Patience is a virtue

Everyday I've been putting a couple of drops of penetrating oil onto the crankshaft/flywheel interface.  And everyday I've been giving it a few knocks with a hammer to see if it will separate.

Ideally I would have deployed a proper flywheel extractor but alas I didn't have one of this size to fit (the Vespa PX extractor is slightly too big) and I didn't have facility to turn my own so I have had to resort to the poor-mans bodge and rely on lifting the whole assembly up by the flywheel and hitting smartly and squarely on the crankshaft end in the hope that the engine would drop away under its own weight.
This is really a two man job; one to lift the flywheel, and one to hold the drift while hitting with a hammer. As much as i tried to persuade my daughters to come and help me for a moment, they always seemed to have more important things to do (wash hair, watch tv, read magazine etc) and so I was left to my own devices..... and a device I made up.

I used a bit of welding rod to make a little support frame to hold the drift upright, leaving me to lift the engine with my left hand and hammer with my right hand.
Every day a few more taps and every day a bit more penetrating oil.
And today, with only the gentlest of hammering, the flywheel and the crankshaft separated.  Beautiful.





So what did I find?  Nothing unusual I don't think.  Its pretty grubby (and sandy) in there, but it all looks to be there.

















The starter sprocket attached to the flywheel on the other hand is most odd.  This looks like the work of tinkerer.... and perhaps its going to need the work of another tinkerer to make good again.



 I really hope that I get to find and buy another engine some day so I can make good at least one runner.

Chassis number update

The plot thickens.
While stripping the bike down and revealing the whole frame, I've discovered 2 (yes 2!) more series of numbers stamped on the chassis.  So this means that there are 3 sets of different numbers stamped on my frame.








At the rear of the frame there is a strengthening flange.  On one side is the number that I originally discovered (by comparison to the other 2 numbers i have since discovered, this number is a much smaller font and much more lightly stamped in) "0301 20181 00"













Now that I could see all over the frame, I found on the other side of this rear flange another number (larger font and more heavily stamped in)  "19143"












And then up at the front end on the flange between the headstock and the down-tube, I found yet another number (large font and heavily stamped) "30453"





So what does this all mean?  I hope I find someone who can clarify it for me.

Down to basics

I still don't know what to do with this bike.  Should I continue with trying to get it on the road? or should I simply get rid of it and buy an old Vespa? (I love Vespas)
I sat miserably in the kitchen pondering and wasting my time.

My plan of a few days ago was to do nothing with the bike until I knew I had a working engine (without which the bike is pretty well worthless) - there is no point simply creating a box of bits if I am not going to progress with the project and so I've been tinkering with the engine; but taking it very gently as I don't want to damage anything on this rare old thing.  The flywheel is still refusing to shift so I am patiently soaking it with penetrating oil and waiting.  The trouble is, this leaves me with nothing to do but browse the internet for knowledge and hopelessly bid for expensive bits on German ebay

And so I decided to drag the scooter out of the shed to inspect it.  Now that Ive started to read the technical diagrams and see what people are selling on ebay, I thought it would be useful to have a good look over the bike to see what was what.
So there I was, out in the garden with the sunshine on my back, poking around this lovely looking old barn find.  And I was feeling good.  So good in fact, I made the rash decision (against all my previous better judgement) to strip the whole thing down.  And boy, did I enjoy myself!  I would have happily paid £200 for an afternoons activity like that.

I tried to be sensible about the whole thing - there was still a chance that I could reassemble it and sell it as is, so I took lots of photos, and bagged up in sealable sandwich bags all the nuts and bolts.  And eventually I got the bike down to 4 or 5 key parts (front end, chassis, bodywork, rear end)  I sloshed some white spirit around the oily bits to clean it down and make it more pleasant to handle but I was surprised just how little oil there was on the bike.  My 20 year old Vespa by comparison was caked in cruddy oil.  As an aside I also noted how little mud (and rust) there was inside the mudguards - I suspected that the bike hadnt long had a respray before it was taken off the road and put in the barn.

