Tuesday 8 December 2015

Norton 1938 Finished [the stuff I forgot]

Model 18 norton 1938 Finished ! a big word when we are talking motorcycle restoration ,a term I like is practical completion because once a bike is registered and running, the terrible temptation is to ride it and enjoy it . I am claiming that this one is my third restoration or rebuild, the others being a swing arm 500 Ajay then the 1970 Commando and a Model 7 500 Domi .This Norton is based on a 16H military frame and little else from a 16 H .It has occupied my mind and hands for years ,the terrible decision between the high or the low exhaust ,which would look best ? which would look original ? which would I like best ?.Would I go high system with the exhaust I had ,or should I put a low pipe and a brooklands can on it ? I would debate these issues late at night with an empty beer bottle, and after waking at 2.30 am, some times on e bay I would spy a part and think yes ! then I would go cold on the idea . Finally I jumped and ordered a engine pipe from the UK for a 500 T thinking this is my Christmas present to myself for Christmas 2014 , happy Christmas Norton . This outlines my decision making process for the myriad decisions I made along the way ,after thumbing through the pictures in Roy Bacons book, Norton Singles , Ijust loved the low slung look of the pre war Nortons, low seat, girder forks, thin tank, dolls head gearbox , two stay rigid frame, very low ground clearance ,the oil tank the mudguards the whole motorcycle, lock stock and barrel, I just have to build one of these .

Where to start? well a frame is the usual kick off point, but I started with the gearbox while searching for a frame, eventually I got one, I had most of a model 19 bottom end and started looking for the rest ,forks Indian repro bought second hand and so on . As a matter of fact I've decided to list where I got some of the bits from Frame, rocker box and spacers, finger followers, cams Tasmania e bay Crankcases and covers Sydney e bay Flywheel Spotswood Big end bearing Norvil Small end bush Bendigo swap Piston gudgeon and rings JP pistons Adelaide Valves ,collets ,springs and guides Norvil UK Valve spring collars home made Cylinder head Cylinder barrel sleeve and hone Western District Vic contacts Cylinder Barrel Bendigo Swap Push rods and covers home made SS Dural Gear box case Perth e bay Gear box covers and mech Brisbane e bay Gear box guts Who knows ? Primary cases Swap meets Clutch Swap meet and bits Front 21 alloy rim Bendigo swap Rear 19 alloy rim Off my Commando Frony hub e bay Rear hub Spotswood Vic Magneto clockwise camplate Sydney Carbi from bits Exhaust header Feked UK Muffler Bendigo swap Seat Ballarat Swap Front guard Ballarat Swap Adam Higgins Rear guard Swap meeting ? Mudguard stays home made Axles spacers bolts nuts and washers home made Speedo cable and drive , India e bay Stainless spokes Feked and trulind Friction washers fork, rear stand spring and lots of special bits BMH Trading Brisbane rear stand Bendigo Swap Tail light Ballarat Swap Battery box Home made Battery case E bay UK Headlight 8 inch Swap with mate AF This list give a picture of where the bits can come from

Sunday 6 December 2015

Norton Model 18 project complete !

Well complete is a big word, but this probably as close as it gets .I,ll stick up some pics and some titles as well.I have no idea what this restoration cost and I suppose about three years of chasing parts and to be honest its a little disappointing when they are finished ,still I have other projects to start and to finish .
Typical view drive side                                                             
                                                                                                         REAR TIMING SIDE
 I kind of like these pics from an angle at the rear and looking down .This shows a second hand muffler from one of the swap meetings the new K70 Dunlop rear tyre and the old style number plate bracket this one should have the tail light centred in a projection on the right hand top corner ,if I pick up the correct one Ill swap them over .
The drive side  shows MO1 maggy this one has to be a clockwise one, hard to find for sure , well actually you just need a cam plate that is a clockwise one  ,hours of work have gone into the chain cases, they always seem to be badly knocked about, some by having a primary chain derailed inside . The old style battery cases are a bit more expensive than the later ones I got this one from the UK can't remember the company . You may notice the footrest cranks cast in bronze by Manx Classic Spares I thought they looked so good I didn't bother with the black paint  they won't rust either . 
This is the pretty side of most bikes , all that polished alloy ,what a bastard to clean ! all those nooks and crannies with split pins poking out to rip at your hands .This is the famous Dolls Head gearbox that evolved into the AMC unit by the middle fifties the gears in this box are generally the same as the later lay down box the three bearings are interchangeable with their counterpart in the last 850 Commando and I think the lay shaft fits too although I believe the later ones are stronger .The gears fitted to the AMC box have a different profile and are not compatible with the earlier ones .Pre dolls head boxes [Sturmey Archer] have gears marked EIV  the dolls head lay down have gears marked with a N8000 number that is the part number like N8043 and the AMC gears are often stamped AH also some have a lathe ring through the dogs  The exhaust was purchased from Feked in the UK its actually a 500 T part that fitted up nicely 
 FRONT END
Indian copy of Webb girders 1950's hub laced into dunlop 21 inch mudcatcher rim with stainless spokes .Just fitted a new Avon rib tyre , the mud guard was made  by Adam Higgins [THE EARLY YEARS]  who can make anything you want he's at the Ballarat and Bendigo swaps his phone number is  03 5148 3207 This guy is an artisan and very well priced .I had to extend the brake lever and make up a heap of spacers to centre the wheel in the forks .The original would have had the QD brake and hub set which is much wider ,Norton did fit a one piece hub/brake before the war but only in the Inters and some ES2's and would have been combined with a cradle frame .The the clunkers were left with the open diamond frame the tractor mudguards the square oil tanks and the wide girders
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 BACK END 
I managed to find the correct cotton reel hub a new sprocket and the correct brake plate. I pulled this alloy rim off my Commando and replaced it with a SS item ,home made chain guard mudguard stays repro rear stand from Rod [Portland ] and repro number plate bracket original lucas tail light actually still had olive drab paint on it .

HOW DO YOU ROTATE A PIC ???? 
Can't work out how to rotate this pic ,I found this transfer and thought it would look good on the tank ,I have no idea where they should be placed or on what model .The work on the tank was really an experiment because the primer /filler is a 2 pac paint .I then picked a colour that was a acrylic [Jaguar silver metalic ] then put the stickers on and put a 2 pac clear over the lot .I was expecting all sorts of trouble but it appears these products are compatible 
 RIDERS VIEW