Chip's '72 Combat project

JimC · Mar 25, 2008

$6000 US seems about right, maybe a bit on the low side with the recent devaluation of the dollar and that's doing most of the work oneself. That's just bringing everthing back to spec and having all the shiny parts once again shiny. Start making upgrades and it's pretty easy to get into five figures.

Ron L · Mar 25, 2008

I don't disagree if you are doing a personal restoration, but this does not take into consideration the number of hours spent in disassembly, cleaning, fitting, parts ordering, and assembly. I would expect to be compensated for those hours if working on some one else's machine.

Chris · Mar 25, 2008

Thank you!!!

Trouble is Ron Most of my friends say thanks!

My best friend owns a lathe & we "help each other" Fair trade.

Only buy what you need not what you would like!

I had bikes in the garage for years making them perfect. They never left the garage.

Must force myself back out there.
all the best Chris

Ron L · Mar 26, 2008

I understand what you say, Chris. I have done a total restoration of a '68 Fastback for a good friend, no compensation expected, he just paid for the parts and did the legwork. I also have a buddy with a lathe and a garage full of Nortons and parts. He helps me with machine work and I do his engine and gearbox work and we raid each others parts stashes. That's what makes this hobby fun.

What I am talking about is when a friend of a friend of a friend's co-worker calls and wants me to "fix up" his newly purchased Norton. They bring the poor beast over and it needs lots of help, but he doesn't want to spend much cause he only paid $1000 for it. These people will get charged for my time.

grandpaul · Mar 26, 2008

Ron L - You have a healthy understanding of "friends" when it comes to bikes.

I help out friends all the time, even people on forums that I've never met, but I know where to draw the line. After all, this is also my business when it's time to pay the electric bill.

grandpaul · Apr 4, 2008

Okay, stuff going on "behind the scenes" not worth photos and posts, but got the tranny finished today and set it aside for installation this weekend along with all the Cad plated stuff to mount the tranny cradle, swingarm, engine, engine mounts, and isolastics.

"before and after" shots of the tranny-

All nipped up, waiting for the polished cover (after it's in the frame)-

71basketcase · Apr 6, 2008

I'm with you, Debby: I haven't totaled up the reciepts but the 71 basketcase was missing lots of stuff (oil tank, all the electrics, etc....) and much of the stuff that I had was in bad shape: I don't think I've reached 6k but I'm pretty close to that mark......

and the 'highlight' of the build HAD to be cutting off and fairing the REBAR (concrete reinforcement bars) highway pegs the previous redneck... er... owner had welded on to the down tubes :roll:

For a guy who makes sawdust for a living , turning wrenches is a great passtime...... I can't wait (very shortly) to hear this baby spring to life after about a 30 year 'rest'

Karl

grandpaul · Apr 7, 2008

The Cad plated bits and bobs came out nice-

The rest of your nuts, bolts, screws, and washers are in here somewhere-

Assembly now starts in earnest.

grandpaul · Apr 8, 2008

Tranny installed, all isolastics, tranny mounts & engine mounts done and all nipped up along with highly polished Z-plates.

grandpaul · Apr 8, 2008

Swingarm & rear shocks installed, and many bolts, nuts & washers sorted and set aside.

By the way, Chip, the swingarm pivot pin was full of GREASE! (Supposed to be 140W oil). Hey, it happens a lot; a guy sees a grease fitting, by golly he greases it!

grandpaul · Apr 9, 2008

A good morning's work-

Installed primary inner case after shimming the backside of the center stud for a nice flush fit front-to-back

Then, installed the primary drive system after shimming up the clutch basket for as near perfect chain alignment as I could get (it's awfully close)

Installed replacement alternator and clutch with new Barnett plates. I added an additional plain plate to achieve very near the optimal clutch stack height of 1.045", I got 1.022". The old stack was .955, probably the lever pull was pretty stiff.

Then, I assembled a nifty gudgeon pin fitting rig from a section of allthread and some washers & spacers, made fitting up the pistons a breeze. I had always used the gently smacking with a piece of soft wood for backup and a plastic hammer, no more. All 4 circlips snugly nipped in thier grooves. Hey, I got the pistons right way 'round on the first go! hee hee

Should have the top end complete by this evening.

grandpaul · Apr 9, 2008

Things go pretty smooth with minimal interruptions and plenty of shiny new hardware.

