Hazel's Place

Hazel's Place
Picture modified by Pete C (W650 rider)

Sunday 17 July 2011

Ariel 3 engine removal

While at Uttoxeter, I acquired a Batavus HS50 moped, having somehow justified the purchase on the basis that the Batavus was running and had the same Laura Anker engine as the Ariel 3s.

Now, Bertie Batavus has missing engine covers and he's having to live out in the rain at the moment so I thought I'd borrow covers from one of the Ariel 3s.  The Ariel 3 engine I bought on ebay came without covers so that was no help.  Next possibility was the snot green Ariel 3 that apparently used to live in a hedge.
To access the engine bolts, the yellow chain case cover needed to be removed.
Note the BSA rubber bung proudly advertising the name of the manufacturer.  Bear in mind it would have been completely hidden by the engine enclosure almost all of the time!




 It looks fairly clean inside the chain case, quite unlike everything else.  Engine bolt is accessed just behind the top run of the chain but there is enough slack to not have to remove the chain:

With the two engine bolts removed, the engine lifted out easily, leaving the layshaft, drive chain and inner chain cover in place.  They drop down without the engine bolts to hold them in place:

The engine

 













Engine bolts were replaced to keep the chain case and layshaft in position.  The tall nut on the left hand side is apparently the belt drive adjuster but I haven't really worked out yet how it works - not helped by the distinct lack of belt, I suppose.
Behind the plastic flywheel cover.

Dead bodies

Plastic cover just needs a clean and it is ready to fit to Bertie Batavus.
The flywheel cover fits directly on to the Batavus engine.  There are supposed to be some sort of spring clips to hold them on but those were missing, of course.  That probably explains why the covers are missing on a lot of the other Batavus images I've found on 'tinternet. I'd been hoping there would be a cover for the clutch as well but I'd forgotten that the Ariel 3 has a fan fitted on that side that means there is nowhere for a clutch cover.  However, the flywheel cover also fits where the clutch cover should be so I need to check if there is one in with the original blue Ariel 3 so it can be loaned to Bertie and help keep him protected from the rain.

The idea is to get the Batavus all sorted and running properly and reliably (and road legal so I can use it on NACC runs), then use the running engine as a reference for when I try and put an Ariel 3 together.

6 comments:

  1. Thats a good plan to use the Batavus, just a thought on that flywheel cover, take it to the local camping store and see if its the same size as any of the camping cooking pots? I know someone with an old Villiers engine that did just that. As for the belt for the "3", if you get the sizes you might be able to get one from a bearing factor.
    Don't tell anyone but an old moped has joined the collection, all up and running. All am saying its from the 60s and the engine is built into the rear wheel.. I'll post some pics on the blog sometime.....

    kawa

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  3. Yes, I'd wondered about pots and pans as covers - I've seen it done on Villiers engines and a Google Images search provides a picture of a Batavus that looks as if it has a similar "modification"

    Have you bought a Honda P50? We were looking at those on 'tinternet the other night, prompted by the appearance of one in a Monty Python sketch.

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  4. Got it in one, been thinking about it for a while and finally did a deal one it, I'll just go and post a pic on the blog.... and no laughing!!!

    kawa

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  5. About a week ago (after looking at the pics you had posted that included the Batavus), what should cruise by my house, but a Batavus -and a red one at that. Have never seen an Ariel 3 in California, but have seen a few Batavus. Must have been Bertie's cousin Bartie. Hmmmm was just at Kawas blog and saw the p-50...now I know the whole story....

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  6. Kawa, I'm not really in a position to laugh at you, am I? Although I have posted the Monty Python sketch on FB for you!
    Larry, if you can capture a stray Batavus HS50 please send it to me for spares :-)

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