Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30

That was the plan with the quote :) been watching all the programs!

I'm just excited to use it as a learning opportunity let's just hope nothing else has gone as well! To be honest when I bought it in my opinion it was running like a bag of tat so expected something like this once I started to use the bike.

Here's some screenshots the video is currently exporting so hopefully will be done later.

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
Screen Shot 2019-07-21 at 19.12.29-01 by norton.rider, on Flickr
Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
Screen Shot 2019-07-21 at 19.06.34-01 by norton.rider, on Flickr
 
Oh dear... be careful... very careful... “just taking the head off” is how I started down the slippery slope. Well, more like a cliff edge!

Chances are you’ll look at the pistons and bore and not like what you see.

Then with the barrel off you’ll be able to inspect cam and followers.

Etcetera...!

It’s a serious cautionary note. Knowing where to draw the line on an old bike is an acquired skill. One I’ve always struggled with.

Still, at least getting the head on and off is a lot easier with the widow-maker frame.
 
Like Lay's potato chips. Try to eat just one and stop.
Great time for a look over. I imagine myself pulling the head for a look see, and the cover for a look see of the oil pump this coming winter....Not really a winter per se, but sloppy & wet on the uncomfortable chilled side....Scrape a little carbon out if nothing else needs attention, though sure something is hiding in there. I wouldn't want you to feel lonely anyway, and it's best to catch things before they aerate the motor with free inspection ports.
 
Thanks guys :) yeah I'm hoping it's just the guides an not anything more serious

Who's everyone use for guide replacements know it's possible to do it yourself but might get it done by a pro once I've got the head removed tomorrow at least I can see what else is damaged.



Here's the video from today :) including some better footage of the exhaust valves towards the end including the excessive smoking.
 
Well it went quite smooth tonight :) whitworth socket set turned up so got stuck in removing the head and cylinders

Video is currently exporting again shows everything alot clearer but here's some pictures for now.

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
67353121_10219305333848534_6173658894045282304_o by norton.rider, on Flickr

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
67393578_10219305335368572_7447714105785319424_o by norton.rider, on Flickr

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
67404678_10219305336648604_5835278547010191360_o by norton.rider, on Flickr

Cylinder insides look quite nice brown in the background is a reflection from somewhere.
Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
66432963_10219305337368622_738054679157538816_o by norton.rider, on Flickr

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
67677662_10219305338768657_4779173903132000256_o by norton.rider, on Flickr

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
67229162_10219305340768707_5501819313373315072_o by norton.rider, on Flickr

Norton Villiers Commando 1968 Re commissioning an adventures at 30
67087882_10219305343968787_2410783822057570304_o by norton.rider, on Flickr
 
I know it hard to tell in the pictures but that combustion chamber doesn't look very deep. I think it's the matt black carbon that's hiding any depth of field.

Crack skirts aren't good.

Otherwise I think it looks okay-ish. I mean aside from draining you wallet!

Rebuild head
New barrel
New pistons
Maybe leave the lower end alone for now?
 
Hi guys gonna nip it to someone who's far more experienced than me to have a look at. If it was a two stroke I'd be sorted knowledge wise an tuning Norton's tons to learn!

From what I've been reading up the jp pistons aren't brilliant

Bottom end seems ok from what I've seen the video later will show everything more clearly.
 
Meh, do it yourself. No difference to a two stroke. You’ll send out the head but the rest is just a barrel and pistons. Same as a two stroke.
 
there's only 1 weep hole for oil to drain downward on the rear of the head. that hole is on the timing side. The head gasket has a hole on both sides this way you can't accidentally flip the head gasket on installation and cover the 1 weep hole.

Looks like you had some oil seeping into the head from the pushrod tunnels. I know some people swear by those copper gaskets, but I don't like them. I've had much better luck with the flame ring composite type. For all you know, your head may not need anything but cleaning up and a new head gasket on reassembly. If the exhaust guides were the main source of the oil, you would have seen a lot more smoke out the tail pipe, and not such an even distribution of oil depositing inside the cylinders and the exhaust.

It never hurts to do more work than you need, except in the wallet. I'd be tempted to clean the head up, lap the valves and reassemble it with a flame ring head gasket. The broken part of the cylinders looks bad, but I bet the breakage is well below the rings. Probably the worst part of what you see is that chips could still be breaking off and circulating through the bike in the oil. I might examine it, clean it up with a dremel and use the barrels if the bore is good and if the damage is below the pistons lowest point. I might use the pistons with new rings and hone the bore if it needs it too, or just use the existing rings.

You really have to know your shit and carefully inspect everything to be able to pick and chose what to reuse and what to renew. It's always a tough choice. Sometimes if you have time, but not money you can throw it back together and see if it was just a bad head gasket, and it could be good for 10 years as a street machine just reassembled. Sometimes it will go right back to oiling and you know you need valve guides too... (I'd buy new gaskets and take a chance, but I do that in life)
 
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Yep I'm doing everything but getting the guides put in an the valve seats just off to go get it checked out at a specialist I've used for a job on the 650ss an once it's back I'll put it back together :)

Know it needs a set of guides after looking at them myself. Be interesting to see if they find anything else.

I just removed the pistons as well so I can take them hopefully weigh them to and see if there is any weight difference.

Sometimes you can't beat an experienced person having a look over something.
 
Hi mate good point!
First time I've had a commando or 4 stroke head off all a huge very enjoyable learning curve

Just on the way to Pete Lovell's with the head cylinder an pistons :)
 
Update guys previous owner had media blasted the head and it's took it through the entire engine. Copper headgasket had gone around the pushrod tubes so head an barrels are being skimmed.

Rebore with new pistons :) Bottom of the cylinder bores were worn other damage to the skirt area is being sorted.

Stripping the valve gear outta the head myself this week before that's worked on an gonna strip the bottom end on the engine this week.

Total rebuild including stripping the crank looking forward to learning about all this as I work on it :)

Just wanna say a huge thanks to Pete an Chris at Pete Lovell development's
An same to Gaz an Les at Norvil huge help today.
 
Last edited:
Will do! Thanks for the tip mate gotta sus the best way to remove the blast media the previous owner left in the head few tips today but always open to more suggestions.

One step at a time but today was a huge learning day and made amazing progress since last night :)
 

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