Very interesting ! I assume you mean frame, not engine number.
From my ownership of a 1913 machine, you need to look at the front of the headstock for the frame number, low down, about one inch up from the bottom bearing.
You may be looking for 4 digits, which face forwards, in a horizontal pattern thus :- X XXX, where the first digit is the factory number of the frame builder who made the frame and the other three digits are the actual frame number. With these three digits, it is easy to date the frame, according to the late John Underhill (past SOC Machine Registrar), who must take the credit for most of this information; if you find them, let me know.
Regarding the radiator, up to early 1915 the radiator was 4 bolt mounted, but with SQUARE honeycomb, not like yours, so the 4 bolt mounting on yours could be irrelevant, especially as the core does not have an inlet pipe – hence the two non-standard inlets into the header tank.
Does your frame have lugs for 4 bolts?
After early 1915, the radiator was 3 bolt, with a frame to match.
Regarding the oil filler, the 1912 Scott sales catalogue picture was the last year showing an oil filler behind the handlebars; in 1913, the oil filler was under the “nose” of the saddle.
Incidentally, thank you for your comprehensive profile – I really don’t like dealing with informationless nom de plumes!
The brake assembly was designed for the brake arms on the alloy back plates to point backwards, to give maximum braking effect from the brake shoes. The wheel should be taken out, turned through 180 degrees, then replaced; it’s as simple as that.
Yet another post-war Scott with the front wheel ‘back to front’ !
The roll-on centre stand is not intended to lift either wheel off the ground; it just takes a bit of the weight off the front forks. Park on firm flat ground or use a rectangle of sheet wood or metal under the stand. Regarding oil, I use an SAE 40 oil all year round from a local depot in Warrington (Rock Oil). An alternative supplier is Morris Oils of Shrewsbury. I have never felt it necessary to pay high prices as the oil is once used, then out of the exhaust. Oils which were sold as 2 stroke oils were designed to pre-mix with petrol which is not needed on a Scott.There was talk of Silkolene Two Stroke 40 becoming too viscous in winter to flow adequately in a Scott; their Two Stroke 30 did not have this problem.
Do tell us a bit more about yourself in your profile.
Best of luck & welcome to Scotting.
Ashley,
Yes, as you will see from my “Viewing Profile”, I am in Grappenhall on the outskirts of Warrington in north Cheshire. Tommy’s son & a grandson were living 3miles & 2 miles respectively from me in 2003 when I wrote articles for Yowl.
How about filling in your profile?
Brian is correct that it was I who was the organiser of that 1993 show, which was to be the last to be held in Bolton, as the venue, the Silverwell Street Sports Hall, was due to be demolished.
Tommy’s son attended with his late Father’s 1928 trophy at my invitation, as he lived a few miles from me in north Cheshire.
In Yowl February 1994, I recorded my experiences surrounding the show entitled “A Week on the Guinness is not a Good Prelude to Organising a Bike Show Stand”.
I still have an album of photos, but have recently given all the show stand posters which I made to Trevor Scott for his museum project.
I wrote a small piece for Yowl June 2003 entitled “Tommy Hatch 75 Years Ago This Month” recording the reports about Tommy in the 1928 Senior TT as published in The Warrington Guardian of Saturday 16th June 1928, Tommy being a Warringtonian. I followed this in Yowl August 2003 with a biography(Tommy Hatch – 75 Years on from June 1928) about Tommy & his motorcycling, that recorded the memories recounted to me by Tommy’s widow, including a photo from the 1993 show of Tommy’s son with the 1928 trophy, and Brian’s TT Replica. Note Tommy’s unusual middle name above.
Pre 1928 Tommy entered trials, including the Scott Trial and grass tracked. Somewhere in my files I have copies of press reports & photos of Tommy competing in speedway, but, at the moment, am too busy to look for them.
In the meantime, a bit more information about Ashley Wright, who is at the root of this discussion, would be useful and for what purpose is his research?
Your observations are very interesting, although I suspect that you both have a better sense of smell than I, Brian & John!
From my experience of pre war & vintage cars, I am sure that the Bentley would run on petrol with some paraffin added, but with such cars in the “price upon application” class, I would doubt that the owner would risk it, and think that stale petrol is the more likely answer.
Lesser 4 stroke low compression engines (e.g. side valves) would run on such a mixture, and possibly run on paraffin alone on a hot summer’s day, if warmed up on petrol first. However, there would be unburnt fractions, which would settle on the pistons, pass the rings and dilute the sump oil, unlike a 2 stroke*, which stands a chance of ejecting the fractions to exhaust.
