Fresh blood!

[Toby Robson]

I am now the proud co-owner of a 1947 Scott! If any of you were at the Carol Nash Bristol Classic Bike Show – it was my father and I who snaffled DJY 147.

She’s now safely nestled back in a locked garage, and my Pa has already been pouring over her and starting a list of the things we need to do to get her back into basic running condition before starting a more intensive restoration. My Dad has a few problems with his short term memory these days (which is useful if its his round!) – but there’s nothing wrong with most of his memories about his favourite bike of yore – a very similar Flying Squirrel which he rode from around ’60 to ’64. So, we have a team of three – Pa and me and a long standing good old friend John, who’s something of a petrol head (but usually works on things with four wheels rather than two!)

Before we even get to the list of chores in terms of cleaning and fixing, we need to get to grips with whats missing from her (if anything!) – and this is where some of the minor modifications which inevitably happen to a bike over the years make life a little bit interesting.

Whilst I wait for my official membership approval to come through to allow me to post in the members only area, I was wondering if any of you could help out with some tips, hint, advice and pointers!

First off, the bike is missing the plugs off of the ends of the HT leads (its been converted form 6v to 12v – the battery is missing too) – and TBH, the HT leads themselves look like they might best be replaced. What would be a close match for the originals?

Second, we’re missing the front brake cable… and this is where it gets strange. In the old pictures amongst the bits which the seller has generously supplied (and which includes its previous owners petrol ration books, going back to 1947!!!), the bike is shown head on. Between the forks is a device I can only describe as looking something like the splitter which old-school push-bikes use to yoke the two wires to actuate an old style caliper brake down either leg of the fork. Dad’s the bike expert (as my dodgy terminology probably reveals!) – but as far as he can remember, his bike had a single bowden cable simply terminated onto the hub. What was the standard set up for a Scott? Was this an old part which may have been superceded if someone fitted a newer hub? Or, given that we can see where the ‘device’ was mounted from the empty bolt holes, and the fact that the cable is missing, tell us that this part is required… (which will lead on to the next inevitable question!)

Anyway, I’ll try and add links to photographs as we go and as and when my full membership is approved… And if I haven’t outstayed my welcome already, I’ll also add some questions about whether the bike had a reserve tank (there appears to be two fittings into the petrol side of the, one attached to a fuel line, one not)

Anyway, thanks for having me on board, I suspect I’ll be acting mainly as ‘forum-butler’ for the motorcycling brains behind the operation, so please excuse any ignorant sounding comments on my behalf – I have a steep-learning curve to climb!

All the best,

Tobes

[richard norris]

Welcome to the Club, you will be in for an interesting and rewarding time. Like you I am relatively new to the club (2008) and have learnt a great deal. My advice would be get a copy of “The book of the Scott”, also post some pictures and you will get expert advice on what was original. Read as much as possible and talk to as many Scott owners as you can. The annual Gathering (at the Shuttleworth Collection this year) is the place to see lots of Scotts and their owners. Are you an experienced mechanic?

[Toby Robson]

Hello Richard,

Many thanks for the reply. I’ll post some pictures as soon as the forum lets me – I have tried, but each time it boots me and makes me sign back in.

I’m not an experienced mechanic – though I’ve tinkered a little bit with machines. I’ve had a couple of white-collar careers, but retrained a few years back as a stone-mason. That means I know my way round a grinder pretty well and have some practical skills in terms of reading plans. I also have my own back-yard foundry in which I cast aluminum, so I’m guessing that facility might come in handy, as it looks like we’re missing the housing which ought to sit over the magneto sprocket. My father’s the one with the mechanical knowledge; A Scott Flying Squirrel was one of his first ‘big’ bikes, and despite owning a Triumph Super Rocket, Tiger and a couple of others in his time, it remained his all time favourite. Dad’s long term memory is great, but he sometimes forgets what he’s just done, so my job is to be his chief assistant and background researcher (he also being something of a social media and internet luddite!)

‘The Book of The Scott’ looks like an invaluable reference – where’s a good place to source a copy?