     I think the thing that compelled me to strip the bike down was the simple face that it was in such good condition.  The chassis has no more than surface rust on it.  There is a slight bend on one of the outriders, but I reckon a half hour in the vice with that, and I could (if I wanted) get the frame, and the front and rear forks to a powder coaters for a shotblast and black powdercoat and I would have the start of a very nice rolling chassis to build upon (or even sell)
The body work is looking good too.  I am amazed and delighted!

By the end of the afternoon my mind had swung right round and I had made the decision to continue with the restoration of this project.  The engine and electrics are going to need some pursuing, but the bike itself is sound and is going to look fabulous :-)

Making more connections

A couple of days ago while browsing the web trying to find out more about my machine I came across the DKW owners website and dropped them a speculative email to see if they knew of anyone into Manurhins.

I had a very nice reply from Richard who started off by saying;
"These scooters are few and far between in our club and in the UK as a whole I think"


Like everyone else I talk to he also suggested ebay (France, Germany and Holland) but he also suggested getting to the Netley Marsh Autojumble in September - which sounds like a jolly nice weekend away.


Another potential line of enquiry that Richard opened for me was the fact that Manurhins were imported into the UK by "AFN Ltd" - I did some google searching but didn't get to anything very useful - However, I was interested to read that AFN was Archibald Frazer-Nash (he of the fabulous 6 cylinder chain-driven prewar racing cars)  AFN went on to import and assemble BMWs, and finally got sold to Porsche.  While the link to importing and selling European vehicles seems possible that they might have dealt Scooters too, I find it rather incredulous that a company would have precision sports cars AND pathetic scooters in the same portfolio.


Richard closes by teasing me with "there should be someone out there breaking them" - Arrgh - another night of tossing and turning wondering how on earth I am going to find these people

Grrr eBay

Up early to make sure I was on the last second eBay bidding on a DKW Hobby carburettor.  There have been 4 or 5 of us bidding over the past few days for this item which was located in Germany.

For a while I was highest bidder and was very excited, but late last night I received an email to say that I'd been outbid - so that was me set for a restless night while I fretted over what my maximum bid should be (A carburettor - and this one looked in good nick with the rubber breather pipe too - would be a major step forward for my engine)  And so I was up and on the computer with a half hour to spare and I placed my bid.
But horrors, I got the message that the seller had opted to NOT sell the part outside of Germany.  What!? I had been bidding for the last few days and never received that message before - in fact my bids had been accepted and were indeed helping to raise the bidding game.
Had this seller decided at the last moment to change his options on who to sell to? surely not.
Does the ebay automated messaging only kick in at the eleventh hour? surely not.
Have I got to set up an alias ebay account in Germany in order to be in with a chance of winning? surely not.

Whatever the case, I was pissed.  Winning a carb today would have put a spring in my step.  As it is now I shall have to mope around growling at everyone - Come on eBay, get your act together, you are making my family's life a misery

To ebay or Not to ebay....... that is the question

I am rather encouraged to see a number of parts coming up on ebay (particularly German ebay) - this means that there are people out there willing to sell bits that I might need.

Frustratingly though, there appears to be a bit of a market for these parts! I am bidding on a couple of parts right now and Dangit! at least another 2 people are after the same bits as me!  The bikes are rare, but clearly  only because everyone and his dog has one in his garage for renovation!

I had an idea that we (the Manurhin/DKW Hobby rebuilders) should get together and share our resources (and parts) rather than simply keep outbidding each other.  There doesn't seem to be a Manurhin Owners Club..... should I start one?  I would be member number 1.

Of course another approach could be for me to get shot of the whole bike to these other buyers and make a tidy profit in doing so.  I reckon by current ebay asking prices, if i were to strip my bike and sell the components individually, I could easily clear £500 - That would be double my investment made in 2 weeks.
I guess the real question I should ask myself is, "am I a businessman, or an engineer?"

British Two Stroke Club

Yay! my membership arrived this morning.
I am now an officially paid up member of the British Two Stroke Club - I feel quite cool.  Ive found the key to the door of another fascinating world of enthusiastic people :-)

I must admit though, when I joined I thought it was a two-stroke club IN Britain, however their newsletter has the following strapline;
"The BTSC welcomes all two stroke enthusiasts, and all two stroke machines, especially those of British manufacture"


So perhaps their emphasis is on British two-strokes?  Whatever, I take comfort in the fact that they say they "welcome all".... and hope that they might be able to give me some directions and leads for my continuing journey.

