Jobs that are a proper faff (PITA) on your Commando?

worntorn said:
I hate removing and replacing the head to fix stripped studs or a head gasket leak with the engine in the bike.
It took three tries to get a seal, two with copper and finally 1 succesful go with a composite gasket.
Between the thread repair and the leaking headgaskets I think the head was off/on 4 times in 3 months.
It didn't seem to be getting any easier.
Thankfully it has held up OK since 2005, about 27,000 miles or so.
That's the only semi- major problem I've had with the bike. It wasn't at all costly, just time consuming.

Glen
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I find removing the head in frame to be very difficult - I'm sure it's partly technique and partly arthritis. For some reason I have no trouble installing a head in frame. It may be that the pushrods are not slippery so holding them while tilting into the barrels is easier.
 
Rear ISO's gotta be a biggie, no?

I have K&N filter so never need to actually change it from hamcan. Cleaning only need happen every 10 or 20k miles.
 
Tornado said:
Rear ISO's gotta be a biggie, no?
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I must say, Greg gave me some tips & advice before I attempted it, and it wasn't half as bad as I'd feared.

Having said that, I hope I don't have to tackle it again for a while ;)
 
Ashman mentioned replacing the barrels. Here's how I've done it on four rebuilds by myself. Put the pistons and rings in one cylinder at a time with a ring compressor with barrel upside down on the work bench. Leave the pin bosses exposed and make sure the inner circlips are in place. Put the crank at tdc. Rest the barrel on a piece of wood on the rear of the cases. Slide the rod ends into the pistons. Pack rags around rods, slide the pins in and install the outer circlips. Put the base gasket or sealer on. Lower the barrels and tighten the nuts. Should take maybe 30 minutes at the most.
Triumph and BSA triples are struggle because of the 120 degree crank but there is also a trick to doing them. Put the center piston and rod in the barrel and then lower it. Be sure and put some hoses on rod bolts to protect the crank. Once the barrel is in place put the center rod cap on through the sump.
 
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htown16 said:
Ashman mentioned replacing the barrels. Here's how I've done it on four rebuilds by myself. Put the pistons and rings in one cylinder at a time with a ring compressor with barrel upside down on the work bench. Leave the pin bosses exposed and make sure the inner circlips are in place. Put the crank at tdc. Rest the barrel on a piece of wood on the rear of the cases. Slide the rod ends into the pistons. Pack rags around rods, slide the pins in and install the outer circlips. Put the base gasket or sealer on. Lower the barrels and tighten the nuts. Should take maybe 30 minutes at the most.
Triumph and BSA triples are struggle because of the 120 degree crank but there is also a trick to doing them. Put the center piston and rod in the barrel and then lower it. Be sure and put some hoses on rod bolts to protect the crank. Once the barrel is in place put the center rod cap on through the sump.
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Me too except with a twist. It's still too hard without help so I suspend the cylinders from my engine crane and use it to hold them while inserting the pins and clips. Then I can slowly lower them using the bleed on the crane. This is especially helpful on 850s as the skirts of the cylinders is a snug fit in the crankcase. Here they are hanging from the crane about the be lowered.

Jobs that are a proper faff (PITA) on your Commando?
 
Getting the rear wheel back together with new cush rubbers can be a pain by yourself. You want to be on the drive side to see them going in, but must be on the timing side to put the spacer and axle in.

The madass140 single axle can help since you can put the wheel together outside the bike and then put the wheel in with the axle part way though from the drive side and then go to the timing side to manipulate the spacer into place and then reach around and shove the axle in while aligning the timing side.
 
I would like to know how to replace the left side Iso rubber without a chain hoist. I have various scissor jacks but cannot figure out how to get the weight off of the thru-bolt?What am I missing?
Thanks,Mike
 
YING said:
I would like to know how to replace the left side Iso rubber without a chain hoist. I have various scissor jacks but cannot figure out how to get the weight off of the thru-bolt?What am I missing?
Thanks,Mike
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Front or rear Mike?
 
You Commando guys do not know what PITA is until you undo the lower magneto nut on a pre '65 Atlas or Dommie.

Slick
 
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YING said:
I would like to know how to replace the left side Iso rubber without a chain hoist. I have various scissor jacks but cannot figure out how to get the weight off of the thru-bolt?What am I missing?
Thanks,Mike
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If you mean the rear and your bike has the cradle mounted center stand, put the bike on the center stand. Make something like a 2x4 squared "U". Feed it in between the rear wheel and fender with the "legs" downward and each on scissor jack. Carefully raise both jacks just enough to put a little upward pressure. Remove the rear shock top mount bolts and the shocks. Depending on which head steady you have you might (probably) need to release/remove it. Remove the rear ISO through bolt - you can now raise or lower the frame as needed.

Of course, this is a lot easier/safer with a hoist. I have this and use it a lot:
Amazon product ASIN B00294B0LS
Harbor Freight has it for about $300.

With the hoist I just use the strap from a ratchet strap and the hoist to lower/lift the frame.

If you've seen the tables I use on my site, that's how I get bikes on and off them, how I move engines, how install cylinders and so on. I would be stuck without it!
 
marshg246 said:
If you mean the rear and your bike has the cradle mounted center stand, put the bike on the center stand. Make something like a 2x4 squared "U". Feed it in between the rear wheel and fender with the "legs" downward and each on scissor jack. Carefully raise both jacks just enough to put a little upward pressure. Remove the rear shock top mount bolts and the shocks. Depending on which head steady you have you might (probably) need to release/remove it. Remove the rear ISO through bolt - you can now raise or lower the frame as needed.

Of course, this is a lot easier/safer with a hoist. I have this and use it a lot:
Amazon product ASIN B00294B0LS
Harbor Freight has it for about $300.

With the hoist I just use the strap from a ratchet strap and the hoist to lower/lift the frame.

If you've seen the tables I use on my site, that's how I get bikes on and off them, how I move engines, how install cylinders and so on. I would be stuck without it!
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Greg,
I understand that a hoist would be a nice addition to my garage but with 2 bikes,a sidecar,and a lift,my 1 car garage can’t take any more. I don’t want to leave it outside. I will try out your first suggestion.Thanks for your reply on this.
Mike
 
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