New project, but missing VIN plate

Found some time to attack the gearbox today. The bike was originally registered in Sardinia so I think it's been at the bottom of the Mediterranean for a few years.

New project, but missing VIN plate


Hopefully something will be salvageable.
 
Had to wait for the lockring tool (NM23441) and mainshaft holding tool (13.1710) to continue, but even then it was like wrestlng with an asymmetric rugby ball all over the bench and floor getting the lockring and mainshaft nut off. But the contents were finally revealed:

New project, but missing VIN plate


I purchased a 1 1/4 inch socket for the main drive sprocket as that is what the drawings show, but it is actually 1 1/2 inches. Can anyone explain that please? Couldn't find the socket anywhere so resorted to a spanner. Luckily the nut was not fully tight.

The bush in the sleave gear has slipped out and been chewed up so there were plenty bits of brass in the bearings:

New project, but missing VIN plate


But the end result unfortunately is that there is plenty of corrosion and nothing looks particularly reusable.

New project, but missing VIN plate


New project, but missing VIN plate


So I'll be looking around for another gearbox :-(
 
All clear as mud now :oops:. Don't think I'll ever understand imperial measures for bolts and nuts.

The history is fascinating though, with Whitworth achieving his fame in the first Crimean war for which:

"The flashpoint was a disagreement over the rights of Christian minorities in Palestine, then part of the Ottoman Empire, with the French promoting the rights of Roman Catholics, and Russia promoting those of the Eastern Orthodox Church." (Wikipedia)

Nothing ever changes.... except for the happy arrival of the metric system for bolts. :D
 
Can tappets and camshafts be reground? My tappets have a small groove worn into the middle which doesn't seem like a big deal to grind down, or does that mean the push rods will then be too short?

Not sure about the cam though, but only one lobe looks like this so it seems a shame to ditch it.

New project, but missing VIN plate


New project, but missing VIN plate
 
Cams are recovered with weld on the worn parts, which is normally the cam lobe, and then reground so the size stays the same as original. If the journals on the cam shaft are worn then it goes in the bin. Followers can be refaced which if its a large amount then needs longer pushrods.

If its just the one lobe then get it hard welded and reground.
 
Took the barrels to engineering company. They say the rust inside might have gone too deep. They also said to bin the cam but they could reface the tappets. Need to wait now....

Next topic: was going to fit the steering head but am confused. Apparently my top yoke should have a stem attached. It doesn't and I see neither stem nor new yoke available on AN. Also my steering lock hole is not where it should be. Do I have the wrong parts maybe? (not sure what the alloy yoke here belongs to)

New project, but missing VIN plate
 
AN sells the steering stem:

Top yoke at bottom in your pic is for a Featherbed or G15/N15 model.
Top yoke in the middle is for an early model Commando .

- Knut

Edit: Yoke in the middle is a bottom yoke, of course. I was in copy and paste mode!
Top yoke at bottom has a 06- part number, so it was fitted to an 68-70 model Commando originally.
 
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06-1132 is a Commando yoke according to dynodave.

 
Given it is only threaded on the bottom end, how does the stem fit into the upper yoke? Is it a tapered fit?
 
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