My First Commando...

Tornado · Apr 20, 2018

worntorn said:
Hmm
It was idling ok around 1200 before, what happens if you adjust it down to that now?

Looks great.

Glen

I've since had the float bowl off, glassed it, reset the float height to a tad lower than 2mm to see if it improved idling etc. Setting idle much below 1800-2000 just seems to erratic/unreliable for being on the road. Need to sort few more things out...yet another go at the pilot jet cleaning, checking points/AA/Timing.

Tornado · Apr 20, 2018

chaztuna said:
Back in post 282, you mentioned that you had the fuel tank off. I would suggest you remove it again. Look for wires which have come out of the black Lucas female bullet connectors. Also check for cracked/broken female connectors. This is a common issue and often the cause of a poor connection.

Charlie

Been suspicious of those main connector bullets...any tips on how to separate them without damaging the wires? My rubber holder is completely shot and cannot seem to find a source for replacing it (not shown on the AN parts diagrams).

L.A.B. · Apr 20, 2018

Tornado said:
My rubber holder is completely shot and cannot seem to find a source for replacing it (not shown on the AN parts diagrams).

http://www.britishwiring.com/C-336-p/c336.htm
(Out of stock)

Or, use five double connectors.
http://www.britishwiring.com/Double-Snap-Connector-Sleeve-p/c312.htm

Craig · Apr 20, 2018

Just watched your video , very nice .... seemed to idle kinda fast , also left pipe a little blue for my taste , right side was harder to see but surprising you getting different heat levels from each side given single carb .... or I could put my glasses on and view on bigger screen than phone .....

Nater_Potater · Apr 20, 2018

Craig said:
Just watched your video , very nice .... seemed to idle kinda fast , also left pipe a little blue for my taste , right side was harder to see but surprising you getting different heat levels from each side given single carb .... or I could put my glasses on and view on bigger screen than phone .....

Reading back through the posts about issues with the idle and uncertainties about the points/timing, that left/right header color difference could be due to ignition advance being different between sides.

Good looking bike!

Nathan

Mr. Rick · Apr 20, 2018

Been suspicious of those main connector bullets...any tips on how to separate them without damaging the wires?

Yes. Cut the old rubbers away and pry the connectors open. Yanking on the wires will risk pulling the bullet off the wire, as I learned the hard way...

And that very large connector is too bulky, can be replaced with 4's or 3's (NOT the brittle NOS Lucas) which nest more easily under the tank anyway.
Vaseline or similar every time you plug in.

Tornado · Apr 20, 2018

Craig said:
Just watched your video , very nice .... seemed to idle kinda fast , also left pipe a little blue for my taste , right side was harder to see but surprising you getting different heat levels from each side given single carb
.... or I could put my glasses on
and view on bigger screen than phone .....

Yes, I've noted the left side header is bluing more than right. Apart from Advance issues, could an air
leak at left side intake port/2into1 manifold joint be a possibility?

Tornado · Apr 20, 2018

For the main harness connection block, do I need five doubles that are isolated or common? Have not worked with these connector before and didn't want to rip apart what's there before having spares ready to go.

Mr. Rick · Apr 20, 2018

I think they are all (supposed to be) isolated.
Doesn't the wiring diagram show it?

Tornado · Apr 20, 2018

Mr. Rick said:
I think they are all (supposed to be) isolated.
Doesn't the wiring diagram show it?

'72 and onwards schematic shows all isolated connectors save for the W (White) set...which seems to have four lines becoming a single...if I'm understanding it right....

L.A.B. · Apr 20, 2018

As I said, five double commons......

http://www.britishwiring.com/Double-Snap-Connector-Sleeve-p/c312.htm

.....are equivalent to the block.

All five double commons are isolated from each other (look at the block you have).

Mr. Rick · Apr 20, 2018

Well, this opened up a can of worms for my understanding (not difficult).
If one had foolishly just pulled out all the wires from this 10-way connector, how wd you know which are common?
I can see how (near the top of the diagram) WR and WY might be common cause there's only one wire WU coming off the other side.
It makes sense that whites wd be common to white.
But how about the rest? Is there a secret code on the diagram I missed, which indicates common?

Tornado · Apr 20, 2018

Not sure I follow...the schematic does show one colour wire enter from left, the single exiting right as same colour code for most of connections except for the four left whites become one right white. WR is an unused connector...not showing any right side exiting line. WY does pass left to right. My pic does not show enough of the schematic to see all wire colours either side of the block.

