Liberty - 1961 series 2 LI 125

[pazwaa]

Somehow missed this so just read whole thing from start. Great read. Always good to read these DIY rebuilds. Good luck with it.

From my own experience only, I would pay a bit more and buy decent components for forks rather than a "rebuild kit". ones I had were woefully bad. Holes off centre through bushes, nuts/bolts with unsymetrical heads, just complete sh1te, but as I say that was my experience. It is tough if you're on a budget and you are confronted with a cheap option for something that costs double elsewhere. But there will normally be a good reason why prices are so different. Hope that helps, don't mean it to be a downer.
Washers, believe it or not the lower ones were what was in the kit, top ones innocenti originals, guess which I used. And the dealer told me on the phone that they check all the components of their kits, check for what I wonder! Also balls on end of rods were wrong size (despite ordering kit with small balls ) and didn't fit snug into fork links and look like they'd been made with a blunt plastic spoon! Maybe it was just my choice of dealer that was the prob, can't remember who without going through receipts but hey, I'm over it now
Anyhow, keep at it. Great thread

Hi Nigel. Thanks for the feedback, nice to hear from new people

Some interesting washers there, definitely look like they've been cut out with a knife and a fork

On the back of your experience I'll probalb spend a bit more money from a decent supplier

Cheers
Matt

[pazwaa]

very small (annoying) amount of progress made this week.

good news first, all my parts came back from the blasters looking smooth and primed.





good i thought, time for a dry build.

first thing was i'd forgot to remove the chrome ring, think thats the right phrase, from the stem. oh my, what a job that was

heated the top of the stem with an electric heater first



25nb tube down the stem



and the inner bush popped out easy. then the chrome ring. electric heater just wasn't warming the steel enough, so gas axe was employed



took me an hour of warming, tapping, warming, tapping. eventually the stubborn so-and-so came out.





good i thought, time for a dry build. went to put the legshield on and this is fixed with M5 bolts, not a common engineering size, the engineering shop has every sized bolt M6 and upwards, but no M5's so fitting kit ordered

also seems i have the removable right side floorboard bracket missing, so need one of those if anyone has one kicking around, please pm me. if not, ill make a temporary one.

hopefully a complete dry build shortly.

onwards and upwards, very slowly
matt

[Toddy]

Good to see you making progress , theses always something missing lol take your time and enjoy it

[pazwaa]

Good to see you making progress , theses always something missing lol take your time and enjoy it

Cheers toddy. Yep, just need to learn a bit of patience

[pazwaa]

looked at starting the dry build last night, but didn't get very far.

need to straighten this support



a weld repair required on the leg shield



and i think this tab needs flattening. can anyone confirm this?



my fixing kit arrived



but no instructions so a bit confused by this lot



there's supposed to be the fixings for the legshields, footboards and mudguard. Can anyone guide me as to whats what? or point me to a guide/document showing how to fit the parts?

cheers
matt

[Tractorman]

Hi Matt,
one of us as put the little inner front mudguard on the wrong way around. Anyone tell me which is the correct way, please?

http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u37 ... 32E3F7.jpg

[Toddy]

Hi Matt,
one of us as put the little inner front mudguard on the wrong way around. Anyone tell me which is the correct way, please?

http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u37 ... 32E3F7.jpg

Short bit and holes to the front , I think

[pazwaa]

Tractorman, I think toddy is right, mine is the wrong way round

Matt

[Tractorman]

Hi Matt,
one of us as put the little inner front mudguard on the wrong way around. Anyone tell me which is the correct way, please?

http://i1064.photobucket.com/albums/u37 ... 32E3F7.jpg

Short bit and holes to the front , I think

Thanks Toddy, I thought it was that way then you access the horn casting bolts through the holes.

[pazwaa]

finally brought the old girl home



get the madness of christmas over and then begin the dry build in the comfort of my back garden

[pazwaa]

Got a bit done last night, with the aid of two enthusiastic helpers



Started the dry build, temporary fixings, and a few bent, dented and twisted panels

Offside footboard is bent at the back



And twisted down the side



The gap between the legsheild and the footboard is quite good, one or the other needs centreing though



Near side footboard is twisted too



Again, the legsheild/footboard gap is quite good



Side panel gaps to the frame vary a lot along their length

Not too bad at the front



Varies in the middle



And bad at the back





A lot of straightening needed on these

There is also a gap between the offside side panel and the footboard



Is this normal? Other than the handles at the back, are there other ways to hold the side panels on?

