Trying to help a recent widow sell her husband's '71 Commando.

Oh, I 'arc'ed - or is it arched? the Ferodos. I always hear the term as 'arc' ing the pads to match the inner curvature of the drum - as used to be done at the shops in the old days. Maybe it's all in the pronunciation. I will ask Keanu.

My method is crude and not perfect but it''s the old trick I have used for ages - contact cement to fasten some fairly coarse grit sandpaper (220 or so) to in the drum, then rotate the pads, with the axle in to keep things straight, and apply pressure to the brake lever. It's a tedious process but it's worked very well for me so far.
 
gpzkat said:
Oh, I 'arc'ed - or is it arched? the Ferodos. I always hear the term as 'arc' ing the pads to match the inner curvature of the drum - as used to be done at the shops in the old days. Maybe it's all in the pronunciation. I will ask Keanu.

My method is crude and not perfect but it''s the old trick I have used for ages - contact cement to fasten some fairly coarse grit sandpaper (220 or so) to in the drum, then rotate the pads, with the axle in to keep things straight, and apply pressure to the brake lever. It's a tedious process but it's worked very well for me so far.
Click to expand...
Doing that with big 4ls brakes is real fun.

You should have just bought it to help her out quickly. That's what I would have done. However, unlike you I am an opportunist and not a saint. :)
 
gpzkat said:
Oh, I 'arc'ed - or is it arched? the Ferodos. I always hear the term as 'arc' ing the pads to match the inner curvature of the drum - as used to be done at the shops in the old days. Maybe it's all in the pronunciation. I will ask Keanu.

My method is crude and not perfect but it''s the old trick I have used for ages - contact cement to fasten some fairly coarse grit sandpaper (220 or so) to in the drum, then rotate the pads, with the axle in to keep things straight, and apply pressure to the brake lever. It's a tedious process but it's worked very well for me so far.
Click to expand...
It is arcing the shoes. Increases the contact area. About as good as you are going to get out of drum brakes. It's too bad this won't be going to a family member, but whoever buys it will acquire a pristine 750.
 
Deckard said:
It is arcing the shoes. Increases the contact area. About as good as you are going to get out of drum brakes. It's too bad this won't be going to a family member, but whoever buys it will acquire a pristine 750.
Click to expand...
Yeah it has a huge impact. I always remembered it as arcing but some seem to use the term arching, which makes no sense. Thanks for the kind thoughts.
 
Schwany said:
Doing that with big 4ls brakes is real fun.

You should have just bought it to help her out quickly. That's what I would have done. However, unlike you I am an opportunist and not a saint. :)
Click to expand...
I bet! Somehow, I have it in my head that this is good for my soul. I haven't been the worst person, but I haven't been the best either. I've been on a great journey all my life, and at this point, I am comfortable and able to do something because it feels 'right'. I recently received 2 free '83 Suzuki GS1100Es that are really nice. Why? I don't know, I'm just lucky I guess. To quote Kurt Vonnegut, "And so it goes."
 
gpzkat said:
I bet! Somehow, I have it in my head that this is good for my soul. I haven't been the worst person, but I haven't been the best either. I've been on a great journey all my life, and at this point, I am comfortable and able to do something because it feels 'right'. I recently received 2 free '83 Suzuki GS1100Es that are really nice. Why? I don't know, I'm just lucky I guess. To quote Kurt Vonnegut, "And so it goes."
Click to expand...
It is a good thing for certain.

I was lying. I wouldn't buy another Norton without somebody else's money and a gun to my head.

I think about being a nice person and doing something altruistic, but I get distracted with one thing or another and it doesn't stick long enough for me to volunteer my time. There is probably a special place for me in hell working on British motorcycles forever. 🤣
 
Both of the bike's stands are pretty bad. The prop stand seems to have the wrong later/longer spring and flops about. The frame mount appears badly bent, and the bike leans very far over when deployed. Like 45 degrees far. I wouldn't use it.

The way it's attached doesn't match the Andover drawings. The spring appears to be too long, from a 73-onward model. The center stand seems clapped too. It supports the bike and is pretty easy to use as a primary way, but the rear wheel is on the ground.

I don't have the time or resources to deal with these issues. Rather than chase the side stand spring and have the frame mount modified (where?) I want to just take it off and have it rely on the center stand. I guess I need drift pin out. This seems the only real let-down to the bike and are tasks I can't take on.

Trying to help a recent widow sell her husband's '71 Commando.
 
Yeah, that side stand mount is not the poor design original that had a circlip that never lasted. Best to advise next owner of the need to weld on later style mount to frame if they want a functional sidestand.
Maybe center stand bushings are worn or bolt holes in the cradle are oversized now? My '71 center stand got replaced by an 850 unit. Stronger and more durable.
 
