Mitch's 72 Basket Case

Really appreciate the pictures of the transmission work, always a mystery area to me. Of course at this pooint we can only see it coming apart...looking forward to the cleaning, checking of tolerances etc and then the re-assembly. And how helpful the dvd play-by-play action has been.
Thanks for the effort in posting this!
Kurt

How is the detail on those dvd's? Show everything up close, or the kind where he works on it and it cuts to a zoom of the part he's talking about?

DVD was very nice to have, but I think I could have done it with the Old Brits tech articles and the Clymer shop manual, which has a lot of pictures.
Gearbox rebuild is now finished.
Camplate gear missing tooth, replaced with a new one.

Bad timing side main shaft bearing

New timing side main shaft bearing

New Superblend layshart bearing

Checking end play on layshaft, 9 thou

Buttoned up and ready to go

Tank and side covers back from painter

Frame back from powder coater

Stay tuned next project is engine teardown.
Mitch

Good looking progress!

So who did your powdercoating after all?

I used Road Toys. He's in Deanville Texas, about an hour and half northwest of Houston. He did a great job. Also highly recommend my painter, Dereck Guilioz to anyone in the Houston area, (pm me if you want a phone number). He's a trained autobody technican, but works another job and paints bikes at his house.

Well I did it again. My third basket case, a 71.

Actually it is somewhat together, so is it really a basket case? Picked it up a couple of weeks ago from Big D cycle in Dallas. Matching numbers including transmission case. With all my parts swapping I now have everything to do a complete restore on the post Combat 72 except for any internal engine parts which I won't know until I tear the engine down. I'll also have about 90% of the parts to do the 71 and still have enough left over for a 74 rolling chassis that I will probably sell. Haven't actually turned a wrench in over a year but I've enjoyed this part too. My goal was to get all the parts together while I'm working for a couple of rebuild projects when I retire next year. I also plan to totally update the electrics on my Bonneville and refurbish a 70 BSA Thunderbolt I recently got. Should keep me out of my wife's way.

+ with ludwig on the stickers being level !!! If your like us, (and they are installed "crooked" ) ... it will irritate you everytime you look at the otherwise beautiful machine. BTW, looks like we both own similar other motorcycles. I had a 2005 XL1200R before, that I sold to buy the 2006 electraglide standard. Sure miss the XL1200R too ! Cheers.

Mitch, I've got a bunch of leftover tranny internals, inner & outer coer, and other Commando bits left over.

grandpaulz@hotmail.com

Grandpaul
Sent PM

htown16 said:

Front wheel cleaned, inside rim painted, new sealed bearings, disc skimmed. Forks dismantled and cleaned, new seals, allen head drain plugs, new gaiters, new fork tubes.

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There was a discussion or two on whether to skim (turn) or grind the Norton disk. I assume when you say skimmed you mean on a lathe?

Yes, skimmed on a lathe. The shop that did it only does work on motorcycles and outboard marine stuff. He is very sensitive to only removing enough material to true the surface. I'm not sure I would trust an auto brake shop to do this.

Well I'm finally back working on this bike. Been through the process of retiring, moving and fixing up a work space in my garage. Here's the powder-coated frame with new steering head bearings installed. Ready to start bolting parts on. I am going to start a separate thread "Mitch's 72 engine rebuild" for that part.

Not sure why my earlier pictures dropped will try to reinsert them when I am feeling more ambitious.

Sounds like there's been lots of changes in your life recently Mitch.
All the best in retirement.
Looks like you got a nice clean workspace, no excuse now.
AC.
PS.. If you delete photos from "Photobucket" they will vanish from here as well.

Just rearranged them in different albums, but apparently that was enough to do it.

Just rearranged them in different albums, but apparently that was enough to do it.

Click to expand...

Yep, you now need to update their address in the original post.

Have assembled the front forks. Just had to put the newly painted tank and new seat on to see what it looks like. Have some company coming over this weekend and I am tired of pointing at a pile of parts and saying "someday this is going to be a motorcycle." At least it looks like I am making some progress.

Couldn't resist posting this

It's a 1970 BSA Thunderbolt, I bought last January. I have been giving it a complete going over on and off over the last 12 months, complete service, MAP clutch plates and oil filter, new front rim and spokes, new tires and tubes, new speedo drive and cables and replaced all the rubber bits, rebuilt carb, tuned up ect. Tuesday I got it licensed, vintage 1970 plate via Unclvinny. Today I took it for a first ride, Beautiful day here, sunny and in the 70's, great ride. Forcast for the first of next week is much colder. Back to work on the Norton!

Well back on the Norton front. I had started a separate thread on the engine rebuild but have decided to consolidate everything here. Here are the pictures of the engine strip down:
Prestrip

Head off

Cylinders off

Pistons

Lifters look okay

Cases apart, cam looks usuable

Crank looks in decent shape

Standard size rod bearings, will get a new set

Superblend main bearings look in excellent condition

Strip down complete, not much sludge in the trap.

Dreaded cam washer with stress fractures

All in all the top end had some issues, but the bottom end looked pretty sound. In hindsight I probably could have not split the cases but now I know what is going to in there.

More progress shots
Head stripped and cleaned, new valve guides installed.

Exhaust threads have previously been repaired. Drive side looks good.

Timing side has a little bit of thread missing but I think it will be usable.

I also noticed that at some time one of the plug holes has been welded up and retreaded. Unfortunately they didn't countersink it correctly.

The plug is not located correctly as the tip should be almost flush with the combustion chamber.

The cylinders have been cleaned up and painted. I thought all Combat and later bikes had black cylinders but these had little bits of silver paint on them. I prefer the silver anyway.

I dropped the head and cylinders off at my machinist a couple of days ago. I'm using Motoreco here in Houston. James there comes higly recommended by other Brit Bikers in the area.
Head will have the guides reamed, seats recut, a lite skim cut to true up and the spark plug hole countersunk and an insert installed.
James thought the cylinders will probably clean up with hone, they are +20 thou already. Planning on using a 280 grit stone. I'm using Hastings cast iron rings and that is their recommendation.
While I'm waiting on the parts, I need to start putting the bottom end back together.