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Hi all, My name is Robb, I've been a lurker here for a while but have just started putting my Commando project back together so I thought I'd better activate my account so I can take advantage of all your collective knowledge. My bike's a 72 750 Commando Combat with about 16,000 on it. My cylinders are painted black so it appears that the motor's been taken apart, hopefully to do the Combat recall. I'm told that if the bike has this many miles on it, it most certainly has had the Combat crank mods done as it probably wouldn't have made it this far had it not.

Anyway, I disassembled the bike about 3 years ago and I've finally got all my new parts collected so a few days ago I started putting it back together. Got the motor in OK.. probably more on that at a later date, but right now I'm stuck on this front wheel. Here's a few pictures and some questions for anyone who's interested (and thank you in advance for any help offered).

By the way, is it me or do these Norton Shop manuals suck dead donkeys? The worst part, other than trying to decipher the British language, is trying to make sense of the exploded diagrams. What I'm first trying to determine is if I've got everything lined up right on this wheel. In the first picture you see that I've got about a 1/4 to 3/8 inch gap after I put the wheel and axle in place. Is this normal and should I just snug it all up with the end nut or should there be a spacer in there that I'm missing?



In the second picture you see the washer on the right side of the wheel bearing that holds the felt washer in place up against a thin washer up against the wheel bearing. I assume this is right as it's one of the few things that wasn't confusing in the exploded diagram.



In the third picture you see the left side of the wheel with the dust cover in place. Is this correct? It doesn't seem like this dust cover is doing anything.



And finally, what is this?

try here, it may help, I'm not familiar with the 72 disk. http://www.oldbritts.com/nor_comm_72.html

Dave
69S

The axle nut will draw the axle fully to the right side and tighten against the right slider. That piece you are showing goes into the disc side of the hub. The left side should have a pinch bolt. The forks should be pumped up and down a few times then the pinch bolt is tightened. You should try to decode the manual. Soon you will be talking that way.

Russ

I believe that part goes where the gap is. I need to look at mine again. Part # 20 in the oldbritts exploded view.

Does that part butt up against the dust cap on the right side then or does that dust cap on there now even belong there?

Yes, activate bank account. The felt-seal retaining ring needs tapping in. Yes to above.

[quote="captwk"]I believe that part goes where the gap is. I need to look at mine again. Part # 20 in the oldbritts exploded view.

So it looks like the dust cap just butts up to the right fork leg then. I'm still wondering where part X in my last picture goes.

G-Force wrote:Must be a spare part ! there's always extra bits extra bits on the floor after re-assembly, this must be why norton went out of business

Feeling sheepish, there's a chance that this could be off a Honda CB 900 that I restored last year. It does fit the shaft perfectly though.

Well, I got it all together and tightend the gap closed. Hobit, I tried tapping that felt washer retaining ring in but it never really snugged in there. Was still just laying loose on the retaining ring. Everything seems fine though. The wheel is centered nicely between the fork legs and the caliper doesn't scrape on the rotor. It just didn't seem right snugging that gap up. Thank you all for your input. I'm still trying to figure out what that extra part is for and if it's even for this bike. I'm suspecting it somehow got mixed in with my Norton parts from another bike as I think someone on here would have recognized it by now. Anyway, I'm off to install the swing arm. I'd like to get both wheels on by this weekend in case my tank and side covers come back from the painter so I can set the decals before the final clear coat.

I'm pretty sure you have to peen that washer in there by whacking on the sides to hold the thing in. Remember the ball peen hammer? That's how mine was and I just did it again.

Dave
69S

DogT wrote:I'm pretty sure you have to peen that washer in there by whacking on the sides to hold the thing in. Remember the ball peen hammer? That's how mine was and I just did it again.

Dave
69S

Are you talking about the washer on the bearing side of the felt washer or the outside? The one on the inside is pressed in, but I tapped the outer one pretty good and it never snugged up.

As I remember there was a large washer that covered up the felt washer. It may have been the rear wheel, but I think both wheels are about the same, at least on mine. I'm talking about item 11 here, but that's the drum front, yours may be completely different, but if there's a large loose washer covering a felt, most likely it' s peened in. There should be a lip you can peen over, doesn't take much.

I may be all wet here with the drum brake.

Dave
69S

The plain washer against hte bearing,,, then felt washer,,,, then felt washer retainer should fit tight and below the surface of the recess. Mine has some peen marks on it,,,,Then covered by the dust cover.

Your mystery piece might be part # 7,, spacer,, #06-3019 on disc brake models and part #7,, spacer,,NM16783 on drum models.



Tim_S

Tim_S wrote:The plain washer against hte bearing,,, then felt washer,,,, then felt washer retainer should fit tight and below the surface of the recess. Mine has some peen marks on it,,,,Then covered by the dust cover.

Your mystery piece might be part # 7,, spacer,, #06-3019 on disc brake models and part #7,, spacer,,NM16783 on drum models.
Tim_S

I took the wheel off and tried "peening" the outer washer again. It's like there's nothing to grab on to.... it just lays on top. I actually started bending the thing a little before I stopped. I thought I remembered that in newer models it was peened in and in older ones it laid in there loose. This is a new used wheel that I bought off Ebay. It looks exactly like my old one but it's solid between the studs for the disk where my old one was hollow. I remember when I took the outer washer off the old wheel I had to snap it out by prying it with a screwdriver. But this one won't snap in. I'd bend something if I hit it any harder.