How much trouble am I in?

How much trouble am I in?

YOU Know what happened to the last person that Did THAT . :twisted:

flashbackk said:

Pretty expensive for having nothing wrong.

Actually, it's a good thing. The engine hadn't been opened since the 70's.

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I'm sorry to hear the further damage and cost to the bike, I've been there in the past.

Thats why I don't adhere to the often offerred advice about stripping stuff down to the last nut and bolt just because you can. You start off by removing the head, then before you know it you are cleaning out the sludge trap in the Crank......!

OK I'm being flippant, but (hindsight being a wonderful thing), I usually only do stuff now if It's broke, essential, or like in your case showing signs of damage. Anything else Commando wise, always ends up with a large bill, and means the bike is in the garage instead of on the road

Amen to the above.
I have been going thru things on the Commando in preparation for the 3,000 mile round trip to the big Rally.
Fear of breakdown on the road has tempted me to take things apart that most likely needn't come apart. I have to remind myself that this is a good runner already, just stick to the basics. For this ride, it has received the trans rebuild kit, new clutch pack, Venhill f'light cables, new front rim and spokes(old one damaged in past life,but tolerated till now), new chain, the Madass 320 mm brake, new tires and tubes, and some other bits I have forgotten. Enough, I hope! Pretty well all of the above are wear items that were needed, other than the Madass brake, which is really a safetly item. But I have been tempted to go much further!

Sometimes with old bikes that are running well it seems you can do more harm than good in the attempted fix/upgrade. Change the headlight bulb and somehow create a new oil leak, that sort of thing. :mrgreen:

Glen

flashbackk said:

Actually, it's a good thing. The engine hadn't been opened since the 70's.

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Flashbackk,

I was over at Dan's today, having some brake work done on my Commando, and looked at your bike. It could have been much worse......but you're in very competent hands with Mr. Dan!

Good luck and keep us updated...........

Ray C.
MNOA Member

Oh and I snapped a fin off prying the head loose.

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I broke a fin off 15 years ago, cleaned the mating edges real good and....

I mixed up some JB Weld and stuck it back on with some little clamps to keep it from dropping while setting
along with smearing some on the top and bottom of the mating area also

I am shocked to say that it is still perfectly in place with no visible evidence of my fix after all these years!

give it a shot, its cheap enough to try

Wow ,I've got a spare barrel with the same problem (horsetrading) and will try it .

I knocked Peel's barrels over just before putting on to hear a little clink and see a man sized thumb piece missing, used JBW with tape under and around and it to support and confine. It stayed on through Peel's wild and wooley sagas and then on Trixie after her oil comma piston let go and held on till weak type flamering blew out and the jetting out explosions removed it, so made the whole fin out of JBW as above and it stayed on too. BUTT, beware JBW takes some time to really set up like days and day and gets rather soft-flexable when heated good so take good care not to dislodge it till secure and then not to bump it hard diddling around when hot and less so when harder colder. I had photo on webshot of this but that site changed so just have to use imagination. Muggy or Muzy welding has special stick for cast iron which would be better unless just a shade tree getting by.

worntorn said:

Sometimes with old bikes that are running well it seems you can do more harm than good in the attempted fix/upgrade. Change the headlight bulb and somehow create a new oil leak, that sort of thing. :mrgreen:

Glen

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I reckon it's like an addiction. I just read the couple of new threads on Gearbox stripdown, and now I'm concerned that my Gearbox is going to seize, throwing me down the road. I dunno what bushes/bearings are fitted to the box, so should I strip it down, and upgrade it, someone mentioned $500 for the overhaul kit!
Taking Drugs might be cheaper.

My kickstart was doing the dreaded drop on acceleration, so the box had to come apart. On inspection, the layshaft bearing, which is the big worry, had already been changed and looked OK. Because I had the kit on hand, it got changed again, Superblend roller in there now.
It was good that I took it apart though, the kickstart bush, which is a skimpy affair when new, was down to almost nothing on one side. I think this is why the kickstart was moving down on acceleration.
I bought the rebuild kit from RGM four years ago and remember thinking it was very reasonably priced, given that it includes a very nice peg socket tool that is needed for the job.
Had a look, still quite reasonable at RGM, 114 gbp or about $175 with the superblend roller, all gaskets, o rings, bushings and springs. You might have to make or buy a peg socket, I dont see it listed in the current kit.
Glen

Worntorn that sounds like the transmission parts thread was the intended . I have had the crummy wornout slide(s) fracture and go through the intake tract ,into the combustion chamber the straight out the exhaust port into the exhaust then out somewhere onto the road. In my young and poorer days when new carbs were not an option. No damage , luck again.

It would fit there better perhaps, but it was just a response to Old Bloke's trans rebuild cost question above.

Glen

sorry, yes my fault, strayed off the original subject, it happens.

Just to finish up this thread.






Two months almost to the day and we got it buttoned up today. +.20 pistons, fin brazed back on ( thank you Greg Fouth ),
new valves and springs. It started up first kick and boy did it sound good. Thanks Dan. I should be good for another 40 yrs.

Damm hot day for working on bikes. Happy to help with the braze job.

You guys brazed the fin back on? If I'd known that, I'm good at brazing.