Burnt Commando and new member...

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johnjorgensen

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Just found this nice one, only problem is it was standing in a burning shop... Tank wasnt, so its safe. I guess I was lucky though, even the carbs seem to have survived ;-) So has anyone a good tip to stop rust and corrosion? I guess its acid that does the harm, so washing in soda may help? Other thoughts? Cheers, John in Denmark. I cant seem to attach a photo, workin on it.
 
Don't know if is available where you live but here we can buy WD40 in the gallon can(4 liter). Put it in a spray bottle and spray the whole bike down. You could use the aerosol cans but if you can find it in bulk it would be cheaper.
 
Was the fire put out with water IE fire department ? I have a fire survivor too and the fire department dumped hundreds of gallons of water in my shop to douse the fire I didn’t get right on ( the norton )it seeing as my shop and lively hood just went up in smoke and by the time I did the motor was locked up so a full rebuild taught me a lesson ....good luck ...the Phoenix bikes once resurrected are something special
 
zefer said:
Was the fire put out with water IE fire department ? I have a fire survivor too and the fire department dumped hundreds of gallons of water in my shop to douse the fire I didn’t get right on ( the norton )it seeing as my shop and lively hood just went up in smoke and by the time I did the motor was locked up so a full rebuild taught me a lesson ....good luck ...the Phoenix bikes once resurrected are something special
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They did use water, but there seems to be nothing inside engine. Even the carburettors seem to work still. Guess I was lucky...
 
concours said:
Oil it.
Oil it all.
Rust never sleeps.
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I am sorry to hear about the fire; I'm sure that your Norton position on your priority list isn't in the top section. "Fire is a good servant, but a bad master".

Sounds like your Norton may not have seen much heat especially of the carbs didn't distort/melt-down, but if you intend to strip and rebuild the major power train components then make SURE that you drain the engine (remove the sump plug too), primary and gearbox, refill all and turn the engine (spark plugs out) until you see oil coming out of left side rocker feed. When you are satisfied that oil, not water, is consistently put about 2 oz of engine oil into the cylinders and continue cranking. This will buy you time and greatly decrease the possibility of rusting/seizing.

Best.
 
In my opinion WD40 is, well lets say (to be polite) sub optimal . Use ACF50 if you want to stop rust, or maintain your finish.
 
WD40 to displace any water, that's what WD stands for, and then quickly follow up with ACF50 to stop corrosion. WD40 provides no protection against rust once it evaporates.
 
RoadScholar said:
I am sorry to hear about the fire; I'm sure that your Norton position on your priority list isn't in the top section. "Fire is a good servant, but a bad master".

Sounds like your Norton may not have seen much heat especially of the carbs didn't distort/melt-down, but if you intend to strip and rebuild the major power train components then make SURE that you drain the engine (remove the sump plug too), primary and gearbox, refill all and turn the engine (spark plugs out) until you see oil coming out of left side rocker feed. When you are satisfied that oil, not water, is consistently put about 2 oz of engine oil into the cylinders and continue cranking. This will buy you time and greatly decrease the possibility of rusting/seizing.

Best.
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Agree completely, but the very first step I would take is to take it outside and hose it down thoroughly, hopefully in the sun, to be sure the acid from the smoke is gone. Then I would do exactly as RoadScholar says, then I would take the power unit out and put it aside. Then resolve the rest. With the insides of the engine and gearbox protected, the outsides won't be a problem if you've done this.
 
kommando said:
WD40 to displace any water, that's what WD stands for, and then quickly follow up with ACF50 to stop corrosion. WD40 provides no protection against rust once it evaporates.
Click to expand...
WD40 along with brass brushes are some of my most used tools! It's an excellent cleaner, water disburser, and very short-term rust inhibitor. Most products that say they prevent rust are lying. ACF50 is not one of those; however, it is not a rust remover - if applied to a clean surface it will prevent rust. You may find this interesting:

 
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