Now that the heart of the machine, the motor, is ready to be buttoned up and returned to the frame, the other major mechanical component to be assessed and "Cannonball-ized" is the BSA's three speed gearbox. As of this post, the gearbox has since been re-installed into the frame and is awaiting the return of the motor. Here's what was discovered upon removal and disassembly, as well as what was repaired and/or updated.
When the gearbox was removed, it was found to be in good internal condition. From appearances, new cogs and selectors had recently been fitted and were in good shape. The mainshaft has acceptable, but not excessive end float. As the oil was being drained from the box, it was filtered in the process. This filtration process produced a small piece of metal, which was later deemed to have come from the corner of the first tooth in the kickstart quadrant. Ken and Phil determined that the piece was installed one tooth too far and was almost leaving the register with the mainshaft. Luckily the evermore attentive and skilled duo were able to correct the issue.
All of the oil passages were found to be clear of debris, which is very important as we all know. An un-lubricated motor or gear change set is an unhappy fellow, something that cannot be afforded on a trans-continental journey. An important update to the gearbox is the addition of oillite bearings. These provide a larger and much more suitable surface for absorbing oil to lubricate. Ken has also chosen to update his Rudge with these bearings, and as I stated before I feel completely trusting of Ken and Phil's judgement.
The only other area of concern was the gear change selector, which was improperly fitted by a previous owner. The downside to this was the vital importance in positioning the hand shifter on the fuel tank in order to properly select gears one through three and neutral. It was found that the gear change selector was not registering on the spring loaded locator, which has since been adjusted and now functions properly.
After all of the diagnosis, examinations and repairs, the transmission was cleaned and reassembled before the re-installation in the frame. On a final note, the clutch and clutch plates have been deemed to be in great condition and were left untouched. That about wraps it up for the gearbox build. Another beautiful and tidy bit of work by the crew at Vintage and Veteran. Next, I will cover the frame and front end repairs and updates.
Buck Carson
Confirmed Cannonballer # 3
Carson Classic Motors Race Team
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