Clutch Drag - dodgy new part

Had a badly notched clutch centre that progressively caused drag. Purchased a new one, origin unknown, but visually looked identical to the original. Fitted it up to the chainwheel and it spun around and all looked OK. Installed it and the drag remained. Plates all good, chainwheel splines good so nothing evident as to why I had slight drag when cold but much worse when hot. Another teardown and a call to the guru and his advice was - hold the chainwheel in one hand and push the centre hard into it and twist the two against each other and see if you can feel resistance. Yup, it even screeched!

OK so now it was evident that when the plates and pressure plate is installed, their is a load on the centre that presses up onto the inner part of the chainwheel. This can discerened by pressing down on the kick lever, it should be a dead smooth drop. Having another 850 here and a 750 the feel was obvious.

By applying a few spots of metal market paint and pressing the 2 parts together hard and twisting them, a witness mark showed that the centre outer rim has tapered edge that fits over the chainwheel bearing boss. This was contacting the root of the boss and rubbing against it. The centre circlip boss that fits throught the chainwheel bearing and presses up to the inner race was not quite in contact, but yet the circlip could still be seated. The obvious thing was that the centre's out rim was about .003" to high in its taper edge. So a brand new part goes onto the lathe yet again. All fixed, bike is happy. Me - pissed off with doing the job twice. I've seen new alternator rotors, carbs and wiring harness just not made right. Old British bikes unreliable? No, the new parts are.

Mick

The fact that even half-ass new parts are available should make us happy. Think of all the hundreds of old brands of bikes in which you can get exactly NO new parts for. I'm, and I might be alone in this, glad to be able to get just about any part for the Norton new. You can't say that for so many things.

Sure, some might be a little out of spec and need a little tuning, but heck, it's not like you had to melt down an old engine block, and then mill up the part.

Sometimes I'm a half-full kinda guy. :mrgreen:

Got to agree its great to get Norton parts, just about everything is available and pretty good value compared to some of the Japanese stuff...don't even mention European. I just feel concerned for guys who get into a Commando for the first time and may not know enough or have the right skills to "work through the issues" and gradually erodes their enthusiasm and confidence But hey! thats what this forum is all about. I'm convinced that a well prepared Commando is a throughly reliable, competant and enjoyable motorcycle and is the best eyeball magnet on the street.

Cheers, Mick

When a new part is purchased, whether it is NOS, or aftermarket, the purchaser should feel that the part is correct. It should not matter if it’s for a Norton, a Chevy, or a Singer Sewing Machine.

We should accept that parts for our cycles will not be cheap, however, we should stand up and complain, both to the supplier, and on this forum, when they do not meet reasonable standards.

Fitting is a reasonable standard. Not breaking would be nice.

This is why I drive 40 miles to Raber’s in San Jose, Ca. I’m sure there are many other fine suppliers out there too. I want to be able to talk to the guy that both sells the stuff to me and puts it on bikes that he has to stand behind. More than once I have been talked out of buying a part. A good supplier will look out for you and thus look out for themserlves.



Herman

I had problems with several "special" RGM parts I got from them over the years, dont know if their quality control was poor or they just off loaded their junk to overseas buyers. When I questioned their quality control/ethics. They banned me from buying from them, not that I ever would again. :evil:

JUG