Trixie Combat 4.4th recovery ends & begins.

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

Man, I had already forgotten how badly you blew that poor engine.
Go easy, lad...

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Dear Paul, please understand why my first reflex to your flippant off the cuff remark is to punch you in the nose while Yellingt F**KY**!!!!!!!

The 1st time Trixie was busted up was at 3rd wk of ownership durrings very timid easy use on brand new to me Combat <> oil slotted pistons came apart d/t Al gasket rubbing on them. NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH ME but I was the one on it at the time.

I recovered the above event by reusing Peels Combat barrel and .020" pistons and used new rod nuts but not rod bolts, so Trixie came apart 3rd wk after rebuild and 300 mile trip out of state and back at night. Few days later going barely 50 mph because I was hunting a place to enter field of yellow flower to get a camophage photo - to hear a half second of tickle sounds then instant lock up and mess photo's show. So I resent the reflex impulse I'm a stupid asshole that just goes WOT till the freaking valves float. NOT>

The further sad story of why I've so little enjoyment out of Trixie was on one of her first timid trips as commuter coming home at night in deep freeze temps going 35ish mph climbing a slight steep on THE Gravel a deer leaped from the side into head light so hard in knocked Trixie sideways out from under and bent deer over headlight to I slammed my helmet into it pelvis so hard I broke it pelvis as well as my neck. WTF did I do irresponsible but to get on a motorcycle in the first. So you and every one else is as guilty as me, just a bit luckier - so far. Last good friend I had that chastied me about my 'careless riding got killed on his RS1200 BMW by wayward van across his path.

My last trip with my brother Dale was to pick up Trixie in New Orleans. He was life time mad at me for getting our dad to get him a 350 H--da instead of '69
Bonneville because I knew the Bonnie would suck down my share of family money and he'd be way more cool than me. So Trixie was to be his ride and Peel mine, But above set backs prevented that dream happening before my younger brother died in his sleep a couple years ago. I'll never be over the surprise ending of men or motorcycles and that the whole point of your faith ain't it, this ain't our true home so make the best of it while alive.


Past Peel died d/t stuck cold start throttle parked in shed not letting her hair out fully on the fly.

I have never crashed going Bonzi into corners but have about every other way possible. I do hope to wear out or bust up everything I can before I go as healthy and intact as possible. Cycling is not mere hobby to me but am pensive to ever ride again. How's it for you?

Here's photo of first time out to get gas and a few minutes before hitting sand put down for ice that was invisible while going straight ahead barely making head way up a slight grade and just leaned a bit to get more centered in lane in case of stray car coming over the crest to suddenly see sparks in front of me so I cocked head like confused hound dog in wonder, till glove worn to bone and I realized that was Trixies peashooters out ahead of me. That sudden a surprise, spoiled my careful as possible first ride out and home just to see if it'd make it before regular use. Yeah I'm the worlds worse screw up squid hooligan
alright.

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

No longer snow trapped but in spring like grace days this week. So Wes arrived to carry on to head mounting. Which of course was sorta a pita d/t center head steady stud was fused as one into the head. Old nut had boogered the threads off the end of the stud so tried to extract it with torch and heat gun for 15 min but big vice grips couldn't grip enough nor even when flats made on the stud. Wes grumbling esculated to try to drill and extract it w/o drill press or new tap to fix injured threads. I started packing head up to take to welder to stick a rod on till cherry red then wait 20 sec and twist right out method. But Wes grumbled some more and we'd already gotten copper gasket anealed and surfaces Hylomar'd. Mainly didn't want a ground wire hanging to side of head. So found and another nut and boggered the stud up and force fed that nut on the stud to at least hold the wire on and not rattle off.

Found out I'd miss judged where to grind rocker ends to pass pushrods easy, should be off the very ends, so took us way too long back and forth to get the piss-ant things up in parallel and then misserable tedium fiddles and head lifting
to get the p-rods down, then turning cam to see/hear if everything seated w/o binding, like it had a few attempts prior....

Eventually got head nipped down, using our combined decades of Norton experience for torque level, slowly carefully like a bicycle wheel, crank a little all over evenly, till you feel them seat flat solid unable to turn anymore w/o putting a cheater bar on with gloves. No worry Mate's - we will be able to crank on them some more - soon as head cools down the first time.



A cloudy nice mild day to be out side. "Justice" liked it too. He likes to ride on the bars but don't know how fast he like to go yet.

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

Oh, man, you've got one of those parrots too!!!???

Dave
69S

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

They live longer than their owners.

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

If they don't escape.

Dave
69S

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

DogT said:

If they don't escape.

Dave
69S

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Or go too close to a BBQ :mrgreen:

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

Hook Bills include parrots, but this is a blue/gold Macaw. Documented in English aviary over a century but most get same old age crap as people so live about 50-70's generally. One of like 3 to 4 critters with 360' vision. Can recognize their selves in mirrors and rate similar to Chimps, Dolphins and 2-3 old todlers. But equipped with an ice pick and chisel device with a thumb in the middle. First few days owning, '95, Justice unclamped 6" vice grips holding cage locked, disassembled to 3 parts and hid under cage so when I came in was mystery who let him out and stole the lock? Pop tops cans, if you talk to him enough for him to preform. Had a female too, that stoked out at 13yr old, but one pm she got interested in my fancy SS diver watch band, lightly touching it all over for 5 min. Then she stopped, looked straight at me with a Hey watch this you jerk. put point of her bill in a tiny crevice and twisted like a screw driver to shear $1800 band clean off wrist, then bobbed head/neck beaming in glee.

