion, spring and potential Pitman arm.

Ordering the plywood (no bleeding birch ply to be had from any of my suppliers, had to go far eastern  >:( )

doing some scaling for the body and being pleasantly surprised as to how well it scales, even with 27" seat back to scuttle top.

Grinding away a tiny bit of TAV for clearance around my chain tensioner roller (necessary on the slack side of the chain to avoid a clash with the TAV, looks like it will work)
 All in all not much visual progress but a fair few jobs done. Got to garden and relax today. :-)


... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Stan Laurel

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 171
  • Location: South Yorkshire
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #40 on: 04 Apr 22, 08:32 am »
You've been busy Jim.
I notice a 685mm on the sketch between seat back and dash. Is that a fairly standard size in order to get in?
I'm not quite as green as I'm cabbage sounding.

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1077
  • Location: Cumbria
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
    CKGB Committee
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #41 on: 04 Apr 22, 08:36 am »
Reading the USA forum, most people seem to agree 27 inch is about enough, I am fortunate in the original scales to about that at 0.75
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Stan Laurel

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 171
  • Location: South Yorkshire
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #42 on: 04 Apr 22, 08:41 am »
Reading the USA forum, most people seem to agree 27 inch is about enough, I am fortunate in the original scales to about that at 0.75
Thanks Jim.
Looks like I shall have to revisit my body profile. (By 'my' I mean the cyclekart, though the current extension on the front of mine could be altered a bit!)
I'm not quite as green as I'm cabbage sounding.

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 1077
  • Location: Cumbria
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
    CKGB Committee
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #43 on: 08 Apr 22, 01:08 pm »
Well the plywood came and it was the usual made in china stuff that makes me cry every time I saw through a void. A bit of careful cutting has just about got the stuff I need from the thicker board. The dash backer is yet to finally shape due to needing a physical reference to get a couple of measurements.  I just got 27" after the transition from 15 degrees negative at the seat back to 7.5 degrees negative at the dash.
Made the braces for under the floor, half lapped and glue blocked with P.U.
Made the framework for the cab side panels
Finished off the spring clamps.

Incongruous picture from the bottom of the garden as our local mountain was doing a good impression of Ayers rock this morning at sunrise.
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead. Stan Laurel

  • Forum user
  • Posts: 171
  • Location: South Yorkshire
    • View Profile

  • Badges: (View All)
Re: BSA 3 wheeler.
« Reply #44 on: 08 Apr 22, 06:21 pm »
Fantastic progress Jim. It's really looking car shaped!
I'm not quite as green as I'm cabbage sounding.