Andover Norton parts...again

Hi All,'


Been awhile since I posted here but thought I'd once AGAIN complain/warn about current Andover Norton parts.

I have virtually never found a current AN part to fit on my '73 commando without some work required and it happened again with a tach cable. I had purchased a Venhill cable but it didn't have the spade end to fit into the tach drive. So I ordered an AN cable that came with the spade end. The tach end of the AN cable would not fit into the tach. The Venhill cable end fit perfectly into the tach so I removed the spade end from the AN cable and used it with the Venhill cable. The AN cable would work fine but requires filing the flats on the tach end to fit into the oem tach. Why is that necessary?

Unrelated to the above - just ordered the e-start kit for my bike from Norvil.

Two possibilities. 1. the cable was not made correctly or 2. your tachometer input may be damaged. Related, I bought a Venhill tach cable last year and it came with the spade drive part.

What other parts have you had trouble with from Andover? My experience is flawless from this source.

mike996 said:

Hi All,'


Been awhile since I posted here but thought I'd once AGAIN complain/warn about current Andover Norton parts.

I have virtually never found a current AN part to fit on my '73 commando without some work required and it happened again with a tach cable. I had purchased a Venhill cable but it didn't have the spade end to fit into the tach drive. So I ordered an AN cable that came with the spade end. The tach end of the AN cable would not fit into the tach. The Venhill cable end fit perfectly into the tach so I removed the spade end from the AN cable and used it with the Venhill cable. The AN cable would work fine but requires filing the flats on the tach end to fit into the oem tach. Why is that necessary?

Unrelated to the above - just ordered the e-start kit for my bike from Norvil.

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Been awhile since I posted here but thought I'd once AGAIN complain/warn about current Andover Norton parts.

Oh no, the demise of Andover :shock: Hopefully you let them know of this? Thanks for the complain/warn note. :|

"What other parts have you had trouble with from Andover?"

I posted a list of stuff in several posts here a year or two (or more) back when I was active on the forum but everything from simple nuts/ bolts to piston rings to an airbox cover did not fit. One of the tabs on the airbox cover had to be cut off and rebrazed in the proper position - they were misaligned by nearly 3/4" and the cover could not be mounted without repairing it. Most of the AN nuts/bolts seem to have been plated after being machined/cut to the proper size so that the plating now makes the threads slightly oversize. With piston rings the folks I buy all my parts from said they would actually open multiple sets of rings and check/send me a matching set that would meet specs after the set I received could not produce proper end gap for the piston/bore. They said the variation was common.

Frankly, I just assume that any AN part I get will have to be "adjusted" to work. In most cases it it not insurmountable but it is annoying.

mike996 said:

"What other parts have you had trouble with from Andover?"

I posted a list of stuff in several posts here a year or two (or more) back when I was active on the forum but everything from simple nuts/ bolts to piston rings to an airbox cover did not fit. One of the tabs on the airbox cover had to be cut off and rebrazed in the proper position - they were misaligned by nearly 3/4" and the cover could not be mounted without repairing it. Most of the AN nuts/bolts seem to have been plated after being machined/cut to the proper size so that the plating now makes the threads slightly oversize. With piston rings the folks I buy all my parts from said they would actually open multiple sets of rings and check/send me a matching set that would meet specs after the set I received could not produce proper end gap for the piston/bore. They said the variation was common.

Frankly, I just assume that any AN part I get will have to be "adjusted" to work. In most cases it it not insurmountable but it is annoying.

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And these were purchased directly from Andover or from a dealer. And which dealer was it...

I buy all my Commando parts from a very well known and respected Commando parts/aftermarket supplier in the US that most Commando owners in the US are very familiar with. These are AN parts in sealed, original AN bags/with cards/part numbers. You are right to ask which supplier but I don't want to adversely affect their business on something that they have no control over. They are great at correcting any issues - exchanging, whatever is necessary. But they shouldn't have to.

