AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Grateful thanks to all. What a great help being a AJS club member is!

Anyway, full engine rebuild now in progress. 1956 model 30. Another question. I will replace all gaskets, filters plus con rod nuts and washers plus main bearing cap nuts washers. Anything else sensible?

Are the standard head gaskets ok or should I buy copper?

Cheers

Don't forget the little gasket between the crankcase halves aroung the oil filter reservoir (it'll leak if you do) Or get the crankcase machined for an O ring. I prefer to use the copper head gaskets with the viton O rings for the oilways. Make sure the gaskets are 1.5mm thick. I also prefer the long Tiger Cub type head nuts. Take your time with the centre web, it takes patience to get it all spinning free.
Dave.

Thanks Dave. I intend buying a full gasket set from the spares service. I assume they are quality? Do you happen to know if that contains the oil filter gasket? Cheers re the centre web. Im in no rush!

Yes a full gasket set will have it (woudn't do any harm to buy a spare one just in case though!)
Dave.

I can recommand an O ring between the crankcases halves.

Thanks Dave and Jean Noel, appreciated

hi victor ;
the standard type composite headgaskets are very good , i use them they are 1.7mm thick .
i have used copper head gaskets but had some problems with them not sealing and they leaked compression .

be carefull of using acorn nuts on the cylinder barrel studs , they may bottom out , i am using just normal 5/16" full nuts and washers .

head torque for the 5/16 studs is around 20 ft/lbs and is 25 ft/lbs for the 3/8 studs but i do my 5/16 studs final torque at a around 24ft/lbs , although you do really need a torque wrench that is 3/8 drive and has a suitable range on it and not a 1/2" drive which only starts at 20 ft/lbs .

i do my nuts up 4 times starting at 10ft/lbs and then going up to 15, then 20 , then leave overnight then final torque 22-24ft/lbs , then run engine and go for a steady ride and park it up , then torque it up again next day .

some people will final torque when hot and some will re torque a couple of times over a few days but i found it was ok to torque them up when putting engine back together and then running it up and a short ride and then do another torque of stud nuts the next day and it seems to be fine thereafter .

i would recommend spending plenty of time on the dynamo seal in the timing case and using the cork gasket from the club spares along with welseal and then let it cure overnight .

tappet clearance is .006" cold , dont worry if the engine whines when its ticking over , they make that noise its great .

cheers
ian
56 nodel 30 ajs .

Thanks Ian. Really helpful advice.