AN END TO THE TORSION BAR

I'm afraid it's back to the torsion bar again, but take heart it should be the last entry on the subject for some time.

Having looked at three different tools for releasing the tension on the torsion bar I found myself reconsidering the "bodge clamp method".  The more I thought of it the more I liked it.  It was simple, quick and above all didn't involve me having to make a special tool.  The draw back was that i didn't have a clamp that was large enough and that would fit in the space available.  I would have to buy one (you can never have too many clamps I say).  Despite not finding one in the Tillgear catalog I drove over to Cuffley to see what they had available.  Much to my delight they had one which I thought would do the job.  I was so excited I bought a couple of files just in case I had to revert to making a tool.

As with the "bodge" method I used wood blocks to provide the pressure points.  I then realised that I didn't know what pressure to apply to overcome the torsion bar force.  I made a guess, i.e. I tightened the clamp. Hoping this might be right I started to drift the link pin through the engine mount.  It wasn't long before I noticed that the washers either side of the link were missing.  this enabled the link to move between the engine lugs.  Having driven the link pin back I was able to fit a spacer to replace the missing washer.  Just another mystery, why weren't they fitted during assembly?

With the spacer fitted I could now drift the link pin fully out.  At the Lambretta Club forum there a number of references to the dire consequences of not retaining the needle roller bearings during the removal of the pin.  I cut a short length of tube to replace the pin as I drove it out so at to retain the bearings.  I can't remember exactly when the glued lug fell off but needless to say it did not survive the removal of the pin.  It wasn't even glued over the full face of the break!

With the pin removed and the clamp released there was so little misalignment that I suspect I was overloading things.  Thinking about now (I should have done this earlier) the fact that the rear bump stop was missing had probably already released the tension.   
No bump stop, Why? 

The good news is that the link been uncoupled and the torsion bar unloaded.  As they say, "end of story".

There still remains a mystery!  Why weren't there any needle roller bearing in the link?  It is fitted with a plain bronze bearing.  It's a good fit on the pin and so should work but is it correct?  I will have to take advice.

It now remains to remove the engine from the frame.  I think I have to remove the fuel tank if I'm going to leave the barrel and head in place, more fun.  It would be nice if I can do this before I go into hospital because it will be some time before I will be allowed to start work again after the operation.