Commando motor into es2 slimline

I have a spare cradle for the Commando. Couldn't I use the profile of one side to rough out the basic shape of my engine plates on cardboard? Then all the funky twists and turns of the engine plates would be accurate. I could expand or delete where necessary. Just a thought...

65tiger said:

I have a spare cradle for the Commando. Couldn't I use the profile of one side to rough out the basic shape of my engine plates on cardboard? Then all the funky twists and turns of the engine plates would be accurate. I could expand or delete where necessary. Just a thought...

Click to expand...

Yes it's how I did mine.

Just to round out this great thread. I scored a commando cradle for $20. My thinking is to slice and dice it and use it as
My engine plates. I can weld it as required and the trans holes and engine holes will be in the right places already. Also it's the correct thickness. Thoughts?

65tiger said:

Just to round out this great thread. I scored a commando cradle for $20. My thinking is to slice and dice it and use it as
My engine plates. I can weld it as required and the trans holes and engine holes will be in the right places already. Also it's the correct thickness. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

My first thought is that there might be more of a heat affected zone than you'd want on something constantly vibrating, but, only one way to find out!

Worst that happens is it cracks and you'll have a perfect template for 2.0.

65tiger said:

Just to round out this great thread. I scored a commando cradle for $20. My thinking is to slice and dice it and use it as
My engine plates. I can weld it as required and the trans holes and engine holes will be in the right places already. Also it's the correct thickness. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

That is what I did when I first converted my Commando to the Featherbed just welded a few extra bits to fit the rear frame mounts, I ran it like that for a few years I made new rear plates when I had access to a oxy profile cutter machine and free steel, I take pics of them tomorrow and post them up, they are hanging on my shed wall with a set of alloy plates, making new plates you can cut a bit out and looks neater., you still got to make front plates to suite as well a head stay, I have mine all set up to be able to lift the motor, GB, primary and all bottom engine plates out of the frame all together in one lift.

Ashley

In all this making of engine plates to tilt the motor, was it possible for any of you to make the plates and engine mounting position such that you can get the gear box out of the frame without pulling the engine, plates and all? The book says you can't and looking at mine I agree, yet I have a vague recollection of having done just that. Maybe I was dreaming. The book also says you can't replace the side-stand lug without removing the left engine plate but I did that operation a couple weeks ago by just removing the primary.

65tiger said:

Just to round out this great thread. I scored a commando cradle for $20. My thinking is to slice and dice it and use it as
My engine plates. I can weld it as required and the trans holes and engine holes will be in the right places already. Also it's the correct thickness. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

As promise pics of my first set of Commando/Featherbed engine plates using the old Commando cradle with added bits weld on the plates to fit the Featherbed frame that I made in 1980 also pics of the alloy ones I made.


Ashley

Thomasa said:

In all this making of engine plates to tilt the motor, was it possible for any of you to make the plates and engine mounting position such that you can get the gear box out of the frame without pulling the engine, plates and all? The book says you can't and looking at mine I agree, yet I have a vague recollection of having done just that. Maybe I was dreaming. The book also says you can't replace the side-stand lug without removing the left engine plate but I did that operation a couple weeks ago by just removing the primary.

Click to expand...

You can remove the GB with the Featherbed set up without pulling the motor and all, but with me it's not a major job pulling the whole lot out and putting it all on the workshop bench, you still got to pull the clutch and all out so for me easier to work on up on the bench.