If others do not have such general problems with AN parts, perhaps my '73 is the only Norton Commando that was manufactured to some other mechanical spec!

I have recently purchased well over $1,000.00 worth of Andover Norton (AN) packaged parts from a well known Seattle based supplier for my just completed 850 Commando.

Every part that I received from them and I repeat, every part was of very good quality and fit perfectly. I ordered a seat, handlebars, rebuild kits, cables, gaskets, washers, seals, hardware, o-rings etc.....you name it, I probably ordered it.

Nothing but high praise for the the supplier and all of the AN parts.

I bought a tach cable earlier this year. Fit perfectly.

I'm also in the camp that I have never had an issue with any AN parts.

You rebrazed an airbox cover since it didn't fit? Are you sure your bike isn't the cause?

Threads slightly oversize because of plating? How bad, did you have to run a die on them? Of course they plate after they machine, perhaps you aren't very familiar with how things are made... :roll:

Either you are very picky or very unlucky.

Every part I have purchased that has come in a AN sealed bag has fit as expected. I too have spent thousands on parts over the years, most from the Seattle based supplier, and never a problem. I do know there are a few suppliers to stay away from, they are known to use low quality reproductions.

No issues here regarding Andover parts. Good fitment's for me. I do like their thick mil plastic bags they seal up the parts in. However, their cardboard boxes seems a little thinner than the USA. Years ago from previous orders the cardboad was crappy and sometimes came with perferations. I ordered a front & rear chrome rim recently and they packed it very well. The rims nicely wrapped in sturdy paper. Happy Camper Here.

"You rebrazed an airbox cover since it didn't fit? Are you sure your bike isn't the cause?

The tabs were 3/4" out of line with each other - clearly a manufacturing defect.

Threads slightly oversize because of plating? How bad, did you have to run a die on them? Of course they plate after they machine, perhaps you aren't very familiar with how things are made...

I did not have suitable die and in several cases could not use them for fear of damaging the bikes threads which readily accepted all old norton fasteners. I understand how things are made - but I wonder if AN does...if you are going to plate fasteners , they have to be machined so that they end up the correct size AFTER plating, not before.

Either you are very picky or very unlucky."

Darn right I'm picky - I expect parts that are sold to fit a specific application to do so without having to modify them. Interesting that I have had no trouble with any oem original NOS parts or used original parts fitting perfectly. Over the past few days I tried the AN tach cable in two other Commando tachs - wouldn't fit in the other two either. Sure, a file fixed the cable...why is that necessary? Venhill managed to get it right.

Like others here - name a Norton part and I have probably purchased it. I have rebuilt/restored virtually every item on this Commando so it's not as if I have no experience. I professionally built competition and high performance engines for many years so I'm not exactly a neophyte at this. But I will accept the notion that I'm just unlucky with AN.

If you were to take a guess what percentage of parts that you got from AN would you deem unusable?

Given that AN monitors this forum specific examples and pictures would benefit them in they're sourcing and QA process. As has been discussed in the past they do not have the resources to QA every single part but when they have specific examples (down to part numbers) they may be able to spot check the batch.

I thought the air cleaner cover tabs were spot welded and not brazed.

I don't think plating could get thick enough to affect the fit, unless someone fell asleep and didn't take them out in time.

Yes, you are right - the tabs on the air box cover are spot welded. I don't have a spot welder so I cut one off and brazed it back in proper alignment. The supplier offered to send me another cover that they would check first at no charge but it was easier for me (time-wise) to just fix it.

I would estimate that at least 70% of the AN parts I have ordered have required some fettling to fit properly. I will admit that that is better than having NO parts available at all because, in most cases I could adjust the parts to work. My complaint - maybe unjustified(?) is that no fitting should be necessary based on the fact that the parts are supposed to be (if I understand correctly) oem replacement parts for these bikes. But when I remove original parts that fit perfectly and the new ones don't, it indicates to me that the new-manufactured parts are not made to the exact same spec as the originals.

