I gotta say installing this large oil tank is a PIA. First just getting it up into its saddle requires a lot of finesse. You have to try a number of twists and turns to get it up in there. Then the rubber bumpers fitment is big fun, I used a rubber lube to get it to work. Center bolt went in ok but the tank just seemed to sit funny. I tried to install the lower bracket to the frame using plastic pry bars to adjust it. Finally I had an of sorts fit but when I tightened the Center bolt the tank slipped out of the rubber bumpers.
Of course I contacted Gary Edwards for advise. He had the same problem, suggested I make a new lower bracket with an off set hole to the tank. . How the factory did it is beyond me.
Any comments on you guys restoring one of these would be very interesting
Thanks,
Richard

I just pulled one out, not quite ready to put it back. Is the problem new rubber bumpers?

I have only seen one of those bigger tanks, and that on eBay a few years ago.

I think it would be great to have the extra oil capacity, for cooler oil maybe?

The west coast Hornet oil tank is frame specific. It will not fit any other frame other than the west coast model Hornet and Wasp.

A frame could have brackets removed or fitted to accept the tank maybe or is there some serious frame tube surgury required?

I think Gary just explained the cause of the problem: The west-coast Hornet has it's own unique frame,
maybe just to use that oil tank.

I seriously doubt (although will accept if it is) that BSA would make serious alterations to a frame just to fit an oil tank, more likely they fitted different mounting tabs and made the tank to fit within the confides of a standard frame shape.

The frame is defiantly West Coast Hornet Specific. The overall shape of the frame is not different, I would say the saddle it sits in, is different ( although not sure) and there is a lug welded to the curved down tube behind where the tool box used to sit.
I should have posted this on the Hornet thread. I am hoping to help anyone up against the installation of 1 gallon oil tank used for the WC Hornet and or hear from others who have done this. By the way the tank has to be installed before shocks are mounted.
I could not use the original BSA bracket to mount to the oil tank and the threaded insert to the frame lug. Gary had the same problem, making his own bracket. I made a card board template aligning the mounting holes then formed the bracket from aluminum. I was able to use a bushed grommet through the bracket to the frame lug, so there is a bit of rubber cushion. Suffice to say this took a few attempts.
Since I have a spare WC Hornet Tank and an A65 Frame I plan to verify the saddle difference, if any.
Sorry I have not mastered the photo attachment. I would be happy to provided a pic of the bracket unmounted and mounted. Plus I would like to post pictures of the restoration process.

Thank you,
Richard

Does anyone have a stripped Hornet frame and be willing to post photos of the oil tank mounting area on this site?

It would be helpful to compare it with the "standard' frame for differences to clarify all of this.

I'm working on it. Since my restoration is in the early phase I can show it. Not sure how to post pics I think my I phone resolution is too many pixels. Advice pleasei

.having never seen a western tank ,
Im guessing ,
Parts 11 through 18 ?

I put a non-matching oil tank on my '70-framed A65 bitsa - not a large capacity tank, just a regular A65 tank, year unknown, has an outlet spigot near the top for the rocker oil feed, if that dates it. Anyway, I had to jump through a couple of hoops to make it fit. Climbing off its mounts when the rear bracket was lined up, etc. I had to shim up the bottom frame lugs with SS fender washers, one side more so than the other. I had taper-head machine screws welded to the top washer, so I could stack the other washers beneath as needed. The screws go through the holes in the frame lugs and nuts underneath hold everything in place. I can't quite remember how I attached the bumper rubbers to the fender washers, but I think I cut the flanges off the rubbers and glued them in place.

I also reengineered the top rear mount, which I think is necessary in all cases, since the factory setup does not adequately isolate the oil tank lug from both the frame AND the mounting bolt (and nut and washers).

While researching an old thread last night I came across a poignant statement that seems appropo to this subject, I believe it was from Stuart, to paraphrase:

" If the parts fit, it CAN'T be a BSA!"

1966 Factory Spares manual shows no frame differences amongst all models of A50 and A65. I believe the same is true for 1967, but my '67 Spares manual is out on loan.

I've got one all apart on my bench now, but I'm not going to relearn how to post photos here. Speaking for 67, there is most assuredly frame differences as mentioned by Gary. I learned this when I got a WC bike with a cracked, leaking tank. No problem, I thinks, just stick in a normal 67 type tank. No way.

I looked at the standard BSA A65 oil tank saddle: defiantly different. The fender mounting hole is single notched tab that hangs down from the oil tank. It has a slot for a nut to hold in place for the lower fender mount. My older frames have two holes one on each side of the oil tank saddle, the saddle itself is accommodating to the standard oil tank


Here again I would like to provide photos but do not understand how to post pictures perhaps one of the Forum Monitors can forward a forward a link

Richard, check out postimage.org.

Upload photo to postimage, click on uploaded photo, click on "Share". You'll see a list of URLs; click on the URL that's labeled "Hotlink for forums". Right click, select "Copy". Then just "Paste" into the forum.

Thanks Mark I signed up.
Richard

Hope these will help (if I have Attachment Manager figured out!)

Good post Richard

I'm where your at on mine. Its been at least a year since I have been able to get back to the west coast hornet. I need to order the rubber pads and the grommet that holds the tank. Getting the oil tank out of the WC hornet frame wasn't easy. So going back in without scratching everything will probably be as challenging.

ljm

Just put one in an hour ago, easy. Easy, that is, if just reusing the old rubber bumpers like you perfectionists don't do. In from the back,fill spigot out thru the frame, swings right into place. Fussiest part is the lower mount bracket.

Mildly interesting: I've had two of these tanks now, both have been cracked at that lower rear mount hole. The first one I welded myself, this one somebody brazed to repair back in the past.

Hi Richard - Putting one together right now that I found in a container here in Atlanta! The back bracket, that fits into the RH inside of the frame, was twisted.from the factory. As other people said i used a soft pry bar to position the tank so I could fit the right rear bracket in place. I still have the original rubbers! The Oil drain looks like it will interference with the frame so I may not have it just right. I'm hoping to flat track and road race this bike.

Waiting on a motor from Beno...

I had to make my own bracket as well. Real pain to get in there. Poor design.

Frame Part Numbers:

West Coast Hornet/Wasp Frame: 68-4281
East Coast Hornet/Wasp Frame: 68-4279

The welded in tank saddle is different for the west coast model than the east coast model. It is narrower in width; the round mounting rubber bumps are closer together for the larger capacity west coast tank than on the standard size (east coast Hornet) oil tank. The west coast tank oil in/out hose tubes are located differently than a standard tank. And as Richard pointed out, the rear fender front mount on the rear of the tank saddle is different. Also the mounting tabs on the saddle front are different for mounting the side cover cross bracket.

One could cut out the welded in tank saddle on an east coast frame and weld in a west coast tank saddle, that is, if you had a west coast tank saddle available, but why would you. I guess if someone had a west coast frame that was already cannibalized, there might be the saddle available. But then the upper rear threaded mounting boss has to be welded, not "to", but "INTO" the frame tube...in the correct location and position.

The west coast oil tank installs from the right side of the frame, turning, twisting, angling, all the while verbally cussing that it won't go in without scratching or chipping new frame and tank paint. Install it first in a bare frame before anything else. Oh, and put the filter plug in first, as the plug doesn't want to come all of the way out after the tank is in the frame. Good luck changing the oil later. What a mess you will have.

Can't tell whether a Hornet is a west or east coast model with the side covers on? Look at the oil tank filler. The filler neck is longer on the larger west coast tank.

Images of the differences in the west and east coast model frames and tanks are all in the sticky Hornet, et al thread.