Work picked up to re-commission Atlas #2. I have to remove the primary case to replace the oil seal behind the ignition backplate and also find the leak in the exhaust system. I quickly found a crack around the front boss on the collector so the system had to come off.
First step was to get the remaining nuts off the exhaust studs. I’d been working on this over the weeks with a combination of WD40 and heat. Perseverance and patience paid off and finally the last nut moved and came off leaving the stud in the head (two of the four wound the stud out).
The front pipes and collector are full of rust but without the crack would’ve been useable albeit unsightly. My philosophy is to carry on using the parts and not worry about cosmetics. I also like to preserve original parts as you never know what might be useful in the future (as evidenced by handing old silencers over to Malcolm Cox for fabrication). In this case however it wasn’t possible to get the pipes and collector apart with just heat so out came the Dremmel! The thin cut doesn’t completely ruin the collector but I wish it hadn’t been necessary.
With the exhaust removed the extent of salt damage to the paint of the cases was clear 😦 Fresh paint will sort the paint but the real problem was to remove the allen bolts holding the primary case in place. As I go to press all bar one have come out with heat and a ring spanner on the end of the allen key. The final bolt however has resisted all attempts and I fear mangling the head with just a key – I’ve sourced an extra long key with a 3/8ths drive to try next weekend…perseverance and patience…
Nick 🙂
Bent screwdrivers, big hammers and old Laverdas 