New Norton Owner

So I have recently inherated a 1974 Norton 850 Commando from my uncle who is sick with cancer. The bike has been in my family basicly since it was brand new. My dad's best friend bought it in 1974, and sold it to my dad in 1976. My dad owned it until 1985 when he sold it to my uncle, and he has had it since then. Now the bike has been given to me and I'm excited to take a piece of my childhood and restore it to how I remember.



Unfortunately the engine is siezed, but the shop here has a way to get it done easily. I will take more pictures as I go. let me know what you all think and if you have any suggestions.

Darrell

Congratulations. Looks like a great starting point.

Look like you more than one or two reasons to be proud there. It's alway fun to watch and help nubes grow and learn.
74 850 MK2a. WOW!

Hi, Good to see another Canadian owner. There is a parts / service shop near by you.

Just a FWIW...
I recently aquired a '74 850 that was seized. I filled the crankcase with a mixture of acetone and ATF (per recs here) through the breather hose and filled the jugs through the spark plug holes and went off and left it alone while I worked on other stuff. In my case it sat for two months. When I tore the bike down the motor turned over when I was taking the alternator nut off the crank. I dunno if you will have the same luck but it is worth a try. Just before tearing the motor down I drained all the fluid and gave both cylinders a good squirt of Corrosion Block. Dunno if it made a difference or not, the stuff is expensive but works well.

Russ

PS-Way cool!

DaveK said:

Hi, Good to see another Canadian owner. There is a parts / service shop near by you.

Click to expand...

Ya I've gone down and took the bike to Motoparts already for an initial assessment on what it needs. They recommended the ATF in the jugs and I've been told of another product that my buddies dad used on a 69 shelby called Moveit. Unfortunately, the cylinders are almost at TDC so the oil filled the exhaust pipe on the left side.

Are their any tips on how to remove the cylinder head?? I removed all 4 bolts and 2 studs, but it won't come off. Any help would be appreciated.

welcome to the best Norton Commando site anywhere, Darrell.
the tech section here will help you a lot, and not cost you a dime...
http://www.ken-friis.dk/norton/classic%20bike1.pdf
That bike looks like you should be riding it by july.
cheers,
Don

I think there are more bolts then that.....4 bolts 2 on either side of the spark plug, 3 bolts between the exhaust rocker covers and 2 studs you get from the bottom under the exhaust rocker covers and 1 nut from the bottom under the intake rocker cover...I could be wrong ....best to review the manual. There is a manual on this site also. http://www.oldbritts.com has exploded views of pretty much everything and is a super usefull website. Fred and Ella are also very nice and helpful I would recommend them them anyone.

Cheers,
Dave

*PS Sorry to hear about your uncle.

Crikey . put them back quick .EVENLY .

Theres a stud tucked up in the centre under the top of the barrel at the back. undo that first ! . :shock:

get a N.O.C. U.K. ' service notebook ' Norton Commando , its tuppance.AND COVERS ANY AWKWARD BITS .

Get some ' coppercote ' copper graphite steam pie sealant from a engineers supplies ( for Exhaust Fittings )

Sit in the snow in underwear for two hours meditateing , for pennance ! :evil: " form a relationship with the mechanical marvel "

" Make haste slowly " its been around a whist now . Dont do NOTHING that doesnt improve it.


Chain up your wallet . Theres no hurry . internet suppliers , Norman White , French N.O.C. club sites .

Get a oily rag and some C.R.C. or better , and remove ANY spots of CORROISION .
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Now , have a cup of Tea . AND NO PLASTIC CUPS !

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Someone fairly close to Noah designed this thing . Pa Norton was a Presbeterian . ( no , thats NOT a disease ) The Likes of W.O. Bently , Steam Locos , and sailing ships.
But , After all , Its a fairfully modern machine . It was designed AFTER the war . Just . 8)

So no rushing round in circles and getting exited . CHORES . First . Slack off or tighten All Nuts Simultaeneously. If you spend any money , make it on a GOOD set of Spanners .AIRCRAFT GADE .

Nice long ones so youve got ' finger tip ' feed back , real friendly like .No Orangaangs and crowbars . except for a short one for that pesky nut up there ! Dont break the fork leg with the pinch bolt

Ordinarilly a few gaskets and rings !

A wire wheel and maybe a brass wheel and polishing mop for YOUR bench Grinder , rotary stone .

