Rick's 1975 Norton 850 Commando MkIII Roadster
- Thread starter grandpaul
- Start date
10/20
Wheels disassembled. The old hard rubber was a major pain (literally) to dismount. Hubs will get polished and sent to Buchanan's for lacing to the new rims. Turn out new rims cost less than rechroming old ones. Discs will be Blanchard ground.
Dropped off all the black (and rusty) parts off at the blaster's, he'll take them to the powdercoater when he's done. Also dropped off all the stuff for chrome plating.
Almost 400 miles driven today, I'm done.
Wheels disassembled. The old hard rubber was a major pain (literally) to dismount. Hubs will get polished and sent to Buchanan's for lacing to the new rims. Turn out new rims cost less than rechroming old ones. Discs will be Blanchard ground.
Dropped off all the black (and rusty) parts off at the blaster's, he'll take them to the powdercoater when he's done. Also dropped off all the stuff for chrome plating.
Almost 400 miles driven today, I'm done.
11/03/16
First batch of new parts arrived yesterday. Blinkers are only for the nice chrome stalks, I'll re-install the original Lucas blinkers on them (old stalks were too rusted and expensive to replace or re-chrome). 3 more batches of parts yet to arrive...
Trans & wheel bearings, clips, sleeves, fork rebuld kits, tranny gasket & seal kit, K&N air filter, grommets, caliper & master cylinder overhaul kits, various plugs and wicks for swingarm, I.D. plate & rivets, brake hoses, throttle cables, tank isolator pads, rubber isolator buffers, front iso unit, petcocks, wiring harness, and dash decal, plus other various small bits.
First batch of new parts arrived yesterday. Blinkers are only for the nice chrome stalks, I'll re-install the original Lucas blinkers on them (old stalks were too rusted and expensive to replace or re-chrome). 3 more batches of parts yet to arrive...
Trans & wheel bearings, clips, sleeves, fork rebuld kits, tranny gasket & seal kit, K&N air filter, grommets, caliper & master cylinder overhaul kits, various plugs and wicks for swingarm, I.D. plate & rivets, brake hoses, throttle cables, tank isolator pads, rubber isolator buffers, front iso unit, petcocks, wiring harness, and dash decal, plus other various small bits.
11/04
This is one of the more tedious tasks - recording all of the tiny bits and bobs that will get sent to cad plating, to ensure nothing is missing when the batch returns. In over 12 years, they've only ever lost less than a half-dozen washers, screws and/or nuts. These are all of the bigger/odd bits...
Bolts to be cad plated
Studs for cad plating
This is one of the more tedious tasks - recording all of the tiny bits and bobs that will get sent to cad plating, to ensure nothing is missing when the batch returns. In over 12 years, they've only ever lost less than a half-dozen washers, screws and/or nuts. These are all of the bigger/odd bits...
Bolts to be cad plated
Studs for cad plating
A few more odd bits to be cad plated
Once I dug thru the screws and washers, I found a few bolts and spacers I'd missed...
Flat washers! The highest quantity of any single item on the bike to be cad plated - 40 flat washers (3rd, 4th & 5th rows from the top). There are an equal number of spokes and nipples (80 each), so more numerous than these flat washers, but I'm getting all new spokes & nipples for this project.
Once I dug thru the screws and washers, I found a few bolts and spacers I'd missed...
Flat washers! The highest quantity of any single item on the bike to be cad plated - 40 flat washers (3rd, 4th & 5th rows from the top). There are an equal number of spokes and nipples (80 each), so more numerous than these flat washers, but I'm getting all new spokes & nipples for this project.
Split lock washers for plating
Star lock washers for plating
Screws for plating.
Nuts for plating
Ooh, my aching back & neck... I also washed all of these parts after the photos, now I need to pack them in a USPS medium flat rate box and send them off.
Someone on another forum asked why not get new lockwashers and other bits - the answer is, the MINIMUM charge for cad plating allows up to 165# (I've never managed to scrape together more than 55# from my entire 4-bay garage and shop, and that was REALLY digging hard). So, I send EVERYTHING out, then replace anything that comes back looking the least bit inferior.
Star lock washers for plating
Screws for plating.
Nuts for plating
Ooh, my aching back & neck... I also washed all of these parts after the photos, now I need to pack them in a USPS medium flat rate box and send them off.
Someone on another forum asked why not get new lockwashers and other bits - the answer is, the MINIMUM charge for cad plating allows up to 165# (I've never managed to scrape together more than 55# from my entire 4-bay garage and shop, and that was REALLY digging hard). So, I send EVERYTHING out, then replace anything that comes back looking the least bit inferior.
11/6
Back from cad plating!
There is no serious/structural rust on any of this stuff. When there, is, the prep process they use results in very selective cleaning, producing rough and pock-marked bits. THAT is when I'll order new replacements (until I ever exceed 165#, it is basically "free" to try to salvage what I can.
Back from cad plating!
There is no serious/structural rust on any of this stuff. When there, is, the prep process they use results in very selective cleaning, producing rough and pock-marked bits. THAT is when I'll order new replacements (until I ever exceed 165#, it is basically "free" to try to salvage what I can.
11/7
Pre-heated the oven to 250F, set the cases in there and the outer races fell out in less than 4 minutes. No tapping, nothing; just "clunk".
