1972 Norton Commando Combat Rebuild (17) - Fitting rocker assembly and Cylinder Head

[@johnmcclain3887]

I take a rod and put the end on the stud, and let the washers slide down it, onto the stud. Thanks for sharing this, looks very nice going back together.

[@thakery5720]

This video and the one about fitting the cylinders brings back some memories.... funny memories now but back then..... ahh, the good old days....... My 850 Mk 3 had camshaft lobes that wore away, so as a know-nothing 20 year old (who drank maybe a little too much ) I took the head and cylinders off, split the cases and put a new cam in there. A cam that was for a Mk2 I was told and it was a '4H'(?) I believe - only one I could find - from a company that was in London's east end I think... 3 weeks before it closed down.... Anyway, when putting the cylinders back on and then the head - what a nightmare that was getting the pushrods to stay 'lined-up' WITHOUT a 'comb' , breaking ground-down spanners to tighten that rear nut between the cylinders... I hasten to add that the cases were back in the frame at that point and I was doing the work outside in my garden through the middle of winter ! I was most annoyed when having got it done, I noticed the cylinder base gasket was still hanging on the handlebars..... so I did it again, AND forgot the base gasket again ! Third time around I got it right, but the amount of broken spanners I had (not to mention skinned knuckles) - I didn't know about the 'made for the job' spanner and you couldn't get them back then anyway (1979).... thank God that wonderful Englishman Tim Berners-Lee invented the internet !

[@johnb5519]

Great job Dave. If one was going to be working on those engines often, it would be worth while to make an adapter so you could mount it on an engine stand so you could swivel the engine upside down for some of those finicky parts.

[@markblucat]

I have a 70 combat 750 that i have had since 1980 , I hit a deer in 2012 needs lamp bucket and halo and some misc parts , also have another 750 combat motor that is complete but no gears in gear box was going to restore it but too many irons in the fire , it is an original combat commando with iron cylinders on both engines would like to find someone that has the passion for it that i once had it also could use fork tubes, chrome finish is wore in spots , nice build you have going been there done that , It was an obsession for me

[@BilgemasterBill]

I'm a year late, but just wondering what you had in mind? Selling? Giving away? Hiring someone to do the work? I had an old ex-police Interpol Commando back in the late '70s and early '80s with the "Combat" higher compression engine. I'd thought they only made them in '72.

[@combatmako]

3:00 am EST... SWEET!! ✌️❤️😁

[@Zenfield350]

Don’t forget to align the oilways holes on the rocker spindles

[@01jimmyjazz]

Getting close :)

[@skua691]

great. I can see the way the pushrods are set but how would you describe positioning the pushrods before fitting the head so we know we've got it right?

[@tadpoles10]

What a Nightmare engine to assemble, I know others are as bad but for a production model .. As you said Dave masochistic designer. Anyway good progress. atvb t ..

[@giannirocco7492]

Installed a new head gasket and heard what sounded like a gong when torquing the head down!I've been told the same by others...any idea why that happens?Thanks!

[@TheMightyGarage]

Hi Gianni, the only thing I can think of is that you might possibly have broken one of the head bolts? I do know someone who broke the head bolts while tightening down the cylinder head, because the head bolts had not been correctly cad plated. Good luck!

[@giannirocco7492]

@@TheMightyGarage no,had the head off many times after but what makes it strange is the fact that I've heard the same from others!Thanks for responding!!!

[@TheMightyGarage]

Phew, I'm glad it wasn't the head bolts, Gianni. Please let us know if you find out what it was! Best wishes

[@giannirocco7492]

@@TheMightyGarage It's something I've heard from others as well so I'm hoping some of your viewers might clarify!It's kind of a mystery...

[@triumphmanful]

I have a 1972 Norton Commando 750 cc. How do I tell if its a COMBAT Motor ?

[@TheMightyGarage]

I'll let @SwooshDave and the guys answer with more details but the quick tell is that there should be a "C" stamped on the top of the cylinder head. Cheers, Mike

[@triumphmanful]

@@TheMightyGarage Is the "C" visible without taking the tank off or other parts ?

[@swooshdave]

triumphmanful The C is actually quite difficult to see as the stock headsteady does a good job of hiding it. Other clues are a reduced clearance between the bottom head fin and the top barrel fin due to the shaved head. But you may need a non-Combat to be able to spot this. Disk brakes were also standard on the Combat but those were often added in the last 50 years. None of the Combat parts couldn’t be added to a non-Combat so determining the authenticity can be tricky. Since the cam is difficult to swap out that can be a good indicator although those too can be changed. AccessNorton.com by far is the best source of information about all things Commando so be sure to check it out.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Many Thanks Dave

[@id10tcertified]

Nightmare? Out of all the Harley, Triumph twin and Brit triples I’ve done there’s something I just plain like about these engines... and remember, the head and rocker boxes are all one piece, not three or more like most.. it’s a bit harder for some but less parts to assemble, and leak: my old Norton 40 years ago didn’t even weep... wasn’t it the shovelhead that you had to mock up a special assortment of spanners and be amathematical genius to then figure the head torque settings.

[@TheMightyGarage]

Thanks a lot for your comments. We love the Nortons! Best wishes, Mike

[@redtobertshateshandles]

You need to have the correct valve clearance, otherwise this is a waste of time.

[@markb7940]

Vvw

[@TheMightyGarage]

??

[@BilgemasterBill]

I'm stumped too. Maybe the cat's on the keyboard?

[@peterturnham5134]

Nice clean spanner work i appreciate; I slip my fingers under to align the pushrods as i descend the head; i could change a head in 20 minutes. I needed to I was using expensive brass head gasgets, they leaked on a bike that had lived many years. Then I discussed this with Peter Williams at his his workshop at this time at thruxton. he said use the latest composite gasget from norton. I have never had a head leak since