Trixie Combat 4.4th recovery ends & begins.

Not many looking here so mostly a blog to myself. Too many little details and no energy left to ride Saturday so diddled all the fluid levels this am and razored off Hylomar and wire brushed the oven cleaner head stains then tired and tried and tried to start,ugh. Finally put boots on and tried some more to start for another of my routine *BBISS* Blank Brit Iron Starting State, as the smokeless wonder last pm was smoking as bad as it did before the hone and right ring job,!*???*. I see this state in hound dogs confused at something. Its was also misfiring rough so touched L pipe that wasn't very hot, hm. Turned out I'd bumped a coil wire off is all and now stars with just a step on and smokeless, whew. More mood swings than I've genital plumbing to account for.

The cut down air boot fits better than the full pleated factory one, so another tedium to correct the factory again. Typing while engine cooling down before 1st re-torque before a 1st ride again. The bashed on bent on Victory pipes never fit better either and now neither of them vibe or bobble clanky as prior.
Told Wes I'd try to make up his Mt. instead of him coming down to see me and if I don't show in an hour ....

I've been following along hobot and glad to see that you're having promising results after all your efforts. Cj

Hehe, glad ya following me posts for enjoyment some follow like stalkers. Had me a good ride day, Trixie oil and smoke free - still in road glow. My rolling Commando adventures begin again in same flavor I'm spoiled for now, ie: another crash in odd conditions building up my flight envelopes on full street tires. I made it up and down Wes's drive way, basically a run off ravine, getting more confident on its deep ruts and boulder knobs. Thought I was going to ride North till Eureka Springs for a meal and a brew then head home. Instead took a side trip on Dripping Springs Gravel path to check on 82 yr old I'm keeping going and they invited me to follow them in a 4 wheeler up the Mt. to new home site of a son. Involved a water crossing that changes with each flood but made it fine though axle deep water plus almost as deep sinking into the loose gravel bar so tire spun and skipped a bit before mild climb out but didn't get wet.

They stopped to meet their son who took his gal up on back of a knobbie tire dirt bike, but they took a short cut off Gravel path straight up the pasture slope, so what the heck I followed them, till got so steep at too slow a speed street tire just spun out no mater how clutch feathered easy throttle so tried to stop but slope too green grass greased for front brake only to hold w/o just sliding backwards so tried to restart but slowly spun out onto LH side. It took me and their son plus brake to ease, ie: slide straight backward 50 yd till reached the Gravel path again. If hit with some speed I should of made it.
The home site was a couple hundred feet below Mt. dome of raw pasture so took a run up that to discover it rather rough cratered by gopher holes to go over 25 mph while standing on pegs or butt got smacked too hard. Must returen someday on a Commando that made for this sort of thing.

They told me a new way to hwy [+ warned of pair of big dogs to dodge], so took that but was having such fun passed up my home turn to take a secondary paved twisted steep side trip of 30 miles to get some flowing of leans and zooms and braking exercise' then back home at dusk and not one damn deer seen. There a nice long down hill swoopy return I shut off engine in N and just coast at 50-70 mph feeling for lack of crank flywheel effect so just sounds of chain and tires and wind. These old Combats are pretty spunky at WOT into the 6000 zone and smooth too : )

Oven cleaner is bad juju to Al and even Dupicolor wheel coat. Here's an albino head.




Here the head on Barbie to dry water wash and grilling the gasket to cherry pie.



Here's Wes's helping hand, ugh - after hair drier piston heat to test the ease to slip in the wrist pin, which didn't slip in so easy so with a finger in the way gave er a rap and then called out he needed help to un trap his finger. I admit he was so calm I delayed a bit laughing at the situation that wasn't me or my fault this time.

Just cleaning out camera video to find this left over blooper with Wes and I about to beat some sense into the frame isolastic mount, spring of 2010. This first one is longest but example of what I got to put up with on Wes's curmudgeon world views. Set camera down w/o realizing still on so after some bike views the ceiling is featured. Actual brutal beating in to follow

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP7fopHXFYw&feature=youtu.be[/video]

By the looks of those pics I see your a man who enjoys the "High life". Good to see.

Say What, No Way I couldn't see nothing in this video to support that idea. :mrgreen:

I saw frame block beating video this week but now can't find it on camera, in puter or online, oh well I'm sure I'd get another opportunity - ugh.

Make no mistake though I'm always expecting to die for some reason or another so trying to pack in best states I can. I don't check up on some riding friends as don't want to know till they touch in again.

