One Roller One Basket Here We Go Again!

So I after 2 years of work I completed my first commando, and my first resto ever. ( Yes I am hooked )
So about 2 weeks back I picked up two more commandos, one is a roller and the other is in the basket.
Roller is a 73 with a front drum?
basket is a 71
71 is matching numbers
73 is matching numbers
My idea this time is a vintage racer with fairing and all. After completing my first resto as nearly concours "$". I am going to go with a little more imagination
on this next project or two.
I will post the before photos shortly as I am stuck at work 16 hrs a day 7 days a week right now and this means I am in a hotel just down the road from the plant and can not make it home at night.
this time I ordered the Mick Hemmings videos that should be here from the UK in a few weeks as I plan to tackle the engine myself this time. On my last project I farmed out the engine to a norton specialist who did a supurb job, and runs great. zero oil consumption.
has anyone used the mick hemmings videos " heavyweight twin" and "gearbox service"? I heard they are great.

Congrats staticmoves, I'll be looking forward to seeing your progress/posts. Cj

I used both of the Mick Hemmings dvds. I had a little portable player on the work bench. I would play a little, hit the pause and then do what Mick did. Sometimes I would have to back up and repeat a section. Good idea also to watch a section all the way through before you start the job so to get a general idea of work flow, what tools and parts to have out ect.

Yes, the Hemmings DVD gave me the confidence that I could do the engine myself. I farmed out the head. I think he is a bit slack on exhaust valve gaskets but he goes through the gearbox with some real good hints.

Dave
69S

I didn't use any vedeos when I rebuilt my gear box when the lay shaft bearing blew up back in the late 70s, I was young and no mekcanical experances just a good workshop manual (I still use the same manual today) and when I first rebuilt the Norton and converted it to a Featherbed frame in 1980 I didn't know much about the inturnals of the 850, but I must have done something right as I still ride this bike nearly every day (6 out of 7 days) and major engine rebuild twice, but pull down the third time to replace crank cases, my motor has done over 120,000 miles now and is as strong as ever when the whole bike was rebuilt just over 2 years ago now with 12,000 miles from that rebuild.

The only real hard part is putting the barrels over the pistons, best to have 2 sets of hands, my friend Paul has helped me 3 time now over the last 36 years, the last time we did the barrels we knew what was needed to be done, we were like a well oiled machine which makes it so easy, I always have the pistons on the rods, one person to hold the barrels the other to guide the pistons and rings into the bores, once in then it makes it easy to get the ring compressors off while my friend is still holding the barrels up, the best part is having a few cold beers after they have been put on.

Just take your time and you shouldn't have any problems.

Ashley

PS My friend Paul has seen the light and is now a proud owner of a 750 Commando chopper, he swapped it for a old Dodge truck in peices so he got it cheaply but don't blame him for the hardtail frame, but hes got a thing for Bobber framed bikes as he rode a Bobber Triumph for over 16 years now.

Oh, and the basket frame is bent, so I am looking for another frame if anyone has one for sale, or a reasonable frame straightening service is safe to do so.
What are the general thoughts here on straightening frames here, the extent of the damage is the neck is slightly pushed in and tourqed to the side, obvious front impact damage.
I am more along the thought of looking for a donner frame than I am straightening the damaged one, but would like to see what everyone thinks.

Cheers............ 8)

So here is a pic of the Roller the other is now in boxes sorted and cleaned


This is a 73, with the RH6 head, so it is a wanna be combat.
The other bikes head is polished aluminum? And it is A 71 Anyone have some insight into the polished aluminum head?

staticmoves said:

The other bikes head is polished aluminum? And it is supposed to be a 73. Anyone have some insight into the polished aluminum head? Was this a 73 or later thing?

Click to expand...

The 750 'short-stroke' heads were polished, apparently.: http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... LineUp.pdf

L.A.B. said:

staticmoves said:

The other bikes head is polished aluminum? And it is supposed to be a 73. Anyone have some insight into the polished aluminum head? Was this a 73 or later thing?

Click to expand...

The 750 'short-stroke' heads were polished, apparently.: http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... LineUp.pdf

Click to expand...

So I wonder is this a cool item to have....
Anyone else have any experience with one of these heads, sounds like it was designed for racing.

staticmoves said:

L.A.B. said:

staticmoves said:

The other bikes head is polished aluminum? And it is supposed to be a 73. Anyone have some insight into the polished aluminum head? Was this a 73 or later thing?

Click to expand...

