Electra spacer confusion

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Following on from my prop stand question, I've removed the tank to see what I have. Each side of the headstock / reinforcing plate, inside the forward flattened sections of the top frame loop, are two spacers. The rear of each is 0.25" thick; the forward one on the left is 0.33", on the right 0.35". The latter comprises a stack of washers (see photo). There are no spacers where the bottom frame loop meets the bottom of the downtube. Out of interest, the stud in this position is 3.9/16" long approximately - not long enough to accommodate the spacers..

I am assuming for the time being, following what I've read here that all the spacers at the top should be the 0.25" thick ones and that someone has replaced the forward ones (or at least the one that isn't a stack of washers) with the spacers that should be at the bottom.

My question is: should I just leave well alone (but probably replace the stack of washers with a correct spacer 21102) or replace the 2 thick spacers at the top with the correct thinner ones? I'm a bit reluctant to do this as the frame tubes may have taken a set where they are. The other question is whether to fit the bottom 21102 spacers - or at least one on the RHS as I'm fitting a Kawasaki stand) or again leave things be.

I'm not inclined to do a total stripdown but am looking to make the bike safe and rideable.

right spacers

spacers 1

Have just looked at mine. apology

Just looked at my Electra in this area.We have studs and 0.25" spacers all round. My guess is that some where/some time the frame tube has taken a set/bend and the dodgy washers correct this. Of course correcting the set/bend would be best and then correct spacers and studs.

Apology- CORRECTION, the 4 top spacers are 3/16" and there is two1/4" at the bottom. The side stand sits on the outside of the frame. The studs are 3/8 dia, length to suite.

Frame spacers for Electra

Two lower 5/16 x 1.0 x 3/8 hole (21102). Four upper 3/16 x 1.0 x 3/8 hole.
As stated before. There are no spacers at top of front frame member between the reinforcing plate and the frame member. Obviously your photos confirm your Electra has been assembled from randomly selected or omitted parts. A check of the Electra parts list will confirm. There are two parts lists available. The earlier, quite useable, has a few parts listed which are Navigator parts and were never adjusted. The later publication catches these errors, but still misses reinforcement plates which were a last minute addition.
Good luck Ian.

Many thanks both.

Looking at the original maintenance manual / "provisional" parts list that came with the bike (and the BMS copy I had from the National Motorcycle Museum) it lists five off part number 21102 frame front spacer washer - the 5/16" one. Why five? Perhaps one of the lower ones was omitted to allow the prop stand to be fitted? There are no other spacer washers listed.

I suppose all our bikes have passed through many hands and who knows what's happened to them. I can see the logic of the thinner spacers to take account of the thickness of the reinforcing plate but am not sure that 1/16" wider would make a significant difference. Although interestingly there are no threads showing outside where the 5/16" spacers are indicating the stud is slightly short. But then again I'd expect to see 2 off studs in the parts list but they're all listed separately.

I can't find the 1/4" spacer in the NOC shop as I don't have a part number for it. But they would be easy enough to make.

The publication number is P100 in both cases - no version number that I can see.

The spares scheme sells the last Electra spares list version P107/S.

Fascinating thread by the way. I've just purchased an Electra, apparently assembled on a budget from a box of bits and shall include the spacer assembly in my list of things to review when I return from holiday.

Fifth spacer

Ian,
As it left the factory your Electra had a horn attached to rear top frame stud. This stud was longer than the front top stud. This fifth spacer was outside the frame and between frame and horn fixing bracket. The spacer was not a 21102, but longer and smaller diameter. The horn was fitted on rhs. Suggest this is the fifth spacer. Lovely here at Arnside just now.

Attachments

IMG_20240624_144947.jpg

I think...

... that I'll just make sure that the frame loops are symmetrical with equal spacers both sides and without straining the tubes. After all, they're only bits of (probably) mild steel tube with flattened ends. I can't see that a discrepancy of 1/16" or so will make any perceptible difference. But many thanks for all contributions which have given much food for thought.

Alan - thanks for the ref, I may buy a copy of the Club's spares list. I take it the frame section isn't illustrated either.

Peter - lovely picture.

Club spares list for the…

Club spares list for the Electra- I purchased this last year, it turned out to be poorly photocopied, lots of bleed-through from adjacent pages, so I returned it.

No illustration of the frame with the Meccano girder and spacer setup: other publications only show the Jubilee frame, so of limited use for the Electra.

Good luck Ian! But yes do have a good look at the bike in the NMM, well worth taking the camera along- but you can't get close up and personal behind the rope!

Thanks Michael.

I won't bother with the club copy! I'm a "friend" of the NMM so have unlimited free entry and have in the past been allowed to hop over the rope and examine bikes at close quarters. However it's unlikely there's an Electra with its top off for me to examine.

With all the information I now have I've decided that probably no 2 bikes left Plumstead with similar setups so will continue with my suck-it-and-see approach.