Hi , I'm a new member here . I live in Southern California and I grew up on classics, customs and hotrods. I have had friends with Triumphs , Harleys , and one had a B.S.A. =?(Big ____ ___) ?J/K Matt ,,,it was a cool bike that turned a lot of heads.
That's were my story starts ,, I had wanted a Norton motorcycle for a very time . One day , when looking at the Online Cycle Trader. I spotted what LOOKED like a great deal on a super clean 71 Commando . Within 48 hours I was returning home from a 18+ hour trip with my nice shiny Norton in the back of my now ex mother-in-laws truck . When I got home and unloaded it I immediately terrorized the neighborhood .
The party ended in a hurry . A few days latter. It became hard to start with heavy exhaust smoke and oil dripping from the pipes . Without doing any proper research or trouble shooting , I pulled the head. There she has sat for over 7 years ,,,, yes I know,, ?
I'm looking to make it right and get it back on the road . The pistons look great ,, like new ,, and the cylinders look freshly honed . I'll mic the cylinders just to be sure .
I have the head disassembled to replace the intake oil seals . I want to check the condition of the valve guides but I'm not sure how to do this ? I have the Factory Shop Manual , the Owners Association Tech Digest , Commando Service Notes , and Interim Parts List . I have the guide bore spec but Im not sure how to measure it ? I would think the run out should be checked with a dial indicator, but I don't see a procedure for that . The guides appear to be bronze but I don't know if there the recommended 850 style . I know of a local machine shop that does motorcycle heads. I'm not opposed to having them do any necessary machine work . I'm just not sure I need any machine work done . If the guides need to be replaced will they need to be reamed ? If the valves and seats check out , can't they just be lapped ? Anyway , I have a lot of other questions ,,, , I'm glad to have found this forum and am sure to meet some new friends here . If anyone has the time to walk me through the head service procedure I very much appreciate it. It is the first small step to getting her back on the road . I'm now thinking the bike was wet sumping and might not have had a valve seal issue. I realize there will be much more to look at after the heads back on. Thanks for reading my ramble ,, Steve
Here's a before picture .
That's were my story starts ,, I had wanted a Norton motorcycle for a very time . One day , when looking at the Online Cycle Trader. I spotted what LOOKED like a great deal on a super clean 71 Commando . Within 48 hours I was returning home from a 18+ hour trip with my nice shiny Norton in the back of my now ex mother-in-laws truck . When I got home and unloaded it I immediately terrorized the neighborhood .
The party ended in a hurry . A few days latter. It became hard to start with heavy exhaust smoke and oil dripping from the pipes . Without doing any proper research or trouble shooting , I pulled the head. There she has sat for over 7 years ,,,, yes I know,, ?
I'm looking to make it right and get it back on the road . The pistons look great ,, like new ,, and the cylinders look freshly honed . I'll mic the cylinders just to be sure .
I have the head disassembled to replace the intake oil seals . I want to check the condition of the valve guides but I'm not sure how to do this ? I have the Factory Shop Manual , the Owners Association Tech Digest , Commando Service Notes , and Interim Parts List . I have the guide bore spec but Im not sure how to measure it ? I would think the run out should be checked with a dial indicator, but I don't see a procedure for that . The guides appear to be bronze but I don't know if there the recommended 850 style . I know of a local machine shop that does motorcycle heads. I'm not opposed to having them do any necessary machine work . I'm just not sure I need any machine work done . If the guides need to be replaced will they need to be reamed ? If the valves and seats check out , can't they just be lapped ? Anyway , I have a lot of other questions ,,, , I'm glad to have found this forum and am sure to meet some new friends here . If anyone has the time to walk me through the head service procedure I very much appreciate it. It is the first small step to getting her back on the road . I'm now thinking the bike was wet sumping and might not have had a valve seal issue. I realize there will be much more to look at after the heads back on. Thanks for reading my ramble ,, Steve
Here's a before picture .