Removing wheels/taking apart rear wheel. Tips or tricks?

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Coco

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Hello everyone.

Since my foray into an ignition install is putting a bit of a damper on things I'm going to deal with a wheel rebuild while I wait for a local Norton Guru to return to help me sort out the wiring mess of my MKIII.

I am putting the feelers out to any tips or tricks there might be to the disassembly of te rear wheel/hub/drive assembly.

Is there anything I should look out for? Any snags or troubles I might encounter? It looks like I need an adjustable pin wrench or spanner for a lock nut, but I don't have that tool or even access to one.

I've never taken apart the rear or front wheel assembly before. Actually I've never removed the wheels from the bike before so I just want to prepare for things since I'll be doing it this weekend.

Thanks.
 
If you're intending to remove the cush drive hub then you should have a peg spanner.

The nut shouldn't be too tight so you could try making one out of a piece of flat bar. The pegs probably don't need to be super hard. A couple of socket-head screws small enough to fit in the holes would do.

Alternatively, you could try a whack on a well positioned punch. It's a bodge but it will work. At worst you'll need a new nut.

Contrary to what the manual says, it is NOT a left hand thread. It is conventional right-hand. I learned the hard way !

If you want to remove the bearings for inspection / greasing then it is best done with a little heat. I find the best way to be a kettle of boiling water tipped into the conical part. It will expand the alli enough with no risk of other damage.

If you're removing the wheel with the mudguard etc. on then it's best to put the stand on a plank. The extra 1" or so makes it much easier to wrestle the wheel out.
 
79x100 said:
If you're intending to remove the cush drive hub then you should have a peg spanner.

The nut shouldn't be too tight so you could try making one out of a piece of flat bar. The pegs probably don't need to be super hard. A couple of socket-head screws small enough to fit in the holes would do.

Alternatively, you could try a whack on a well positioned punch. It's a bodge but it will work. At worst you'll need a new nut.

Contrary to what the manual says, it is NOT a left hand thread. It is conventional right-hand. I learned the hard way !

If you want to remove the bearings for inspection / greasing then it is best done with a little heat. I find the best way to be a kettle of boiling water tipped into the conical part. It will expand the alli enough with no risk of other damage.

If you're removing the wheel with the mudguard etc. on then it's best to put the stand on a plank. The extra 1" or so makes it much easier to wrestle the wheel out.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I wonder if a strap wrench will work instead of a peg spanner? I have no idea where to get peg spanners here in town so I assume it is a special Norton tool. I also need one for new alloy seal retainers for my forks.

I assume if I hack that nut up a new one isn't too expensive.

I have a motorcycle jack so I should be able to get the rear wheel out without too much hassle.

I'm getting CNW to machine the hubs to accpet double row bearings and they are doing the polish on the hubs and are building my wheels for me so I'll leave messing around with the hub bearings to them.

Thanks again!
 
The peg spanner for the rear wheel differs from the tool for the fork oil seal retainers. It is a flat tool and the other end of the Norton item has smaller radius pins for the standard brake caliper end plugs.

The forks need a "C" spanner but a strap or chain wrench used carefully will work.

Do you know anyone who works with hydraulic cylinders ? They often have top bushes retained by rings needing this sort of tool. Any industrial tools supplier should be able to get one for you. To be honest though, if you're not a "tool junkie" then it might be cheaper to leave the cush drive intact for CNW to dismantle. That gives them the job of fighting those wretched rubbers back into place as well :D
 
Coco said:
Is there anything I should look out for? Any snags or troubles I might encounter?
Click to expand...

Not too difficult a job really.


Coco said:
It looks like I need an adjustable pin wrench or spanner for a lock nut, but I don't have that tool or even access to one.
Click to expand...

=Make one

My own method:

Find a piece of scrap flat bar to use as a handle.

Find a drill bit with a shank size that is a snug fit in the lock ring holes.

Measure the distance between the lock ring holes then mark and drill holes in the 'handle' end the same distance apart with the already selected drill bit.

Grind two lengths (the thickness of the handle + depth of the lock ring holes) off the shank of the selected drill bit (or preferably any old same size worn out bit/s) to use as the 'pins'.

Insert the pins into the handle holes, ends flush with the back of the handle and tack weld them on the back face of the handle, result = one pin wrench.

But as 79x100 mentioned a punch would probably do, as the lock ring may not be very tight?



The MkIII front wheel hub has a circlip bearing retainer, unlike earlier models.



You will need some kind of heat source to warm the hubs when removing/refitting the (new) bearings, either a blow torch, hot air gun or very hot water.
 
79x100 said:
Contrary to what the manual says, it is NOT a left hand thread. It is conventional right-hand. I learned the hard way !
Click to expand...

