Shaking down an old dog

For the last few days I've been tidying the wiring a bit and priming and touchiing up chips on the frame. I might as well protect it from rust as when it was shipped wherever the straps went paint was removed.
I decided I did not like the petcock where it was so I used a standard US nipple in the tank fitted with a screen. The pipe thread is about the same and this allows me to attach 40 lb rated hose and a snowmobile shut off valve where I want it.
I've also rigged a simple choke linkage, I'm not going to get eleborate until I'm sure these will be the carbs I keep on the bike.

Thanks to whichever of you guys suggested making a clutch tool out of an electrical box. After a quick trip to the neighborhood hardware store and spending $6.93 for a four inch electrical box and a fine thread bolt and nut I had the makings of a tool. It was too deep so I cut it down to 1 1/4" with my hand grinder. It easily pulled the clutch and I found just what I thought I would after the last ride. It had the plates wet with tranny oil.
Everything looks OK in there, good primary chain, plates are bronze, about the right stack, no real wear on bearings, spacers, or plates.

I'm going to try a trick I used years ago with the clutch rod. I cleaned it and coated it with wheel bearing grease lightly, sprayed ether in the hole to get a bite on a clean surface, Then put a bead of silicone circling the rod near the clutch side before installing it. I'll let it cure over night and make sure it does not lock up the rod before installing the plates.

I wasn't happy with the silicone seal trick. The sealer I used to have cured anaerobically and this stuff did not cure after a couple of days.
I cut a small grove in the rod with my Dremel by chucking my 3/8 drill in the vice and using the two machines for a crude lathe. A tiny Honda carb O ring was the one that fit with a decent seal in the end. I understand somebody makes a seal for this but I'm too lazy to wait.

Gotta love that Tri-Spark.

Bike is looking nice!

I think it belongs in the Commando section...

That was a bit of a struggle for me as everything in the running gear is Commando.

I'm starting to make a crude air cleaner from a pair of old Amal Velocity stacks with screens. These are the wide mouth ones. I shortened them for clearance and notched one because of the close intake ports. I'll rubber mount them with some hose and do a basic layer of filter paper under the screen I think. This is probably pointless since the tank pretty much hides them, but I know they will be in there.

GP is getting me to work on mine because he is making so much progress, I'm also rearranging my shop spaces and servicing my other bikes for summer. For some reson I'm having trouble with focus on my camera, I'll have to go back to the book. Here are the velocity stacks.

Cookie - check the "macro" settings on your camera.

I'm happy to know I'm inspiring SOMEBODY to get to work!

My parts have started coming in finally. I picked up the kick start lever with the extension at Cantwell's in San Bruno today. It will be the shiniest thing on my bike The anti wet sumping valve also . I had to clean up the threads and assemble it. Looks like everything clears.

Cookie said:

The anti wet sumping valve also .

Click to expand...

:shock:

Which one? My brother lost an engine doing that.

This one.

I think this is also used by Colorado Norton Works unless theirs just looks similar.



I bought it from a local guy. I was testing it tonight before installing and it seems like it will work.

Hey Cookie,
Where did the kick start lever come from? The anti wet sump valve will work like a charm.
A fellow student at CCSF put one in a 71 Commando and works great.

The kick start is my best one, I think a Mk 3 type, it has springs and locks, cut and with two inches welded into it. Then it was rechromed. This used to be an old trick but I believe it is rarely done now. Since I'm really just making this a 70s special (which it already was) I'm sticking with the stuff myself and my friends used then.
That's also why the big coils mounted outside like I used to run, and the velocity stacks. Carbs used to be optional and often whatever we had. At one point I borrowed the Mikuni off my Arctic Cat but I lost top end so I junked that idea.

I see. Ever hear of the "Phantom Oiler" page'? It has posts about several Brit bikes. One iin particular is a Cammando/ P11 hot rod. I featured a kick start lever with a Norton base with a Triumph top welded to it. Was done to gain leverage.

Here is the link to the bike...

http://vintagenet.us/phantom/st1.html

So while you guys watched the Indy 500 my wife wanted to go to the regional track and field meet. After watching the people races I got a little while on the Norton. To fit the anti wet sumping valve to this hybrid I had to shorten my filter line (good chance to clean the filter) and the line to the engine as the rubber hose is not long as in a Commando. I cut both metal lines to just have the valve clear, cleaned everything up and filled the pump line before installing. The view window stayed clear with an air bubble so I watched it closely after filling. I figured the air bubble would go when it fired up but I was ready to shut it off it it did not. I'll let you guys know if I have any problems but the valve is working right now. As you can see in the picture the valve looks dark as it is filled with Redline 20-60. I cracked a rocker line and she is pumping well and returns oil nicly.



Results are now
1 After sitting for months starts in three kicks.
2 Walk out right now and she will start with one kick. No kickback at all.
3 Kicking feels about like a triumph 500 to the best of my recollection for comparison.
4 After less than a minute on the chokes the bike is ready to drive away. Like my Chang with the Mikunis it seems to only want choking for starting unless very cold.
5 Steady idle cold or hot.
6 Instant throttle response, will spin right up to redline.
7 Gear selection is very good, no clutch drag.

More little stuff to do but nearly ready for this riding season.

Thanks for the Phantom Oiler tip Bob, that's interesting reading.

Tonight she got the negative side of the battery box rewired. I put in a 20 amp circuit breaker that I think will be adequate with no starter. I'm running wires out the rear of the box so I can connect the battery tender without opening the box. I've installed a fuse for the lighting side, and I'm considering fusing the ignition separately, but maybe I won't bother.
Tomorrow after work I'll do the positive side. Testing shows everything still works after doing this side and it is still one kick from cold.
I converted my trailer to a ramp trailer yesterday and made an appointment with the CHP for June 9th. for numbers inspection.

Here is the finished battery box area. The electrics are on the roof of the compartment with Velcro and the wire pass through areas now have grommets. The Velcro will let me pull the fuse holders and circuit breakers down should I need to repair them. Before this was about 10 loose wires and two big wire nuts. The wires passing through the rear are for the battery tender.

I've managed to squeeze out about an hour for the Norton in the past couple of days. I've had is suspended from the garage roof while I work out a center stand that will get along with the custom engine plates. By the way Home Depot sells a spring that is a near duplicate of the Atlas spring I ordered. I'm going to use a spring a bit lighter and longer and set it up for very easy installation.

Let's do an easy spring install. In this case I've decided to run the spring from the bottom to the mount on the frame. I've struggled with springs in the past and trust me your Commandos can be easy. Note the winch strap from the roof area. I've already made all my mounts and tested their set up.