SUNBEAM S8

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

It's great that you've finally managed to get the old girl started

I was however shouting at the screen "Take your foot off the fecking kick start man!!"

 

[jonnie comet]

If ever there was a video which reminds us why we all got into motorbikes.....

Chuff Chuff....Fire Fire ....Chuff Chuff ( spit back ) Chuff Chuff Chuffer Chuffer..THRAAAAAAPPPPPPPP !!!!!

Thank you.....

 

[The smudger]

I love the bit on the video where your lady psays , tell you what I leave you the camera give me a call when its running! Class, and well done for the persistant tag team kicking.

That was my son!!!

 

[The smudger]

It's great that you've finally managed to get the old girl started

I was however shouting at the screen "Take your foot off the fecking kick start man!!"

When it was running!!! yes, just noticed that..... Truth is my leg was seized...

 

[steve hughes]

That was my son!!!

Either way he's got sense , leaving you to kick it to death.

Steve

 

[samz]

Got it on the road yet?

 

[The smudger]

Alas not...

The engine is out and i have stripped it. The rings were seized in both pistons so i luckily found a new old stock set on ebay for 29 quid!The pistons are std so the engine is not only the original one that was fitted to the bike in 1949 but it has also never been bored out.

I have just (last week) got the block and head back from having it hot washed. I didn't go down the vapour blasting route as i didn't want the engine to look like new, the bike i have decided NOT to restore after all, i am going for the oily rag look.

So, now i have the engine back, a new timing wheel (old one had 2 teeth missing!) a set of gaskets, new chain etc i just need time to rebuild the engine then slip it back in!

I will add some pictures of where i am etc over the next few days but its all about time now.

I have to get it done for about March time as my newest 'project' is arriving................

 

[Greenman14]

You sent it away for a Hot Wash? Don't you have a dishwasher and a wife who occasionally leaves you alone in the house?

 

[Dozer]

Smudger are you a member of the Sunbeam Owners Fellowship? Ive got an S7 Deluxe and they really helped me out when I first got it, as you know by now, they are unique!

 

[Micky]

You sent it away for a Hot Wash? Don't you have a dishwasher and a wife who occasionally leaves you alone in the house?

Years ago, missis at work, rebuilding an MZ, the crankcases in the gas oven (Gas mark 1/4) for twenty minutes, was just the right temperature, main bearings out of the freezer and 'chink' they dropped in to place with no hammering

A week later she puts the oven on for a Sunday roast and couldn't understand the smell of cats pee and smoke from the oven ... hot gear oil at its best

 

[The smudger]

Smudger are you a member of the Sunbeam Owners Fellowship? Ive got an S7 Deluxe and they really helped me out when I first got it, as you know by now, they are unique!

Hi Dozer, Looks lovely mate! I have one the same, a 1949 model the only difference is mine has a pillion seat! I love the S7Deluxe although as you say they do have they're quirks! I am a member indeed of the SOF, lots of good people on there always willing to help.

Years ago, missis at work, rebuilding an MZ, the crankcases in the gas oven (Gas mark 1/4) for twenty minutes, was just the right temperature, main bearings out of the freezer and 'chink' they dropped in to place with no hammering

A week later she puts the oven on for a Sunday roast and couldn't understand the smell of cats pee and smoke from the oven ... hot gear oil at its best

I did the same Micky with my half time wheel bush in the S8, although i just put the gear on top of the oil radiator in the garage and left the bush outside one night, just dropped in like you say, can't beat the old simple methods!

 

[duckspeed]

Years ago, missis at work, rebuilding an MZ, the crankcases in the gas oven (Gas mark 1/4) for twenty minutes, was just the right temperature, main bearings out of the freezer and 'chink' they dropped in to place with no hammering

A week later she puts the oven on for a Sunday roast and couldn't understand the smell of cats pee and smoke from the oven ... hot gear oil at its best

I'm sure that as an upstanding pillar of the community you gave a full confession Micky?

 

[Micky]

I'm sure that as an upstanding pillar of the community you gave a full confession Micky?