The 850 MkIII factory manual does give the correct information.
 
L.A.B. Are you saying that it's not a left hand thread or that the manual doesn't say that ? All three of my hubs have a R/H thread and my manual (which I've had about 25 years) states under H4 "...unscrew the LEFT HAND THREAD lockring using peg spanner..." (Their capitals, I'm not shouting)

Is it perhaps something that was corrected in later editions ?
 
My MkIII manual says (also capitals) "...unscrew the RIGHT HAND THREAD lockring...." (Sec. H4 1).
 
Well I never, so they updated it ! Does yours still have the address for NT Europe in North Way Andover ?

I know that when I went into Carl Rosner's to buy a new ring, he said "The manual's wrong by the way" so it was a known problem all those years ago.

In future I'll be careful to say "some manuals" ! :)
 
I bought my MkIII factory manual new about 10 years ago, so could be a later reprint? Yes it still has the NT Europe address
----------------------------------------
Copyright 1975

Published by:
NORTON TRIUMPH INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
KITTS GREEN - BIRMINGHAM B33 0LF - ENGLAND

Publication No. 00-4224



Norton Triumph Europe Limited
North Way
Walworth, Andover
Hampshire

-------------------------------------

And there is still incorrect info in this version !
 
Coco said:
Thanks. I wonder if a strap wrench will work instead of a peg spanner? I have no idea where to get peg spanners here in town so I assume it is a special Norton tool. I also need one for new alloy seal retainers for my forks.
Click to expand...

You may need a strap wrench to remove the old Mk III fork seal retainers as they probably do not have any peg holes or flats for a spanner!

Although you could use the 'butchery' method (punch/pipe wrench etc.) as you intend to change them?
 
L.A.B. said:
Coco said:
Is there anything I should look out for? Any snags or troubles I might encounter?
Click to expand...

Not too difficult a job really.


Coco said:
It looks like I need an adjustable pin wrench or spanner for a lock nut, but I don't have that tool or even access to one.
Click to expand...

=Make one

My own method:

Find a piece of scrap flat bar to use as a handle.

Find a drill bit with a shank size that is a snug fit in the lock ring holes.

Measure the distance between the lock ring holes then mark and drill holes in the 'handle' end the same distance apart with the already selected drill bit.

Grind two lengths (the thickness of the handle + depth of the lock ring holes) off the shank of the selected drill bit (or preferably any old same size worn out bit/s) to use as the 'pins'.

Insert the pins into the handle holes, ends flush with the back of the handle and tack weld them on the back face of the handle, result = one pin wrench.

But as 79x100 mentioned a punch would probably do, as the lock ring may not be very tight?



The MkIII front wheel hub has a circlip bearing retainer, unlike earlier models.



You will need some kind of heat source to warm the hubs when removing/refitting the (new) bearings, either a blow torch, hot air gun or very hot water.
Click to expand...

I actually tried to make my own pin wrench or spanner like you mentioned but everytime I weld in the bolts they warp a bit and don't fit.

I did mention I'm not great at welding didn't I? :roll:

I did find a cheap 3" V-shaped adjustable pin wrench but the pins are too small for a break caliper and I'm hoping it will work for the fork seal retainers. I'll see if it remotely fits the nut on the wheel as well.
 
L.A.B. said:
Coco said:
Thanks. I wonder if a strap wrench will work instead of a peg spanner? I have no idea where to get peg spanners here in town so I assume it is a special Norton tool. I also need one for new alloy seal retainers for my forks.
Click to expand...

You may need a strap wrench to remove the old Mk III fork seal retainers as they probably do not have any peg holes or flats for a spanner!

Although you could use the 'butchery' method (punch/pipe wrench etc.) as you intend to change them?
Click to expand...

I have new alloy retainers I prchased from Clubman Racing so I don't want to carve them up when I install them during the fork rebuild.
 
79x100 said:
To be honest though, if you're not a "tool junkie" then it might be cheaper to leave the cush drive intact for CNW to dismantle. That gives them the job of fighting those wretched rubbers back into place as well :D
Click to expand...

I spoke to Matt at CNW about dismantling things and he said just leave the cush rubbers in and he'll have a look at them and deal with them.

He is really a super nice guy and is very accomodating. I must call him once a wek and ask questions about the parts I bought from him reagrding installation, tips ect.

Great service from CNW.
 
79x100 wrote;

Contrary to what the manual says, it is NOT a left hand thread. It is conventional right-hand. I learned the hard way !
Click to expand...

Same thing happened to me. I completely wrecked the lockring by the time I'd realised the book was wrong. :?: A new one was only about £2.00 though.
 
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