RealClassic – August 2019

engines.Valve seats hadalayerofStellite

welded on,aprocess whichrequiredalot

of skillto avoid air holes andoverheating.

Pushrodswere manufacturedforthe

replacementheads andvalves were ground

to gi ve the correctangle.The fuel usedwas

special 100 octane petrol.’

Fuel wasn’t alwayssosimple though.

Jim Phillips,REME:‘A Brasso-type cleaning

fluid came infive gallon drums,which was

distilled in the baking sun of the desert,

beforebeing separatedand thensieved

throughRAFsupplied chamois leather.The

wood alcoholresidue liquidwasthen added

to high octane fuel andalittle castor oil

obtained from the medics.’

By 1949, the‘Hanomag’standardwas

introducedformachinesracing at the

Hanovertrack.Technical Directoroft he Saints

REME speedway club,Major Gershon,was

tasked with developing theformat.Int he

end the specification calledforMatchles sor

Nortoncrankcase sandflywheel s, Matchless

or Triumphcylinder heads,Nortonpistons

and manufactured barrels.MainlyMatchless

cranks and crankcaseswereused,the robust

conrods being desirable,eventhoughthe

mainshaftswere somewhatflimsy.

Some 4lbwasmachinedoffflywheel s,

whichwere rebalancedat 60%using the

Nortonpiston. Barrels were machined from

chrome steel,with extraoilways at the rear of

the piston.Inlets wereopened from 25mm

to 28mm, andvalvecutawaysmachined into

the piston crowns.Moreinteres tingly,timing

casesweremodified to bring the magneto

downby twoinches, so th ecarbs could be

fitted directlyto the cylinder heads.Standard

valvespringswere asource of trouble until

Matchles ssupplied stronger ones.Heads

werealso opened outto take larger Humber

valves ,shortenedto suit,but the Humber

stemsweretoosmall in diameter and

fracturedat the cotter ,despitefour different

cotter designs.Thefinal and most su ccessful

modificationwasgrafting Nortoncams onto

the Matchless cam wheels,whichwith the

increased duration andoverlap improved top

The GoDept.Gentle all-iron ohvsingle provides

adequatepower.Nottoomuch, however...

The gearboxis aBurman, whichcauses

consternationamong those who‘know’thatRE

alwaysusedpatriotic –soundingAlbionboxes.

But theydidn’t;about 3000were built for the

WD with Burmans,just likethisone

Everything thecompetitiveslider mightwant

canbecarriedinasmallwebbing bag,just like

this one

Everythingyouneed andnothing more.The RE engine drives thoughanakedchaintothatBurman box,
withnothingtosapthepower. Such as oil...

Tyred...

The Enfield’s oil iscarriedinacompartment within

thecrankcasesat the front,while the pump livesat

thebottom of the timing chest.Simpleandrobust

SPEEDWAY SPECIAL

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Breathe deeply–well,asdeeplyasispossible with

asmallAmal