After recommissioning my G3LS for the year and attending to some tinkering, I took it for a test ride. As always, it was delightful just popping along the local lanes at about 45mph and looking over the hedges.
What was fitted and what should have been
When I got back, I did my usual checks and found the rear brake plate was hot and appeared to have been catching on the drum. I removed the back wheel and discovered something I’d forgotten…my cousin hadn’t fitted the correct locating bolt and peg for the back brake plate, which allows adjustment of the wheel to happen easily as the slot in the brake plate ‘tang’ can move freely over the peg. My cousin had fitted a regular bolt, home made spacer and lock nut.
I took the opportunity to clean, check and lubricate what needed lubricating and reassembled and refitted the wheel with the correct part from Steve Surbey at AMC Classic Spares; Steve supplies the complete “010347 Bolt anchoring rear brake cover plate, with nut & split pin, pre-1955 spring frame models” for under a tenner…you’ll pay that for the bolt alone elsewhere. Note that it is more difficult to refit the rear wheel using the correct parts, than with a nut and bolt.
The moral of this story is, if ever you get anyone to do work on your bike, family or otherwise, insist they use the correct parts and check their work. I think this is about the tenth ‘cousin problem’ I’ve found on this bike, quite simply due to lack of care and attention, or just plain laziness. Apologies for the mini-rant but some of the problems could have caused a serious accident.