BSA Bantam - Rebuilding the Ignition Timing Plate

The last major repair for the engine was to fix the worn-out points and points plate bushing. The reproduction points cam that I purchased had not been correctly finished, and had a sharp edge at the beginning of the cam lobe instead of a smooth curve. 

The points arm, literally eaten away by the sharp edge.

The points timing cam. The sharp transition is clearly visible.

A points cam should have a much smoother transition, such as the one seen here on a CB450 cam:

Smooth with no sudden transitions

I had a machine shop carefully smooth out the edge with a fine tool grinder.

Refinished cam lobe

The sharp transition is completed smoothed out

After fixing the cam, I had to replace the bronze bushing in the points plate. This bushing supports the end of the crankshaft and keeps it dead center relative to the points arm. It also prevent the crankshaft end from wobbling, which has been known to cause metal fatigue failures and ruin the crankshaft. I pressed out the oil bushing with a large screw and hammer:

Successfully removed

Brand-new bushing

Bushing installed.

After pressing out the bushing, I installed the new bushing in its place, using a large amount of Loctite 680 to lock it into place. I reassembled the points, re-timed the engine, and now it starts on the second kick every time.