Homestretch....

Nater_Potater · Sep 4, 2014

Snorton74 said:
I'm starting to think my exit hole for blind wiring my taillight is off a bit and as a result the bracket is pulling the fender to the left. I've heard the rear is often 3/16" to the left but mine is about twice that.

I had a helluvatime getting mine centered, and it came that way delivered from the factory. I finally loosened all mounting bolts (yes, also the two by the horn), then had the missus hold the fender to the opposite side while tightening the hardware. It fought all the way, but now is much better (but not perfect). Check to see that the rear loop isn't also cock-eyed from the frame. As can be noted by a number of other posts, they tend to be kind of fragile that way.

Nathan

Roadrash · Sep 4, 2014

Snorton74 said:
The chain line is good but the fender won't stay aligned when the tailpiece is tightened down. Notice how the tailpiece doesn't line up with the frames spine?? I'm starting to think the fender holes aren't in the right spot or maybe the tailpiece is flawed. Anybody else have issues with this?

The bike is looking awesome and so is your workshop.
I had the exact same alignment issues during my build. Once I was satisfied the real wheel assembly was settled in (a few hundred miles on it) I cut about 1/4" off the spacer to ease assembly. My tail light and fender looked like that too. I just reamed out the mounting holes to get it looking right.
Hope you get her going before the winter rains come!
Best of luck.

Hobot · Sep 4, 2014

The Only Thing unusual is this case is the cocked tail light mount as most pre-MK3's came with rear rim woven to the LH ~3/16" to 3/8", so only satisfying solution is respoke rim to center in loop then remount the rest over it with some hole slotting or remaking if needed.

olChris · Sep 5, 2014

Is it an illusion but the grab rail anchors have a disproportionate gap with the mudgaurd in 2nd pic..... Maybe 25mm

IMO the indicators and #plate are pissed also.... There seems to be many parts "out of alignment".... Should'nt be a problem once you get that dremmel bit into action.. Good luck..

Snorton74 · Sep 7, 2014

Busy work week so not much progress. Evidently my fender has a twist in it as well as the bottom tailpiece mounting holes being crooked. I wallowed out the holes so the tailpiece would rotate clockwise a little as it moved to the right. I also widened the wire exit hole on the right about 1/4". As a former employer of mine once said to a client 'lady that's as good as it gets'. Moving on to forx...

Hobot · Sep 7, 2014

Alrighty the centered looks have definitely raised the our first impression of owners IQ score : ) Its been said a new Norton is just the basic kit to finish.

kerinorton · Sep 7, 2014

I had a fight on my hand s with my 750 restoration. PO had come off and bent the rear hoop to the right. 2 blocks of wood and a sledge hammer [ and of course my son standing on the frame ] fixed it then I had it power coated. [ that make yah proud Steve ] . Even trimming the holes etc to get everything in line I still don't think the rear light area is perfect but that's what Norton's are all about, right!!!!!!

Hobot · Sep 7, 2014

Nope that's not what Norton Commandos are all about, they are all about never ending processing after long inner and outer debates deciding which extreme of experience or opinion to follow while stealing time and money from somewhere else more sensible. After essentially fully fettered to free your mind then riding a Commando can be about flash backs with someone long gone.

Snorton74 · Sep 24, 2014

Back to it...

I had to take the back end apart for a few things, the least of which was putting the horn back in the original spot. I also had to replace the double row bearing in my X-ring hub, grease the speedo gear, and do some wiring. The horn doesn't have any labeling on the blades. I'm assuming that means hot can go to either blade??

Bearing after 'former' VW mechanics installation... Thanks for the speedy delivery of a replacement Matt!

Guard dog on duty. Ball he's guarding is just out of the picture.

Cheers all.

concours · Sep 24, 2014

Yes, that's an isolated coil horn, wire it randomly.

Snorton74 · Sep 24, 2014

Thanx Concours. Another rookie question I have is how you properly wire the taillight. In particular running and brake lights wires. FWIW I have a custom CNW harness and I'd ask Matt but he's abroad and I don't feel like bothering him. I have already put the ground wire in a butt connector and ran two wires out the other end for the signals and taillight. What I'm wondering is do I connect the running and brake light wires together and then to the taillight hot wire? A few pics of my hamfisted wiring...

concours · Sep 25, 2014

Do you have a wiring diagram? download here: http://classicbike.biz/Norton/Repair/NortonRepair.htm

Not sure I understand you question.. if you connect the running and stop light together, you'll have a stoplight on all the time when lights are on. Should be pretty simple. Running light wire to the proper circuit, stoplight, same thing. You can connect all the earth (ground) wires together.

kerinorton · Sep 25, 2014

hobot said:
Nope that's not what Norton Commandos are all about, they are all about never ending processing after long inner and outer debates deciding which extreme of experience or opinion to follow while stealing time and money from somewhere else more sensible. After essentially fully fettered to free your mind then riding a Commando can be about flash backs with someone long gone.

Aw come on Hobot, Don't be tooooooo hard. Nortons are meant to be ridden. Not sit around looking pretty. Even after filing "L" slots in my rear guard area, [ and slots in the front area where the horn is ] it still would not sit perfectly but not as bad as in these pictures.
I still have the original horn where it should be [ it sounds good and much better than the shit available now days ] but I have also mounted another one by the battery of a different pitch and it sounds like a 50"s 60"s British car when they go off. [ second one is there so that if the other doesn't work at the wof inspection at least I can belt the other one into submission while at the testing station.

Dereck

Snorton74 · Sep 27, 2014

Your right Concours it should be pretty simple... After a little hand holding and a lesson in how brake light wiring works, I've got the tailight and signals sorted. I got a little ahead of myself in the battery area and put ring connectors on everything before connecting the inline fuse. The yellow and blue wire is my hot to key. Does it go on that wire or the red from the reg/rec? Any help appreciated.

Snorton74 · Sep 29, 2014

I just need to finish up in here now...

Taillight is about finished up too.

I finally got to the bottom of my fender/taillight alignment issues while the rear was apart for the upteenth time!! The tailpiece is actually crooked. If you align the top with the frames spine then the light is out of level. The casting is just cockeyed so I went for level. I'll eventually get a new tailpiece and fender.

This hole misalignment also played a role.

I hope to sort my fork issues this week and dig into the headlight and switch wiring. I realize this is pretty simple stuff for you seasoned mechanics but it's all uncharted territory for me.

john robert bould · Oct 4, 2014

Old Norton forks, well 40 year old fork sliders suffer from internal bore wear, the brake side wears the most, just reamed and fitted oversize PEEK bush's to a Norton Dominator...my plus 005 reamer didn't completly clean up the surface..plus .010 would have just done the job!

Snorton74 · Oct 4, 2014

Duly noted on the slider bore wear JRB. I didn't even get to the forx with work and everything else getting in the way. I wont be surprised if one of them is warped or worn considering everything else that was bent or busted on this bike. I'll disassemble them carefully to see if it isn't an alignment issue with something simple first. I have finished all my wiring outside of the coil area and the headlight/switchgear. Most of the bullets are on those wires so I just need to confirm routing and connect everything up.

I'm trying to decide between these speedo cables... The one with the shielding is a Venhill, the other one I'm not sure? The mystery one seems to be better quality atleast as far as the cable is concerned. The Venhill has the armor on the speedo end which is opposite of my tach cable which is shielded at the motor end??