Legsheild is twisted



So, a lot of straightening/aligning to do

But she's starting to look like a scooter



Any advice/tips on fixing any of this would be gratefully received.

Cheers
Matt

[soullad]

Looking good

You have an early right hand rear floorboard, the inside edge of which should align approx with the panel when looking from above, as in the picture you have taken. So don't worry if it looks a touch unusual. The later rear floorboards had the extra metal presumably to help with air circulation and /or rain water channeling?

Keep the pics coming

[xenia1]

Good to see youre doing a dry build, so many just dont bother.Please dont take this as a criticism as its certainly not meant to come across as that ...but...the legshields and footboards look like theyve seen better days and the time and money spent trying to get them into a shape fit for painting would probably be better spent on replacements in better condition. The side panel gaps could be caused by the frame being transported upended causing the sides of the loop to splay outwards but the Indian side panels could have a part to play here and Innocenti originals would be a better option and would add value to the finished product. Getting the frame jigged professionally would also be a good idea and would give a starting point for good panel gaps plus give you some peace of mind.
Not telling you how to suck eggs and as mentioned not a criticism..

Andy

[pazwaa]

Looking good

You have an early right hand rear floorboard, the inside edge of which should align approx with the panel when looking from above, as in the picture you have taken. So don't worry if it looks a touch unusual. The later rear floorboards had the extra metal presumably to help with air circulation and /or rain water channeling?

Keep the pics coming

Thanks Ian, good to know I heading in the right direction

Matt

[pazwaa]

Good to see youre doing a dry build, so many just dont bother.Please dont take this as a criticism as its certainly not meant to come across as that ...but...the legshields and footboards look like theyve seen better days and the time and money spent trying to get them into a shape fit for painting would probably be better spent on replacements in better condition. The side panel gaps could be caused by the frame being transported upended causing the sides of the loop to splay outwards but the Indian side panels could have a part to play here and Innocenti originals would be a better option and would add value to the finished product. Getting the frame jigged professionally would also be a good idea and would give a starting point for good panel gaps plus give you some peace of mind.
Not telling you how to suck eggs and as mentioned not a criticism..

Andy

Hi andy

No worries, glad your offering advice you are correct, the legsheild and footboards are in a bad way, the panels too, to a lesser extent. They were all cheap, and I'll give them a go, I have no time limit for this project, so hopefully learn a bit along the way. I'm taking her back to a fabshop Tuesday and have a go at straightening the panels out with some clamps, heat and a hammer. Hopefully I can get them something like. If not, as you say, new panels will be needed.

I gave the legsheilds a bit of tlc last night and managed to get the twist out, so,just the lumps, bumps, dents and rips to sort now.

What does frame jigging do?

Any comments, suggestions, even criticism most welcome, this is my first time at this, and others advice is most helpful

Thanks
Matt

[pazwaa]

Bit of progress last night

A big work bench, big clamps, a small and large hammer incorporated, and straightening has begun



support struts straightened and levelled



split in the legsheild beginning to disappear (till the grinder packed up)



and one footboard straightened and split welded, fits loads better now



finish repairing the legshield, grinder allowing, next week and the other footboard. then onto panels

[Toddy]

Nice work so far that shed you built in the garden is quite decieving from the outside

[duncan1958]

The whole approach you have is spot on and an inspiration to anyone who has the doubt about starting a project of this size.
I have every confidance in the fullness of time your first project turning out well and then leading to another.

[pazwaa]

Nice work so far that shed you built in the garden is quite decieving from the outside

Cheers Toddy.

yep, its like the tardis, can get a fork lift truck in there Unfortunately when i need to weld and bend, my sheds no good, so off to a friends engineering works.

[pazwaa]

The whole approach you have is spot on and an inspiration to anyone who has the doubt about starting a project of this size.
I have every confidance in the fullness of time your first project turning out well and then leading to another.

Thanks duncan, means a lot

i'm slightly more blessed than the average joe as i started my working life as a welder, and been in engineering ever since, which helps massively. i also have a local engineering company that let me rent space cheaply and use their gear.