This is as clean as the area between the crankcase and tranny will ever be until the next time this bike is overhauled.
No matter how hard you ry, you can't properly detail this area without yanking the engine & tranny totally out of the frame.

Remember to install the rings right side up!

Proper blocking and good ring compressors go a long way to making this task easier.

Oops! set the jugs down before placing all the cylinder nuts between the studs and bottom fins.
That takes some hand-tiring juggling to get 'em all in there and loctited.

All done with the cylinders, nice and clean piston tops.

Head slipped right on, all new stainless steel fasteners gleaming proudly. Excellent compression,
and it strokes through very smoothly.
All new chrome rocker shaft end caps & bolts yet to be installed.

Next engine pix will feature all the highly polished covers, but not just yet.

grandpaul · Apr 11, 2008

I'm prepping to haul 7 bikes to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation fundraiser bike show at a Honda dealer
150 miles from me (all day tomorrow in Corpus Christi, TX), so didn't get a lot done today.

Nice fresh brake shoes, freshly Cad plated springs, retainer bar & bolts, new locktab (bent the tabs right after the photo).

Sorted all the appropriate new bits, greased the bearing and slapped it all up.

Installed the stub axle, spacers, etc., clipped it all in with the circlip and voila'

Brake hub spins nice and free, and the brakes are, of course, excellent.

That's probably it 'till Monday.

grandpaul · Apr 14, 2008

Head steady installed (need to fine-tune alignment), coil mounting & coils installed, new rocker shaft caps installed, polished rocker inspection caps installed with new hardware (wrong washer on intake side, looking for correct one), Sparx ignition unit mounted (not pictured), more hardware sorting done.

grandpaul · Apr 14, 2008

Set the new wiring harness in place along with the Sparx harness, connected the coils, strung the stator wires down to the timing chest, installed the Zener Diode and tachometer drive.

Installed the handlebars and fairing front mount, then set the tank and seat in place to start mocking up for mounting hardware.

Houston, we have a problem. The dashboard interferes with the top yoke on left and right full lock. I'm going to need to scratch my head a little bit on this one.

The fairing lowers fit to the bottom of the tank PERFECTLY.

grandpaul · Apr 15, 2008

I temporarily installed the footpegs with freshly plated hardware (they'll have to be removed to install the tranny & primary covers), then had to look high and low to find spacers for the pillion pegs; rounded up all matching hardware for the exhaust brackets, new iso rubbers, and set everyting in place for preliminary alignment.

Not sure how I overlooked new exhaust flange nuts in my parts order, so I sprayed an old set for temporary fitting. New set on order with a handful of other insignificant bits.

Talked to the wheel builder who assured me I'll have the wheels by the weekend. I'll either be nominally satisfied or extremely ticked off on Friday evening about the time the UPS truck shows up.

grandpaul · Apr 15, 2008

Actually, the clearance issues involve the fork yokes hitting the dashboard right at the tail that has the dunsTall logo, where it mounts to the main upper bracket.

I'm working on playing with the mounting and bars, I'll work it out.

Got the fenders installed, the rear one is a very nice piece that I'd been saving, I'm going to use the scruffier one on my '70 as it's not going to be a show bike. Digging through all the piles of cad plated stuff to find all the right stuff is getting easier as I pull out more and more stuff. It's rather cool having basically all new hardware to work with.

Also sorted both axles, all the axle spacers, washers, felt seals & cups, and new bearings in anticipation of the wheels arriving.

grandpaul · Apr 18, 2008

Stripped, cleaned & repainted the master cylinder, replaced all the rubber bits and washer/valve, re-assembled with a bit of fresh brake
fluid for lubrication. Just need 2 or 4 new thin phillips screws to secure the console halves together (using 2 existing screws right now)

Rebuilt the polished caliper with new seals and hand-polished pucks, installed along with refurbished hard pipe,
awaiting new hose to complete the front brakes.

grandpaul · Apr 18, 2008

Went ahead and assembled the dash to the fairing, and installed the old (mostly straightened) clubman bars to demonstrate that
there is no way this pairing is going to work without installing the bars in the "lower" setting. Even these clubmans that are almost flat,
are still too high up, even with the fairing mount at the highest position it can possibly go.

Ron L · Apr 21, 2008

Paul,
While they are not cheap, I have found the best choice to be these Tomaselli adjustable clip-ons. They allow the most adjustment for Dunstall and Production Racer fairings.

Chip's '72 Combat project

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