Author Topic: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer  (Read 7489 times)

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Offline Daren W Australia

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Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« on: 28 Jul 2017 at 05:26 »
Hi for my Mk5 I need 2 amal 274 gasket spacers what are they made of and where do I get them Regards Daren
too many dougli not enough time!

Offline eddie

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #1 on: 28 Jul 2017 at 07:01 »
Hi Daren,
               They are made of 1/8" thick Tufnol. Some years back, LDMCC spares did have them in stock, but I don't know what the present situation is.

  Regards,
                Eddie.

Offline Hampshirebiker

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #2 on: 28 Jul 2017 at 07:07 »
Hitchcocks Motorcycles stock them Darren. They should come up on Google.

Offline Dawn

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #3 on: 28 Jul 2017 at 09:45 »

Offline eddie

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #4 on: 28 Jul 2017 at 11:45 »
Looking at Hitchcock's website, all their spacers look to be for the more usual flange with 2" stud centres. The smaller flange with 1.562" stud centres seems to be peculiar to the Mark series Douglas, so there is probably not enough turnover for anyone to consider making a batch!

  Eddie.

Offline Hampshirebiker

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #5 on: 28 Jul 2017 at 12:50 »
The parts book only shows what looks like a gasket & is described as a joint. My MK5 only has gaskets (no heat blocks.) It is possible that all 274s have the smaller flange.

Offline eddie

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #6 on: 28 Jul 2017 at 14:34 »
When new, the Mark series engines only had the tufnol spacer (as you say, described as a joint) - there were no gaskets! The 274 carbs fitted to Marks are unique in several ways - they have vertical flanges with 1.562" stud centres, they have larger threads to take 276 bellmouths, and they are cast aluminium whereas other 274's are made of a zinc based alloy. All other 274 carbs also have either the larger flange with 2" stud centres or are stub fitting.

 Eddie.

Offline Hampshirebiker

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #7 on: 28 Jul 2017 at 14:43 »
Thanks Edddie, I'm sure I got new gaskets for mine, but can't find the receipt. It wasn't the LDMCC, but they're the only logical source if the flanges are unique to Douglas. The only other people I can think of is Surrey Cycles. Very helpful people.

Offline Daren W Australia

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #8 on: 16 Oct 2017 at 20:20 »
Hi Just received 2 spacers from Burlen to suit amal 274 the bore is correct but the stud spacing is incorrect so I will mod them and then get some cut locally so if anyone wants some let me know Daren
too many dougli not enough time!

Offline Daren W Australia

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #9 on: 30 Oct 2017 at 09:00 »
Hi so the only place in aus that I can find that has tufnol sheet sells it for around $400 for 4 sq feet so if anyone knows of a better place to buy it let me know Daren
too many dougli not enough time!

Offline Hampshirebiker

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #10 on: 30 Oct 2017 at 22:37 »
Emigrate.  :D

Offline Doug

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #11 on: 30 Oct 2017 at 23:19 »
Daren,

Tufonol seems to just be a phenolic laminate. The thermal properties do not even seem to be that good (max 300F). Perhaps if you widen your search to other high temperature composites you might find something in a smaller quantity. I think carbon fiber would really set your Mark a set above the pack!  :)

Over here, Tufnol seems to be known as Garolite. It can be had in small sheets and strips from places like McMaster-Carr. A link to the appropriate catalog page for Garolite:  https://www.mcmaster.com/#phenolic-sheets/=1a1jv1v

If you search their catalog, you will find a lot of other options for heat resistant sheets. In a pinch, I could order and forward the item if you don't find a local supplier.

-Doug

Offline Rex

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #12 on: 31 Oct 2017 at 08:48 »
Why not try the age-old trick of making them out of plywood? Flat-surfaced, cheap and very easy to form.

Offline eddie

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #13 on: 31 Oct 2017 at 09:51 »
And too soft - you will end up distorting the carb flange, and then buying new carb bodies. In any case, there is plenty of 3mm thick Tufnol available on Ebay at a reasonable price.

  Eddie.

Offline Rex

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #14 on: 31 Oct 2017 at 10:39 »
As with anything Eddie "a man's gotta know his limitations" as that nice Mr Eastwood once said.
I suppose if you crank that spanner until it can't be cranked anymore there'll always be problems, though anyone who's ever refitted a Monobloc or Conc with the rubber O ring knows that 'kintight is always way too much.
Plywood ain't the number one option but if the owner can't find or won't pay for the original solution it'll get him out of a hole.

Offline eddie

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #15 on: 31 Oct 2017 at 11:24 »
The problem is that that spacer is not primarily a gasket - it is a heat insulator, so needs to be thick enough to give that heat insulation without collapsing and distorting the carb body. In an ideal world, the 2 surfaces will be good enough not to need a gasket - if a gasket is needed, then it should be the thinnest possible that will create a seal - thicker soft gaskets only increase the risk of a leak by pinching the area under the bolts and wedging open the area between them. On that basis, back in '77, I put my Comp engine together on standard paper gaskets with just a smear of grease - the 'Douglas Experts' told me I would never keep the oil in it - that engine has proved ultra-reliable having completed 25 years of vintage trialing and subsequent road use, and is still as oil tight as the day it was built - I rest my case!

 Eddie.

Offline tck

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Re: Mk5 amal 274 gasket spacer
« Reply #16 on: 02 Nov 2017 at 06:29 »
I have a early triumph trophy but it's unique primary chain case cover was a pattern cast from an original and is too shallow. Using a gasket as a template I made a plywood spacer to see it it gave enough clearance intending to get a real one water jet cut in 8mm alloy sheet  four years later the plywood is still in place on an oil tight chaincase