*This is based on personal expeience, when as a 15 year old, I ran an old air cooled 2 stroke around the garden on hot household paraffin (Aladdin Pink), by starting up on petrol, then switching to an auxiliary tank, from which the paraffin ran in a copper pipe wedged in the engine cooling fins to deliver it hot to the carburettor. The engine ran reasonably well on this preheated fuel, although unburnt fractions of the paraffin emerged as a black liquid from the exhaust. Examination of the crankcase showed some build up of the black liquid, but the two stroke appeared capable of dispersing most of it, so continued to run and receive some lubrication. The only thing to remember with the paraffin was to switch back to petrol before stopping for any length of time, as restarts on paraffin were only feasible if still hot. (Full story in Yowl Dec 2011)
Anybody else noticed that the front wheel of KTU 621 is back to front?; the brake arms should point backwards for maximum braking effect.
I have informed the vendor who says he will tell the purchaser.
The current “Yowl” has another example of front wheel reversal in a post war Scott. I have had an interesting phone chat with the owner.
Back in Yorkshire we always said “Everything comes in threes”. Who has the next one???
No prizes, but I await number 3.
David.
The map links you to Victoria Road, one of the main roads in Saltaire, serving the Titus Salt mill. However, Alfred Scott’s factory was a short distance to the west in Hirst Wood, another district of Shipley; it was on the north side of Hirst Wood Road. The original factory, as shown in the 1913 photo in the Jeff Clew’s book “The Scott Motorcycle. The Yowling Two Stroke” (page 58) is still recognisable, especially the angular roof line, with south facing windows, although the building has been somewhat extended in recent years.
I have a large number of brand new high quality pharmaceutical (circular/tapered) corks. Are these of any relevance? What diameter do you need?
Good afternoon Steve,
Your mention of “protective green coolant” prompted me to sort out my 30+ year old gallon can of “SQ36A coolant inhibitor concentrate” made by Marston Lubricants of Wigan, as this may be what is in your cooling system. If so, it is an excellent anti-corrosive, but in no way is it an antifreeze.
Congratulations on joining the Scott clan!
The machine is known to the SOC from my copies of John Underhill’s old records, which show it as registered 4/4/28. Engine Y735A is recorded, as per the vendor’s answer on Ebay. However, John recorded the frame no. as 1662.
Ian Parsons has the up to date records.
Do you mean 22nd & 23rd?
David
Yes, Brian you are correct. Peter covered the various matters on the phone with me, so I forwarded your comments, and here is his email reply:-
“Hi David
Thanks for your e-mail.
Yes Brian is quite right the plated zinc alloy die-cast end plates aren’t very good and we never use zinc alloy die cast process for any replica parts. All replica parts are manufactured in batches on modern computer controlled CNC machine centres to ensure accuracy using what we believe are approptiate materials for each part from screws to the plungers.
And as Brian also writes those with peg (screws) in place of cams don’t have have cams on end plate, however the cam isn’t the production problem on producing double end plates. We now have prototypes to hand of replica double end plates with an appropriate cam at either end, once we’ve tested them we’ll take steps to put them into production. These can easily be machined to suit those with peg plunger control.
All the points Brian makes about presence or absence of indent holes and different centres to screw fixings are correct. A common one suits many but some double end plates were of different screw centres and will need machining to suit. We are considering having a batch of end plates made devoid of screw holes to suit the odd pumps for which screw holes don’t match, assuming there is sufficient need to warrant a batch. We can undertake to machine screw holes as an extra, but would need the pump body.
We do hold an amount of NOS original Pilgrim double end plates for double pumps. At present we are retaining these for the pumps we overhaul for customers, but once we have replica double pump end plates to hand for double pumps these will be offered for sale for those who wish to overhaul their own pumps.
Its interesting to note that the majority of pumps we overhaul are sound but will not pump for a number of reasons including stuck ball valves (under beak), blockages and damage caused to worm and plunger by inappropriate dis-assembly rather than wear.
Hope this helps
Kind regards
Peter Rosenthal and Richard Rosenthal”
Do make sure that there is no evidence of an old sealant lining in the petrol tank, which could impede the new sealant taking hold properly.
I detailed my experience on this forum of resealing a tank after problems with the lifting of old Petseal. Although it deals mainly with the Petseal removal, I noted the new sealant details.
See:- REMOVAL of OLD PETSEAL & RECOATING with POR15 on 11 Oct 2011