[Toby Robson]

I’ve found the online copy for models up to ’36 here – https://www.scotttechnicalities.com.au/technicalities/The%20Book%20of%20Scott.pdf – many thanks!

That looks really useful – but sadly, it doesn’t have the modern oleo forks listed, so I’m still trying to solve the mystery of the weird missing brake cable assembly

[dave bushell]

Hi Tony
The mystery missing component is the infamous balance box. This had a single cable going in from the handlebar brake lever and a Bowden cable wire looped over an internal pulley that rode up and down inside. The cable’s two outlets then went to the brake arms on the front brake plates.
It was not considered very efficient and many owners removed them and fitted twin pull brake levers instead as on Brum Scotts.
Dave

[Toby Robson]

Perfect – thank you so much Dave. reassuringly, something along the lines of what I’d guessed. The balance box sounds like pedal bike technology, and I know motorbikes of the period often shared similar features. So, provided I can find a replacement twin pull brake lever, something we can live without.

[richard norris]

Re forks, Google “Scott Technicalities”, lots of useful info on all aspects.

[Toby Robson]

Cheers Richard – I’ve found that site, so am having a nose through.

[Toby Robson]

Its been a while since I posted, so here’s an update and some piccies (whilst I angle for some help, suggestions and further advice!)

Our little team of three have managed to make a little bit of progress. First off, we’ve been able to untangle and re-wire the 6 to 12v conversion – and to get it to generate a spark. A half tea spoon of petrol in each cylinder and the plugs back in and she made a pop when we kicked her over – but we have as yet to connect up the tank or fill the rad which were both dry when we got her.

My original plan was, once the electrics were sorted, to put some fuel in the tank, fill the rad (provided both checked out and didn’t leak) and see if we could get her running. However, my Pa is a tad more conservative and would prefer to strip her right down to check the cranks and pistons to ensure that we don;t risk doing any damage to the engine.

Dads got lots of memories and info about the Scott locked away in the old brain-box, but he’s no longer got the confidence to tackle the big jobs without either of his minions (me, number 1 son and my mate John) to help him with the fiddly bits, remember where he put the bolts, and remember what we did the last session of tinkering so we can pick up where we left off! So, given his reluctance to get her firing before a complete strip down and check, we decided to remove some of the parts which only need simple attention (sanding off of rust spots and rust proofing / filling / priming and eventual repainting)

So…. I’m afraid I’m going to hit you with a probably naive and rather long set of questions. But if any of you can help, once again, the input of wise heads would be very gratefully received!

Appologies that the pictures are rather large – click on them and they’ll change a more sensible size (until I have a time to work out how to make them smaller)

IMGP0070 by Robert Robson, on Flickr

1. We have a damaged lens for the headlight. It measures 8″ across. I’ve managed to find some sites online who do modern replica complete units (including switch and ampmeter) fro suprisingly reasonable prices, but I don’t know if they’re of a reasonable quality – but I do know that none of them are bigger than 7″. I haven’t been able as yet to find a supplier of a replacement 8″ lens. Any suggestions?

IMGP0071 by Robert Robson, on Flickr

2. We’re missing ‘something’ from the top of the forks. There’s a threaded hole and it seems to line up with what appears to be a tube running between the oleos. I can only imagine that it was a nipple or some kind of filler for filling the oleos with oil. Any clues? (click on the pictures to see them in a smaller frame)

IMGP0069 by Robert Robson, on Flickr

3. And the final conundrum is the front wheel hub. Where the hubs reversible?! I’ve seen pictures of Scotts with the brake levers to the front of the hub, and pictures with them to the rear! Is there an optimum way round – and what option ought I to be looking at if I’ve going to replace the missing splitter box jobbie with a double pull caliper and cable? And on that subject, what would a good model and size caliper and cable option be (and any tricks or tips to fitting them, especially ‘hub end’?

IMGP0072 by Robert Robson, on Flickr

[dave bushell]

Hi Tony
Apart from the Scott pictures, because they are on flicker, you have uploaded a lot of family pictures. I just thought you should know!
Dave

[Barrie]

A new headlamp looks to be a good price . 3
The missing item is an oil proof shrader type valve. 2
All this information is out there ,go and look!

