starting a commander after 15 years help please !

[tassietreasures]

Hi all from down under , I have just purchased a 1989 Commander, Its been in storage for 15 years and has only travelled 1500 miles. I would like to attempt to start over the coming week but please require a heads up from anybody as to what procedure I should follow . Obviously all the fluids will be changed , but what special care should I take concerning the Rotary engine , or more important whats the chance of this engine being ok ? any help would be very much appreciated.Regards John

[vontripper]

hi lucky you 1500 miles on clock, rebuild engine you could do more damage trying to start the poor old girlvon

[Dell Boy]

Hello John,You could take the plugs out & pump whatever oil you have chosen to use into the chamber.Turn it backwards & fill the next chamber & then the third. You could also add REDEX.I would then leave it to soak through for 48 hours.Add oil to the petrol.Prime the oil supply pipe & pumps.Turn the engine over to pump out the excess oil through the plug holes.Put the plugs in, cross your fingers & see if it will fire.If it does fire the fire brigade will be round in minutes due to the smoke clouds.This is what I would do but of course all this is just an opinion but an action I have taken a couple of times.But.... [disclaimer].... all at your risk!!!!Derek.

[tassietreasures]

Thankyou Derek, Shall give it a go fingers crossed, when you say oil in petrol do you mean run a bit of two stroke oil within the fuel ? The book is telling me straight 40 oil non synthectic in the engine is this still the norm . Thanks for your help Regards John

[Dell Boy]

Hello John,You can use a good monograde diesel oil or there is a Silkolene or Fuchs competition two stroke oil you can use but make sure you get the right type. Look through previous postings for the correct type of two stroke oil.Whatever oil you use it can go in the petroil mix. About 50:1 I would think.Through my Grey Krauser Commander up the road in a big way today so sitting here nursing my wounds.I bought it 4 years ago with 2,500 miles on it & all shiny & pretty.Now at 30,000 miles its been down the road on both sides & is covered in road crap.Bit of a downer when your rolling & tumbleing down the road watching your bike sliding into the distance.I had come to the end of a long traffic jam on a main road that had been chicaned with large rubber cones & I didn`t see the last one as I swung out onto the clear road & rode over the top of it. I nearly got away with it then it jammed under the bike & we went our separate ways. Though both I & the bike were pretty battered I was still able to ride it home.This is one of the problems with the Commander in that due to the high windscreen/bodywork you cannot see anything closer than four feet in front of you.On another Commander I did the same thing in Spain with a fire hydrant but in the dark.Hope the advice helps,Cheers,Derek.

[Dell Boy]

P.s. Its a diesel monograde you should use Do NOT use ordinary oil.I personally use COMMA HD 30 oil in my Commanders but there are a lot of different opinions on the forum as to what is the best oil to use.What you do need to do is check all the oil supply pipes. Some types get brittle with age & snap off starving the engineLook inside the gearbox cover & tug them about a little bit to make sure they are secure.Derek.

[tassietreasures]

Ouch Derek ! not a nice feeling going down the road hope all is ok , Thankyou for the oil info , shall go shopping and see what I can find . shall report backRegards John

[tassietreasures]

I,m haveing trouble finding the correct oil here in Tasmania , I do have a Sikolene suppler but no comp 2 premix as stated in the forum. They do have a comp 2 for race and also a comp 2 for dirt , the comp 2 dirt does state it is a low ash two stroke oil . Can some body please provide the spec from your uk product as it may just be a packaging issue . Thankyou inadvance.Interesting if you go onto the Sikolene uk web page , and put in Norton Commander it states to use a mutigrade 4T oil , I,m assuming this is incorrect. regards John

[Interpol2471]

Hi John,The Comp 2 pre Mix oil you are looking for is now listed by Silkolene in their Classic Range and is rated at 40W, don't mix this up with the new Comp 2 oil (off road) that they are producing for injector or pre-mix as this is not suitable. The old Comp 2 had 40W on the label on the back so look for that if they have old stock.If I remember correctly the Pro 2 Race is ok to use but twice the price as this is fully synthetic, check the back of the package and see if it lists the oils weight, 30W and 40W are suitable if this is what you can get.Good luck and make sure you follow Derek's instructions as a minimum.

[kanonkopdrinker]

Hi John,The new Silkolene replacement for Comp-2 is called'Classic 2T Pre-Mix' and has their product code no. 600764258Let me have your email address and I'll send you a membership form so you can join the club.David

[tassietreasures]

Thankyou gents for your help , I shall take this info of to my supplier today .

[tassietreasures]

Ok, good news Norton now running again sweet as a nut after fifteen years lay up , down side wife not happy washing on line a bit on the nose. Have not heard a Norton Rotary running , very sweet can not wait to ride !Thankyou all Regards John