First Step - Engine

The first step will be to work on the engine of the Canadian Solex. It is in need of TLC, although it is not seized and moves freely - it has some compression, but not a whole lot. I will give this little guy a complete makeover.

This is what it looks like before doing anything to it, just held on my home-made engine stand:

It is dirty and will need a throrough clean:

And so it starts. I took it apart to find a couple of things unusual, first, the clutch is of a 'simple-effect' that was briefly used by Solex and it is only the second time I see one. The other engine I have with this clutch is my 5000 version US Specs

A couple of hours later, all is taken apart, and it looks something like this. A word of warning, if you intend to attempt this, remember that you need to heat up the crank case to extract the bearing, and you need to be gentle, a shop press will greatly help. Otherwise it may break and that will be the end of that story!

Fortunately for me no problems here. Quick inventory:
- Bearing are good for the garbage, 6202 and 6203 will be replaced with new ones
- Piston rings will need a thorough cleaning as they are somewhat stuck (which would explain the compression)
- All gaskets will be new ones as well as the pump diaphragm and the spark plug
- Stator plate with the coils will be taken apart to be cleaned and de-greased and all the parts will be bead-blasted with glass beads to clean them
- Cylinder will be sandblasted and painted with high temperature black paint
- Front engine mudguard will be sandblasted, primed, painted and clear coated
- Pump will be checked and cleaned
- Carburator and fuel lines completely cleaned/blasted and reassembled
- Tank will be replaced with a new one since it is cracked and good for the trash can

Good luck to me!