Head steady

Qside

Qside

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Sep 8, 2016
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Did the very early P11 have a different head steady? More like the G80? The typical bent aluminum head steady for sale is about 1/4 " too short for the P11 that i am working on. If not then something is out of line? Any ideas?
 
Easy enough to make one out of local hardware store 1/4" x 1" aluminum flat stock . I used the original steel head steady that was in the basket of my basket case '67 P11 as a template. No problems with fit if custom made. 1/4" x 1" aluminum flat stock is plenty strong enough for use on the street.

I'm not sure how much energy it would take to bend the frame enough to make the OEM head steady 1/4" short, but I suspect a lot. Also not sure how the motor could be mounted in such as way as to move the motor 1/4" further back in the frame.
 
Head steady straps are the same for all three frame types, P11, P11A, and Ranger 750. Something must be out of line.
 
Head steady
 
can you send another picture of how the steady attaches to the head? What kind of stud/ bolt is used?
 
ok, Its actually at my friends garage. we work pn it on Saturday... I'll get them, pending weather.
 
Ron L said:
Head steady straps are the same for all three frame types, P11, P11A, and Ranger 750. Something must be out of line.
Click to expand...
Looks like Commando timing cover, is the engine Commando too?
Also looks like not orginal engine plates ?
 
The frame would have to be bent (pushed back at the front engine mount) or the rear of the engine not mounted correctly for the stock head steady strap to be too short.
 
I realize that, but There is no bend in the frame and the engine seems to be mounted correctly... that is what is puzzling us.
 
qside said:
I realize that, but There is no bend in the frame and the engine seems to be mounted correctly... that is what is puzzling us.
Click to expand...
Or somebody messed up the threads in the head steady mount at the frame, welded it up, and drilled and tapped a new mount 1/4 inch too far forward from the head.
 
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The head steady mount at the head is a bolt on my P11 motor. I don't have a clue what the thread is, but I would imagine Andover knows. It's the same thread as the early Commando head. I had a Commando head on my motor for a while, and everything bolted up except I had to change the oil feed lines to reach the side rocker feeds on the head. I believe I also had to put inserts in the barrels to accommodate the larger diameter head bolts close to the plugs
 
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Head steady mount is a stud for the Atlas and P11. It is 3/8-20 thread in the head and 3/8-26 for the exposed end of the stud. Commando head steady screws are 5/16 BSF.
 
Memory is not perfect. I did the head swap on and off around 1990, so based on Ron's correction, I apparently used a different bolt in the Commando head. I know I did not use a stud for the head steady on either head. I actually went out and checked a minute ago.

Edit: The thread in the center mounting hole of the 3 head steady mounting bosses in the Commando head I have (shown below) is 3/8-BSF. So I was "correct" about the head steady mount threads and bolt I used on my P11 being the same in both heads in my case. I verified it with a 3/8-BSF stud I had that fit. The two outer head steady holes in the Commando head I have are smaller and could be 5/16 BSF. I did not verify threads on those outer holes, since they are not used for the P11 head steady.

Top view of the Commando head I have: (The rocker oil feeds are on the sides of this head. It is not a P11 or Atlas head.)

Head steady


While on the wrong ideas path... It is highly doubtful that the frame mount location for the head steady was welded up, re-drilled, and threaded 1/4" off. It would be really obvious.
 
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Schwany said:
Memory is not perfect. I did the head swap on and off around 1990, so based on Ron's correction, I apparently used a different bolt in the Commando head. I know I did not use a stud for the head steady on either head. I actually went out and checked a minute ago.

Edit: The thread in the center mounting hole of the 3 head steady mounting bosses in the Commando head I have (shown below) is 3/8-BSF. So I was "correct" about the head steady mount threads and bolt I used on my P11 being the same in both heads in my case. I verified it with a 3/8-BSF stud I had that fit. The two outer head steady holes in the Commando head I have are smaller and could be 5/16 BSF. I did not verify threads on those outer holes, since they are not used for the P11 head steady.

Top view of the Commando head I have: (The rocker oil feeds are on the sides of this head. It is not a P11 or Atlas head.)

Head steady


While on the wrong ideas path... It is highly doubtful that the frame mount location for the head steady was welded up, re-drilled, and threaded 1/4" off. It would be really obvious.
Click to expand...
It appears the center hole in that head has been drilled and tapped for a larger bolt. All three holes are the same size and thread on a stock Commando head.
 
Ron L said:
It appears the center hole in that head has been drilled and tapped for a larger bolt. All three holes are the same size and thread on a stock Commando head.
Click to expand...
I thought the same after you provided the thread info. I only know about what I have in my possession and am able to verify outside of a forum message box. I merely wanted to show why I said what I said earlier.
 
FYI: it appears that the thread has been hijacked. The above pics are not the bike in question... this is
 

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wouldn't it make sense to loosen all the engine/gearbox thru bolts to resolve this?

Or simply manufacture a strap to replace existing? Unless you took it apart with this strap and now.......
 
Do you think if I just loosen the bolts there is enough slack? Of course we can make a new steady, but I am puzzled with the cause of the problem.
 

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