Sprag clutch inside engine sprocket and boss on large drive gear surfaces could do with fine emery (all
emerys are fine! a spare joke) or "wet 'n dry" grade 600 to break up polish and give some grip.
Starter Sprag Unit. problems encountered by tine member are that this unit will function for weeks or pack
tip first time the starter is used and even if tile starter is not used. in that the sprags in the unit lam in the
outer ring. this causes the retaining ring spring to bend. 'I he unit can he stripped and spring straightened
when it might break or even :t new spring might do the mine again. Fitting new sprag units and even new
engine sprocket do not help. Les Emery seems to think the spur wheel might he worn.
GEARBOX: The layshaft ball hearing has a sell' destruct mode in the order of 10.000 miles mainly due to
higher torque through gearbox. caused primarily by the 22T gearbox sprocket giving loo high a ratio. So
as well as tile roller hearing replacement NJ203C3 it is ;advisable to lower the gearing to 21T or even a
20T gearbox sprocket (see page If, fur further details). If old ball hearing is worn or has collapsed you
must replace layshaft hush in kickstart. Sometime in its later Commando life the 3rd gear and 4th gears
were changed not in ratio but in teeth pitch mid profile. and supposedly in strength. These gears must he
kept in pairs and will not singularly interchange with earlier gears; you cannot get it too wrong, as the y w
ill not actually go into the gearbox. The only external difference is by measurement the later ones being
10 thou bigger.
KICKSTARTER PAWL: Seems to be made of very soft material in some models so if poking into gearbox
have a new pawl to hand with an "M" stamped on it. New kick-start pawls should be checked for
hardness, ie a file should not make any impression, In one rare (hopefully 1 case the kick start pawl
jammed in its closed position so that kicking down gave no connection to gearbox or engine at all, Again,
a file would not relieve this situation a grinder is needed.
INTERSTATE TANK: For the silver paint Opel silver 115 is a good match.
The MK III Interstate in traditional silver with black and red lining
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