Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30

Doing the crank and bottom end yourself really is very straightforward. You’ve nowt to worry about there.
 
Been waiting to hear of your progress. Things do get pricey on these old machines, but then you have to have them.
Can't say enough good things about the silicone tappet cover gaskets I heard about on here. Those things are wonderful for keeping your trouser legs clean. You keep on plugging away and you'll have your beastie back.
 
Yep that's the plan Riviera :) Crank seems in good order correct rods etc just gonna clean the sludge out an put her back together with new Crank bolts. Looking forward to getting the bottom end back together can't move for labelled boxes haha!

Been totting up the rest of the parts I need to finish the build not going to be to horrific now I think which is good, as the crank and cam are ok to use now as are the pistons.

Gotta decide what to do regarding the superblends. The good thing was apart from the smoking issue and over oiling and all the blast media in the head.. she wasn't to bad running wise all things considered. So that in mind keep thinking I might just leave the superblends on the crank ends clean the sludge trap an re assemble it choices haha! No rush though as I'm low on funds now so need to have a think.

Gonna get a few more of my Japanese bikes up for sale as my Commando an getting the 650ss back on the road so far has depleted the funds from the elsie sale there or there abouts the tools cost a fortune but totally necessary and already proved the worth on my 650ss :)

Done cranks on two strokes so should be ok doing it myself looks alot easier than elsie ones haha!

Thinking a new spring on the breather end of the cam while its apart.

Next lots of bits will be.

Full set of Gaskets.
Piston rings, gudgeon pins, piston circlips.
New Mag and timing chains + Cam chain tensioner.
Few seals here and there.
New oil lines.
New Circlips for the clutch.
Conrod locknuts.
Few other bits an pieces thinking of getting new shims for the chaincase and alternator rotor and re doing all that so I know it's done correctly.


Finally finished cleaning all the head up as well that was a job an a half haha just gotta check the valves out an get that put back together Valve seats look in really good condition.


Ill check those gaskets out mate be handy those think I've seen them advertised over here.
 
norton_rider said:
Gotta decide what to do regarding the superblends......
So that in mind keep thinking I might just leave the superblends on the crank ends clean the sludge trap an re assemble it ...
Click to expand...

I would change them while your engine is already into pieces. Unless they are 100 percent on good order.
 
Yep to be honest after yesterdays excitement of how quick I could have it back together makes sense to do them while I've got it apart.

Probably not gonna be many updates now for a while I'll put some up of the crank stripped though an cleaned at some point then she's on hold for a while.
 
Well, at the risk of sounded like a rough old sod...

Getting that inner race off of the crank is a right bloody job.

If the bike has been fitted with the proper superblends, and if it hasn’t done much work, and if they look good under close inspection, personally, I’d re use them.
 
NOW, that you are tearing down the bottom end,... is the time to think about how your primitive breather works, and if you want to change that. Our early bikes have a frame cross member that blocks the use of Jim Comstock's sump plug breather, which is a bolt on improvement. The other ways are the "timing side blanking plate" method, which you can't use on your bike, machining the rear of the case for the "combat style" breather,

OR, removing the camshaft timing disk mechanism and mounting one of Jim Schmidt's bolt on reed valve breathers, which I have pictured below. It's more efficient than the timed disk breather.

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30


I actually have 2 working reed breathers on my commando. (My second one is where your distributor is mounted) They really help to relieve crankcase pressure and prevent oil leaks at your gaskets. Whether they actually draw enough vacuum to increase horsepower any measurable amount is debatable in our application.
 
Thanks guys yeah that was my initial thought Eddie I've got the tools to do it but there was no nocking or banging etc coming from the main's I'll take some more close ups but they do on intial inspection look in good condition Pete an I were chatting yesterday about my willingness to re strip things down haha! Always see it as more practice an more chance to get experience. So in a way I probably will end up using them get her back together only gonna cost me about 2-300 gbp now an she's re assembled and I might be able to get a run out on her by the end of the year which would be pretty darn epic. Yesterday was a great day of learning again thanks to Pete taking precious time out of his epic busy schedule to teach me about a few more Norton bits.

