I've got a 1975 Commando that I recently purchased. My first Norton! It has some unfinished items I need to attend to before it is ready for the street. The prior owner completed some really great things on the bike, powder coated frame, rebuilt engine, new rims, spokes etc etc. Nicely done in every respect, he had intended on keeping the bike. The issue I have is a custom setup on the rear brake system. I have removed it since it was not complete and needed some custom work to make it work. I prefer to return it to stock. I now have a stock caliper that I will rebuild, (and a huge thank you to swooshdave for the recent caliper rebulid post!!!) a stock mounting bracket and a stock master cylinder "unit" . I do not have the brake lines or the brake tee or the components to the master cylinder. I need the pushrod and the other end, I think it is called the cylinder and piston. Who has done a rebuild and where did you purchase the parts? I see a cylinder and pushrod on ebay for $95 in stainless Item number: 270521810724 , yikes! I'm guessing it is terrific but I don't see the need to spend that much. I am looking for comments on where to purchase or complete my master cylinder. And I am happy to hear ALL comments.
kurt

Check out the web sites at Old Britts, Fair Spares, Rabers, Baxter Cycle. I favor Old Britts because they have pages with the parts manual and part numbers. That way you can find the specific part you are looking for and order it by number. All of these internet suppliers have basically the same parts and I think all order by part number. Good luck.

You should post some shots of the parts you took off, maybe someone can use them. It could supplement your restoration.

Some shots of your bike as is are always appreciated and a good before and after document.

kwb210 wrote:(and a huge thank you to swooshdave for the recent caliper rebulid post!!!)

One day soon we'll be able to appreciate each other's bikes in person!

Stan at Rocky Point Cycle has the rear brake pipes (hard lines) available in stainless, as well as the braided stainless flex line that connects them.

I found severe rust pitting in the bore of my OEM master cylinder at my last brake rebuild, so I went with a stainless steel master cylinder.

Lurker828 wrote:Stan at Rocky Point Cycle has the rear brake pipes (hard lines) available in stainless, as well as the braided stainless flex line that connects them.

I found severe rust pitting in the bore of my OEM master cylinder at my last brake rebuild, so I went with a stainless steel master cylinder.

Stan rocks and he has tons of stainless fasteners for your bike if you so choose. Upgrade to a stainless rear line coming from your MC to the tee fitting bolting to your z-plate since you need to buy the line anyway.

swooshdave wrote:

kwb210 wrote:(and a huge thank you to swooshdave for the recent caliper rebulid post!!!)

One day soon we'll be able to appreciate each other's bikes in person!

Yes. We are not that far apart, I'm north in Bellingham. And the upcoming rally in BC makes my little city a jumping off point. I need to figure out an avenue to alert riders that I am available for problems, negative I know, but also a nice shall we say pocket listing. In the next few months we should figure out a way to visit. Plus find out who is in the "neighborhood" of adjoining States.
My email is kurtbrunhaver@qwestoffice.net and anyone is welcome to drop me a note, certainly do so if you are planning on the July 10 rally. How much fun it would be to add riders along the way. We can talk about some options. One being getting your bike to this area ahead of time and then showing up later via airlines or whatever. Lots of options.
Of course in the meantime I need to get my bike running!!!!
kurt

kwb210 wrote:

swooshdave wrote:

kwb210 wrote:(and a huge thank you to swooshdave for the recent caliper rebulid post!!!)

One day soon we'll be able to appreciate each other's bikes in person!

Yes. We are not that far apart, I'm north in Bellingham. And the upcoming rally in BC makes my little city a jumping off point. I need to figure out an avenue to alert riders that I am available for problems, negative I know, but also a nice shall we say pocket listing. In the next few months we should figure out a way to visit. Plus find out who is in the "neighborhood" of adjoining States.
My email is kurtbrunhaver@qwestoffice.net and anyone is welcome to drop me a note, certainly do so if you are planning on the July 10 rally. How much fun it would be to add riders along the way. We can talk about some options. One being getting your bike to this area ahead of time and then showing up later via airlines or whatever. Lots of options.
Of course in the meantime I need to get my bike running!!!!
kurt

Are you a member of the NWNO?

I'll get the membership form in the mail.
I need to be a member.
Thanks,
kurt

Hi

I am Nigel, President of the British Motorcycle Owners Club in Vancouver. I am putting together a Norton for the rally as well. I have usually riden mainly Triumphs before. This will be a great rally. I went to the one that was about three years ago (on my Triumph) it was really good. The Norton I am assembling is an 850, it is mainly a MKIIA, but it has a MKIII swing arm and disk brake. I am putting the rear wheel on this weekend. I am using a Yamaha RD 400 wheels. I have to make various spacers and stuff. I am going to use modern master cylinders, with stock Norton calipers and the RD 400 disks. I already have the front fitted together nicely. It is not hard to do since Norton and Yamaha use the same metric wheel bearings. I have used the Norton axle with the Yamaha wheel.

The trouble is, I am not sure how the rear caliper is normally mounted on the swing arm.

It looks as though the caliper plate is sandwiched in between the wheel spacer and the chain tensioner. At the top where the shock mount bolt also holds the caliper plate, from the marks in the paint it looks as though there was a washer in between the caliper plate and the swing arm. If that was the case then there must have also been a spacer on the axle between the caliper bracket and the chain tensioner, for these parts to line up, but that doesn't make sense to me.

I haven't been able to find this detail in any of the parts books. Could someone post a picture or explain how this orginally fit together.

Nigel

Well this is a parts break down that may be used to enhance the description of your problem.
http://www.nortonmotors.de/ANIL/Norton% ... &Plate=019
Because of how these parts get broken into sections it can get difficult to show a picture of how it relates to the frame for instance.

tricatcent wrote:It looks as though the caliper plate is sandwiched in between the wheel spacer and the chain tensioner. At the top where the shock mount bolt also holds the caliper plate, from the marks in the paint it looks as though there was a washer in between the caliper plate and the swing arm. If that was the case then there must have also been a spacer on the axle between the caliper bracket and the chain tensioner, for these parts to line up, but that doesn't make sense to me.

I don't think you are the first person to say they've found a washer between the caliper plate and shock mounting plate, however it doesn't seem necessary, and there's no corresponding washer is shown in the parts drawing so I think each MkIII owner who finds a washer must decide for themselves if it is necessary or not.

Once you have all the pieces, then it shouldn't be too difficult to work out how it all fits together. The tee piece bolt fits through the lower rear 1/4" hole in the R/H MkIII Z-plate. Make sure you position the tee piece so that the brake switch faces forward, as shown in the parts exploded diagram.

It looks as though mine will fit together perfectly without a washer beteween the caliper mounting plate and the swing arm. There was one there before, that is what confused me, but I think that was wrong. It looks as though the machineing around the axle hole is done to exactly compensate for the thickness of the chain adjuster. If that machining had not been done then a washer the same thickness as the chain aduster would have been required.

Nigel