Installing center stand on N15CS - anyone do this and have issues with clearance?

I'm trying to get the center stand mounted and adjusted on my '66 N15CS. It's painful. I know i have it oriented correctly with the correct stud through the lower rear gearbox plate, because the ends of the stud have half-moon wear patterns that exactly correspond to the arc of the stand 'tips'. I realize that this will only make sense to a select few people in the world!

As I swing the stand down, there is a slight rub on the ends of the stud, which barely extend past the nuts. A lot of detailed examination of parts books and whatever photos I could find tells me I have the right parts and spacers in place. Here's the 'rub'. When I tighten up the foot-peg stud forward of the center stand stud (the stud that is square in the middle, which I think is a horrific design BTW), it pulls the frame together such that the center stand really fouls the gearbox plate stud. It won't work at all.

So, my 'hack' is this: I had piece of metal pipe that exactly allows the square stud to pass through, and cut it and filed carefully to fit between the engine plates underneath between the pegs. That way tightening up the nuts on either end of the foot-peg stud should not pull the frame together, and I should be able to use the &^%$* center stand.

Has anyone here dealt with this? It is probably the most difficult thing on the project. The side stand is also a pain because I had none, and bought one with a huge bend in int from someone kicking it over on the stand. OMG. I found a machine shop that can adjust it with a hydraulic press, for free even.

Sorry for such a long post but I know you N15CS gurus are out there ready to clue me in!

Here are pics. First is the end of the stud that interferes with the upper tip of the center stand. The ends are grooved where it has rubbed over the years.

Second is the squared stud for the footpeg brackets, with the black steel spacer I made to try to keep the frame from squeezing together, causing the interference to be so great that the stand won't work at all.

Third is where the spacer will go, looking up underneath the engine and gearbox plates. Any tightening of the nuts on this stud without the spacer will yank the frame together such that the stand tips interfere. I am hoping this works, will find out tomorrow. I know it seems wrong, but I don't know what else to do.

I used a shorter stud, which was a correct Matchless part and a half nut.

Getting the spring on was a b*****d!

Gilesy said:

Getting the spring on was a b*****d!

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Thanks, I will search for the part numbers if this spacer I made doesn't work. Unless you possibly know them? Parts list not super clear on this. Nut should be simple to find generically, 7/16" x 26 TPI half width I think.

I measured every bolt and thought I had them all correct. This one is likely stock, given the wear marks line up perfectly. With only about 10K on the bike from new I don't imagine it was changed. But who knows.

I tried making a spring compressor out of PVC as I saw done on a YouTube video about a Matchless with the same stand, no dice. In the end I put on some heavy gloves and wrangled it in. Now I may get to do it again.

I suspect it was from one of these two, sorry not to be more specific but it was some time ago. I'll try and take a picture.
Cheers

I've just checked, and the one from acme stainless is 4 9/16" long, and the one from RGM, for Norton fitment is 5"

Gilesy said:

I've just checked, and the one from acme stainless is 4 9/16" long, and the one from RGM, for Norton fitment is 5"

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Thanks, yes the one on mine is just shy of 5" and the shorter length with half nut will work, I mocked it up with some 7/16 which is a close size.

The other issue with the stand is the center spacer. It is too short and allows the bushings to work their way out. That's an easy fix too. The frame and various body fittings is the biggest headache with the restoration on this bike, by far. Especially the stands. The center stand actuation/leverage is awful. and there's no tang on the thing, so I will need to have one fabricated.

The side stand is bent from someone kicking the bike over on the stand (ugh) and I've got help on that, a hydraulic press is working fine but I need to bring the bike to the press to do fine adjustments. It is still going to be too short but it will do. What a pain.

I saw one in Spain, he had drilled the stand extension tube and bolted a short stub in through it. he said it worked well. I have a bit welded on by PO which is not ideal. I have also put an old rear footrest on the top of the rear damper attachment which helps. The guy in Spain had a handle on the end on the large frame bolt where the front of the seat is attached, this looked to be a much better idea but would need a special stud to be made.

gpzkat said:

Thanks, yes the one on mine is just shy of 5" and the shorter length with half nut will work, I mocked it up with some 7/16 which is a close size.