My other confusion is from LAB's post stating 5 double common connectors are need..to me that says each double connects up to four wires all together, common connection. That is not what schematic shows. I would describe it as each connection isolates from the next one...five doubles with each line isolated from a different colour code.

Mr. Rick · Apr 20, 2018

L.A.B. is VERY seldom wrong, and he seems to be pointing to 5 doubles with common connection, indicating that each color wire is not isolated.
And in fact, the 10-way connector seems to be made this way as well.
I don't understand how this can work, or if it does, which combinations must be made, hence my confusion.

L.A.B. · Apr 21, 2018

Mr. Rick said:
L.A.B. is VERY seldom wrong, and he seems to be pointing to 5 doubles with common connection, indicating that each color wire is not isolated.

What I said was "All five double commons are isolated from each other" or, in other words there are five double commons with NO common connection between them.

The section of the wiring schematic (below) represents all wiring/circuits at the under-tank junction, it does not represent the actual block connector, therefore each colour wire is isolated from the others.

NB, NP, GP, are Interpol wires so arent used. WR also isn't used.

The block serves as the connection point for five of those colours/circuits, or four plus the red ground/return which isn't drawn on the schematic.

The double commons can be used primarily where more than two wires of the same colour need to be connnected, for instance, white (W).

https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/another-commando-back-on-the-road.5865/

Mr. Rick · Apr 21, 2018

Thanks, Les, understood so far.

Continuing "down" the list from those you already mentioned:
WY is a single, as are N, PB and WN.
White, as mentioned, can use a double (at least)
LG/N and NG are singles
GW looks like it cd use a double
GR and UY look like singles
Maybe the red uses a double, and if so, that's only 3 doubles, so why 5 doubles needed?

L.A.B. · Apr 21, 2018

Mr. Rick said:
Maybe the red uses a double, and if so, that's only 3 doubles, so why 5 doubles needed?

I believe the block is actually a Jaguar part so probably used because that's what just happened to be available as I don't think there was a three double common block?

https://coventryautocomponents.co.uk/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=202

The other two 'doubles' can be used for two of the singles.

Tornado · Apr 21, 2018

OK...I'm still hung on on Lab's use of the term "common" in these double connectors. The link provided to an older thread post #8 actually states the OEM block is 5 ISOLATED doubles which makes sense in terms of what the schematic shows:

https://www.accessnorton.com/NortonCommando/another-commando-back-on-the-road.5865/#post-66259

"Just wrapping up this post - I bought the block from British Wiring to satisfy my curiosity - and what do you know, it is a spot on match for the scrappy mess that I pulled out of my '74. Will keep it in reserve in case my custom block breaks apart, but wanted to let everyone know that the "Jaguar" block is really an exact match: 5 isolated double connectors in a nice rubber block. Hope this helps anyone trying to patch up their harness.

"

L.A.B. · Apr 21, 2018

Tornado said:
OK...I'm still hung on on Lab's use of the term "common" in these double connectors. The link provided to an older thread post #8 actually states the OEM block is 5 ISOLATED doubles which makes sense in terms of what the schematic shows:

Each one of the five (isolated) block connectors is a "double common".
Same as;
http://www.britishwiring.com/Double-Snap-Connector-Sleeve-p/c312.htm

"Double Snap Connector Sleeve for Connecting Four Bulleted Wires. (Common)"

"Double" as there are two tubes and "common" because the tubes are joined together.

Tornado · Apr 21, 2018

Found my problem...I took Common to mean exactly how LAB describes it, but when looking at schematic, I couldn't understand why two different coded wires would come into contact within one of those doubles...then split apart again when leaving other side of the double. Why not just run one line leaving, two entering? And further I couldn't understand how two different circuits could share a contact in the double and still behave like two circuits, not one. I now see these circuits have switches before the connectors (left side of it in full schematic), so no current flows down a circuit if switch is open. Even if the shared circuit switch is closed. It makes no difference that they share electrons at the double! Yes, they could use singles at every point...but those Brits like scrimp and save every little bit of material

Thanks for being patient with me once again!

My First Commando...

Tornado

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L.A.B.

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Craig

Nater_Potater

Mr. Rick

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Mr. Rick

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Mr. Rick

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Mr. Rick

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