CNW starter kit

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered a kit for my '74.
Being unable to really kick it over this past year due to knee pain I saved up my pennies and ordered one.
I'm a tile contractor and my knees have took a beating. Kind of a mixed blessing cuz I always wanted a starter.
It'll be a couple of weeks to get it as they have to polish the inner case.
Waiting 2 weeks is like waiting for my lab test to come in!

I had a marathon session with my 441 Victor last week trying to wake it up to get it to it's annual inspection; I should have just waked it.

The Norton and the Triumph were happy to get some road time and started right up, but my left knee/leg doesn't have many seasons left; I'm very glad to have the CNW starter as well.

Grade 8 3/8" pivot bolt from my 1360 kickstart. I wonder what is happening to the cartilage of the right knee?

I had a 441 victor once. What a bear to start. The compression release was broken. Tried to bump start it and snapped the chain.
I abandoned it at a place I used to rent in my 20's. I'm still kicking myself after 40 years.
That bolt is what my knee feels like!

That starter kit is a life changing experience. Hoo Whee!!

Well finally It's all installed after so many problems. I can't tell you how nice it is to not have to kick this beast over.
I swear, if this kit goes the way of the FullAuto head I would say save up now cuz that day will come for us older guys where kicking the bike over at a stop light after a stall with a weak leg could become a life or death situation. Sorry, a bit too dramatic. Just the best investment since getting an EI and a halogen headlight.

I'll likely be doing one over the winter. What kind of problems did you encounter?

maylar said:

I'll likely be doing one over the winter. What kind of problems did you encounter?

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Me too me too

I found the electrical directions confusing, but figured them out. I didn't like the starter/kill switch provided
for aesthetic reasons, so figured out how to use the kill switch and the unused button on the stock electrical
switch gear to operate those functions. Very happy. I opted to eliminate the rectifier and zener diode when I upgraded to
a 3 phase alternator (from cNw, (highly recommended to keep the electric start battery fully charged) and replaced them with
a state of the art electronic regulator sold by cNw. There are others). Then I discovered that the
assimilator light would always remain on. So I disconnected the assimilator from it's warning light (useless in my
opinion) and used that light to signal a Madass oil pressure relief valve. Very happy with doing this.

Otherwise, the electric start kit is quite nice and fairly easy to install.

The problems I had started after I ordered the kit. Matt said it would take 2 weeks to put the kit together. He was waiting on a order of front sprocket to arrive they were lost in shipping. No big deal as ship happens. I went in for a biopsy on Friday the 13th for my kidney which was to be a 45 minute procedure but they nicked some blood vessels, sent me home where I almost bled to death, ambo ride to the ER where I was kept in the hospital for a week. I get out but the front sprocket hadn't arrived at CNW yet. I finally get the sprocket and am ready to do the work and a seal in the new inner primary was missing. Matt sent me out one the same day. I had made some "improvements" to the bike which all had to be either moved or eliminated. PITA that was!
I finally got everything together when I noticed the rotor for the alt was loose on it's hub. Didn't want that to explode on me so I ordered a new one.
All back together and now the battery was too weak. Ordered a 18 AH battery, put it in and there was life!!! It started right up. I was so jazzed.
The next day the ignition died. No spark. Fussed with the Tri-Spark for a couple of hours tracing wires and found the ignition switch was cutting out. New one on it's way.

To make a long story short, Matt was so great at helping through my problems by staying on the phone while I did the wiring, helping me on weekends.
Truly a great guy to deal with.
And all I wanted to do was get one last ride in before I go in for a kidney transplant this week.
Well, I did! I can't wait to be back in the saddle again soon. Best investment ever.
P.S. The wiring directions could be dumbed down a bit for us electrically challenged Luddites.

Best of luck with the kidney
transplant. Fair bit more complex than a CNW starter transplant.

Best wishes for the transplant. Have several friends from the Nam experience running around on a borrowed kidneys.

Guido,

Best wishes on the kidney transplant! As far as the starter, you'll have plenty of riding time soon, and I think you'll really love it. I had a few very minor issues with my CNW kit, and like others, I would say that Matt was very prompt at answering any questions I had, and provides terrific after the sale support. That's something that's not always easy to find today!

Don

I am back to working on the bike.
When I first installed this kit the crank sprocket bottomed out on the case. I sent the sprocket back to CNW and they ground the back of it for more clearance. I put it all back together and now the crank seal is pissing oil. It was a new seal which may have been damaged by the sprocket. I have new seals now I want to install but for the life of me The sprocket will not come off. I tried heat, impact gun, foul language but the thing won't budge. I pulled the threads off of 3 Grade 8 bolt from my puller. My guess is I should have cleaned the bore and shaft before putting the sprocket on.
Any help would be great.
I bought this kit back in May. I have lost my patience with this damn this.
Matt is on vacation until the 13th so no help there.

Sorry to hear about your troubles.
If you can get your sprocket puller working again, I've found that getting some heat on the sprocket always works, once maximum pressure has been applied via the puller, of course
Sometimes a heat gun is sufficient, otherwise having oxy-acetylene available is useful.
They have been known to ping off with some force behind them, so bear that in mind!

Guido, try rigging up a slide hammer. I once had a very stubborn sprocket held on to a taper, (on a Royal Enfield) and the only way I could remove it was with a slide hammer.

gortnipper said:

Best of luck with the kidney
transplant. Fair bit more complex than a CNW starter transplant.

Click to expand...

I got a starter kit earlier this year, what a wonderful improvement. Matt does such nice work.
Had a dose of Diverticulosis in May, they did a CT scan and discovered a mass on my left kidney. Between seeing specialists and getting my left shoulder worked on I'm a mess, this coming Tuesday they remove my left kidney. Need to get my right shoulder fixed next. Did I mention that I'm a bit of a mess, but I have had fun getting myself into this shape and I don't intend to leave a good looking corpse. I hope to be back in the saddle come January.

John in Texas

I’ve heard of folk tightening up the puller as tight as they dare, leaving it like that overnight, and finding the sprocket detected in the morning (maybe I read it on here too).

On the bright side, at least you know it’s a good fit !!

Thanks for all the kind thoughts.
I tried tightening the puller and left it over night. I just woke up and checked it. No luck.
Yesterday I tried the slide hammer too. The tip threads into the puller and I thought that would do it. Nope.
So today I am going to say screw it and I am really going to heat it up and give it all I got. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Let's say I do finally get the damn thing off. Should I lightly sand the bore and shaft and the use Never Seize So as to be able to remove it easier at a later date?