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Length of the bottom gearbox bolt (000318) and size of nut (000002) is known to cause interference with centre stand lugs. The recommendation I've read at the AMOC club site was to fit reduced depth nuts. However, given the minor rubbing mark(s) shown in picture,
and the factory spec of using full size nuts, I think the correct size stud will suffice, although the clearance is tight. See remark below.
If using the correct top hat centre stand bushes (014626) and spacer (014630), they will form a chain of solid spacers, and it shouldn't be possible to bend the engine plates. No spacer on the footrest bar should be necessary.
Overall length of bushes (014626) is 0.7" as per RGM/AN. Spacer 014630 is 11/16"x7/8"x4-1/8" according to Hobot's list.

Depth of a nut 7/16"x26 is usually 3/8" (0.375"), however the genuine p/n 000002 may be slightly slimmer. No data on the genuine nut found so far. Reduced depth 7/16" nuts are usually 1/4".

Stud 000318 is indeed 7/16"x26x4-9/16" as per AMC spare parts book.

- Knut

Thanks Knut and Gilesy for the help, very informative. I have it sorted out now. I went through the entire bike measuring every nut, bolt and umm, spacer, well.... evidently not on that spacer or the gearbox pivot stud, both being wrong.

gpzkat said:

Especially the stands. The center stand actuation/leverage is awful. and there's no tang on the thing, so I will need to have one fabricated.

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Tom, have you considered ordering the Rob Swift easy roll-on/roll-off centre stand? It has received much praise. Available for roadster and CS models.

mdt-son said:

Tom, have you considered ordering the Rob Swift easy roll-on/roll-off centre stand? It has received much praise. Available for roadster and CS models.

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I didn't know they existed, probably out of my price range though. I can muscle it up, but it's odd to have a bike that's 150 lbs lighter than my last one which is much more difficult to deploy.

Any contact details for Rob Swift??

Gilesy said:

Any contact details for Rob Swift??

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PM sent.

Gilesy said:

Getting the spring on was a b*****d!

Click to expand...

Could someone tell or show me where the spring locates on the frame?

Maybe this helps. It's the only pic I have. I am in the process of moving and will have the bike in my garage again soon, so I can provide more in a week or so. Boy, my frame is chipped up, will need to fix that. I have a temporary hardware store bolt through the plates as I had the wrong stud and half-height nuts which meant the stand would not work at all. But that's sort of fixed now. Still has some interference.

In the end, I'll probably remove it. It's a terrible stand and mine has no 'tang' to press down on with my foot. I use a chain hoist to lift the bike up for maintenance and can live with just a side stand, I have lived with no center stand on several bikes before.

The spring is a bit tricky, I watched a Matchless video on YouTube which is probably worth checking out. Same basic stand. I didn't make the tool he did, it was too fiddly. I just put on some gloves and did the kung-fu grip, wasn't too hard to muscle it on.

Hortons Norton said:

Could someone tell or show me where the spring locates on the frame?

Click to expand...

A trick to help with the spring:

Insert a flat washer between the coils of the spring, thereby spreading them and lengthening the spring.

Slick

gpzkat said:

Maybe this helps. It's the only pic I have. I am in the process of moving and will have the bike in my garage again soon, so I can provide more in a week or so. Boy, my frame is chipped up, will need to fix that. I have a temporary hardware store bolt through the plates as I had the wrong stud and half-height nuts which meant the stand would not work at all. But that's sort of fixed now. Still has some interference.

In the end, I'll probably remove it. It's a terrible stand and mine has no 'tang' to press down on with my foot. I use a chain hoist to lift the bike up for maintenance and can live with just a side stand, I have lived with no center stand on several bikes before.

The spring is a bit tricky, I watched a Matchless video on YouTube which is probably worth checking out. Same basic stand. I didn't make the tool he did, it was too fiddly. I just put on some gloves and did the kung-fu grip, wasn't too hard to muscle it on.

Click to expand...

Perfect! Thanks a million.

texasSlick said:

A trick to help with the spring:

Insert a flat washer between the coils of the spring, thereby spreading them and lengthening the spring.

Slick

Click to expand...

Thanks Slick, I have used that trick on my Commando's.