DIY idiots

Gather round brothers, for I must rant.

I bought a 91 SOJawa 350, in "running order".
Now for 200 quid I realise that some fettling will be required and
any bike will showing signs of its age after 17 years.

It actually scrubbed up quite well, the dud battery was sort of expected
and one duff condenser was not unreasonable. Still difficult to start
until I rescued the oily rag from inside the airbox. This is getting
omninous.

Out for a quick test ride and the brakes and handling are shite.
45 psi in both tyres and the TLS front brake is so badly adjusted that
only one shoe is doing any work - Idiots but simple fettling.

Try again, handles and brakes better but poor performance and tinny
clatters from the left cylinder. Some clown has fitted a japanese
carb with a smaller bore. Ignition timing should be 3mm BTDC not bloody
15. Off with the left head and barrel, the small end feels a bit slack.
Stuff rags around the crankcase opening and out
with the circlips and pin. Out come 22 - count them - needle rollers.
There should be 28 in there so someone has opened it up before.

Big question - where are the missing 6 needles ?.
Now I will have to split the crankcase which means a complete engine
strip because it is obvious where the little blighters have gone.

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH.

Does anyone want a shite old Jawa ?.

 

I quite like those.

Etch-a-sketch retrieval. Take the engine out of the frame, turn it
upside-down, shake. There can't be too many nooks and crannies in there.

 

Magnet onna stick?

 

Or blutack.

 

.... just as long as the blutack doesn't fall off.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Eddie

It'd probably only stop up one of the oil leaks.

No worries.

 

None of these is likely to work, its a 2smoke so not enough room to poke
anything down and there is a residue of sticky oil to hold onto the
needles. A strip is the only sure option.

 

There shouldn't really be much of a residue in the chamber below the
barrels. Obviously the gearbox is separate, so they won't have gone in
there. I'd remove both barrels, take out the engine, pour a pint or
two of petrol in through the crankcase mouth, shake, and upturn it.
That should sort it.

 

Shuffled around some things on a desk last night, saw something fall,
heard something shatter, picked up pieces, found broken speedometer
glass and scratches on freshly painted speedo housing.

Oh well.

 

That's not what you said at the time is it?

 

Actually, I did. It was the end of one of those days.

I said something different when I looked at it this morning.

 

Good idea, but the problem is that the previous bodger may or may not
have lost them down the hole. If I could rely on counting the bits
flushed out I would be confident, but if there are a few short they
might still be in there or they might have been left on the bodgers
workbench. Worth a quick try but I have a nasty feeling that the count
of needles will not add up and I will have to open it anyway.

 

I'm sure the count won't add up, but if they've fallen down the crack
in his workshop floor, who cares? Your only worry is that there may be
some rattling around the crank, and as long as you're sure there
aren't, and a petrol flush will sort that out, you'll be OK. Well,
once you've bought new rollers.

Those uncaged rollers are a bugger. They've caught out many a Jawa/CZ
owner before you.

 

Bloody stupid things.
A parcel containing caged replacements plus a few gaskets etc arrived
from Mick Berrill's emporium this morning.

 

A lot of people love them as reliable old ratbikes.
Its just that my relationship with this example is not getting off to
a good start so it will probably have to go after I have wasted the
usual too much money on fettling.

Someone will get a nice old bike.

 

I pick up the MZ I've bought this weekend. Only £200 worth, like yours
(well, £205). I am regarding its acquisition with a certain amount of
trepidation. But Jawa/CZs are just nasty things to ride. Sorry, but
it's true.

 

<waves>

<remembers greasing Aprilia's rear linkages>

<waves again>