New B33 Project

[andynorfolk]

Welcome everyone
I've just started a restoring a 1955 BSA B33. Although it arrived more or less in one piece, someone has had a go at stripping the engine and obviously got in a muddle. Hardly any of the bolts were tight and lots with stripped threads, also there are quite a few parts missing inside the crankcases.
I have two questions please, before I get the crank aligned and put the bottom half back together.
1.   The Haynes Manual states that that there should be 0.25 - .0.3mm side clearance between the con rod and the flywheels. Mine has 3.4mm. There is no vertical movement in the big end and the thrust washers don't appear worn. I know Haynes manuals tend cover many engines in the same manual. Is 3.4mm acceptable? If not, what do you think might be missing?
2.   When the crank is pulled up onto the main mearings on the primary side, it sits in the middle of the crank cases but there is plenty of lateral movement in the crank when it is just sitting in the bolted-up crankcases. This wouldn't be a problem when the engine is together and running as the cush drive will hold it in the correct place but the main bearing on the timing side is not lipped on the crankshaft side. What will hold the bearing inner race in place or should there be a spacer on the timing side of the crank to keep this race in place?
Thanks

[idie]

Drive side should be a bearing a large circlip holding the bearing in place a spacer and the other bearing. Timing side one bearing no spacer. Drive side outer bearing there is a spacer chaincase side of bearing then the cush drive. The cush drive pulls everything together. Never given much thought re the rod side play so long as it doesn't touch the flywheels. My B33 is also a 55 model.

[andynorfolk]

Thanks for the quick answer.
Do you know how much lateral play there should be between the con rod and the crankshaft or does it not matter?
Cheers

[idie]

You are on the top end of side play. I would think it would be ok to run so long as the big end eye doesn't touch the fly wheels.

[andynorfolk]

Well the engine bottom half is stripped, cleaned and most of the parts have arrived today. Unfortunately Draganfly Motorcycles (the nearest BSA stockists to me) are still only trading online and can't align the crank yet. I'm going to take it to a friend with a lathe who should be able to do it, or even better, let me use his lathe.
One question I have is, when I took the crank out, I found that the grub screw in the centre of the crank pin, was finger tight and almost falling out. Having removed it and looked down the crank pin, I can't see anything that it would tighten down on. It appears to just screw down to the end of the thread and only be held in place by damaging the deepest couple of threads on the grub screw. Is this right? I would have thought that there should be a shoulder or similar that the screw would screw down onto.
I would be grateful for any advice from any of you with more experience.
Cheers.