69 "S" Phoenix rises again

Dave and Hobot
Re primary case studs
I like that solution. The PO of my bike obviously had some problems in this area and had bored those three holes out to accept a 1/4 by 3/4 inch bolt with lock washers. One came out and ran thru the primary chain before I noticed it. I ordered new bolts and tab washers and a new chain before I discovered the holes had been enlarged so the tab washers wouldn't work. I put new bolts in w/o lock washers and loctited them with the semi-permanent loctite. I just had the primary cover off last week and checked them and they seem to be holding. Don't know what's going to happen when I want to change the front sprocket again. Hopefully they will come out with some effort and maybe some heat.
Wait a minute! How do you take the primary cover off if you have studs going thru it into the crankcase? You will have the same issue as me w/o having a bolt head to get a grip on? I don't get it?
Wasn't the primary case threaded also? Maybe that's impossible becuz they would have to line up with the threads on the crankcase. Now I can't remember. It seems like mine was threaded on the primary also but I guess that's impossible
Anyway I like your solution.
Bruce

There are no threads in the inner primary case. Only the crank case is threaded, so once you take the nuts off, that's it, break loose the gasket and the primary comes off. You should never have to remove the studs unless something happens to one. Makes it easier to put the gasket on too and should stop any leakage from the crank to the primary if it existed. Even red locktite will loosen with enough heat, so it's not like it's totally permanent. Just make sure the stud doesn't go into the case so far it hits the crank, the studs I got bottomed out before they hit the crank.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

I still contend that the S and Roadster had a logo on the back of the seat. Here's a picture from the 'S and Roadster Riders Handbook'. If you notice too, there are less than 16 pleats on that cover in the picture. Being anal.
Dave
69S

Click to expand...

Dave,
Not sure if your being age specific but my 71 Roadster definitely has a logo, unfortunately its faded. My recollection was that it was gold. Yah, that could of faded also. I'll try and get it out in the sun to verify.

Oz and Dave
I was in Vietnam in 69-70 when I saw the 70 Norton S in yellow and that was what I wanted for years. But when I saw my 69 listed in the local paper 10 yrs ago, I bought it. Mine is red non metallic and when I bought it the PO had all the promo literature with it- big poster size. In that they show the two colors for 69- either Dave's blue or my red so I presume Norton's ad posters were correct. I have an extra tank that is painted in flames and I thought about ordering a new set of side covers and repainting it the metal flake blue. I love that color. BTW Baxter has the original rattle can paint in blue. I'm sure they would ship to Australia. I'm so impressed by Dave's rattle job, I'm thinking of ordering some.
Also Dave I redid my front fork bearings with tapered ones from Baxter and they were the cup and cone variety.
Dave what was that website with the sidecovers? I went there once after reading your post but I'd never find it again.
Great job and speaking of starting and 60 yr old legs,I had a Hell of a time starting mine. It came with a Boyer from the PO and the backfire would kill me. I ordered a Tri Spark from Matt at CNW and now it starts easy and idles right away and doesn't feel like I'm gamed up for two days afterward.
Bruce

You can find side covers on this site: http://www.rgmmotors.co.uk/home.htm

I don't see the F/G side panels at RGM, just steel ones. Go to https://sec.ra.net.nz/britishspares.com ... k_find.php and search for 06-1209 and 06-1198, they have them for $74.85USD.

The DupliColor Metal Specks paint looks better in pictures than it does for real. It's not bad in the sunlight though. Certainly not as big flakes as the original, but for canned paint, you can do the bike for about $30-50, including some clear coat which gives it some shine. You can't paint over decals with it though. It could probably be painted over the decals and paint with 2-pack. I'm going to take one down to the paint shop and try one with the decals I got from J&C Miller in NZ.

Dave
69S

Hey guys just saw these on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Norton-C ... 230e2bdb4b

Dave,

All the way back on page one you shimmed your crank to .006, do you remember how many thou you put in to get to .006 ?.

Horton, Watch out, those side panels are for a 71 or newer, notice it has the tab on the bottom of the RH one. They won't fit on a 68-70, or at least won't mount the same.

Josh, Yes, I used a .008 shim. But don't go by what I did, I'm sure they are all different. I sold the ones I didn't use to Pierre in France.

Dave
69S

Thanks Dave,

Just curious, some say uptp .020 end play is OK, the Haymes manual says nothing, i.e. no limit ?.

I wouldn't say there's no limit. I too have seen the .020, but I set mine to about .010, I think that's what most recommend as I remember. Old Britts has a tech article on it.

