[bullethead63]

...the guy (who owns a shop that builds/repairs Triumph,Norton,BSA,etc...) says it was running when the bike was parted out...it turns over,has compression,and still has the original,RH shift,Albion gearbox...he's asking $800...seems like a good price to me...especially if I can beat him up on the price,'cause I'd have to have it shipped...rumor has it that an Interceptor engine will bolt right into a Bullet frame...which I already have...talk to me,people...should I pull the trigger on this one?

[geichal]

YES!!! Let us hot rod vicariously through you!!
Geichal

[Ice]

Stuff it in a feather bed frame 

[geichal]

Hell, stuff it in my stripped down Bull/Kaw frame and have a ROCKET!!  It would be insane!
geichal

[ScooterBob]

Oh! - I'd do it in a heartbeat ...... You KNOW it'll be awesome ...... !! 

[bob bezin]

def. yes 800 bucks won't buy much else these days. even a moped rarely goes that cheap

[carlo]

Definately worht the price, but I'm a bit skeptical about the idea that one would fit into a modern Bullet frame.
You're dealing with a much wider engine, which will introduce sprocket alignment issues, also the Interceptor motor used "head steady" plates attached to the cylinder heads, which probably has no corresponding frame lug (even the early twins differed in this area). There's also a large aluminum lump bolted to the back of the transmission which uses a through bolt to secure it to the swingarm plates.
You've essentially got twice the mass reciprocating in an Interceptor engine than you do in a Bullet, and the engine needs to be mounted a lot more solidly.

[bullethead63]

Well...if you'll look at the "Heart Transplant" thread,there's pix of a Bullet with a series 2 Interceptor engine in it...I'm just sayin'...

[bullethead63]

Stuff it in a feather bed frame 

...ah...the fabled "Nortfield"...I've seen a '55 Bullet engine in a Norton frame,but never a big Enfield twin...and,as you know...there's already a '99 Bullet frame in my garage...sigh...what a dilemma...

[geichal]

 
Do it, you know you want to!!
geichal

[bullethead63]

...yes...you know that I want to... ...I'll post some pix of the engine when he sends them to me...I'll keep you posted...

[geichal]

I had been thinking about such a project for some time, just haven't found a suitable mill.  In the meantime, I'll concentrate on the single. I hope the mill turns out to be a winner!
geichal

[bullethead63]

...well...good news and bad news...it's not an Interceptor engine...it's a 1957 Indian Traiblazer engine,which,besides the badges,is a Super Meteor engine...but BOY is it rough...however...if it'll bolt right into the Bullet frame,it would give me a good excuse to trick it out with Indian stuff...it's missing the cover on the tranny...will a modern 4 speed,RH shift cover fit?Theres a vintage  Interceptor tranny  cover on eBay...but it's about $250...and there's no primary case,and all of the attending bits...I dunno... ...it's never as nice as you'd hoped...I'll post some pix tomorrow...grrrrrrrrrrrr...

[ERC]

No a new Indian cover won't fit,the shape and bolt pattern are different, but some of the shift parts and gears are the same.  ERC

[carlo]

...well...good news and bad news...it's not an Interceptor engine...it's a 1957 Indian Traiblazer engine,which,besides the badges,is pretty much the same...but BOY is it rough...however...if it'll bolt right into the Bullet frame,it would give me a good excuse to trick it out with Indian stuff...it's missing the cover on the tranny...will a modern 4 speed,RH shift cover fit?Theres a vintage  Interceptor tranny  cover on eBay...but it's about $250...and there's no primary case,and all of the attending bits...I dunno... ...it's never as nice as you'd hoped...I'll post some pix tomorrow...grrrrrrrrrrrr...

Holy chit! $250? For a transmission cover? Is this a NOS item?
If it's not, then  I should be able to finance my entire restoration with all the stuff I'm finding in my shed. I have a box full of  transmission covers.
I'll sell you a useable one for $100, if they're really going for $250. I also have several primary cases.
 You need to determine if your clutch uses the "scissors" actuation on the primary side or if it uses the rod actuation from inside the transmission cover. This will effect both the primary case and the transmission cover that you need for this engine.
The transmission output shaft will have a hole about 1/4 inch diameter all the way through  it if it uses a pushrod actuator, and if it uses the "scissors" actuator, the shaft will be solid.
Let me know what you need, I may be able to help you out. I wasn't planning to sell any of this stuff until after my project, but I have so many of these, and I only need one for each bike.
 

[ERC]

Also you can buy a new outer cover for about $45.That will fit a 57 trailblazer.  ERC  

[carlo]

Oh, I also have a timing side cover with a Royal  Enfield badge on it, and I think I also have just a badge somewhere.

[Ice]

An online curency converter.

http://coinmill.com/GBP_USD.html

[geichal]

Does rougher = cheaper?
Geichal

[bullethead63]

WOW..you people are the best...I just got home from the gig,but I'll try to post some pix in the morning,before I go to work...

[carlo]

Also you can buy a new outer cover for about $45.That will fit a 57 trailblazer.  ERC  

You must be talking about this one....

How can someone expect to sell those for $100 (let alone, $250) if they're selling them in England for a fraction of that price?    

