My MKIII rebuild

Coco,

How's the wiring coming?

Z

zackybilly1 said:

Coco,

How's the wiring coming?

Z

Click to expand...

Haven't started yet. Had a small problem and need to switch gears on something so I put it on hold for a bit.

I'm not using the MKIII console so I'm canning all my warning lights and need to fab a key switch mount to hang off of the battery tray. Nothing major but that is what is holding me up.

I'll get into the wiring pretty soon. Probably this weekend I'll start laying out the harness and thinking about wire routing and all that.

Coco
Since your making a new harness and you will have to fabricate the switch location, why not put it in a more accessible location? Just a thought. I like to see the key and the position its in while sitting on the bike. My 2 centavos.
Scooter

Scooter62 said:

Coco
Since your making a new harness and you will have to fabricate the switch location, why not put it in a more accessible location? Just a thought. I like to see the key and the position its in while sitting on the bike. My 2 centavos.
Scooter

Click to expand...

You know, the only thing that has ever bothered me about my MKIII is where the key was between the gauges. That hideous console thingy drove me nuts so off it went. My Triumph won't even have a key, just a hidden toggle as it will be a magneto fired bike. As for the MKIII, I'd prefer a key switch out of the way so I don't have to look at a key chain swinging around. It will be placed off the battery tray and I have to reach down to access the choke on my Mikuni anyway.

I'm thinking that a more visible switch when riding might be more desirable. Sometimes one doesn't think too clearly in a panic situation. The kill switch on the Norton would be better if it didn't need to be held to shut off the engine.

JimC said:

I'm thinking that a more visible switch when riding might be more desirable. Sometimes one doesn't think too clearly in a panic situation. The kill switch on the Norton would be better if it didn't need to be held to shut off the engine.

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I'm not using stock Norton controls. My kill switch clicks into the off position and does not need to be held down. In a panic situation, with the older plastic dash, a rough tug on the key would break the mount points and you wouldn't be able to turn it off anyway.

Re: Breather hose location problems

Another problem has arisen probably setting me back more time again.

The CNW breather mod location is right under the cross shaft for the shift mechanism of a MKIII. The breather hose interferes with the cross shaft pitcing it sideways due to the breather hose putting pressure on the shaft. The spiggot coming off the breather is pretty much right below the cross shaft. No matter which side of the shaft I have the hose on, the cross shaft gets pushed over from the hose. CNW is very thorough with their product development so they have obviously come accross this and will have an answer for me.

I think I may be one of the only guys on here that has had the mod done to a MKIII motor so I don't think anyone can offer any advice. I'll wait for a reply from CNW when they get back from their week off.

any way to fit a 90 degree adaptor, and angle the line?

I'm sure you'll want to wait until CNW returns but could you flip the housing to put the barbed fitting down? Maybe remove the barbed nipple and tap the remaining hole for a NPT 90* fitting. Or plug the barbed fitting and tap the back for a 90* fitting?

Guess it's a good time to get started on that wiring.

Z

You could turn the outer part upside down and leave the rest the same, An auto parts store should have a correct hose with a molded 90 in it so you would not have to machine the part. Worth a try just need to find out how much clearance you would have near the ground. Then when Matt gets back you could tell him.

zackybilly1 said:

I'm sure you'll want to wait until CNW returns but could you flip the housing to put the barbed fitting down? Maybe remove the barbed nipple and tap the remaining hole for a NPT 90* fitting. Or plug the barbed fitting and tap the back for a 90* fitting?

Guess it's a good time to get started on that wiring.

Z

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The only way that is possible is to rip the motor out again and I'm not pumped on that idea. There isn't any room for a fitting either. The hose I'm using is pretty stiff so I'll try using some OEM herring bone oil line as the piece I had is too short so I can try the OEM which is more flexible and maybe just add a few inches with a M x M barb fitting (if such a thing exists) up near the oil tank breather spout as it would be out of sight anyway. That's my only option until I hear back from CNW.

I did start some of the wiring last night after I ran into my little problem.

Hortons Norton said:

You could turn the outer part upside down and leave the rest the same...

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I'd still have to yank the motor to get at everything. They use RTV to seal it and I'd need a new gasket as well. This situation of mine is a total can of worms scenario.

