1970 Commando 750"S" rocker oil feed

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maximini

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Jun 13, 2010
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I have a 1970 750"S" restoration in process, but I am having a bit of difficulty with the rocker oil feed pipe. My parts book and everything I have read seems to suggest that the bike would have had a rigid oil pipe as opposed to the plastic. I cannot find any source for the assembled rigid pipe, nor can I find a picture (the parts book illustration is not clear) of it so I know how they made the pipe up.

Does anyone know whether it should be rigid or plastic, and if it is rigid does anyone know where I can source it or send me a picture so I can gather the parts and make one up?

Thanks for any help you can give
 
Your oil lines may have originally been rigid metal tubing, mine were, but they were prone to cracking like mine did, so I replaced them with the black plastic lines from Norton. Recently I put new lines on mine and bought 25' of Nylon 11. It takes maybe 4' to do it. Cut your old banjo fittings off with a utility knife. Clean up your banjo bolts and fittings, I plated mine. You will have to hold the pipe with something like a flaring tube holder, you cannot do it by hand, you can cut a hole in a piece of wood, cut it in half, put it in a vice with the pipe. Put some oil on the fitting, some in the tubing and whack the fitting with a rubber or hide mallet and it will go right in, no heat necessary and it will be tight as you know what. May take some practice to get it straight. I have about 20' of this tubing left. You can also spend big bucks on stainless braided lines and fittings. Your choice. There was a thread about this a while ago.

Dave
69S
 
That oil line is at full oil pressure, when it cracks the oil pressure drops including the pressure to the big ends as the feed is common. I went from the plastic to stainless braided as the plastic was ageing and going brittle.
 
1970 should be a rigid line. I have made these up re-using banjos from early big twins (Atlas or early Commando) and 1/8 inch copper tubing, sweating soldering together. Then zinc or cad plating the finished assembly. I don't know of any ready made rigid lines. If I'm not going for an original restoration, I'd rather use a braided stainless line.
 
Hi Ron is there any chance u could post some pics of what u made up? as im doing a 1970 rebuild at the moment and trying to do it original so i would love to know how u made that up and what it looks like, thanks heaps.

Adam
 
I have an original Commando line hanging out in the shop. I can take some pictures of that since it would give you a better idea of how if is routed. I might not get to it until later this week.
 
Here's a pic of it from the spares list, may not be much. Hopefully Ron will come up with a good pic. Personally I wouldn't do it. They do break and leak.

1970 Commando 750"S" rocker oil feed


Dave
69S
 
original is ok, if you're not gonna ride it, hehe.
I took Dogt's advice a few months back, and remade my 10 year old black plastic ones with that nylon 11 stuff. they work great and if they last another 10 years, I can re do them then.
 
Just to add my pennyworth...

I'm a bit surprised at the comment that a 1970 "S" should have the rigid oil line to the rockers.

My bike is a 1970 Roadster (almost identical to the S of the same year), bought from the orignal owner in the early 70s and I am pretty sure it always had the black plastic feed line as little had been changed on it when I bought it.

I have the same parts book showing the rigid line, but my belief was that this applied to the very early bikes only.

I sure I stand to be corrected if wrong!!! ;-)
 
LondonMark said:
My bike is a 1970 Roadster (almost identical to the S of the same year), bought from the orignal owner in the early 70s and I am pretty sure it always had the black plastic feed line as little had been changed on it when I bought it.

I have the same parts book showing the rigid line, but my belief was that this applied to the very early bikes only.
Click to expand...

The plastic rocker feed line was apparently introduced at serial number 140061, which I think would have been somewhere around late 1970.
 
That would make sense LAB - my bike is numbered approx 700 after that.

I'm impressed that you have this level of detail!
 
1970 Commando 750"S" rocker oil feed

1970 Commando 750"S" rocker oil feed

1970 Commando 750"S" rocker oil feed

1970 Commando 750"S" rocker oil feed


The original line is steel with copper or brass banjos and tees. I usually use 1/8 inch copper tubing as it is easier to work with. This is a '68 Fastback motor with the points housing and the clip is usually on the mounting stud. On the '70's with points on the cam, the clip is usually attached to the intake manifold.

I hope this helps.
 
Ron, you're a champ. I haven't seen that hard line for 40 years, but it looks right as I remember. Great treat.

Dave
69S
 
Is there any advantage to using the rigid line or this all about keeping it original. Mine was leaking from the bottom banjo so I replaced it with a braided line.
 
The sole interest with this bike is keeping original. On my other Commando I have have the braided stainless line. The rigid line will only be on the bike when it is shown. Once it's show life is over, I would replace it before really riding the bike.
 
I went from the plastic to stainless braided
Click to expand...

Kommando,
There's plastic under the stainless braiding and you can't see it :twisted:

Cash :wink:
 
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