HELP! 750 COMMANDO PROBLEM

I have a 750 Norton Commando that is completely restored. It sat on the work table for a couple of years while I constructed my Triton and recently came back to it.
I left the project as the damn thing would not start on the single Mikuni. The other day, I cleaned the carb, put fresh fuel in it, adjusted the air and fuel to a starting point and low and behold it started and sounded great. The problem started when I turned off the key. It did not stop. The running engine became erratic and when I turned the key back on, it ran fine again. I think somehow the stator was firing the engine. I installed a Boyer Micro-Power ignition and a Podtronics rectifier in the system.
I opened up the wiring and can see nothing that I did wrong - so far. Anyone out there ever experience anything like this? The only thing that had me curious was the stator wiring was interfering with the drive chain which if it cut through could charge the frame but I see no evidence where the insulation had cut through.
Once I get through the electrical mystery, there came another issue that I thought was behind me.
The two forward head bolts between the pushrods are weeping oil at the nuts. I have pulled the head put a new annealed copper gasket coated with NAPA copper flake gasket sealant before reassembly but it still leaks oil from these two nuts. Has anyone tried a thread sealant and copper crush rings under the nuts to seal this area?
The engine is very strong with no smoke and I know that once I get these two things behind me, I will have a machine that will do its best to put me in an early grave.

Topo.....yes i had a similar problem.....however mine was related only to the ignition switch. It started up but the vibes of running down the road caused gradually worsening cutting out. I replaced it and it has run normally again. check the main switch and connectors.

It sounds as though you have the regulator/rectifier wired to the switched side of the ignition switch instead of the battery side where it should be.

You will need to pull the two front studs from the barrel and install them with sealant on the threads.
The holes in the barrel break through into the pushrod tunnels and oil will come up the threads without sealant. Jim

Replace switch with something more modern and take Jim's advice about those weepy studs. I got rid of all questionable LUCAS switches ,from a rider , not restorer. :twisted:

or could it be as simple as having one of the main harness connectors fitted to the wrong side of the ignition switch?

As I recall the ignition switch has four male espade connectors, which connect to three female spade connectors on the main harness; two go on one side of the ignition switch; one on the other side. I recall getting one of these on the wrong side of the switch; in which case the motor still runs even though the switch is in an off position as the circuit has not been broken.

Check your manual electrical diagram fitments at switch. Clean all connectors. Try. If the switch fails go modern. No one will check this move as it is hidden/shrouded. Damn restorers. :|

The switch doesn't seem to be the problem, other than how it's wired - as already said - it's switching the battery off but isn't cutting the charge circuit, hence it's running (badly) on the alternator.

Ask me how I know... :roll:

Chris T said:

As I recall the ignition switch has four male espade connectors, which connect to three female spade connectors on the main harness; two go on one side of the ignition switch; one on the other side.

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That's if topolino1's "750 Norton Commando" happens to be a pre-'71 model.

However, if it is '71-on, then the wiring layout, the ignition switch and its wire connections will be different.

Plus you have the problem where some of the pattern switches are not exactly the same connection wise as the original.

Thanks to all out there for the encouraging recommendations. Here is what I have. Custom wire harness following the factory route except for the Boyer and Podtronix.
the ignition switch is new with a hot, position 1 on position 2 - 1 and 2 on.
I ran through all the wires today and see no issue with either the Boyer or Podtronix except I shared wires for hot and ground.
I am running two six volt coils wired parallel per Racing Norton's schematic.
I see that if the key is off, all power to both the Boyer and Podtronix is cut off so the alternator must be providing power, but for the life of me, I cannot see how it is getting to the ignition circuit.
I am attaching the wire diagram that the bike is wired to. I know it may be crude but it was developed while running wires and I did not want to loose the record of my efforts.
The schematic is accurate and have checked wires with a meter to make sure. I did not check the lighting circuits but they functioned fine before the start up.
I am trying to attach my diagram but when I hit Img it just adds script. May need a bit more help here too!!!

topolino1 said:

I am trying to attach my diagram but when I hit Img it just adds script.

Click to expand...

Only VIP members can upload images directly from their computer, non-VIPs must use a photo hosting service such as Photobucket : http://s17.photobucket.com/

Think I will become a VIP member.
Many thanks to those that responded to my posts. Thought I would let you know what I found although a bit of it demonstrates that we all think the path is right
only to discover that we hit a dead end.
On my electrical problem where the bike continued to run after the key was shut off. I energized the Boyer with the ignition on position but since that was a hot lead
terminated that wire to the Podtronix regulator. From running to off, the alternator was able to supply power to the Boyer without any battery power, hence the poor running. The fix was to run a dedicated wire from the podtronix to battery. Shuts off just like god intended it.
Now for the oil leak from the front head studs. An astute member informed me that it was possible that the stud mounting holes might have passed into the push rod tunnels.
I tried my copper washer trick to try to seal the head to the nuts but all I saw was a slowing of oil. I pulled the head, surfaced it and proceeded to install the studs in clean bores. I used locktite high temp thread sealant and squeezed a portion down into the bore to make sure that the material would extrude up the stud as it was driven down.
Much to my amazement, I saw a rather large portion exit out one of the pushrod tubes.
I would have never found that without this forum.
Many thanks to all of you.