[David J Waring]

Hello Toby,
I have one of the rather bulbous 8″ Lucas glasses as per your photo. I also have brand new (old stock) 7 inch 12 volt sealed beam units.
If you are interested in either send me an email (address in introductory pages of Yowl under “Section Information”), and I will dig them out to send photos.

---

The missing Schrader valve may indicate that someone has put springs in the forks in place of the original air springing & oil damping – a common, but often unecessary, answer to forks leaking oil, when thicker oil could possibly have solved the problem (a personal experience)
Regarding the front brakes, the operating arms on the brake drums should point backwards, as per the original Scott sales photos.
Regarding the missing unit above the front mudguard – the balance box or brake compensator, you are safer without it; should a cable break you have no front brake. A double pull brake lever as per Royal Enfields or Brum Scotts gives more “pull” and you have a sporting chance of having some braking effect if one cable breaks.
Did you locate a post war “Book of the Scott”?

[chris wastell]

Congratulations Toby and Dad. Welcome to the world of Scotts. Its not nearly as daunting a task as it may seem. Good luck with it.

[Toby Robson]

Well first off, another big thanks to all of you!

– A special thanks for the Private Message (cheers David) and agratefully accepted offer of a schematic/exploded view of the dowty type forks. This will be invaluable. Apparently we might require some specially made tools to reach the innards of the forks should we need.

– Dave Bushell – thanks for the notification about the rest of my pictures. I’ll have to find a more efficient way to post images!

– Barrie. Thanks for taking the time to type. I’d prefer to replace the lens rather than the whole unit, so I think David Waring’s advice is more useful and my preferred option, given that the rest of the fairing appears fine. Thank you for confirming that the missing item is a shrader valve. If the ‘information is out there’, despite extensive searching on google, I haven’t yet found anything relating to that level of detail (not helped of course by not knowing what the missing item was to begin with). Perhaps you have some recommended sources for that kind of info? The published info on Scotts I’ve been able to glean to date refer in the main to girder forked models. One of the main reasons for posting here isn’t to waste anyone’s time but to hopefully cut out hours of fruitless searching for info which one of the generous guys here can shortcut with just a couple of sentances of accrued experience and wisdom. 😉

– David Waring – Many many thanks – your advice if gold and has saved me lots of frustrated searching about. I’ll email you directly as am definitely interested in the 8″ lens. Similarly, will defo proceed with the plan to go for the double pull cable rather than trying to track down or fabricate a balance box. Now I’ve got to get to grips with finding out whether the forks have been sprung! Given that there’s resistance and ‘bounce’ if I push on the handlebars – but the shrader valve is entirely missing (and no oil squirts out) – I’m guessing that its pretty conclusive that she has been modified? I’ll go for the rear facing arms… but I’ve found a few pictures of Scotts with both girder and dowty forks with them facing forwards… why on earth would people set them like that? Fashion, different parts – or was there some other logic behind doing it? (examples https://www.austinmotorscene.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Scott-1927-Motorcycle-Flying-Squirrel-5.jpg , https://www.vinandvet.eu/uploads/cgblog/id137/P1120402bbb.jpg , )

Oh, and whilst I’m thanking folks, a big thank-you to Roger Moss for his chat and advice on the blower the other week – what a gent.

Cheers Chris Wastell too – certainly less daunting when we know we’ve got a good point of reference and advice here. The other half has bought me a workshop book for my birthday – this is a 34 edition, but I’m hoping still good at least for the engine and drive chain info, if not the forks.

Cheers one and all!

Toby (and his Pa, Rob and our friend John)

[Colin Butler]

Hi Toby
I have a complete Brum new front brake splitter box with cables.
It came with a new front hub, which was all I needed so the box is surplus to requirements.
Free to a good home.
Send me a personal mail or ring 01608 684586 after 1900hrs, with your address and I will pop it in the post

Cheers Colin

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