I think he's a bit louder piercing scream than WOT Norton open pipes. I do not leave him on cycle unattended or he'd peal the cover off cables and take shiny bezels off the clocks. Really would like a way to cycle travel with him.

Most funny tale was his very first ride on Peel, he didn't freak when started or rolling and after ~1/10 mile he pulled back inside wind screen, looked at me and bobbed his head/neck up and down a couple seconds then slid back out in the 20-25 mph air stream leaning into it and with the curves like a born to it surfer! He'd found a good spot hanging on to bar and mirror stem over the throttle. Funny part was a trailer carrying an old grain silo came rumbling out out one lane drive so I'd pulled tight to fence stopped but a lose ladder clanged in a hole, so he freaked and shot out over a pasture which stampeded a cattle heard seeing a Blue/Yellow Screaming Banshee swooping down a few yards over head. I'd clipped wings so couldn't gain height but still powerful enough to stay up on half feather area.

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

Wow, a parrot to boot ... that rides on a Norton ??? I'm luvin' the thread even more Steve !!! I continue to wish ya the best on the build progress, you really are "about due" for some good luck for a change. Too bad I don't live close ... I'd be happy to help out; or just even watch. As it is ... I'll be watchin' for updates here, cheers !!!

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

hobot said:

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It's hard to tell who the crazier character is. Nice helmet. How about a picture of the bird?

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Steve it looks like Wes is doing all the work while the bird supervises. Keep him working so you have a ride this year.

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Hehe, Huckleberry got his fence painting done by clever sweet talk don't ya know.
We trade off depending on who's closest to side needing attention or free hands at the moment but often enough its both of us on Trixie at once.

Wes and I took Saturday pm off for Rango movie then dinner and some pole dancing desert before we decided next day was warm enough to tolerate some hours exposure till dark.

Got Trixie's timing side installed and cover polished and fitted till Hylomar sets up on cover side of gasket. Only hang up was mis placing a woodruff key, but i had extras on hand I sanded/filed down to interference fit. It got down to upper 30's before we quit. We took turns turning crank and checking cam chain tension, just in case of over sight error. Also I trust Wes sense of torque application knowing he's expert at exceeding the manual rating about as much as I do now. We are able to turn engine by hand on the leverage of just the smooth alternator rotor w/o anything clink clang noises.

One thing is a bit disconcerting, in the tin with all the time side stuff used again, there is one brass and one steel set of cam thrust washers. surely I, er we, didn't leave that out. Anywho, here's Wes on his camera and me on Trixie just to show I'm pulling my own weight too now and then.

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV5a8WRL_7w&feature=related[/video]

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

Steve I'm so glad to see this much progress from you guys. You just may be riding by late Spring! Oh and it is good to see what appears to be your hands on trixie, could it be another stunt steve?

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Yes Tim my hands and arms wrapped around my New Orleans slut Trixie, no special catalog shopping for her. My paws also show up diddling oil ring with one hand of Wes holding it still.

It hovers around freezing after dark with waves of hard freezes till almost May so no mid night oil for me outside or Trixie would be done a while ago. She's been gone through soup to nuts twice now so remaining list to do:
install primary to help turn engine
to then set valves,
then put on points and coil pack then dial them in,
then clean up Amals and attach,
put on headlight and scab up head light pig tail and new switch,
wax yellar tank and covers and stick on,
fuel up, start up and ride off into the sun set scathing Gravel and chasing white tails.

A good warm weekend w/o appointments or 7 good nights left before pensive first 1000 mile run in begines. Trixie is not for hooligan riding, just survival in style so only stories to follow should be dull as can be, unless I fall into some tender pink winged piglets : )

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

"Most Improved 2011" candidate?

hee hee

Keep it up, dude, you'll get there soon enough.

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

Steve

My cam thrust washers were left on the bench when the cases were last assembled 53,000 miles ago--I doubt you'll notice a thing other than perhaps the lobes and followers wearing a bit more evenly.


Tim Kraakevik
kraakevik@voyager.net
Two Commandos

Re: Trixie Combat 4th recovery begins

Tim your post left me chuckling in mechanical and comic relief! Glad to hear its a non issue either way.

Trixie ain't a candidate for most improved, I'm not having to do her up soup to nuts again this time, just a mere total engine and paint recovery. I'd sent Combat head off to re new, so leaves me a spare standard head to scab on when next time arrives. If I'd not had to give Trixie's headlight to Wesley, whose '71 I skipped drum brake out on parking lot sand into an oak tree, I'd saved a 100 bux and a day or so towards road worthyness.

Need to patch shed roof and might as well fine sand and buffer up the primary, then my favorite part of restoring - bench grinder wire wheel burnishing rusty stuff like clutch spring and chain guard and fasteners. 40's F at 5 pm now.

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Good to hear progress. By the way it's 42 outside and slowly falling in South eastern Wisconsin. High of 55 today. I spent the afternoon in the garage. It was nice.

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Good on you too Wolfe, most of us have to steal time, so your post says time to shut up and use rest of daylight.

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I also picked up 3 gallons of dog poop, fun fun afterrnoon.