Effie has been stripped down and I’ve begun work making and replacing worn parts. Surprisingly, the pistons were in pretty good shape, but I’m having the barrels rebored and am putting new pistons in. I won’t know how worn the crank-shaft bearings are until the motor is dismantled, but will replace them anyway.
I’ve finished making the new hub and it’s now at electroplaters, along with all the front spokes. I’ve borrowed a 2-speed gearbox and have taken it apart to copy. Over many years, damage has been done to the gearbox, when people have tried to adjust the bearings without the correct tool. The internal adjusting nuts were burred and took all day to remove.
I’m having a casting made at the foundry of the gearbox casing. Next will be to get some steel and turn out the new gears and shafts. I can only do the machining of the blanks, and will have to send out to get the teeth cut. Then all the materials will have to be hardened.
At the same time, I’ve been re-tubing a sidecar chassis I bought recently. I’ve acquired a beautiful wicker sidecar which will grace Effie next year when we head off overseas again for our next adventure.
The little FN looks a bit forlorn all in pieces. Time will tell just how worn her engine is, but she’ll be as good as new once I’ve finished. There’s a busy year ahead, but it’s great to have a winter project and a nice warm workshop in our new house to work in. There’s still some unpacking to finish and a number of posters and photos to put on the walls.
Among the many mementos to go on display, is this special miniature FN and rider, courtesy of Moto Retro Farmenne Ardenne. It says, “Thank you for making us dream.” I’m extremely honoured to have been awarded the trophy and it’s a wonderful reminder of the friends I made on my journey in 2012.