"No cough, no job"

 

[casper]

Years ago, missis at work, rebuilding an MZ, the crankcases in the gas oven (Gas mark 1/4) for twenty minutes, was just the right temperature, main bearings out of the freezer and 'chink' they dropped in to place with no hammering

A week later she puts the oven on for a Sunday roast and couldn't understand the smell of cats pee and smoke from the oven ... hot gear oil at its best

Daily ocurence in our house as I rebuild a lot of Nortons.
So much so that I am putting an oven in my workshop today.
Might restore some domestic harmony.

 

[Dozer]

Hi Dozer, Looks lovely mate! I have one the same, a 1949 model the only difference is mine has a pillion seat! I love the S7Deluxe although as you say they do have they're quirks! I am a member indeed of the SOF, lots of good people on there always willing to help.

I took the pillion seat off, I had a feeling that anyone brave enough to use it would end up getting their ass sanded off by the back tyre when the rear mudguard collapsed....! It wasn't pretty either, absolutely massive, I sold it to a Beamer in the USA. If you have an S7DL, why go through the pain of trying to refurbish another one !!? They are a bit of a nightmare as you know, especially as even basket cases are fetching silly money now. I was offered 10k at a show for mine last summer, by an American that was desperate for one that he could ship back to the States. I couldn't part with it though.

 

[The smudger]

Here's mine Dozer, Must use it more this year.....

 

[Wrinkly]

Here's mine Dozer, Must use it more this year.....

I like that...a lot

 

[Dozer]

If you ever get a chance to pick up a Sunbeam S7 De Luxe, even a basket case, buy it, as they are going to be worth a fortune in the future and for some reason, are incredibly well supported with owners clubs, technical information and a Sunbeam specific supplier. The S8s are a bit cheaper, but the balloon tyred S7 is the one to go for.

Photo attached of the VMCC day at the Ace Café in 2016, quite a lot of Sunbeams attended.....

They are also a peach of a bike to own and ride, once you get used to their strange little ways....!

 

[The smudger]

Well, i can't believe i have had this bike for almost 3 years now...

Thought i would do a little update on the bike.

I removed the pistons as the compressions were on the low side, and found the rings were seized. So rings are not a problem, new set of rings (NOS) found and bought for £30. So the plan was to fit new rings, de-glaze the bores and de-coke the head.

Now the best laid plans...

On these bikes the engine is a parallel twin, so head removal is easy, sump off, pistons out. Now before i replaced the pistons i noticed when cleaning the sump out, 2 'teeth' that looked like gear teeth. It didn't take long to find out where they were from, the 1/2 time wheel, so now i have to remove the engine to get to the timing case to change the sprocket, bollocks....

Engine out, no real problem, and stripped in no time. The engine has never been stripped, but i find the flywheel not was done up (assume at factory?) with a hammer and chisel (I suppose it was 1949...).

Fast foward 18 months...

Here are some pics of the current state of play.

Engine is now finally rebuilt and read to go back into the frame.

Driveshaft overhauled.

Thought i would check the kick start bronze gear before i re-fitted the engine, oh dear, 'that'll be another £200 please sir'....

 

[The smudger]

Checked the clutch plate, I'm sure these holes should be round...


New plate then. Offer the old friction plate up to the new clutch plate, that won't do... After a couple of days investigation, it appears that someone has fitted the wrong clutch friction plate (apparently the one from a hillman imp was very similar and cheaper, and worked if you knocked the top hat sleeves out of the clutch plate (offs...), so, that'll be a new friction plate as well then??

Oh, and because some idiot knocked the top hat sleeved out, the clutch plate chewed away at the studs, new studs? at 11 quid each, i discovered that if you loosen them you can spin them through 180 degrees and hey presto, another £100 (!!!) saved...


Also i have decided NOT to make the bike shiny, already got a shiny one, this is definitely going to be an oily rag.

So i am just cleaning 60 odd years of grime from everywhere, my motto is, "if its rusty but original, and it works, its going back on.

More to come...