New Member - Recommissioning Advice

Classics are all about enthusiasts doing it themselves. Whenever I work on a bike that others have built l finish up taking most of it to bits again . If you don’t know your bike intimately how will you fix it on the road? . Todays idea of a service won’t cut it on a machine that’s 70 years old and may have any number of latent issues?. How will you find out that the fork leg is cracked through and the box bearing is about to lock up if you don’t spend the time to look? No one else will . Old bikes can be full of nasty bodges , you could just trust to luck if you bounce well .

Was the bike woking 10 years ago?

You may need to do little more than fluids / tyres / chains to get it back on the road, and then learn and fix as you go.

Do you have no space at all? Kitchen / spare bedroom? - Only kidding.

If you got yourself along to the next Thames Valley branch meet (https://thamesvalley.branches.nortonownersclub.org/)

I am fairly sure we could come up with some help. If you do, then bring plenty of pictures.

Tony

As Robert says...Better you get to know it.  Recommissioning will be good experience.  And then you'll find out if you do need professional help.  If it worked well when it was stored, you can be reasonably confident that nothing has broken.  Engine internals should be fine if they were oiled before it was laid up.

It will have wet sumped, carburettors will need cleaning (tiny air passages), clutch will probably be stuck, all fluids will need to be changed.  But none of those jobs is difficult.  They just take time.  Fuel tank is unlikely to be a problem, unless you are very unlucky.

Join your local NOC branch.  You'll find local advice.

I'd remove the Oil tank and thoroughly clean it with kerosene, or if you live in England, paraffin.

Drain the sump and gear box.

Remove the fork drain plugs and bounce the bike up and down till all the oil is gone.

Check if there is oil in the primary.

Pull the clutch in and kick it over until the clutch frees.

Lube the cables and replace as necessary. 

Pull the float bowls off the carbs and if any sign of white gunk, remove and clean the whole carbs properly. 

Buy small plastic fuel filters and fit in the fuel lines.

Lube and adjust the rear chain.

Refill all the fluids .

Lube the wick in the magneto. Check for spark.

Reconnect the battery. Check all the lights work.

Pump up the tyres 

Take it for a very short test ride then check for any issues, e.g.. brakes, leaks, fuel blockages, gear and clutch operation, primary chain tension , tyre condititon, check the head light brightens when you rev it, check oil is returning to the tank,  etc, etc.

Good luck, it sounds like you have a good one.

Don Anson Melbourne Australia 

    We don’t know what your experience level is in dealing with mechanics on vehicles?

   How much spare time do you have etc etc? Will this be the first part of a new hobby, and therefore more worthwhile to learn the skills now for future use?

   What is your budget, as professional help from a reputable source ( and there are not many of those!!) can very quickly add up?

You did ask for professional help.  There are a small number who advertise in the shiny bike magazine small adds.

  Is there a detailed Roadholder article about recommissioning? 

Most of us probably had no professional training but in the days when most owners were forced to maintain their own machines there was usually a more experienced friend or neighbour to help us when we first started taking things apart.  That's not often the case today.  But cleanliness and care and preferably more than one instruction manual will take you a very long way.

Tip.

       As suggested, drain the fork oil by removing the two drain plugs having beforehand put catch trays underneath. let them drain naturally then tie rags around each fork loosely covering the orifices, then bounce them up and down!! 

You now have a shed with oil free walls with the added bonus of an oily pair of rags!

Assuming that the gearbox still has oil in it and isn't white with "mayonnaise" all should be well.

If you don't want to strip the head down completely a reasonable valve leakage test is to pour a teaspoon of white spirit down into the ports to see how much seepage there is.

Also look at the valve stems to assess how much carbonised oil has been deposited on them.

If you know the mileage to begin with this can tell you a lot combined with what you uncover as you go along.

...and I probably don't need to warn you - but don't take things apart just for the fun of it!  There are those who say more bikes have been lost due to unnecessary fettling than from any other cause.  (e.g. don't try to change the swing arm 'silentbloc' bushes unless you enjoy pointless pain and anguish.)

Does not look too bad.  The bike is 64 or later probably. The ignition is a boyer which needs a charged battery . and might not need to be messed with. the clutch will need to be dismantled and washed in petrol and re asembled . Might need internal rubbers changing .Will need a proper service , brakes and tyres checked. Join your local branch.

I think there are issues with the head holding down fixings ,barrel fixings and  also a missing case stud and nut. with these 3  obvious  and simple  errors i would not be confident that its been properly assembled . Get someone competant to look around. looks like it was thrown together to be off loaded.  Where are you based ?. Clutch cable is likely too short to allow proper set up for internal clutch lever and pushrod ,very poor clutch cable run, Alternator stator  fitted in reverse . think its not connected?.All good clues as to previous owners competance. Still a good project that will make you an expert, (sooner or later!). You want more problems ?, give me more photos !.

The rear cylinder base nut has a stiff wire under used as a pointer for a timing disc? Alternator wiring is with a domestic 3 core cable with some dubious looking soldering at the coils.  It looks like it’s been kept going my an enthusiast, but to be confident of a reliable machine later be suspicious of all non original work.  But as already stated doesn’t look to be a difficult rebuild, quite complete, but in need of thorough checks.

Enjoy :-)

I think the alternator is the right way round.  The white wire looks like a timing pointer.  The second base bolt from the front is wrong.

The alternator doesn't have a right or wrong way. Except that the wires must stay away from the P chain. And the gap rotor/stator must be 8 thou or more. The model of Boyer ignition is NOT critical if it sparks go for it. The alternator looks like the 1962 or early, this is NOT an issue. But it is a bit tired (we all are after 70yrs). Alternator life, working etc leave till the rest is done. The machine is 12V good, but after 10 yrs of doing nothing a new battery will be in order. DO NOT worry about battery charging at this point. Get the engine running and the clutch, then worry about oil and tyres. If the battery is new and/or well charged the bike should be ok for a 50 mile gallop to see what works or not. WHEN the engine runs nicely and the throttle works full range and all the gears are there and the oil goes round every where it is supposed to and nowhere else! Then worry about the battery charging. You said in an 'Atlas frame'. The frame 650SS and Atlas is identical. Alternator good/bad can be sorted as a separate issue in due course.

Hi Alan , the official Norton line is that the alt leads must face the engine ,probably to avoid the case contact and they do say that it wont work correctly if reversed. ! . I dont see why either .

The Lucas (and Wipac) permenant magnet alternator is a coil of wire with a PM wizzing past it, it does not know which direction from or going so the idea of 'won't work correctly if reversed' is nonsense! 

Would be 20 for an Atlas, 18 for a 650. It’s on the left gusset plate just above the footrest. Take a look in the online Library for good information on your type of machine. You got some weeks before you need to be road ready  so just go through it end to end like any machine and  ensure it’s all there within acceptable wear limits and lubricated as appropriate.  Make a list of bits to improve, you will have a fine machine in the end.

J