Removing the gusset plate, down sides? Tips?

Seriously Nigel - if it's the FCR35s (which I had the same issue) then using smaller length rubber connectors together with narrower (read Mikuni) clamps will move the tops of the FCRs at least 8mm clear of said gusset and bolts.
Cheers

Well, if you do remove it and then have 'angle grinder's regret'......you can replace it......though by the looks of the item available not many have been sold!

Looking at the part you have to wonder if grinding material away, say to the distance of the large hole exterior to the frame tube, leaving the outer section as a rib, would achieve what you are aiming for?

Maybe even retaining some of the strength by layering material on to the remains of the existing bracket.

trident sam said:

Years ago I had manifolds made to fit a twin webber carb to a Commando, never got round to it unfortunately

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I saw a commando chopper at the ace cafe a few years ago fitted with a Webber
It definitely seemed to work the way he took off up the road!

Why do I need to cut it?

I’d have thought that obvious, it gets in the way of the rear head on the double engined V4…

Fast Eddie said:

Why do I need to cut it?

I’d have thought that obvious, it gets in the way of the rear head on the double engined V4…

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Oh. ..playing hard to get now, aren't we lol. I guess we'll all just have to continue to tune in.

cliffa said:

Pretty sure Comnoz fitted one in the past.

I do remember him mentioning that he's removed the gusset as well with no ill effects.

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Found it...

cliffa said:

I'm currently running an S.U. carb, they are tall and that gusset is very close to the dashpot, so I have wondered about removing it as well.

I did think about putting a gusset on each side like this if I remove it. I don't think it will clash with anything. Any thoughts?

View attachment 82845

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That's what Kenny Dreer did, the originator of the FCR's on a Norton.

Ok… there’s no double engine V4s in my shed!

Basically… I cut some corners to get the 920 up and running, I used my existing FCR 35s and some DIY blended / ported cNw manifolds (which are very short).

This is corner cutting because the stage 3 Maney head has 36mm ports… clearly feeding them with 35mm carbs ain‘t optimal.

Steve also supplied me with beautiful matched CNC machined 36mm manifolds. But they’re longer, and made the carbs hit the gusset plate, quite hard.

Basically I feel the carb size and DIY blending is costing power, and having gone this far with this thing, it’s daft not to finish it off right.

So, to finish this job off as intended, I now wanna fit FCR 37s and the Maney manifolds. These both require the next size up rubber mounts too.

So, whilst they might just squeeze in if I trim the rubbers as Rob did, I really doubt it as the manifolds are longer and I suspect the rubbers might be too.

So, I believe some gusset trimming might be on the cards.

Personally I’d love to fit a DCOE, but realistically this could only be done if I had a local Dyno man who was a DCOE expert and had drawers full of jets to try. Which I don’t. So I won’t. Cos without such a man I’d be chasing my tail for years with the freakin’ thing !

Don't forget the Dellorto DHLA too.... DCOE 'alike.....

EstuaryBoy said:

Don't forget the Dellorto DHLA too.... DCOE 'alike.....

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I had an Alfa Romeo with a pair of those on...tuning process just about the same as Weber DCOE40s...performance just about the same as Webers...and like the Weber they are a great carb with lots of flexibility, for flexibility read 'they take a lot of setting up by a knowledgeable and experienced person' or you will be in flat spot hell.

And they come with an inherent confusion factor; though called '40s' very few of them in service run anywhere near a 40mm choke tube! 1600/1700 Ford X Flow and they will be 30 or 32mm from memory.

Great on a production car where someone else has about sorted the installation, and the DCOEs are great on Fords, where just about anything for them on a Ford can easily be looked up....

I would not want to use either in relatively uncharted territory. And experience also says they provide one of the noisiest intake roars available! A quick Ford Escort Mexico or RS2000 will normally announce itself coming through a stage by the intake roar!

What this means to me is that a pair of 36 (or 37mm) single choke carbs would be a far better solution for your hot rod Commando!

SteveA said:

I had an Alfa Romeo with a pair of those on...tuning process just about the same as Weber DCOE40s...performance just about the same as Webers...and like the Weber they are a great carb with lots of flexibility, for flexibility read 'they take a lot of setting up by a knowledgeable and experienced person' or you will be in flat spot hell.

And they come with an inherent confusion factor; though called '40s' very few of them in service run anywhere near a 40mm choke tube! 1600/1700 Ford X Flow and they will be 30 or 32mm from memory.

Great on a production car where someone else has about sorted the installation, and the DCOEs are great on Fords, where just about anything for them on a Ford can easily be looked up....

I would not want to use either in relatively uncharted territory. And experience also says they provide one of the noisiest intake roars available!

What this means to me is that a pair of 36 (or 37mm) single choke carbs would be a far better solution for your hot rod Commando!

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I too ran a pair about 40 years ago on a 'breathed on' Rapier. I assume that as Rootes had already fitted DCOEs on the GLS Hunters and H120 Rapiers, whoever built the engine probably borrowed heavily from those specs...
Did run well

Seeley Mk3 frame?

SteveA said:

What this means to me is that a pair of 36 (or 37mm) single choke carbs would be a far better solution for your hot rod Commando!

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Exactly that Steve !

Steves said:

Seeley Mk3 frame?

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If anything, it would be a Manx rep chassis for me. But I am trying not to think about that cos it gets very out of hand very quickly !!