Ricks '75 MkIII Roadster resto/furb

grandpaul · Feb 27, 2016

I believe the green/yellow on the harness are common.

L.A.B. · Feb 27, 2016

ag12680 said:
Would you mind telling me how the two alternator wires hook into the harness since I have the same model? Mine has two green/yellow wires coming from the primary with two green/yellow and one green/white from the harness.

GP's picture shows one (GY?) stator wire connected to what should be two harness GY wires, and the other (WG?) stator wire connected to what should be two WG wires, however, this Mk3 appears to have the standard 5-wire solid state assimilator, whereas your harness is the type for the 3-wire silver can assimilator so has only the single harness WG wire.

So if both your stator wires appear to be GY then connect one stator wire to the two GY wires and the other to the single WG wire.

grandpaul said:

ag12680 · Feb 27, 2016

Thanks guys -

That is exactly what needed to know...

Just hope I have not fried anything by shorting the two GY wires from the alternator into the two GY wires coming from the harness.

Sometimes I can't believe the things I do. Was matching colors - not thinking about the obvious.

Andy --

grandpaul · Oct 12, 2016

Finally received a deposit to get started on this bike, so I got to it.

Starting with an empty parts shelf, and the shop cleaned up and organized (such as it is).

Tank, fenders, tail light, turn signals, mufflers & seat removed

Grungiest electrical switch I've ever seen on an old Britbike

grandpaul · Oct 12, 2016

No wonder the left side switch looked so good, it's a new Sparx unit.

Somebody connected the battery backwards and toasted all the ground wires. This bike is getting a new harness.

Crispy!

grandpaul · Oct 12, 2016

Sidecovers, levers, handlebars and headlight removed.

Carbs, wiring harness, coils, and all electrical bits removed.

Brakes, headers, wheels & forks removed

grandpaul · Oct 12, 2016

Parts to be powdercoated.

Parts to be cleaned, refurbished and/or replaced (wiring harness, mainly)

Carbs & brakes to be overhauled. Chain will be replaced.

grandpaul · Oct 12, 2016

L - R: A few bits to be polished, rubber bits, tub of fasteners & bits to be cadmium plated.

Shelves filling up fast!

Danno · Oct 13, 2016

I will be following this thread, since I just purchased a '73 850 that in some aspects is in better shape and in some is in worse.

grandpaul · Oct 13, 2016

Battery tray is quite rusty and scruffy, as are the horn & mounts.

This is the area you never see on a Commando!

Battery tray, oil tank, and shocks removed.

grandpaul · Oct 13, 2016

Ready to dig into the primary chaincase...

Looks a bit neglected, black oil

Shifter crossover shaft was well and truly rusted to the coupler, regardless of the rubber bootie. The replacement bootie will get a bit of RTV silicone to seal it up.

grandpaul · Oct 13, 2016

Clutch plates are not too bad; they'll clean right up.

With the alternator, starter drive bits, and primary chain tensioner removed, the primary just needed the usual alternator rotor and drive sprocket pullers, and off it all came.

Front isolastic is sacked and deteriorating.

grandpaul · Oct 13, 2016

Power unit free and clear.

Not much left to get down to the bare frame...

Tranny liberated from it's cradle after removing the oil filter head.

grandpaul · Oct 13, 2016

Primary drive and transmission (tranny yet to be torn down and inspected)

Pulling the rear isolastic was easier than I anticipated, the through bolt wasn't frozen inside the iso sleeve as is very typical. Swingarm spindle slid right out. That's it, bare frame!

grandpaul · Oct 14, 2016

Timing cover was nice and clean, just a bit of sludge at the bottom.

Absolutely zero baked on / blackened oil; this bike got decent regular maintenance and was never thrashed.

Very little sludge in the timing chest, one of the cleanest I've seen, 20+ Commando engines overhauled.

grandpaul · Oct 14, 2016

All of the cam drivetrain and oil pump removed.

Like new, not even a hint of oil in the rockerbox covers (rockers and valve springs have a nice film of clean oil on them)

Champion N3C are incorrect fitment. Right plug just a touch lean, left side a bit rich. Readings may be off, due to incorrect plug spec (should be N7YC).

grandpaul · Oct 14, 2016

Piston tops are somewhat typical, scaly carbon buildup. I've seen a LOT worse...

Combustion chambers also look very typical, maybe a bit rich.

Cam followers have only a hint of center line flat spotting (if you can even see it)

grandpaul · Oct 14, 2016

Cylinders are in good shape, no scratches at all. Need to mic them.

Tops of the bores are a bit surface rusted; pistons were parked at the bottom of the stroke.

Pushrods are in very good shape, zero scratches / gouges.

grandpaul · Oct 14, 2016

Back sides of the rods show just a bit of scuffing. I'm sure this must have been how they were installed, this engine has never been disturbed.

Front sides of the rods nice and clean. ZERO evidence of small end heating which turns them brown or even black. These are just a bit yellowed.

Bottom of the engine shows it had some life-long oil weepage which caked on pretty significantly.

grandpaul · Oct 14, 2016

Piston front faces faces show witness discoloration where the cylinder skirt cut-outs reach (I didn't think they went that high up). I've never noticed this prominent coloration. No significant scuffing or scratches.

Piston rear faces look pretty much like the fronts.

A bit of blow-by on the piston sides. At a minimum, the bike will get new rings (still need to mic everything).

Ricks '75 MkIII Roadster resto/furb

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