Engine drive belt pulleys

I spend my evenings poring over printouts of the technical diagrams that I am accumulating from various websites.  Trouble is, this then leaves my mind tossing and turning over unanswered questions, and so it was up with the lark to get an hour of engine investigation in before work.  I am still confused about this elusive 'Beltomatic' that I read about here and there.

I have been trying to get the flywheel off the crankshaft, but it really doesn't want to budge so I am leaving it to soak in penetrating oil, and turned my attention to the belt drive side of the engine.
Concerned about possible left-hand threads (I miss a Haynes Manual) I calculated from the rotation of the rear wheel back through the drive-train that the retaining nuts and bolts here should all be standard right-hand threads - I was right, and it wasn't long before I had the adjustable pulleys off and on the bench.

So what did I find?
Well I appear to have the 'triangular' lobed drive shafts that are identified in the tech drawing as a 'possibility' - does this provide any insight into the rarity of the engine? or the place / date of manufacture?
I was amazed to find that main bearing oil seal looks like new!  no oil or crud (the photo shows exactly as I found it) unlike the transmission box oil seal that looks a bit gunky

transmission shaft is of the triangular lobe type

Beautifully clean main bearing oil seal in the background

Backside of drive pulley - flyweights all sound

Outboard design of drive pulley gives clue to the engine age and model?

Note the triangular lobed driven shaft 'option'

So an interesting hour.  I think I am understanding this a bit more. BUT i still cant fathom that peculiar assembly in the bottom right hand corner of the diagram (this is all missing from my engine) What does it do? (I think its a safety 'dissengagement' device - eg a sort of neutral for when starting the engine) But how does it work?

Beltomatic

Ive been studying the technical diagram sheets on Cedrics website, and I think that what I have here on my bike is a "Beltomatic" engine.

Im not sure if this is good or bad.

On first sight it would appear that the arrangement shown in the top diagram has a very complicated arrangement of spacers and washers - originally I dismissed this as just plain silly, but I'm now starting to think that these might be an arrangement of electrical insulators.... could the Beltomatic be electrically controlled?
Look closer at the picture - that looks like an electrical wire, not a bowden cable as in the bottom diagram.
Certainly, the full diagrams include a handlebar 'lever' in the lower diagram arrangement, and a handlebar 'switch' in the upper diagram arrangement.
Is my engine supposed to be electrically controlled???
Did the Manurhin have a Beltomatic engine, and the DKW have the lever engine?  If so then maybe I cant simply look for DKW Hobby parts.  Maybe I have got to start searching for beltomatic parts..... and so far I havent been able to find ANYTHING on the web about Beltomatics
Oh dear this is going to get even more complicated

Looking for parts and knowledge

Whilst I cant find many parts for sale, I keep coming across valuable knowledge resources for Manurhin mechanicals.

This one at ScooterManiac.org looks like a complete service manual.
I wonder if anyone might be up for translating to English?

And there are a number of inspiring and encouraging youtube videos



But there are some videos that make me feel so much better about the bits that I do have!



and in the event of me never finding the parts for my engine, I guess I could always go down this route

Research

That poor old neglected engine is playing on my mind.  There seems to be so much of it missing.
I wondered if I could still find the parts to make it complete so I spent the evening browsing the web, and discovered quite a lot.

Rui (the chap that I had bought the bike from) had suggested searching for "DKW Hobby"parts as they were pretty well the same as Manurhin parts, and he sent me a link to a German ebay search, which popped up a whole bunch of stuff.  I was surprised that I hadnt found these bits myself when I'd been scouring ebay - I went on to learn that there are a number of settings in the ebay advanced search that opened up lots of international items that aren't necessarily shown in standard searches.
So this was exciting - There was a Carburetor for £50, a gasket set for £20, a pull starter and cowl for £50 and even a complete engine for £200.  If I didn't dwell on the potential cost of all this, I was rather encouraged. 
[as an aside, I'm feeling a little hesitant in showing too much enthusiasm (or should that read 'desperation') for parts up for sale - I'm worried that my projected eagerness might shadow my limited budget, and a seller might not give me the price negotiation I'm going to need if I'm going to get this bike on the road]

