AJS & Matchless Owners Club

I have my 1956 16MS 350 crankshaft dismantled and new big end assembly plus new drive / timing side axles ready to go but I am having second thoughts about assembling it myself without the special tool recommended to line up the timing side axle to maintain accurate valve timing. I don't see how the timing side axle position can be accurately set without the setting tool.
Is this tool available anywhere to buy - or is there anybody able to re assemble the crank for me to save any headaches ! At the proper rate of course !
Eric

Try a simpler question just referring to timing side axle !

Don't know of where to purchase a tool but a simple answer is , send it to any of the specialists who advertise in the back of the Jampot mag.

Prefer to do the job myself - you never become a specialist without experience !
I have been building high speed 12/16 cylinder diesels for almost 50 years so I figured out how to sort the problem myself - just looked for a bit of guidance from somebody with the relevant experience thinking no point in re inventing the wheel !

Hi

I don't see a special tool mentioned in the workshop manual, just a pencil line to aid alignment. If you have a press it should be an easy task.

Getting the assembled crank shaft trued will be a little more challenging, but a means to hold between centres and a DTI will do at a push.

Regards Mick

I only did this once, many years ago, under direction from someone who really knew what he was doing (someone on Teesside may remember Frank Reynolds). He had a extremely substantial jig. It looked like a very thick base plate with two (?) posts that must've been 2 1/2 inches in diameter at least and kind of rod and clamp arrangement which pulled the crank wheels up against the posts.

All was fine except that I'd fitted one of the duff crankpins which broke about 5,000 miles or so later.

Regards

Johnny B

Thanks for the comments. There is a tool shown in the manuals but i managed by using a laser to mark the exact vertical through the 12 o-clock tooth on the gear ( fitted temporarily ).
Assembling the flywheel axles and the conrod / big end assembly went smoothly ( I have a freestanding workshop press ) and I managed to get the shafts true to 0.005 at the first attempt without any fiddling. I turned up a dummy big end pin just under size to enable me to get the two wheels concentric and marked them up in several places so that when the two were pressed together with the real crankpin they were as good as there. The jig used to achieve this that is mentioned by 56G80S would make this more easily achieved but luckily I managed to get it pretty good without having one one this occasion.
I have ordered a lead mallet to use to adjust the assembly to the desired 0.001 / 0.002 and I will let you know how I go on.