Cultimate and BSA engine Help needed please

[vhgmcbuddy]

I have just got a BMB Cultimate with the BSA industrial engine, That I think is 3 1/2 Horse power, Everything seems to be there, but the top of the carb seems to be “Open” with a rubber plug sticking out proud! is this normal? or is there something missing from the Carb,? I am very used to Villiers engines and never had to work on a Bsa engine before, does any one have a copy of the BSA engine manual? mine is Mdel”A” serial no A 2078 or point me in the right direction? Also can I get a copy of the Cultimate instruction manual? and last, The Point has broken off the plough, (about3″ from the end) does any cultimate owner know of a replacement?

[charlie]

I have a manual for the BSA A 320cc engine which I will scan. It shows a Solex 26 FHD or an Amal carb, see below.

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[vhgmcbuddy]

Thank you Charlie, I still cant see any sign of the rubber plug! I will take the camera down the barn and put up a photo, someone may recognise it, I will put an advert in the Cultivator for some steel wheels for it as it is running on car wheels at the moment, Owen has also given me a tip for the manual, one day it will all come together! Regards Plonker

[vhgmcbuddy]

BSA industrial engine manual

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1. BSA-ind-engine.pdf

[vhgmcbuddy]

That is terrific thank you, nice to get help when you need it! here are some shots of the cultmate, showing the broken plough share and point, also a few shots of the carburetta, I think there is a part missing, I still cant work out the rubber plug at the top, I am sure someone will recognise it. Thanks again.

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[charlie]

The photo’s help, it looks like a non standard top to the float chamber. A photo from the front with the air filter removed would help further.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Looking at the engine manual, it states the carb is an Amal 124. While restoring my Trusty, I found one of these carbs (which now makes sense as I also have the remains of a Cultmate awaiting restoration). Attached is a photo. The float chamber and screw on top are just a smaller version of what is fitted to the Amal 225 and 276 model carbs. So, looks like yours has lost it’s original float chamber top.

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[vhgmcbuddy]

I will take it off the machine tomorrow and photograph it at close range, it,s that rubber bung that bugs me, never heard of one before.

[charlie]

Seeing the photo from busman it does look as if you have a non standard top to the float chamber. I am sure a photo giving a better view of the rubber bung and surrounding area will confirm what it is.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Yes the photos from busman confirm it, here are some photos I took today after taking it off the machine, there is no sign of the Amal name, as I think that is on the top of the missing float chamber lid, but you can see on the ring it is marked 124/131, SO! the mystery of the “Rubber BUng” is solved, when I removed the hose clip the top consists of a piece of rubber hose with a metal insert and the rubber plug is drilled underneath to take the float needle, the only difference to a proper top is that there is no “Tickler” to flood the carb, I reckon that this set must have worked ok, but I might try to make a proper top with a needle seat if I cant find one on that well known auction site.

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[charlie]

The Amal carb in the illustration I copied differs slightly in that the float chamber is under the carb and held by two screws. Your carb has the float chamber on the side and I think you will find the original top would have screwed into the float chamber. The thread may have got damaged and hence the replacement top.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Yes Charlie, Mine is exactly the same as the one Busman shows, it is also illustrated in the download of the BSA catalogue that Kilmar kindly supplied, as a Land rover man, you will be interested to see from both photos the “Ball” for the socket that works the throttle lever rod, that also connects to the governer, all original, never seen that set up on a rotorvator before.

[charlie]

Yes spotted the ball joint, very good till they fall apart as happened to my son half way round a trial section last Sunday, suddenley found the accelerator pedal was on the floor and no revs.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Removing some of the crud, the Amal is now in bits, if some one wants to know what is inside here are some shots of the “Starter Valve” with the top cap and spring removed, you can see the three jets, one leads down to the main jet chamber, and the larger hole leads straight into the throttle chamber as do the other two jets, as can be seen, the air mixture screw has been broken off in the body of the carb. so that will have to be drilled out and a new one made, also of note, you can see from the photo the small hole next to the throttle rod, this is a small drilling leading to the main jet chamber, it was totally blocked with zinc oxide and had to be drilled clear, apart from having to make a new lid for the float chamber, and a cork “gland” for the needle to stop it leaking, it should be plain sailing!

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