Igniton & Carburation set up

Humble apologies -- I should have read the Bantam Formula Rules first:-

Just a silly bit added on -- in the film "The World´s Fastest Indian" Bert Munro (played by Anthony Hopkins) during the preparations for his Bonneville run pops a pill into his Indian´s fuel tank and an official asks what it was..., to which Bert replies, "Oh! that was only one of my medicine pills -- for luck." In fact it was an anti heart attack pill containing nitro-glycerin or whatever; that definitely would -- if effective like tetra-ethyl-lead -- up the anti-knock (Octane) rating by a huge amount.

Cheers!

I agree Mike -- dodgy stuff methanol.

On the grass I used Victor Martin Track Fuel which was Methanol with 2% Puridin (whatever dope that was??-- I never found out?). With that I used an 850 main jet where others on straight methanol were on 1100 main jet. Very snappy! Where others were suffering holed pistons with 1100 jets and straight meth I had good reliability but none of the heavy flywheel lag with that 500JAP! I made a quick-action throttle-twist-grip that had about a wrist-flick from idling to 5000rpm (45bhp) which made grass exciting!!
Getting aboard my 12horse power Bantam was quite a sad experience after that.
Needless to say I enjoyed it....

"The World´s Fastest Indian". Still holds a Booneville speed record for its vintage class.
Bert Munro -- played by Anthony Hopkins -- reminded me of some of the machines I scrutineered at a couple of Bantam Race meetings.
Some really rough bikes in all classes, complete with with the obvious kitchen untensils -- much modified to suit.... --
I did that scrutineering because a Bantam racer with a Prime Minister´s name reckoned I was a lazy bum and nothing but a windbag*** of a BRC club chairperson....
During scrutineering at the Bonneville Salt Flats Bert is asked what it is on top of his oil tank to which he replies "A champagne cork, of course -- light and reliable."

If you haven´t seen it -- you really should.

*** some people are still saying that -- as well as "Old Hat"...!!

How´s your Dad Derek -- OK I hope!

Pioneering tendancies or as Kiwis call it number 8 (fencing)wire technology.
Bert also knew a scrutineer with a similar name Mc...... from Timaru, he was utter sensored, he said.
This is one of two Indian replicas built for the film

There were two Ducati engined bikes used for the high speed and running filmed sequences
somewhere I have some old 35mm film pictures of the original bike that used to be in a hardware store in Invercargill it had a gate hinge holding the oil tank on too.

Anyway, 1.3mm BTDC on a longstroke running ? 95 ( our Shell V max is 96) octane Shell fuel hmm.
Should depend on the type of ignition system too, if Ed is using old CB points etc as I did on my ex Chas James 125 longstroke at first. Then coil dwell time/ coil voltage build up will be slower will it not ?
I used 1.9mm as recommended by previuous owner, this also seemed to be optimum when changed to a Motoplat system. The spare Lionel Howell 125 still has CB points and runs well at 0.084-0.96" (2.13-2.43mm) with 14.2:1 CR

I thought perhaps with slower burning AvGas more advanced timing might be needed ?
So maybe I will try retarding the 175.
Standard D14/B175 is 1.54mmBTDC

Hi John S,


Probably my fault, i started this to help with my dads racer build which is a pvl ignition and then advice from here on the best carb to use, didnt want to confuse it up with my hobby projects.


Kind Regards



Eddie

Hi, John B and all,
Speaking of pill popping , my late father in law and a few of his mates,used to compensate for
the poor quality fuel that was available after the war by dissolving Mothballs and adding to at tank
of fuel . As these were nearly 100% Naphthalene , i`m sure their engines must have ran a little
a little sweeter for it , at least , he claimed his Scott did !

Yours, nostalgically, Trevor

Hi Trevor!
I´d heard of that. At that time of petrol rationing there was an old chap in our village running his 1923 Morris Major on TVO (a tractor paraffin, coloured to not be used in cars) by having the fuel pipe running alongside the exhaust manifold. Not to vaporize, just to warm the paraffin up for better starting.
This car had a cork clutch which had the engine oil circulating through its housing...

This is too long -- so I have to close -- the real reason for mentioning cork clutches I could tell you later -- but only if you are communingly interested??


Bullshiner Bassy! (no doubt pleasing retired champ, Peter Tee...!!)

Good Morning All,


Can anybody advise on where to purchase the rubber manifold stub to suit a amal 34mm mk2 to a btw barrel and part number.


Kind Regards



Eddie

Hi Ed,
Ring Allen's performance as they have a good selection of inlet rubber styles.
Cheers,
Alan

Ed,

I think I am running a VM34-200 or VM36-200 from Allens, they are 70mm bolt centre plate manifolds 34 and 36 are the inlet internal bore

Loads of info on their webpage

http://www.allensperformance.co.uk/products-manifolds.html

James

Hi James & Alan,


Thanks for the information, i will look into that.


Kind Regards


Eddie

If you use a fibreglass tank, avoid ordinary pump petrol like the plague.

I used to use Shell Optimax because this was easy to obtain.

Early in 2010, without publicity, the ethanol content of this and other wayside pump petrol was increased to improve its Green credentials. This reduced the sides of the original 002 petrol tank to waifer thickness and leaks appeared at random. This tank is now a museum piece. The 175 suffered as well and I have resorted to multiple internal and external treatments with limited success. Flakes of fibreglass played havoc with filters and carb jets. I believe Steve Frayne suffered in similar fashion last year from mid season onwards.

Large in-line fuel filters are now on both bikes as a result.

I now source Avgas from a flying club in 20 litre quantities. It is more expensive at approx £1.85 / litre and I travel quite a distance to get it, but the problem now seems to be cured.

Hope this helps

Chris

I have just bought 20 litres of Avgas from the local airfield... a total of £42, yet another increase on the last lot I bought.
NPlease note the comments from Chris, very valid!
Cheers,
Alan

Hi Guys,

Yes i have taken note of the comments from Chris as have found out first hand the effects to a fbireglass tank that i thought i had fixed.


Eddie

Good afternoon all,

Hopefully gonna try and do some testing on the red rigid soon, with a 32mm mk1 amal is 280 - 320 a safe range to try with on the main jet?



Regards



Eddie

Hope it goes OK -- Good Luck Ed...

Hi John,


Thanks for that, well if we dont try it only end up being a static display.



Eddie