Dave
69S

No I don't need them I thought you guys did?

excellent post. I have a 70 S in the que after the 75 e start. The S exhaust current resides on my 72 Combat, but when they go back on the S I'll put SS pipes on the Combat. My Combat is like a Barbie, I like to change it's cloths.

Actually I'm confused about those ebay panels. From 71 on, the right side panel was the oil tank, so those panels must be for a central mounted oil tank, but what model? Certainly not an R, and not like my S panels. Anyone have any ideas what model those panels are for?

Dave
69S

Mark and Dave
This is my top hat on my oil tank. The hose that is connected is the engine vent hose from the front of the engine. The other thing is a rubber plug in a hole which I have no idea what it was originally connected to. It's been like that since I've had the bike. I tried to reroute the oiler line coming off my air cleaner backing plate to this hole but had some problems with it. I also have the nipple coming off my oil return fitting on the bottom of the tank but it has been terminated with a rubber line with a bolt in the end of it. I tried plugging the oiler line form the backing plate as it was dripping way too much oil on my chain and tire and rear rim, but when I did oil started blowing from every joint in my engine. That's when I tried the reed valve in line on the vent tube but it didn't work. I think Jean or Ludvig replied that our early bikes were already vented with an timed interval vent in the engine. Do you agree with Hobot's assessment which is to just keep the chain clean and dry. I have been using various chain lubes since I eliminated the oiler line.
Mark's bike is definitely a metallic sparkle red, a much nicer color in my opinion than my boring red. What year is your bike Mark and is it an original color? Here's photo of my red.

And here is a photo of the bike with the new Nelson Rigg bags on it. I am having a hard time keeping the left bag clear of the pipes. I think I will carry an extra gallon of gas in the right bag which should weight it
down enough to let the left bad ride higher. Also you can see the bubbles in my paint. There is a larger one under the front strap which is why I'm thinking about a repaint.

Here's one from a day at the abandoned race track South of Juarez before I added the windshield.

Re: Jean's photo is that the same bike which he has in his avatar which is now the green cafe racer? Because the cafe racer looks more like a old Norton with the upright engine.
Bruce

Bruce,
There was a later central style oil tank made that has the timed breather going into the tank but not in that top hat thingy. Nelson got one and is going to see if that makes any difference with the dripping. I was thinking about un-brazing the tube into my top hat, and putting one that has a bend in it so it can't splash into the tank vent, which is what I think is happening.

Yes, I soldered shut the chain oiler off of the return banjo, that was one of the first things I did. I plan on just lubing the chain myself and replacing it often, you can get decent standard chains for about $35 delivered, that's less than filling the P/U.

I was also thinking about making a drip line off the hole in the front of the oil tank to drip down on the road instead of the gearbox.

Well, if you're in your late 50's or 60's we all remember the psychedelic era, the flake goes with it.

Dave
69S

I've never seen one of the central oil tanks with two pipes going into the "top hat". Not sure what the other would have been for. Like Dave said, I just got a tank from I believe a '70 model and the breather pipe goes to another stub in front of the "top hat". I'm sure this was to help reduce oil dribbling down th overflow pipe, which runs up into the "top hat".

Dave, those eBay side panels are the later style - the right hand one covers the oil tank and the tool storage is in the left one.

Dave
My engine vent hose is definitely going into the top hat on my bike.
Re the oil drip line, I routed mine above the oil tank and all the way to the back fender and slid it behind the license plate because even when I had it routed to the swingarm by the axle it would get oil all over my tire. I thought about just dropping it straight down thru the engine cradle but I didn't want the oil dripping in front of the rear tire. I was going to try to route it back into the tank via that other hole which is blocked with a rubber plug. I don't remember why I didn't do that; probably didn't have the right connector. If I ever take the oil tank off maybe I could solder a fitting in that hole where I could connect the oil drip line.
Re: central oil tank and top hat, the cap for my tank is under the right hand side cover which is fastened with one of those Dzus clips and the tool pocket is in that cover. Is this what you call a central mounting?
BS

Bruce,
No, what I mean central mounting, is the oil tank is mounted centrally on the bike as opposed to the 71 and up where it went on the right side under the side panel, sort of like the fastback. Mine is arranged just like yours, except I only have one pipe going into the top hat.

I'm not sure I would take that hose from the hole in the front of the tank back into the tank, that's what vents the tank to the atmosphere, otherwise you will be building up pressure in the tank. I think the later oil tanks with the timed breather going in away from the top hat is an attempt to keep oil from getting into that vent, but I am not positive, Nelson thinks the same.

It appears that most 69-70 S and Roadster models leak out of that front oil tank hole, there are a few examples that don't, haven't figured that out unless it is the newer tank.

Dave
69S

16 pleats, gold Norton logo.