Crazily at the moment re using the superblends could be the difference between it going back together this year or next so just a bit of a weigh up.

Going to be selling my Harris TZ 350 G project soon and some of the other Japanese stuff to fund some older classic bikes an any work the N-V Commando needs.

If it wasn't for guys like him an you guys being willing to pass the info on these bikes wont be getting used in the future an they will be relics of a time gone. Hopefully everything I can learn I can pass on to others my age an those to come.

Actually got an interesting solution that I'm going to fit on the breather system that Pete Designed ages ago will be good as it can be tucked away under the seat to keep the stock look at the engine.
 
And to think he was keeping it such a secret.... Looks to me that he does his best to let the world know what it has near let fade into the clouded past. I doff my hat to him.
 
Thanks guys! :) I was really surprised when I got mcn today after Dan contacted me a bit ago I was expecting it to be maybe just one of the pic's an a few lines further back page wise was really humbled with what he wrote when I got my weekly copy, Dad's over the moon as well as his love of his life his gsx-r 750 is next to my 650ss haha!

Got soaked again on my aircooled 250c the other day noticing it's a pattern now haha always seem to get caught in crazy weather makes the rides more memorable though :) every time I'm out on one of the classics it's just epic grin inducing an as jbruney says we gotta keep these beauties in everyone's minds every classic deserves to be used as they should.

It's been nice timing as well being back in touch with the previous owner of my 650ss who owned her since new was able to pop a pic of mcn to him.
 
When I was a kid the names of English bikes inspired awe, and when one blazed past on the road jaws dropped. They demanded respect and we dreamed of them.... You just keep riding and showing folks what they're missing out on.... Burns, cuts, scrapes, empty pockets, cramps from pushing & kicking, colorful language, and a big grin when they run well.
 
Hey guys few people have been messaging me asking what happened to the Commando on Instagram, so not much progress on the Commando but hopefully will be this week gonna order some crank bolts an start re assembly on the bottom end once I clean the sludge trap out, it's been a bit of a writeoff year for restoring the bikes cause next door have been cutting concrete none stop having building work done. So everything's in air tight boxes, been driving me nuts as I really wanna get riding her again luckily dad's letting me use one of the back bedroom's now for putting the engines together nice clean environment to work in can't beat that.

Gotta sell a few lil bits over the next couple of weeks to fund the money for the Commando build as the TZ sale funds went straight on buying the WD16H

Been looking at letting a few of my other Yam's an Suzuki gsx-750et go as if I'm honest my heart is totally with the British bikes an always has been. Been considering a TR6 Competition or T100C to keep the Norton's company although that idea might turn into a commando S or P11.

put some of the videos into a playlist from the previous work on her an ride outs before she was stripped. :)

 
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question guys just got the bolts ordered for the crank :)

Pete Lovell sorted the followers out for me along with re honing the cylinder an a slight skim to the cylinder surface was all she needed, also looked over my other parts for me which got the ok :)

Gonna fit a new oil pump while I'm at it she's also got the original hollow pushrods which is good, next question is regarding the pistons,

Pete said I was best changing the rings out as a matter of course, she's got JP Pistons installed at the moment what rings is everyone using on them an does anyone know a UK supplier for rings an piston circlips for the JP Pistons.

She's turned into a bit of a budget rebuild so trying to re use as much as I can this time round then when funds allow in a few years build her with some lightweight pistons etc.
 
JP's would make better boat anchors. I bought a pair for a 650 AJS & after comparing them to the original BHB's for weight, put them back in the box & searched long & hard for a pair of +0.020" BHB's.
The Hepolite branded ones seem very good & are made by a company in Taiwan as far as I can tell who supply major auto makers. I fitted a set to a T150 motor & they were beutifully machined, light, & all exactly the same diameter & weight. The rings on the other hand were crap & were replaced with Goetz parts. I only found out how crap once I had assembled the motor & it wouldn't stop smoking. I later sold the bike to a mate who still owns it & uses it a lot with zero problems.

Martyn.
 
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