IN case anyone keeping track of some owners down times, I've begun removing ignition coil clusters, carbs from head and air box, rear wheel hub and chain and speed drive, primary clutch & crank pulley, free engine from cradle, more rear set & linkage, countershaft spooket and kick lever, to get tranny out for the dang re-bushing time again d/t discovering clutch wobble enough to become damaging to triplex chain and teeth or slipping out of gear when depending on some engine drag on loose stuff. Feels like most a rebuild but only the AMC box the immediate issue. At least not too cold to work and handle stuff. About 11000 miles on this gearbox as was gone through when deer got us in '05 and got about 1000 miles before unknowns in engine let go coasting at 50. Found one hub paddle slightly loose and hub DS snout edge ground down with washer spun against it but don't understand how as no resistance to spin wheel nor noise rolling around. Might as well do the 5000 mile TS inspection too like a good boy. Ride em and wrench em is what Wes and I say. SuVee is back home and only needs bar end stuff that got knocked off in city friend environment. Lend em and wrench em too.

Well will wonders never cease, main shaft is stable as can be, clutch bearing on center seems to be the loose wobbler, yea, way easier to deal with.

Ah shoot what made wobble seem worse was the clutch retaining nut was about finger tight, sheeze, so my depressed state of mind made me take off way more than needed expecting the worse, but rear hub still needs investigation why bearing circlip don't clip and rubbing seen on DS snout. Relieved before disturbed carbs or engine mounts or tranny and clutch cable. Still nice days out to miss riding in.

Hey Hobot, just repaired a spare rear drum just yesterday.
Lots of preheat and used very little rod, in fact none on the paddle side.
Used TIG at 75A and let to cool very slowly.

Am using it for mock up purposes for Bike #2
Regards Mike

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Very nice tiny bead work there racer Brooking. You are corrector that me to weld the proud paddle side as the brake parts rub so close to the other side leaves little if no bead meld to hold long. There's nil need to trim paddle side as cushions generally prevent the hub and wheel rubbing anyway. Still learning my way around a Combat after all these years. I'm surprised Trixie's clutch wobble was just the nut loose but pleased. Also speedo failure was just broke cable. Tach still to figure out but its in the drive not the clock. Primary red ATF turns engine oil dark and thick but does not increase the volume just touching bottom run. Ran it open cover and warm but didn't see engine oil leaking, which implies better check gear lube in tranny or better yet refill with ATF so clutch plates never need attention, which remarkably they don't yet after couple years now. These Combats aren't that wear prone after all, not counting the AAU and tires of course.

hang in there Steve and be good to see some progress on Mrs Peel!
Went to the last round of classic bike racing for the year, last weekend, 4 hours ride to get there and 4 back over three days. 500 mile round trip and no failures.
Stay upright
Regards Mike

Thanks for sharing Commando life and times and reminding me of real name behind online handle Mike. Trixie is meant to be a pampered show bike with nothing special about her. Riding off solo is an act of faith for me though so look up to those taking that brave path on a Commando. Peel has been on hold d/t homestead propane system failure-loss, old car and truck deaths and replacements-major repairs this summer into fall. Got them solved so can trailer rescue me or Wes again.
Now Webshots is shot, can't post new photo's or old ones till reloading on photobucket or such. TV news featured the body shops all smiles and grins at the excess jobs they have with all the deer impacts so maybe my down times have been a blessing in disguise. Ms Peel is about done with buying and creating new features and devices, mostly just clean up to finish surfaces and assemble the electrics, brake, fuel, air, water, noise and weapons and video and flight instrument systems.

Last year Trixie did a good bit of winter riding with a wind screen and bar shields, not sure if I'm up to it this year.

Hi again Steve, just keeping the faith by putting in the big miles(km's) for what some of the models were apparently designed for.
My mods on Roadster are to keep it reliable, simple stuff and effective.
Bike #2 project, well that is another story, started off as a cafe racer look, now is in full track bike mode!!!!
Be more than just me wanting to see some progress on Mr's Peel, however long it takes.
Keeping the Faith!!!!
Regards Mike

Hobot, have you tried the VHT hi-temp ceramic header paint? Their ali`shade appears bright & durable, would maybe bring that scoured head up nicely..

Yes Sir rider racer Mike, to have the complete Commando scope of experiences takes at least two Commando's one trying to keep the Norton faith whole and the other to flat have your way with.

JAWs, don't know why you brought headers coating up. I've used GunKote on Peel barrels and heard of cermaic paint inside headers, but had a set alumiunumized ceramic coated inside but they did out side too by mistake - so have a brand new 8 yr old dullish lawn chain tubing finish pair I ain't been able to fit to plain Jane Trixie. A special like a bobber or chopper or racer could use em but not Trixie and too small for Peel, so another excess Commando expense going nowhere fast.

I was so sure I'd used up tranny bushes as I've not abused Trixie but have run her pretty hard this year - maxing out for 30 miles pretending to catch an eager rider after deciding to - so put on jacket and helmet-gloves before taking off, but alas Trixie is not in same orbit as Ms Peel which could indeed catch hot shots minutes ahead and indeed could tear up whole drivetrain in several ways at once. Building a hot rod and really using its potential cost extra time=money.
Then we die so why the hell not.