The 750 'short-stroke' heads were polished, apparently.: http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... LineUp.pdf

Click to expand...

So I wonder is this a cool item to have....
Anyone else have any experience with one of these heads, sounds like it was designed for racing.

Click to expand...

It could also be a standard head? The polishing may have been done by a previous owner so I think we need more information?

Is it stamped with an RH(?) number?

:mrgreen: Green with Envy . AND I thought it was another clutch thread .

Bent things depends on things, if its S T R E T C H E D it might be a bother , inspecting for raised whelts / ridges at kinks & generally IF on them the paints jumped ship , its got whacked severly .

Such as a mates 70 that his mate rode into the side of a mercedes at 45 mph , while looking over his shoulder smileing . This thing was repeatedly straightened and the memory got it repeatedly un straight shortly after each time . Badly damadged and cutting a few tubes to set aligned stress free & rewelding could do it . The one mentioned was cut and welded a trifle more ; Result .



Definately a COMMANDO FRAME . :lol: just slightly modified . triumph Swing Arm used .

L.A.B. said:

staticmoves said:

The other bikes head is polished aluminum? And it is supposed to be a 73. Anyone have some insight into the polished aluminum head? Was this a 73 or later thing?

Click to expand...

The 750 'short-stroke' heads were polished, apparently

Click to expand...

LAB, the RH7 head I have is finished like a regular head,

cheers

"L.A.B."]

staticmoves said:

L.A.B. said:

staticmoves said:

The other bikes head is polished aluminum? And it is supposed to be a 73. Anyone have some insight into the polished aluminum head? Was this a 73 or later thing?

The 750 'short-stroke' heads were polished, apparently.: http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... LineUp.pdf


So I wonder is this a cool item to have....
Anyone else have any experience with one of these heads, sounds like it was designed for racing.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

It could also be a standard head? The polishing may have been done by a previous owner so I think we need more information?

Is it stamped with an RH(?) number?

I don't see any markings on the head.




No markings, and it looks like a factory done polish job,
The push rods from this engine are hollow.

No markings, and it looks like a factory done polish job,
The push rods from this engine are hollow.[/quote]

all 750 Norton pusrods were hollow .

what is the dia of the inlet port :?:
30 or 32mm :?:

staticmoves said:

No markings, and it looks like a factory done polish job,

Click to expand...

As the 750 'short-stroke' engine was the 77mm bore 850 engine with a shorter 80mm (80.6mm?) stroke then the short-stroke combustion chambers should be 77mm diameter? The short-stroke engine barrels should also be '850' through-bolt type.

Bernhard said:

all 750 Norton pusrods were hollow

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I agree with that.

Bernhard said:

what is the dia of the inlet port
30 or 32mm

Click to expand...

Or 28.5mm?

Bernhard said:

No markings, and it looks like a factory done polish job,
The push rods from this engine are hollow.

Click to expand...

all 750 Norton pusrods were hollow .

what is the dia of the inlet port :?:
30 or 32mm :?:[/quote]


will check tonight.....

L.A.B. said:

staticmoves said:

No markings, and it looks like a factory done polish job,

Click to expand...

As the 750 'short-stroke' engine was the 77mm bore 850 engine with a shorter 80mm (80.6mm?) stroke then the short-stroke combustion chambers should be 77mm diameter? The short-stroke engine barrels should also be '850' through-bolt type.

Bernhard said:

all 750 Norton pusrods were hollow

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I agree with that.

Bernhard said:

what is the dia of the inlet port
30 or 32mm

Click to expand...

Or 28.5mm?

Click to expand...

will check tonight...

Bernhard said:

No markings, and it looks like a factory done polish job,
The push rods from this engine are hollow.

all 750 Norton pusrods were hollow .

what is the dia of the inlet port :?:
30 or 32mm :?:

Click to expand...

Correction: inlets are 28.5mm

staticmoves said:

Inlets are 32mm

Click to expand...

That doesn't narrow it down by much, as it could still be one of a number of heads unfortunately you haven't answered the question about the combustion chamber size and cylinder barrels? :?

I believe the short stroke head had bigger (41mm) inlet valves with thinner stems.

L.A.B. said:

staticmoves said:

Inlets are 32mm

Click to expand...

That doesn't narrow it down by much, as it could still be one of a number of heads unfortunately you haven't answered the question about the combustion chamber size and cylinder barrels? :?

I believe the short stroke head had bigger (41mm) inlet valves with thinner stems.

Click to expand...

I will jump on that this evening. 8)