Newbie help stufing pushrod up TF'ing head?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Hobot

Hobot

Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
18,978
Country flag
I've got Trixie's Combat head lifted by a bungee strap to frame but ain't got the piss-ant pee-rods to clear rockers yet, so came in to get comfortable numb after the straight forward dissassembly and seasoned advice to ease my re-learning curve balls. I goofed up on my 'out of of head' geometry checks so ground the wrong mass off the ends of rockers so didn't get the lazy man's ease of Ms Peel spoiling me. Any who is there any tricks to convey slippy the flipping pee-rods up where the sun don't shine, so can get on with resealing or ringing or what ever makes a Cdo want to take up smoking and toking. I'm visual too so lookie close here = at Trixie's lever arms.

Newbie help stufing pushrod up TF'ing head?
 
Tricks?
I don't know if it's a trick or not but what I do is to lift the intake pushrod (the inner one) up first, it'll go way up in there, and then
while holding it up in there, lift the exhaust pushrod - note: it doesn't go as high.

Then........... I take a couple of small pieces of rag (one for each side)and cram it up into the tunnel along with the pushrods.
essentially wedging them and holding them securely in place.
I use a small screwdriver to pack the rags into the head.

Don't now if it's the "right" way of doing it, but it has always worked for me.
.
 
?
I don't know if it's a trick or not but what I do is to lift the intake pushrod (the inner one) up first, it'll go way up in there, and the then
while holding it up lift the exhaust pushrod - note: it doesn't go as high.
Click to expand...

Alrighty Mark you be the man on the job for me. This is exactly the trick I was holding off for, which rod to shove up first, stumbled on it prior so didn't know what I'd done right prior. Ok now got I've a priority to focus on in tedium in Commando worhship posture. Time for a 2nd brew to celebrate a easy solution to try. I usually zip tire them jammed up high. Left carbs hanging in air filter boots and coils still mounted no problemo so far.
 
don't know if I've ever done it with the coils still in place. (more crap in the way).

However, this last time I left the single Mikuni manifold attached to the head and it
actually made it EASIER!
it was like a handle and gave me something to hold on to.

(less to bolt back on when putting it back together too) :D
 
hehe I like leaving handles on and least to remove as I can, may yet have to remove coils as ain't gone back out yet to diddle push rods but imminent in minutes. Trixie's Amals have hard to deal with nuts holding to manifold while manifold to head has easy to get out allen spocket bolts, don't tell anyone I jumped Norton fence with non factory numbered substitution : )
 
Hobot, Not sure if it is common norton law, but I was told to pour some engine oil over the lifters, just before lowering the head on, this then makes it simple to ensure the push rod seats into the lifter, and you can test it by gently pulling on the push rod to feel the extra weight of the lifter. I managed to bugger a couple of push rods, that I thought were seated but had actually slid down beside the lifter.

Hope this helps, Richard
 
There is a nice suction when the pushrod is fully home. I dumped some assembly lube down in there too beforehand.

I'm not sure if it was Norton themselves or one the Haynes or Chilton manuals that claimed you couldn't even get the pushrods out of place. I remember some of my early head removals where everything seemed OK but then when it was turned over for the first time there was a loud "TiiiiiiiNNNNGGGG" and after that everything was fine! The oil or lube helps keep the pushrod in the hole. I use a couple 2x4s - one on each side - to hold the head up and make sure.

The angle of the head when placing it on with engine in the frame is critical. I usually forget this and have to relearn each time. It really helps to put the head in sideways behind the barrel and then rotate forward and tilt it while guiding the pushrods. Kind of sneaking up on it. I use rubber bands looped around the pushrods and rocker cover studs to hold the pushrods up in there.

It's funny - You're still wondering how it will ever go on and all of a sudden it's on there before you know how you even did it! One of the jobs I enjoy doing. Torquing too.
 
Well sockie and batrider, I had to fight off raging anger attacks but remembered I and others have for decades gotten factory heads off the cylinder in the frame, though it seems i just barely did. Will definitely thick lube end of push rod to kind of stick it in the lifter cup. I used rubber bands over head far back as '01 - doubt I'm the first. I usually hold head up with zip ties but this time found 3' length of 3/8" bungee cord and wrapped it arond the oil banjo bolts in side of head and over the spine. I've left the carbs on so can't take the back side approach, but a sideways screw tip twist got head free. I'm going to bench grind a bit off the top steel socket of the the exhaust push rod to gain a bit more ease. On Peel with the lightened rockers I have switched gaskets under two hours to ride again the same afternoon to work and back. No fiddle no luch of the draw one shot success each and everytime. I have had the TIINNGGGK! though too.
 
I just do what the manual tells you to do, put the pushrods in the head, hold the rods between 2 fingers on one hand lift head into position and lower it so the rods go where there surpose to go, once head is in position I get a small screw driver in the rocker covers and position the push rods onto the rocker arms, has worked for me every time, usealy the push rods position them selfs, then put the head bolts in lower the head with the first bolt to pull it down keeping a eye on the push rods as you go, once down do the rest of the bolts in order, I have never had any problems doing it this way, but mind you I have only had my head off and on 4 times in 36 years of owning my Norton.

