Engine, clutch and gearbox on my 1953 A7 plunger has been rebuilt and I am now putting it back in the frame. It is in one big lump, that is the gearbox is bolted to the back of the crankcase and the clutch and primary chain case are all in place. It goes back in the frame a treat but I can't get the offside front engine plate in place. After trying many differing approaches I am wondering whether it's actually possible to reinstall the engine in one lump into a plunger? Do I have to remove the primary chaincase, clutch and gearbox to get the front plates to fit? Advice gratefully received... Thanks
Hi,
If I remember rightly when doing my wife's plunger A10 I refitted the bottom end with the front plates fitted. The head went on afterwards. Although it is possible to fit the gearbox separately I would be reluctant to do this as the bolts need to be really secure.
Many plunger cases bear testimony to these bolts coming lose and they are not the easiest to get to once the engine/gearbox in in the frame. If you do not yet have the head on then try sitting the lump in the frame with the front plate fitted. Then fit the rear bolt and pivot the lump to locate the front plates. Do not forget the two that go up from underneath. Do not tighten anything up until all the bolts are in place.
Dave.
the engine plate behind the timing cover has to be loosely held in place and the clutch side engine plate just pushes on when the engine is located. it is a tight fit but the engine does fit fully assembled. hold onto the kickstart and the barrels or engine plate and lift in angled , back first and the knack is getting the front engine plate past the frame lug.
all from memory so i may be wrong somewhere but the manual also tells how to lift the engine in.
Thanks for confirming it's possible and providing some useful tips.. the head isn't on yet so there's plenty of room vertically. It doesn't help that it's a heavy old lump so I might get some additional muscle around before I try again...
curse my bad memory.
i think the primary side front engine plate may have to be dropped in just before final reposition. i vaguely remember a problem with the bottom angle of the plate. but i do remember you need washer spacers between the engine to engine plate and a spacer between the front frame lugs to make it all rigid.
it is awkward to fit the engine and once i needed a crowbar after i got it all jammed. but that was with the pushrod cover attached so without it you should be ok.
I love reading this...
it gives me more reason not to strip the A10 just to sort the wet sumping.
Took a few attempts and some immoderate language but it's finally done. With the engine in place in the frame I put a scissor jack underneath, lifted the engine enough to twist it towards the timing side, attached the timing side front engine plate to the engine with a bit of wire, then lowered and wrestled the engine back in place. Using a bit of wire gives the plate enough movement to get it in place, loosely fixing it by a bolt I found too rigid. My joy at doing that was short lived though as the protrusions at the back of the gearbox that line up with the lug with the two underside bolts were then on the wrong side of the nut securing the downtube. There so little space in any direction that I had to take the downtube bolt off, get the back fixings lined up and then do up the bolt again. Overall a good workout but I managed on my tod. Many thanks again for the advice.. I won't be taking it out again in a hurry though..
more practice required otherwise you will forget. i usually find when the engine and gearbox are in there is an issue with something ive overlooked.