Terrot MT1 Motorcycle restoration project

[jjeffries]

The magneto is the villain. Of course, I know not whereof I speak, but it sounds right. John

[Cortina]

There is a vent hole in the cap Mike.
It is an item designed for this kind of thing, but a bit cheap in construction....

hmm - yes , all the way from India , I have one too ..... bought for a 50cc two stroke .... you don't want to know.

ignition possibly ?? .... who'd av thought that ???

[911hillclimber]

Yes, Indian off ebay.
I had a much smaller one of a different simpler 'design' but this one has a stop cock so appealed, and gave a head of fuel to gravity feed to the carb.
IF it is magneto then it would underline why the changes in carbs etc have not been effective.
The plug change has been very noticeable in the way the engine runs.

I think, but am not sure, I glued the base plate to the new condenser not soldered, but tomorrow will tell.

It would be a dream come true if the condenser change magically cures all, but somehow I doubt it will.
At least magnetos don't stink of petrol!
Am I ever sick of working in petrol and the fumes, not even doing the washing up gets rid of it. (yes, we do not have a dish washer, no room in the garage for one reason...)



Magneto as revealed on first strip-down of the bike:

[911hillclimber]

Well...IT WORKS!

Took the condenser out and the new one was glued by me to the aluminium base as per picture below.
I now remember from nearly 2 years ago I put a coil of copper wire between the alum base plate and the cond body to ground it all with a ring of araldite around the cond base.
Don't remember testing it for continuity.....too keen to get it all rebuilt, dreaming of this neat sharp French Folly cruising down the lanes with a light smoke trail after it.

So, rigged-up the new condenser from yesterday, a Wipac one with one lead, but got it all together and earthed to the motor outside of the case as suggested for trials by Villiers.

Got the fuel set up better, the medium hot plug in and set the flywheel to 5mm BTDC having checked the points for their 0.4mm gap. All cock-on.

Down on the floor with the rig and a small squirt of EasyStart for good measure.

2 kicks, nothing.

Another 2 and BRUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM the bloody thing started!

AND it ran, AND it throttled vroom, vroom vroom and all that stuff.

FFS it was working!

Stunned after a good minute I ran out of fuel!

Nipped the plug out, clean and slightly wet. Opened the sump drain and a very small trickle came out and stopped.

Felt the float was a bit high as neat fuel was over the carb (the original carb no less) so clicked that a few notches and re-tried the whole lot again.

Second kick, and Vrooom, vroom, vroom for ages, smooth for a 2 stroke and it ran on constant throttle as well as throttle tweeking, the rig skimming over the garage floor with the vibration and me standing on it along for the ride.

Fred Carnow's circus with a clown aboard!

What can I say, a chance conversation, a nudge on here too and the problem is SOLVED.

My stupid installation of a non standard condenser into an awkward space and that is all it was.

So, excitement cooling down as I type this, what is next?

Tidy the condenser installation into the magneto and try to fine tune the carb.
It does not like hot starting, so I hope that can be fixed by the fine tuning.

Some cosmetic work to make the motor look pretty again and then remove the 4 stroke 50cc engine and re-fit this one and get it all tidy.

My next problem I know will be will I want to sell it now I'm back in love with my French Fancy?

Once all done for Xmas I will get the Peugeot BIMA, 1952 into the garage, but I will get that engine going before I do ANYTHING else.

You will all be very happy I won't trouble you with my issues on that one!

Is this then the biggest classic motorcycle cock-up in the UK? LOL!

[KS]

Yay! Congratulations!

[gridgway]

Excellent, job indeed, what a relief!
Graham

[911hillclimber]

Thank you both.
What a slog this has been, all down to a mistake I made a long long time ago.
However, I have learnt a lot...

First being Never Give Up
Second is to think harder
Third is not to rush
Forth is do not do a French bik!

So, being a poor Lerner, another Frene Folloy will be in the garage in a few weeks.
But, I suspect there will be further adventures to this Terrot in the clutch and gearbox.

For now though, a mega step forward.

[Ashley James]

It’s always worth testing a condenser. Just using an Ohm meter and watching the needle swing toward a low resistance and then rapidly move towards infinity is usually enough to know it’ll work. Most old ones tend to have a resistance and at some point this stops the working.

[gridgway]

It’s always worth testing a condenser. Just using an Ohm meter and watching the needle swing toward a low resistance and then rapidly move towards infinity is usually enough to know it’ll work. Most old ones tend to have a resistance and at some point this stops the working.

Now there's a thing. I should know why that is, but my A level physics is not helping me. SOmething about the time constant CR, perhaps.

I can see why it moves off to the infinity end, but can't work out why it should go down before going up.

Graham

[Ashley James]

It’ll pass AC or switching DC, but not DC?

[andytat]

Well done Graham, what a result!
You did say a long while back that it would be a stupid
problem, good work in finding it. You should probably
wait till the summer to sell it so that you can ride it in
some good weather.

[Berny]

Well done nice to hear it's running ! just pop it back in now and on the road !

[911hillclimber]

Have to say it sounds great with really fast throttle response!

Ordered all the bits to re-fit into the frame, cables etc.
Plan is to get it fully done and dusted by Xmas.

I expect the clutch to be a problem and maybe the box.
Previous owner(s) ran the bike with no oil....
2nd looks very worn, but we shall see.

Oddly tempted to keep it after all this grief and cost. It owes me around £3500, maybe worth 1/2 that.

The Peugeot BIMA moped will be next, might be an Oily-rag restoration, but seriously thinking going electric.
Lots of great stuff around to electric push bikes and the BIMA is just a bike with an awkward engine/drive roller.

[keith fellowes]

Great news Graham
Think this sums you up:
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. Calvin Coolidge

[Kneeslider]

^This, is good^

Well done for sorting it all out, persistence pays off, eventually, and the grinding relentless process of elimination comes up trumps. I know that you don't want to ride it on the road, but surely you owe yourself a fun little spin on it on some private ground somewhere, just to make sure that it selects all gears and pulls under load?