As I noted earlier - a few years back I posted specifics on many of the parts I had trouble with. I didn't keep a log of that so to redo it would be from memory. It appears from other comments that my experience is unusual but I'm not being even slightly sarcastic when I say that I ASSUME that any AN parts I get will not just "bolt in." I promise you I would much prefer your luck to mine!

My experience with AN parts has been pretty good. A lot of this stuff didn't go together very well back then, so why should now be any different.

Snorton74 said:

My experience with AN parts has been pretty good. A lot of this stuff didn't go together very well back then, so why should now be any different.

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Which is why there are two assumptions one could make: Mike either has horrific luck (as in you should stand close by not too close to him in a thunderstorm) or his bike is so irregular that stock parts don't fit it. They may have forced the parts together on the assembly line.

While one could postulate that it's the new parts that are at fault the general consensus is that they fit most other folks bikes just fine.

As the owner not only of Andover Norton, but a few Norton motorcycles as well that I wrench on, ride, and race, I should be embarrassed to put it mildly, in fact horrified, if Mike996's experiences were the norm.

From my personal experience in the workshop, say from rebuilding the 1971 boxes of bits into my current everyday bike, the Signal Orange Roadster, I simply do not know what Mike996's complaints stem from other than ignorance, as in the case of the air filter plate, for which the drawing shows the two ears are NOT at the same height, but one ear 1 19/32" from the centre line through the holes for the air hoses of the carbs, the other 1 23/32".

Now if Mike996 expects them to be at the same height, he is going to be disappointed, because Andover Norton parts are made to factory drawings- and that is what the factory drawing says!

I do not know if his other complaints are of similar factual quality, but from my personal experience fitting our parts to my Commandos I suspect that to be the case.

What we can do nothing about is the variations that were built into the bikes originally. That means, our parts, made to factory spec, may not fit original parts from times in Norton's history when quality control was more "liberal" in attitude, partly, because consistent quality wasn't as easy to achieve as it is today on modern CNC machinery, partly because the bikes had to go out of the door to bring urgently needed money in.

Joe Seifert

I used to buy a lot of 'genuine' AN parts with various fitting/quality problems from a known dealer until I learned they sell cheap pattern parts amongst these parts. Now I get my AN parts from another AN dealer: no more problems! A shame people pollute the market to amass more money.

I used to buy a lot of 'genuine' AN parts with various fitting/quality problems from a known dealer until I learned they sell cheap pattern parts amongst these parts.

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Which is why some names are conspicious in their absence from our "Dealer/Distributor" list now. See http://www.andover-norton.co.uk/Distributors.htm

One obvious way to ensure you are buying genuine AN parts is to buy direct through their website, very easy to use, clear line drawings, my only criticism is that it's not a full transactional web site, in other words you have to ring or fax your credit card number through. Other than that very quick service and you know what you are buying, simples.

All my AN parts were purchased from one of the US dealers on the list in sealed AN bags.

The airbox lid in question would not even remotely bolt up as delivered. When compared to an original lid on a friend's Commado, the tabs were clearly nowhere close to the same position. Certainly, it could have been a one-time defect from AN and, as I said, the dealer offered to send another one at no charge. But the fact remains that it was just one of many parts that needed work for me to use. Same was true of the piston rings which had gaps too wide for the application (and, as noted, the dealer offered to open packages and check gaps in a cyl of the same bore and send me a hand-selected set of rings). I ended up with a NOS set supplied by a friend which gapped in spec. But yes, perhaps the answer is that my Commando was simply assembled on a bad day though I can't understand why NOS parts fit perfectly. But if no one else is having such issues, then clearly it is a personal problem for me/my Commando and not generally related to AN fitment for Commandos in general.

As I said, I am happy to have a source and appreciate that they are being made. I would much rather "adjust" something than have to make it from scratch.