I dug deeper into the internet and found a fantastic collection of Manurhin documents and web-links.  I was particularly grateful for the scans of a Manurhin workshop manual, and I contacted the website owner, Cedric, to thank him for the resources he was sharing.  He came straight back to me with lots of suggestions and recommendations, including the exact same suggestion as Rui for looking for DKW Hobby parts on German ebay.
In addition, he went on to say "For the engine's internal, you can replace most of the parts with karting parts (they have pistons in any size, since as the engine wears, they increase the size of the cylinder and use a slightly bigger piston)" - which might be a useful tip for any vintage scooter restorer
As much as I dont want to admit it, I am starting to think that Cedric might well be right when he says;
"Your best strategy is to try to find another one to complete your scooter (cost of a running one in great shape - 900 euros as info)"
I shall think about this (though certainly not ask the wife for her opinion) - but its interesting to note that a running Manurhin is worth nearly a thousand euros.

Whatever the cost or conclusions, I am starting to love this journey of meeting interesting and interested people! :-)


So it looks like I might be able to find some of the parts I'm going to need to get this machine back on the road.  I managed to resist the temptation to bid on anything for the moment.  I want to gather more information and find more experts and enthusiasts to ensure I'm going down the right track before committing any more money.  Ive sent off application forms to join The VMSC (Vintage Motor Scooter Club) and The BTSC (British Two Stroke Club) in the hope that they might give me some useful leads and contacts.  I am especially keen to get a clear identity for my scooter from the chassis and engine numbers - especially to help me understand what sort of engine Ive got; it appears to be different to many of the photos and schematics Ive seen.......

The numbers

This is what I was looking for today.  Engine and Chassis numbers.
Now I have a reference that will allow me to talk with the experts and enthusiasts

Chassis / Frame no.  0301 20181 00

[UPDATE 29may - Ive found more chassis numbers ]

Engine no.  20486

 Im not sure if or how these numbers might assist, but there are very distinct reference numbers cast into the barrel inlet and exhaust manifolds

Inlet manifold no.  9.300.11102.00

Exhaust manifold no.  MR SACM (though Im not absolutely sure about that S)

So just for the record;

Chassis / Frame no.  0301 20181 00  [UPDATE 29may - Ive found more chassis numbers ]
Engine no.   20486
Inlet manifold no.  9.300.11102.00
Exhaust manifold no.  MR SACM

Initial Engine inspection

This is a tiny little engine (74cc) and as such not a problem to remove from the bike (especially as quite a few parts are missing from it :-(  The most obvious thing being a carburetor.
Its clearly had some abuse over the years - but I guess I shouldnt be surprised for a scooter of more than half a century old.  There are some damaged fins on the head, and the lug on the exhaust manifold has been cracked off

The gearbox (though technically its not a 'gear change box' - its more of a transmission box) appears to still be holding oil.  On the flywheel side we can see that the cowl and starter mechanism is missing

And the starter engagement ratchet gear is quite damaged - this is a strange double layered arrangement that is riveted on - is it original?

The variable belt transmission appears to be in ok condition.  Note;  When I made my 'winning' bid on ebay for this bike, I had no idea that it had this strange 'automatic', gearless and clutchless arrangement.
Im not sure if there should be a cover over this side of the engine - I havent yet seen a cover in any of the examples I've found on the internet

Madeningly, the variable belt lever (I have yet to work out how this works) has been snapped off

When I picked the bike up yesterday from the seller, we tried to turn the engine over - it wouldn't budge and so I assumed it was seized.  However, once on the bench and dripping in WD40, I found that the head and barrel lifted easily (in fact from what i could see the piston looked good - though i haven't fully removed the barrel yet).  One of the head/barrel studs is snapped.
It turns out that the jammed engine was due to corrosion between the flywheel and stator.

I need to do some more investigation into the state of the engine, but Im starting to wonder if it was once a "spares or repairs" donor vehicle - there is an awful lot missing (though on the up side there is still a fair amount left).  If the statement is true that the Manurhin Concorde was the 3rd most popular scooter after Vespa and Lambretta, there could be a chance that these missing parts could be replaced - and that lifts my spirits a little - Ive clearly got to get talking to the specialists and enthusiasts - and most probably in French or German.
I wondered also if I might even be able to fabricate some of these missing / damaged bits myself? Do I want to simply return the bike to the road, or do I want to return the bike to the road in as original a condition as possible?

