Well having got my original Nordwest back together and running again after the big end problem, so thinking that all would be right in the world, I go and get an e-mail from a friend about a 1990 Nordwest for sale in Wimbledon!
Spoke to the guy on the phone and apparently it had been off the road for about 8 years under a cover in his back garden, but was running when taken off the road. He sent me a couple of photos taken on his phone, which confirmed that it was rough! I asked how much he was after for it and agreed to come over at the weekend.
I turned up and it was one of those "Oh dear" moments; the bike was covered in corrosion and he had left the tube between the air cleaner and the carbs off!
See attached photo! System wont let me load a JPEG!
I pointed out that this was a total restoration, far from something that could be got back on the road. So we took the number that hes was thinking of and divided it by 3, provided that the engine wasn't seized (which it wasn't() and made the deal.
I chucked it in the back of the van and dragged it home. Well after a couple of weeks with WD40 down the bore and a good run through of the carb through the ultrasonic, we hooked it up to a battery and pressed the button. It has a spark, it turns over but doesn't fire! Ok do a leak down test and what a surprise the valve seats are leaking, so bugger all compression.
So I am now in the process of taking the engine out to take the head off to sort out the valves and seats - no big deal, just a day or so of work.
However, there is always a but in there some where! I appear to have a couple of problems:
1) When I took the generator cover off everything inside was covered in white fur. So I guess the seal has gone in the water pump?
2) I am having real problems breaking the joints on the exhaust system. Has anyone got any suggestion on what to do. I am guessing that once I have the engine out then I may have a chance to get it off the bike and could use heat on it.
Am is to try and get it back up and running at the weekend, now I have the gaskets.
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