Liking it or not, sometimes you have to go backwards to ever move forward....especially when building with non-stock bits (mushroom tappets being my most recent favorite). You have to ask yourself, what can CNW offer to correct the issue that doesn't involve a wrench. I'd fix that thing, go riding and let them send me a replacement part later on when they get the bugs worked out and a replacement part built. This is minor. You ought to be seating your rings next weekend. PM me if you run into a wiring snag.

Z

CNW just e-mailed me back and a softer hose is needed. They are aware of this and they use a more flexible hose as it's just a breather so no need for stiffer oil line like I'm using.

Maybe I'll try some softer radiator hose.

Update but no pics. Sorry.

I've got my main wiring harness all put together and wrapped in heat shrink all nice and tidy. I need to start on my headlight bucket wiring and console wiring (key switch, neutral light, high beam light, volt meter) and finish up the tail light wiring.

I've made 2 main ground points on the frame, one being up front on the coil bracket. This will contain a ground off the head, starter switch ground and a one or two others. The second ground point is located on the rear cross member near the oil tank. I drilled a hole and mounted a 1/4" x 1 1/4" bolt as a ground post. Here I have the tail light, battery, voltage regulator and horn being grounded and probably something else I'm forgetting about as I did all of this last week.

The harness I made is super simple and will be pretty easy to service if something arises. There are no relays and just one fuse to deal with. All of the old charging system has been replaced with a Sparx 3-phase system and the signal lights have been binned. No more blue capacitor, zeners, ballast resistor, power take-off, boyer box and any other crap that was there before. A Tri Spark was fitted so that helped clean up the wiring.

I was quite terrified at first to try to undertake making a harness from scratch but it was pretty easy. I took a month of stressing out and 1 week to think things out in my head and lay out a logical but neat and tidy wiring path. All the battery cables, neutral switch wires and voltage regulator wires are all tucked under the transmission, running inside the cradle and away from the chain and neatly zip tied together.

All I need to do now is start on the head light bucket wiring and drill a hole on the side of the coil bracket to accomodate a 3 position toggle switch to activate the headlight.

I'll get my s**t together and take some photos of the wiring job. Everything was wrapped with heat shrink, I made strain reliefs with short pieces of heat shrink where I thought there may be stress. Any and all butt connectors had a piece of heat shrink put over as well just in case. I may have gone over board but I wanted to make sure nothing comes back to haunt me.

After doing this, making a harness for my Triumph chop will be a breeze as that only has a Hunt magneto, a tail light and head light.

Thanks for the info on the wiring Coco. I am just about to start strippiing my MK111 to re-spray the frame and re-wire. I will be using the same components as yourself and would be interested in your pics and maybe a simple diagram if possible. I was going to buy new harness but may go your way to simplify things as well.

Opps !!! Disreguard. Just found the diagram in this thread

petejohno said:

Thanks for the info on the wiring Coco. I am just about to start strippiing my MK111 to re-spray the frame and re-wire. I will be using the same components as yourself and would be interested in your pics and maybe a simple diagram if possible. I was going to buy new harness but may go your way to simplify things as well.

Click to expand...

I'll snap some pics and if you like, I can pretty much tell you what colours of wire I used where, the lengths I used, ect

I've just been lazy with my camera duties lately. I get going on something and simply forget to grab the camera. :wink:

Coco,

I was wondering how it was going. Here's where I'm at on my new project. First engine is back together. Should start powder coating frame bits tonight.





I use my Norton (1,600+ miles now) to run back and forth to get parts for the new project. Still haven't installed the Tri-Spark but hope to soon. Save your coins for the Keihins as they have proved to be the best mod yet. Night and day difference.

Let me know if I can help.

Z

Thanks Z. I thought about you while I was wiring and figured you were shaking your head at me in disbelief as I was taking so long. I need someone like you near by to crack the whip sometimes. This stuff is definitely easier than I thought. Just like you said it would be.

Not sure about those carbs.....now I'm thinking about that new head that adds a few horses. Maybe next year. The only other mod I'll do this winter is the hydraulic clutch as I've got carpal tunnel and even with an easy pull clutch kit, it's still a bit stiff for my gimpy left wrist until I get surgery. I need to concentrate on finishing the wiring, braking in the motor and riding the tires off this thing for the remaining snow free month of October.

That motor in the pic looks rather fresh and tasty.