Next batch of new parts arrived today: Shocks, headlight shell, brake pads, gasket set, handlebars, master cylinder overhaul kits, clutch & speedo cable, headlight wiring harness, kick rubber & isolastic gaiters
More parts from 3rd batch of parts- Main bearings, iso gaiters, rear hub cush rubbers, shifter rubber, oil tank rubbers, shift shaft seals for primary.
Pre-heated the oven to 250F, set the cases in there and the outer races fell out in less than 4 minutes. No tapping, nothing; just "clunk".
Next batch of new parts arrived today: Shocks, headlight shell, brake pads, gasket set, handlebars, master cylinder overhaul kits, clutch & speedo cable, headlight wiring harness, kick rubber & isolastic gaiters
More parts from 3rd batch of parts- Main bearings, iso gaiters, rear hub cush rubbers, shifter rubber, oil tank rubbers, shift shaft seals for primary.
11/8
Good stuff for engine assembly.
Specifically designed for engine & transmission cases with flange faces.
Assembled crank (with rods, shell bearings, and main bearings), and cam (with thrust washer) is all that lives inside the bottom cases.
Crank spins so nice and free, as does the cam.
Good stuff for engine assembly.
Specifically designed for engine & transmission cases with flange faces.
Assembled crank (with rods, shell bearings, and main bearings), and cam (with thrust washer) is all that lives inside the bottom cases.
Crank spins so nice and free, as does the cam.
11/18/16
Chrome parts arrived, half the batch...
The other half of the batch of chrome parts.
Polished hubs and new rims are on their way to Buchanan's to be laced up and trued, tires are on the way here.
I'll be picking up the powdercoated stuff next week; by the time we return from Thanksgiving in Austin, the Cad plated & polished stuff will be here and assembly can begin in earnest.
Chrome parts arrived, half the batch...
The other half of the batch of chrome parts.
Polished hubs and new rims are on their way to Buchanan's to be laced up and trued, tires are on the way here.
I'll be picking up the powdercoated stuff next week; by the time we return from Thanksgiving in Austin, the Cad plated & polished stuff will be here and assembly can begin in earnest.
11/28/16
Powdecoated parts unpacked. The powdercoaters masked only the basic holes, NOTHING else. They got a new guy doing the masking and he totally overlooked my specific instructions. Now I need to spend a couple of days cleaning up all the important bits; what a nightmare.
Tires, tubes and rim strips awaiting built up wheels to return from lacing.
All the cad plated hardware sorted after carefully laying each "before" photo out and checking each and every item. As it turns out, nothing is missing!
Polished parts confirmed on their way back. Should be able to have the completed chassis & suspension with transmission in place by this weekend...
Powdecoated parts unpacked. The powdercoaters masked only the basic holes, NOTHING else. They got a new guy doing the masking and he totally overlooked my specific instructions. Now I need to spend a couple of days cleaning up all the important bits; what a nightmare.
Tires, tubes and rim strips awaiting built up wheels to return from lacing.
All the cad plated hardware sorted after carefully laying each "before" photo out and checking each and every item. As it turns out, nothing is missing!
Polished parts confirmed on their way back. Should be able to have the completed chassis & suspension with transmission in place by this weekend...
Finally caught up to today 12/5:
Spent an hour with the dremel burr, that's an hour I hadn't planned on. Anyway, cleaned up the tranny cradle, yokes, frame holes and steering neck.
Swingarm mounted to tranny cradle and lubed, sub-assembly mounted to frame with shocks and rear isolastic unit. Rear end done.
I.D. tag installed, forks assembled with all new seals & bushings, yokes installed with new bearings & spacer, forks installed with headlight ears. Front end done.
Wheels are going to take a while. Talked to the supplier who claimed the Central Wheels rims thet they sent to Buchanan's were spec'ed wrong. I'm going to be be a bit beyond "miffed" if they don't pay pick-up shipping and cover shipping on the CORRECT wheels they'll send in a couple of days. Anyway, this won't be a rolling chassis for a while, a week at least.
Spent an hour with the dremel burr, that's an hour I hadn't planned on. Anyway, cleaned up the tranny cradle, yokes, frame holes and steering neck.
Swingarm mounted to tranny cradle and lubed, sub-assembly mounted to frame with shocks and rear isolastic unit. Rear end done.
I.D. tag installed, forks assembled with all new seals & bushings, yokes installed with new bearings & spacer, forks installed with headlight ears. Front end done.
Wheels are going to take a while. Talked to the supplier who claimed the Central Wheels rims thet they sent to Buchanan's were spec'ed wrong. I'm going to be be a bit beyond "miffed" if they don't pay pick-up shipping and cover shipping on the CORRECT wheels they'll send in a couple of days. Anyway, this won't be a rolling chassis for a while, a week at least.
Heated the transmission case & inner cover at 350F for 15 minutes, then dropped them on the front deck from about 10" up and out popped the old bearings. Had the new bearings in the freezer a while before putting the cases in the oven, so they dropped right into place with absolutely ZERO fuss.
Transmission shifting quadrant & camplate properly timed, cluster installed "by the book". Again, zero fuss.
Outer cover was a piece of cake with new inner & outer gaskets, all seals & o-rings replaced.
Transmission shifting quadrant & camplate properly timed, cluster installed "by the book". Again, zero fuss.
Outer cover was a piece of cake with new inner & outer gaskets, all seals & o-rings replaced.