Front end, engine, frame touch up is done. Just a few things left then fire it up and see how it goes.

Edit: I am back to the original non-switched brake cable. It seems mushy, like that inline plastic housing is compressing (?). That's why the wire's hanging down by the fork (will tuck inside headlight shell). Maybe I can fit a micro-switch on the lever, have seen a post about that.

Trying to help a recent widow sell her husband's '71 Commando.


Trying to help a recent widow sell her husband's '71 Commando.
 
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Analyzing the wires. The switchgear seems odd. The left side is outfitted for flashers (bike doesn't have) and is rigged for useless switchgear on that side - for Interpol use. The right side has an internally broken 'passing' flash beam on the bottom, high/low beam switch, and horn on top. It would seem that flipping this over would put things where they make sense to an American rider, and should be just a matter of plugging connectors in 'wrong'. To wit, this would give me:
  1. High beam up on left, not down on right.
  2. Horn on bottom left.
  3. 'Flash' high beam on top left.
Right side - leave to throttle and brake action.

If the bike had turn signals, I would put a left/right custom controller. I never liked up for right, down for left mumbo-jumbo. I'm too dim for such complexities. But since it doesn't, the swap-aroo seems to be an idea, a brainwave even. If the right side didn't have a broken bit inside I could flip/swap. Anyone got a spare?
 
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gpzkat said:
Oh, I 'arc'ed - or is it arched? the Ferodos. I always hear the term as 'arc' ing the pads to match the inner curvature of the drum - as used to be done at the shops in the old days. Maybe it's all in the pronunciation. I will ask Keanu.

My method is crude and not perfect but it''s the old trick I have used for ages - contact cement to fasten some fairly coarse grit sandpaper (220 or so) to in the drum, then rotate the pads, with the axle in to keep things straight, and apply pressure to the brake lever. It's a tedious process but it's worked very well for me so far.
Click to expand...
If you use coarser paper, it goes very quickly. And the rough finish will quickly smooth out in use.
 
Today was promising. Adjusted the brakes, forks, chain, and other things. But I had no spark. I quickly realized that a loose bullet connector in the ignition power supply was the issue. Now with a strong spark, I figured I'd put gas and oil in it and fire it up. Nope, it decided to mock me. I had flushed all the old gasoline out of the tank and filled it with fresh stuff. Tickled carbs. Nothing. Shot some starting fluid in there, and it gave only an occasional cough.

I checked the static timing on the Boyer, and I saw the red dot aligned at 31 degrees BTDC on the drive side compression stroke. The Boyer instructions talk about taking the seat off, etc., but completely miss the mark on the most critical thing, the timing setup. As an avionics systems engineer and tech writer, that really cheeses me off. I have spent decades troubleshooting and writing instructions for setting up systems and sorting out problems, and I find that MC Electronics documentation is garbage. OK, rant over.

The valves are adjusted, and the compression is OK but not great- we'll see how that goes. When testing the compression with the throttle open, the 1 into 2 throttle cable broke. OK, reset time; tomorrow's another day. I have to do some measuring/research on the throttle cable. One step forward, two steps back.

Cheers to Grandpaul for his generous donation to the cause.

Sure looks pretty though eh?

Trying to help a recent widow sell her husband's '71 Commando.
 
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Deckard said:
Yeah, that side stand mount is not the poor design original that had a circlip that never lasted. Best to advise next owner of the need to weld on later style mount to frame if they want a functional sidestand.
Maybe center stand bushings are worn or bolt holes in the cradle are oversized now? My '71 center stand got replaced by an 850 unit. Stronger and more durable.
Click to expand...
I hoisted the bike up to investigate the center stand, and see that one side is missing the square stopper (pic1 below). Nothing but a hole there.

I can't tell from Andover (pic 2) if they are the same stand - the numbers are incremental, descriptions call out frame number on one but no displacement, and 750/850 on the other with no frame number. Can you advise? I expect I should get the kit.

It's frustrating to have no side stand. I had never known anyone to leap on a kick starter while on the stand, but that must be what happened, given how badly it is bent. I see no clear solution within reach, which is very disappointing. Grr....

Trying to help a recent widow sell her husband's '71 Commando.


Trying to help a recent widow sell her husband's '71 Commando.
 
gpzkat said:
I can't tell from Andover (pic 2) if they are the same stand - the numbers are incremental, descriptions call out frame number on one but no displacement, and 750/850 on the other with no frame number. Can you advise?
Click to expand...

06.4031 is the latest stand and replaces the earlier type from 141783 750 on and 850 with the correct pivot fittings.
 


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