Ashley
 
ugh, Ashley, you braggart! Some of us just ain't cut out for tedium mechanics.
 
Sorry Hobot, I have just been lucky to have brought my Norton new, I talk to it and look after it (but I do ride it hard all the time), in 36 years of ownership it has never let me down (except for blowen tyres and a crack left hand crank case, too many burn outs when young and silly) it has proved to me to be most reliiable and my mates hate me when I over take them through corners or always in front of them :twisted:

Ashley
 
Too many youthful burns outs learning your Cdo's quirks and mostly having a solo experience in groups if not watching the mirror, Alrighty! Bring on that kinda of bragging rights! My buddy Wes has always had a Cdo's since ' 72 on. Every now and then he wows me by his corner taking on his '71 while I'm working hard not to get too fast and scared following him on Trixie. I asked him about this he said his so familar with his Cdo its second nature, plus he gave me his manuals as don't need no stinking paper instructions no more.

I work hard never to get scared ok. Turned out last year's hard 2nd hand tires were bouncing back into hinging zone too easy. This years fresh new rubber surprisingly settled the turn securtiy makes me want Wes to pick a fast pace. Do note I no longer trust any cycle especially an un-tamed Cdo to press into tarmac traction concerns no sir ree bob. Realize this has nothing to do with how I ride tamed as a house Cogar Ms Peel. Only fear of something unseen getting in my way slows us down. Its a surreal state of being going into blinds knowing whats happened before but wouldn' t slow as long as the G spikes kept coming!
 
Hi Hobot

Forgot to tell you my 850 has been sitting in a 1957 Wideline Featherbed frame since 1980 and also has a bit of work done to the motor as well which helps tp stay in front and even better now with the Lansdown front end up grade as well new Avon Roadrider tyres, every thing has been built or tucked away so nothing scrapes when leaning into corners.

Newbie help stufing pushrod up TF'ing head?


Ashley
 
Oh my I studied your ride close as I can, instantly notice you are getting full mileage out of whole tread surface at both ends. That's all I need to see to listen your feedback on forks and such. If Combat Roadholders fit your steed I'd sure like to send Peel's set to try while she don't need em yet - off soon to do more frame welding. Takes me a while just riding around on changes mostly normal till subsconscious sense of new nuances soak into bone marrow then I been pressing to upset limits - on my terms of course. What would you do if you were not able to upset your steed, ie: couldn't find a turn too sharp, rough or decreasing not to just have more G force fun? I'm mostly stopping public part of exploring and taking to track days - when not daily using up edges and boot tips sanely, like you.
 
I have alway pushed this bike to its limits while cornering and so far have won, when riding in the hills with very tight corners the best thing I do is to get my speed down before the corner, but as soon as I am in the corner I power on with the throttle, the way the Feartherbed frames handle, the more power you put on in the corners the better the Featherbed handles, its hard to explain but its like riding on rails, I just replaced that rear tyre in the pic Thursday for Avon Roadriders, the front one was replace a few weeks ago with the Roadrides, what a big improvement these new tyres are from the old K81s so will expect to get it over even more the tyre fitter commented on how much wear was on the outside of my tyre, (the middle have no more tread and the outside had about a 1/4 left, I just gave him a :twisted: look and told him I like corners :lol: after 32 years in the Featherbed frame I still get off riding this bike and amazed how well it handles, with the work I have done to this motor and Jim's PWK carbies that work so well with the Joe Hunt, its very hard to keep the front wheel on the road :roll: when putting the power on.

Ashley
 
ashman said:
I have alway pushed this bike to its limits while cornering and so far have won, Ashley
Click to expand...

Then how would you know if youv'e reach its limits?

By the way, how does the RGM front brake system working out for you. Mine seem pretty darn good.
 
Also forgot to tell you this bike is a lot lighter than the Commando and is shorter as well so tracks into the corners a lot better.

Ashley
 
You know its limits when it spit you off, I am very happy with the Grimica front brakes, they actualy work with the matching Master Cyclinder.

Ashley
 
Ignore the unknowing, you do not have to crash to find a cycles limits to avoid, run right up too or learn how to press beyond into new levels or thrills w/o spills. Entering corners slow enough by straight on upright braking so I can be hard on throttle before I start to lean is my key to getting around fast w/o crash too. Yet Ms Peel showed me sticking as if on rails only works up to a point in the tighter spots : )

Going scary fast - any way measured - ain't for me on Trixie, just getting a decent looking good runner that handles as well as normal Cdo's is all I expect with her. I've already taken her into hinged zone in a few different ways/conditions with instants of rear skip to know what never to do anymore.

I'll remove barrel and pistons tonight but this weekend got 24 hr of re licensing class to sit though so no ridding for days.
 
Hi Hobot
I read somewhere recently, NOC service notes I think, about tying a nylon zip tie around each pair of of rods at the bottom tapered part. This apparently reduces the number of fingers required on each hand from 7 to 6, and the number of hands from 4 to 3. Once the head is hovering over the barrel, use 3rd hand to cut & remove ties without dropping pieces down pushrod tubes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Z
  • Locked
Newbie help please!
Replies
15
Views
1,690
Zep1975
Z
Back
Top