I keep going hot and cold on this now.  One moment I like the challenge, the next I think its one step beyond hope.
I wonder if I could acquire a complete engine??

What have I got? (and NOT got)

I was keen to have a bit of an explore today, so camera in hand, this is what I discovered

cobwebs verify its a 'barn-find' - good to see the aluminum hole trim still there

I love this rear end.  Though I suspect that isnt an original rear light.  Saddles knackered

No dinks or dents! (though that floor pan is a bit kinked)  Note the lack of starter pull

Headstock appears to have been hand painted, but the speedo is in good nick

Missing headlamp glass and Manurhin badge, but body looking good

Floor pan sound and runners dont look bad either (though the OS outer aluminum strip is missing)

Dented leg-shield but its no more than a pull over the knee to fix that

Cowl open to reveal the running gear

Missing starter mechanism and engine cowl (hmm big disappointment)

View under the floor - surface rust only? I have yet to have a poke

Odd levers?  and no electrical switches

So on first close inspection I'm both a little excited and a little disappointed.  There appears to be an awful lot missing - trouble is I don't know exactly what is missing!
Interestingly, the bodywork appears remarkably sound - a little surface rust here and there, but no rot.  By contrast to my recent Vespa rebuild, it would seem that this new project is going to be heavy on the mechanicals and light on the tinwork

Before I make any major decisions, I think I'll get the engine out for a closer inspection

A little history lesson

I guess I ought to find out more about this odd looking scooter.
Thank heavens for the internet and google.

Paraphrased from wikipedia
Manurhin, officially known as Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin, in Haut-Rhin, France, started out by manufacturing pistols in 1952
Manhurin also produced the German DKW Hobby scooter by incorporating locally made components and rebranding it as the Manurhin MR75 in Europe and the Concord in the UK. According to Bonhams (auctioners) the MR 75 “was constructed to a high standard and must have been one of the first motorcycles to be painted electrostatically, a process commonly known as ‘powder coating’. When DKW ceased production of the Hobby, Manurhin continued with its version, which in 1957 occupied third place in the European scooter sales chart behind Lambretta and Vespa"


Paraphrased from the 'motorbike-search-engine' website
Dampf-Kraft Wagen (German: steam-powered vehicle) or DKW is a historic car and motorcycle marque. In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW. Although unsuccessful, he made a two-stroke toy engine in 1919, called Des Knaben Wunsch "a boy's desire". He also put a slightly modified version of this engine into a motorcycle and called it Das Kleine Wunder "a little marvel". This was the real beginning of the DKW brand: by the 1930s, DKW was the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. 
DKW motorcycles used 2-stroke engines which were technically advanced; the best-known one in the UK is the RT 125. As reparations after World War II, the design drawings of the RT125 were given to Harley-Davidson in the US and BSA in the UK. The HD version was known as the Hummer, while BSA used them for the Bantam. Designs from the DKW 2-stroke engine was also used in the Ariel Arrow and Leader.
Vintage DKW motorcycles enjoy an excellent reputation for design and engineering and are sought-after machines today. Spares are obtainable from Germany (some components were used in later MZ motorcycles, which makes spares availability much easier). There’s an active club in Germany, and Bernie of the British Two-Stroke Club runs an enthusiastic section for German machines in the UK.



So it looks like if I'm going to pursue this project I am once again going to have to call upon Googles services to help me translate all the French and German reference sites

And just to encourage me a little; I couldn't help but smile (and maybe nod a little in agreement) when I saw The Coolist say "Fans of vintage Vespas should take note, because this 1956 Manurhin Scooter will cool the pants off of your little Italian Stallion"

Collecting my new project

Now you have to remember, I bought this bike because I liked the look of it.  I had no idea what it was or if it was complete.  I simply thought it looked nice.
Some people might think this is a foolish and perhaps shallow way to buy something, and some people might say I had more money than sense.
I, however, think this is a jolly good way to choose a project.  If you are going to working on a project for fun, surely its better to be working on something you like, rather than something that might be a good investment but isnt actually particularly interesting or stimulating.

