Today was the day. I had all my parts together now. They only needed to be assembled I would be on my way. Perhaps even by midday. It was good to know that things were now going well. I checked out of my hotel and wandered down to Pipa's workshop with the parts and proudly placed them on the bench.
Arriving at Pipa's Workshop first thing in the morning.
Andre, the guy that works the lathe, looked over them and frowned. The parts that I had were not enough. They would not work. A crank pin, the pivotal point of the engine (literally), needed to be exact but the one I had was too short. This would cause some serious problems later. So Andre grabs the bits and takes off down to the parts store on the corner in search of one that could work.
Andre looking over the parts I had layed before him.
The crank pin that he comes back with is considerably larger than needed, but is the only likely candidate. Made of hardened steel, when he puts it on the lathe it takes hours of work to get it down to size. The most important thing is that he does not make it too small or else the bike will self-destruct within a short period of time.
(L) Pin supplied by me. (M) Pin being fabricated. (R) Original old pin.
I wait and watch the process for two hours, but other work is also pressing and am told to return at 4pm when it should all be done. The preparation of this pin is taking a long time, but I feel confident that it will be successful in the end. To bide my time while I am waiting, I stop by the thermal pool complex touted as the best in the country and discover that it is all presented in standard bathtubs.
The algae green pool outside.
The large pool outside is unused and green with algae as a result, and inside the complex is similar to a hospital with private rooms holding the baths. The people there give me some information about the place and a handful of tourist information brochures for Chaco, the province that I am currently in.
Trying to smile, aim the camera and do it all before the lady returns.
After a haircut at a local hairdressers, I grab my hotel room for the afternoon only, and seize the opportunity to catch up on missed sleep, then wake in time to visit Pipa's at 4pm. When I get there the place is closed. Some whistling behind me alerts me to Andre sitting on the other side of the road, waiting for the shop to open. He was planning on working through the siesta, but upon his return from an early lunch the shop was shut tight leaving him stranded outside.
Andre working the crank pin to a highly exact size.
Starting with the crank pin yet again, Andre works it on the lathe, bringing it closer and closer to the size it needs to be. There are no guides to help him, it is just trial and error. Cutting into it a little more and then checking to make sure it is not too much. I wait once again. Watching the process and wondering, as the hours tick by, when it will be ready.
Finally he gets the pin right, but it is a little too long and needs cutting. A hacksaw seems to work, but takes another half an hour of effort to finally get through the hard steel. Next comes the assembly which also consumes considerable time.
Cutting the pin with a hacksaw.
As the hours roll around to 6pm I start to wonder if I will get the bike together today, but determine myself that I will. Going up to Victor's workshop I advise him of my intentions to finish the bike today. When he informs me of some missing parts I make sure that I get them on my way back to Pipa's.
Back at Pipa's, the crank is done, and the cylinder has just been bored out 0.20" and is looking great. I wait around for Andre to finish the replacement piston, cutting material off it until it fits neatly into the new cylinder size. With that completed, the entire job is done. I have everything I need.
Andre working on the piston for my engine.
Grabbing a cab and telling the guy I am in a rush I head back to Victor's workshop to re-assemble the bike. My instructions to the cab driver have not seemed to got through. We are still moving along as if we were in a Driving Miss Daisy film, casually moving across the roads at a comfortable 30 kms/h. Rather than fight it, I decide to enjoy it, and sit back and watch the world go by (slowly). We will get there eventually anyway.
At Victor's workshop I find Victor and his helper working on my bike. He has not got too far on it yet, so I hand him the new parts and give them a hand. We are working in a frenzy, trying to get everything done tonight. It does not work. Soon enough we come to a part that does not want to go together, leaving us stuck.
Getting a needed seal from a local bearing shop.
Rather than fight the issues then and there, it seemed wiser to call it quits now, starting in the morning again. Then I could bring my Siambretta book with all of the details of how things go together, to ensure we were doing it right.
That meant however, that I would be staying another night, and my hotel was fully booked so I did not have a room there. Instead, I looked for a hotel closer to Victor's. The only one I found that had rooms left was the International Hotel, which was a bit of a hovel. It had no single rooms left, and the double I paid for cost more than my room at the Presidente Hotel and was much less of a room. Very disappointing.
Posters of Pipa's winning streak in Racing on his workshop walls.
I never left Saenz Peña, but maybe tomorrow.