O.K. so put C.R.C. on ALL pesky bolts , preferably two and one weeks before a spanner , and a few days before , just for luck.

A FEW OF THEM ARE GOING TO NEED IT . dont take chances . DO THE LOT .

Now where was I , CHORES . ISOLASTIC O/Haul , Swing Arm Pivot O/Haul , Brake / wheel bearing , suspension O/Haul .

Being poms , this means , DISMANTLEING , - CLEANING , - INSPECTING . Offten S.F.A. else other than NEW LUBE.

unless some baboon has been at it with a Crow Bar . Doesnt look the case in this instance.
Dont go blowing loot on paint till NEXT Centurie . Check the inside of the TANKS for RUST .

DONT PANIC .

Kiwi Land they used to Run Cortina 1500 pistons. or at 920 with sleeves , Ray Pratt at universal Motorcycles in Auckland , on being interogated how many he blew up running W.F.O. sidecar speedway ,
was herd to reply " NONE " . Std. spec. bar big pistons . look on net, askim wot bits .

So , there we arew . A chefs as good as is kitchen . I want to be able to eat my dinner of the floor of your workshop . :lol:
Then its perhaps suitble for such an accomplished piece of machineary. Thats the issue. If the Combine Harvestor isnt treated real well, itll cry out.

Youre after getting it all back clean and appy , better'n new . They had to make a living and couldnt take all day.
YOUVE got ll the time in the world , plus 20 yrs of others misschance messing with em , to steer you right .

Bung the dam pipe ! Or CRC that flange REAL H.D. and get the DAng TOOL for the NUTS . You Mak em . FIRST PROJECT.
a tickle or two with propane, looks like youll need a fire eqtinguyisher too ( see what I said about the wallet ! )
and a big NYLON or COPPER MALLET , a Slap or Two( your allways aimiming for " a slap or two " . NO MORE .ever.

So thats why you get that little book. and some clean rags . Can of Chain Bar grease for chain saw (preservative)

and go look at te local Air Plane Mechanics tools to see what real ones are and find out were to gettem .\\

AND , we'd like a video when you sit in that snow , please . :mrgreen:

Engine's seeeezed. sounds like a LOOOOOOONG drawn out job!
I bought a Trident with only a little smoke on one cylinder, after taking the barrel off and finding the bores corroded,and the valves in a poor state and rocker bush's worn and some play in the big ends and......well 6 months later and £1500 she looked GOOD, two weeks later she holed a piston on the Motorway!!!! i think it was wrong plug grade.or poor quaility pistons or just down to sods law.
Any way spend a few evenings by the fire with a manual first...and read it well :!:

Best of luck
John Lansdowne Eng
www.lansdowne-engineering.com

welcome.. I'm also in Canada..

Welcome to the forum.

The "siezed" engine could be any number of things; I hope it's simple.

Either way, you came to the right place!

Nice to see you acquired a piece of family history. It looks clean like it was living inside.

FYI, I don't know why your is seized but I lucked out with mine. I used Marvel Mystery Oil and let her soak for two weeks. It was still seized so I gave her a roll down the driveway and bumped her into gear to brake her loose. I also had good luck soaking all the fasteners in penetrating oil for several days before I put a wrench to them.

Unfortunately, that is the extent of my expertise. Good luck, I have no doubt you came to the right place for answers to every Norton related problem you may encounter.

Nice family machine , also I am in Canada , BTW most Norton Commandos were exported to Canada and These United States of America. Roller layshaft conversion should keep you occupied on those deep frozen Edmonton winters. Enjoy.

Wow I wish I'd had this pep talk on my first misery with rusted fused distorted damaged parts. Only thing I didn't see mentioned that Is Vital for negated Norton is source of hi heat aimmed at stuff in cycles plus penatrate fluids to let cool a bit before tugging to banging on em. Might fill chambers with dried beans, at least the jug with the valves most closed, then fill with water and put plugs in and next day try some razor blades tapped in the head seam, after a dam good heating of the area focused on. I do not even attempt a 2nd go at a fastener removal nowadays w/o first torching it to smoke first then let is shrink a bit cooling as surrounds expand some on heat flow. There is a lot going for air impact that slower torque will just twist right off. I've had to take stuff to welder to melt on a stick to let cool a bit then just gloved finger twist out.