This said however, it was still a nail-biting 2 hour drive in a hired transit down to St Albans to collect my new project.
Was it complete?  The ebay description said "seems to be all there." - "SEEMS" kept ringing in my head!
Was it genuine?  The ebay description said "came from a barn clear out and there are no docs" - Barn Find!?? Surely there are no more 'barn finds' these days?
Was it a rust bucket?  Visions of rotten Vespa floor pans still haunted me.

Well would you believe it? it turns out that my scooter was indeed part of a genuine barn find.  It was amongst 40 odd scooters and mopeds found in a barn in Scotland - How exciting would that be to discover!?  Apparently, many years ago a local number plate dealer started buying cheap bikes and stripping of them of their valuable registration numbers - the bikes themselves were simply discarded and piled up in a barn.
The chap who had bought this job lot and was now selling them was a complete scooter enthusiast - it was very exciting to meet him.  His intention was to buy and sell most of them so that by the end of the whole deal he would be left with his 3 favourite scooters (in effect for 'free').

My bitten nails weren't completely unfounded - It was clear that some parts were missing.  My heart dropped a little when I saw the space where a carburetor should be :-(  BUT on the up side - It WAS a lovely looking thing :-)  What made my wife say it looked like a camel, actually made be think 'beautiful'.

I think the pleasure was worth a couple of hundred quid.

The question now, as I drove the 100 miles back home with a Manurhin in the back of my van, was;
Do I keep it and work on it? or shall I get rid of it and cut my losses now?

Breaking the news

So HOW and WHEN to tell the wife that I'd spent money on an unknown entity that could well take up a fair amount of my time?
I appeared to have let slip the news to everyone else but my wife so later at a large family gathering i was getting lots of winks and nods to encourage me to tell her - I think they all just wanted to see me get into trouble.
I made a rash decision and blurted out "Laurie Ive bought you a present"
I dont think the burst of laughter from everyone else helped my case much at this point.
Seriously I did think it would be a nice present - of course i would have to do all the renovation work on it, but surely she would enjoy riding it.  wouldn't she?
I showed her a picture of the bike.  "It looks like a camel" she exclaimed
I was a little taken aback at this disinterest and before I knew it, my foolishness had been posted up on facebook

I am sure she will come to love it eventually - after all she did with me

Oh Bugger

Why is it that all my projects seem to start with "oh bugger"?
I'm not so sure as to what I'm most scared about this time; the challenge, the cost, or the wife (who I havent yet told about what ive done)

Having recently finished completely rebuilding a 1991 Vespa 125PX, Ive rather fallen in love with it.  And to further cement my bond with it, I rode it to Italy and back.  There was no reason in the World as to why I should ever want another scooter in my life.  With my Vespa, I am complete.
However, it turns out that while I was blogging about the Vespa rebuild and Italian ride, people were actually reading my gushing love for my PX125, so much so that since then 3 friends have gone out and bought themselves scooters, and 2 more are just about to order theirs too - Falling in love with scooters is catching!
Now one of these people happens to be my brother, John, and he seemed to get a little carried away with things and ended up buying an old scooter that I'd never heard of - A Garelli Capri Monaco.  Madness I thought - why would anyone ever want a rare old rust bucket that you cant get parts for? 

But remember this is still a 'scooter' and scooters appear to have some sort of hypnotic effect on people - regardless of their oddities.  Over the following few weeks while I was enjoying buzzing around on my PX, I found I was becoming increasingly interested in the progress of this Garelli basket case - John was doing a good job of slowly bringing it back to life, and in a strange turn of events, he was now inspiring me to think about older scooters too.  And so to ebay.

The trouble is with the ebay iphone app is its too darn easy to search and place bids.  I simply searched for 'vintage scooter' - and lo and behold! someone was selling a little collection of "barn find" restoration projects.  I liked the shape of one of them - though I'd never heard of the make - and I bid.

I was in the Waitrose fruit isle with my dad when I recieved the confirmation email telling me that I had 'won' this (apparent) "classic rare old scooter"

I still have no idea of what it was really.  or if its all there.  But I am now £206 lighter and own a "Very rare Manurhin Concorde scooter"...... and I need to find a way to tell my wife.