Oh well, I've got a lot of other parts. I see that crankcases for twins are selling for 100-170 English pounds. I have 6 or 7 of those, some with crankshaft assemblies and cams still in them.
In fact, if anyone is really serious about building a custom modern Enfield with a vintage twin cylinder engine in it, I'll be looking to collect batches of parts to use as starting points for building complete engines. I should be able to come up with all the major stuff, minus pistons, rings, bearings etc. for at least 3 engines.

I have parts for both Interceptor and Meteor/Constellation engines.

[ERC]

Thay's the one I'm talking about. They're great to deal with. And a lot cheaper than $250.00

[bullethead63]

OK...I was in the garage,putting new alloy RE point covers,Tax Discs and holders,and alloy cooling fins on all three Bullets...next step:Beston grips,and Triumph type chain adjusters for the 2000 & 2002,as the '99 already has them...where were we?...pix of the beat-up Trailblazer engine...

[bullethead63]

...gonna have to do these one post at a time...

[bullethead63]

...but wait...

[bullethead63]

...there's more...

[bullethead63]

...and it gets worse...

[bullethead63]

...and the last one...what do you think?...is this worth bolting into a Bullet frame,and starting from scratch?...could be a cool Super/Bullet/ Meteor hybrid...about 425 lbs,with 700cc's...if you folks think that it'll bolt into a '99 Bullet frame,without TOO many additional brackets and such,I'll probably do it...and bug the crap out of all of you for the next couple of years...

[bullethead63]

 You need to determine if your clutch uses the "scissors" actuation on the primary side or if it uses the rod actuation from inside the transmission cover. This will effect both the primary case and the transmission cover that you need for this engine.
The transmission output shaft will have a hole about 1/4 inch diameter all the way through  it if it uses a pushrod actuator, and if it uses the "scissors" actuator, the shaft will be solid.
Let me know what you need, I may be able to help you out. I wasn't planning to sell any of this stuff until after my project, but I have so many of these, and I only need one for each bike.
 

Looks like it's pushrod actuated,not scissors...ahhh...I feel a big project coming on...

[geichal]

A little vapour blasting will go a long way, I like that it's a single carb model.  Looks like a good start if you got the $$ and time.  How flexy is he on the price?
geichal

[bullethead63]

...I like the single carb and Y-shaped manifold,too...the only thing worse than tuning one Amal carb is trying to tune TWO... ...I'll email him today about the price...wish me luck!

[geichal]

 ;)Good Luck!!!
geichal

[carlo]

You did good. Needs a lot of work, obviously, but it's a great start.

Are you planning to do the engine tear-down and reassembly yourself? I've had mine apart several times, and I can advise you on gotchas that you need to be aware of.
I've also got some Classic Mechanics magazines with a couple of great articles on Enfield twin engine work that I can scan and email to you.

There are a number of oddities in these engines that you need to be aware of, and a couple of worthwhile re-eingineering tricks that make them more reliable and less leaky.

And I do have a good transmission outer cover with gearshift lever return spring and kickstart shaft and pawl that I can sell you. I'm working on setting up a paypal account to facilitate selling of my surplus stuff.
I'll also take a look at my collection of primary cases and see if I can find a good set. (I have a few that would need welding to make usable) I may also have clutch parts, but I'm not certain of that.
Follow that link for the gearbox cover on Hitchcock's and you can backtrack to the original parts manual. I think the one I started with is a 1959 Meteor, so you'd need to look for the 1957 Meteor book to find your engine.
They switched back and forth between the pushrod actuated clutch and the scissors type several times over the years; my 1959 model has the scissors clutch.

btw, judging by that blue gas tank in the background, I'm guessing you have a BSA project going on in your garage as well.

[carlo]

...and the last one...what do you think?...is this worth bolting into a Bullet frame,and starting from scratch?...could be a cool Super/Bullet/ Meteor hybrid...about 425 lbs,with 700cc's...if you folks think that it'll bolt into a '99 Bullet frame,without TOO many additional brackets and such,I'll probably do it...and bug the crap out of all of you for the next couple of years...

I'd do my best to track down the guy who put that Series II Interceptor engine into a Bullet frame and find out what he had to do..
Enfield engines and frames were always pretty interchangable; the old Meteor Minor was a 500 twin (same cases/heads and cylinders as your 700) slotted into a frame designed for a 250 two-stroke. 
I'd highly recommend getting a pair of the twin cylinder head-steady plates, and welding a lug to the frame to hold it. 

[bullethead63]

Thanks,Carlo...I'm going to call about the engine price and shipping today...cross your fingers and wish me luck!Here's a picture of a 1953 Meteor,in what appears to be a Bullet or model G frame...

[bullethead63]

...and a 1954 Meteor,also in a Bullet frame...

[bullethead63]

...and a 1955 Meteor,in a Bullet frame...so I think that we can make it fit!Probably just a matter of making and welding on some tabs and / or brackets...my frame is black,black fenders,with gold pinstriping,and my buddy Rich has a chrome/black/gold Deluxe tank...got some NOS black/chrome Girlings shocks,too...it's smelling like a project,gentlemen... ...thanks for all of your help,people!

[carlo]

Bullethead, those frames are not unique to Bullet models.
That's just the standard pre-1956 Royal Enfield frame. 

Theoretically, they're the same as the 1956-on frames, in that there's no major difference between frames for the different models.

This project is doable, I'm just nitpicking.