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stickman
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
Posts: 7
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
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 Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:50 am Post subject: Fork Questions |
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Can anyone tell me if there is a more comprehensive description on the disasembly and rebuild procedure for the 71 roadster front forks? The Haynes manual I have seems a bit vague and due to financial reasons I'm going to have to tackle the job myself. This bike has sat for over 8 years and the forks won't even budge!  Looks like I'll be busy this winter  |
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illf8ed
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 472
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| Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 11:48 am Post subject: Norton forks |
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| If you mean the fork stanchions (tubes) are seized inside the lower alloy sliders, you may be wasting your time trying to separate them. The reason I say this is if the inside of the alloy slider has been damaged or corroded they are scrap. The fork stanchions usually need to be replaced as well as upper and lower fork bushes. That really doesn't leave enough good parts to mess with. Find another set of forks. |
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nortonfan
Joined: 24 Dec 2003
Posts: 362
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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Stickman,
Norton forks are very simple/easy to disassemble with a couple of tools most people would have if they own a norton.
I assume you have the two separate legs out of the yokes with the wheel off.
You have a bolt (Damper Tube Anchor Bolt) tucked away under each slider which must be undone. I have a ground down a 1/2" AF socket to fit in the hole.
The collar (seal holder) at the top of the slider has to undone.
The quote below was a suggestion by Ron L recently, it seems the best way to do the job that I have found also.
"I have always found it best to clamp the seal holder (steel) in a vise. I usually wrap the seal holder with a piece of emery tape for extra grip. Then using the front axle as a tommy bar, turn the lower leg to unscrew the seal holder. This is a tip I got from Brian Slark years ago."
You should then be able to use the main tube as a puller and "thump" it out of the slider. There are not that many bits to work out from that point.
One mistake I made once was not to replace the "Damper Tube Anchor Bolt Washer", this is a fibre washer that stops all your new fork oil pouring out the bottom, so replace them with any other parts you may end up replacing.
I know that this is not a manual suggestion, but hope it may help you.
The spare parts order book is often more usefull for seeing where things go back together than any manual I have found anyway. get one of those if you haven't got one, it is well worth the small cost.
Reg. |
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norbsa48503
Joined: 07 Apr 2004
Posts: 995
Location: Flint, Michigan
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| Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Those instructions always read easyer after you have done the job, some how less vague. They also make more sense once you have broken somthing that's why we call them disstrucktions. norbsa |
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nortonfan
Joined: 24 Dec 2003
Posts: 362
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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Well norbsa,
I find a couple of beers beforehand, always stimulates my brain cells 
As long as the job isn't too critical of course. |
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debby
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 890
Location: Boulder, CO
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| Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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The parts list is a must-have although in the case of the forks I don't find the diagram very helpful. It's not drawn well.
I'm building a new set of forks for my disk brake project. They came from a junkyard bike and were in pretty bad shape. For me the two most difficult things were getting the seal retainers loose and getting the caps on the damper bodies loose. Both had corrosion and were very tight.
The technique described above should work well but I don't have access to a vise at the moment so I used a vise grip chain wrench and some liquid wrench. That worked great.
For the damper caps, I had to soak them with liquid wrench for a few days then I got them loose with a big crescent wrench and a bar inserted through the holes in the bottom. That worked nicely also.
Now it's time to clean everything up, order a few new parts, and put them together. So don't despair. If I can do this anyone can.
Debby |
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debby
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 890
Location: Boulder, CO
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| Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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Oh one other thing: I recommend getting a factory service manual. Reprints are available from all the usual sources. I think it's well-written for the most part. And having a couple of different manuals certainly can't hurt.
Debby |
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Norton Commando Forum by Corporate Pages Web hosting using phpbb
The Unapproachable Norton Commando
At the end of 1967 the Norton Commando was announced.
The Norton Commando was greeted with a certain amount of scepticism because on first sight the commando appeared to comprise of the old Norton Dominator twin cylinder engine mounted at an inclined angle in a set of new cylinder parts.
It was not realized that the new Norton Commando Isolastic method of engine suspension damped out all engine vibration and produced a machine which had uncanny smoothness for a vertical twin. In due course the critics were silenced and the Norton Commando had the distinction of being regarded as the first of todays so called superbikes. There can be little doubt that the original design concept of the Norton Commando has proved correct, since comparatively few modifications of any real consequence have been made since production commenced during 1968.
Now nearly 40 years later Norton Commando riders like us are a breed of our own, and as far as we are concerned its still more fun to go for a blat on the old Norton Commando, and fast. As a Norton Commando owner and enthusiast, my goal here is to promote and give credit to those who keep the Norton name going.
It is more deserving to give credit to the Commando itself, for after all these years it continues to be respected. The original Commando designers like John Favill are those who deserve the credit for developing this incredible motorcycle.
The Norton Commando Roadster and Interstate of the late seventies, never died. Although the Norton Villiers factory dispersed the tradition lived on. Today Kenny Dreer in the USA is developing the new 952 CC Norton. What a great looking bike this is, and its engineering is still based on the original layout. It will be interesting to see how the new 952CC Norton does in todays tough motorcycle market. One thing is for sure, I would own one if I could afford it.
