Author Topic: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!  (Read 111263 times)

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Offline Nortonist 592

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #15 on: September 24, 2010, 08:28:54 PM »
My guess is you will be running the beastie on RAF runways so rear suspension might be a good idea.  Are there any plans to bring it to Bonneville in the future?   Would love to see it in person.
Get off the stove Grandad.  You're too old to be riding the range.

Offline desotoman

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #16 on: September 24, 2010, 11:56:08 PM »
Does anyone know if Nourish is still in business? He bought the weslake twin unit. Or if anyone is still in business making weslake products?

Thanks in advance,

Tom G.
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Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2010, 12:26:52 AM »
Nourish Racing Engine Company, 13 Manor Lane, Langham, Oakham, Leicestershire, LE15 7JL, England, Tel 01572 722712 Fax 01572 722668

Offline desotoman

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2010, 01:09:19 AM »
Wobblywalrus,

Thank you. I cannot believe they are at the same address I got parts from back in 1982.

Thanks again,

Tom G.
I love the USA. How much longer will we be a free nation?

Asking questions is one's only way of getting answers.

The rational person lets verified facts form or modify his opinion.  The ideologue ignores verified facts which don't fit his preconceived opinions.

Offline oz

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2010, 03:56:21 AM »
Excellent what a fantastic engine for a project!!
Newcastle born and bred a City built on Coal and Steel and a people built of stronger stuff

Offline desperate

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #20 on: September 25, 2010, 07:59:47 AM »
Nice motor Briz, and another Brit joining Oz's motley crew.
Don't push me, I'm close to the edge.

Offline Briz

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #21 on: September 25, 2010, 08:54:35 AM »
My guess is you will be running the beastie on RAF runways so rear suspension might be a good idea.  Are there any plans to bring it to Bonneville in the future?   Would love to see it in person.

Yeah; planning to be there along with Oz, Sumo & Desperate in 2012.
Dave Nourish is still there. Aint spoken to him yet, but did speak to Dave Perry at Antig who does still have some parts - I'll be grabbing some spare valves & springs for sure. Interestingly, they still have the original dyno fixture from Weslakes original development program. That WILL be useful! Trouble is they're a long way from me. I'm wondering if they'll loan or rent it. Cant see them using it much these days!
Also been in touch with Mick Butler who drag raced a blown nitro pushrod one back in the '80s. If anythings going to find a weak spot, its nitro! reckons they used to crack between the exhaust seats - the achilles heel of all 4-valve heads.
Eventually it blew the crankcase apart across the cam bearings- after he'd sold the bike on.

Been hitting ebay bigtime for parts. Got a pair of Honda Blackbird wheels & swingarm (which will get a good deal of alteration) and a set of throttle bodys from a TL1000.

Offline oz

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #22 on: September 25, 2010, 01:03:16 PM »
If the tls bodys are 51mm and the Weslakes original intakes are 36ish you may have to extend the intake tract to regain some of the mid range power, I know all everyone wants top end power but if you dont retain the mid range to some extent you wont get to the top end power.
TTFN Oz
Newcastle born and bred a City built on Coal and Steel and a people built of stronger stuff

Offline peterdallan

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #23 on: October 01, 2010, 08:35:56 AM »
Briz,

        Peter here, we met at Leamington Spa a couple of weeks ago. I thought this might interest you, if I go I'll try to take some close up photos for you.

Peter

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/WService=wslive_pub/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=4764996&iSaleNo=18294&iSaleSectionNo=2

Offline Briz

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #24 on: October 17, 2010, 01:19:49 PM »
Hi Peter, was good to meet up with you & the other guys, but I'm pretty sure it was in Leighton Buzzard!
That Goddon bike looks quite something; love to take that for a blast.

As far as progress goes.. I just had an interesting morning.
A local mate, Dusty, brought round a friend of his, Rob. Robs a retired journalist who has been putting a book together about Weslake stuff for some time.

You're gonna love this Nortonist.....
Robs got a featherbed framed Weslake single which he finished in the early '90s. He bought the engine new from Brian Valentine in '88. His engine is as rare as mine - or more, its a 5-valve! Mated to a norton box. It was featured in 'British Bike' magazine in 1993.

Rob passed on a whole bunch of information about Weslakes which would have been impossible to get otherwise. It seems likely that mine is from the mid-80s.
Surprisingly, it looks like it has a one piece crank with shell bigends. Conrods are basically Cosworth items and bearing sizes are pretty huge.

I may have to rename this thread 'the worlds fastest BVR' as it was made well after Weslake went down the plughole, although Brian Valentine had permission to use the Weslake name.

Meanwhile, I'm still collecting parts. Got the engine & tranny bolted up and now have the belt drive. Next thing is to get a billet of steel broached with the crank spline to make the front pulley adapter.
Too bad it hasn't got those 5 valve heads though.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2010, 01:23:22 PM by Briz »

Offline peterdallan

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #25 on: October 18, 2010, 08:23:23 AM »
Ha ha Leighton Buzzard it was (how much did we drink that night????)

My Triumph is coming along slowly, but parts collection going well now. Will start a build thread very soon. Frame due this week, crankcases, crank, cylinder head all sourced, and cams will be made soon from blanks.

Great to see progress, please keep updating!!

Peter
 

Offline Nortonist 592

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #26 on: October 18, 2010, 09:27:32 PM »

You're gonna love this Nortonist.....
Robs got a featherbed framed Weslake single which he finished in the early '90s. He bought the engine new from Brian Valentine in '88. His engine is as rare as mine - or more, its a 5-valve! Mated to a norton box. It was featured in 'British Bike' magazine in 1993.



Thats a great coincedence.  I built my featherbed/Weslake in the early 90s too!  Mine is a very elderly long rod engine.  I've never seen a 5 valve head.  Only a photo or two.  Indeed, a rare engine!!!  Mine ran 129.815 on gas at El Mirage in Sept. 2007.  Haven't been able to get it any faster so far.


By weslake at 2009-11-25
Get off the stove Grandad.  You're too old to be riding the range.

Offline wobblywalrus

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #27 on: October 18, 2010, 11:54:40 PM »
Briz, do you have an old primary sprocket or pulley that is similar to the one you want to make?  If so, please post pictures of the front and back sides.

Offline Briz

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #28 on: October 19, 2010, 08:15:54 AM »
Nope; all I have is the shaft sticking out the engine!
The primo pulley has a removable centre held in with 5 bolts, so I dont have to alter that.
I was at a swap-meet at the weekend & found a 5-speed triumph gearbox sprocket which had the same spline OD. I thought I was home-free. But the spline width was smaller. Dave Perry at Antig says he still has the broaching tool for the spline, so I'll be sending him the blank.
Or I reckon I could do it myself on a rotary table if I made it so it locates on the minor diameter. Jury's still out.

I'm going round to see Robs 5-valve soon. I'll take some pics. Who knows, maybe I can talk him into bringing it to the salt!

Offline Nortonist 592

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Re: The worlds fastest Weslake.....well maybe!
« Reply #29 on: October 19, 2010, 10:48:59 PM »

I'm going round to see Robs 5-valve soon. I'll take some pics. Who knows, maybe I can talk him into bringing it to the salt!

Get it on the salt and I WILL definitely be there!!!

P.S.  I'm gonna be there anyway so tell him to bring it over.
« Last Edit: October 19, 2010, 11:43:26 PM by Nortonist 592 »
Get off the stove Grandad.  You're too old to be riding the range.