Dommy SS Barrels

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I was asked if the barrels were ever stamped SS, and I'm sure I have seen it,however don't think it was common or signified any difference to the std barrel. Do you know any different?.
 
I was asked if the barrels were ever stamped SS, and I'm sure I have seen it,however don't think it was common or signified any difference to the std barrel. Do you know any different?.

well In one word NO they were Not only cast marks are the part number
 
I believe Bob was responding to a question I put to him when we met in Clapham the other week. My 88 barrels have a stamp on the mating surface which looks a lot like "SS" (or could be a badly-stamped "88"). The engine number on the crank cases looks 1960-ish, but the barrels could have come from a different year, of course. The barrels do not have the drilling for the dynamo strap, so look to be from an alternator engine. The engine is not original to the bike, the frame being a wideline model 50, with altered engine plate mounts to allow a twin engine to be fitted. The pushrod tunnels seem to accept barreled SS pushrods fine.

Photo attached. Can anyone throw any light on whether these are SS barrels? Anyone seen such a stamp before?

https://postimg.org/image/u2g02uh1x/7c631a13/
 
These are not SS barrels in my opinion. The front of the fin area is the wrong profile. They would be the same shape as Commando barrels if they were. The picture shows the pre '59 type & SS bikes were made from '61.

Martyn.
 
Below is a photo of the barrels that came on my '64 650SS - no stamp of any kind between the bores but it has "A" stamped where Russell's barrels have "B" behind each bore.
Hope this is of use to someone
Cheers
Rob
Dommy SS  Barrels
 
The photo that Bernhard posted of the alloy barrel, is of my cylinder, and from my Instagram feed. They are NOS Norman White alloy barrels for a 650 Norton. Norman White produced the barrels in alloy, and included the boss at the front in the casting, for the earlier 500 motor. The boss, would be to mount the strap for the dynamo. He produced one casting, and then machined them, for either the 500, or the 650. Mine is for a 650, and therefore the boss at the front, isn't machined or taped since it wouldn't need a strap for the dynamo.
These alloy cylinders, also have the recessed holes, to use the later Commando style thru bolt, and the fins are drilled to accept those bolts. Other than those two modifications, it's exactly the same as a stock 650ss barrel. I have a stock 650ss barrel as well. Norman made less than 50 of these cylinders, so they're quite rare. If anyone needs any more info, please feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to help. I know there's not many of these cylinders out there, so I'm lucky enough to be able to compare them side by side.
Cheers
Jeff
 
The barrels Norman made were based on the earlier outer profile which matched the earlier shape head, as fitted to pre 59 motors. Look at the photo Rob SS posted above. There is a vee shaped cutout in the fins between the two studs. Whilst I am no expert, I have been working on Norton twins for forty years now & have only ever seen this later shape of barrel fitted to SS era bikes.
 
I know what you mean about the fee shape, and all I can really say is that the SS head, fits and works on the Norman White cylinder.
The nicest things about it, are of course the drastic weight savings and the thru bolts, to add rigidity. Plus it's NOS, so I'm starting my build with standard bore cylinders.
 
I actually think that stamping is SS, and not 88. I have three SS heads, and one of them is stamped SS, while the other two, don't have a stamping, so I think it's very possible that its an SS stamping.
 
The bike has a big-valve head on it, and twin monoblocks, and it certainly goes well enough - it made it to Applecross, Town Yetholm and Weston in 2017, and I'm setting it up for the international rally in Austria in August.

Again, thanks for the replies.

https://postimg.org/image/bsmpuphnp/
 
Fantastic bike. Would mind sending me photos of the carbs and manifold set-up and tach mounting from a cockpit view? I can PM you my email address.

Scott
 
Hello Scott - thanks, and no problem at all. The manifold was an ebay item which I had to get welded as the metal is very thin and someone had gone through it in a couple of places with a spanner. RGM do new ones, at a price, with a balance pipe, which would help with a steady tickover, probably. The tach was an after-market item which cost me all of £25 - I have a genuine chrono Smiths rev counter, but it was my old fella's 21st present from his dad, which he had as the sole instrument on his Manx in the '50s - so I am keen not to lose it. I had to get a bracket made in stainless, as the orientation of the studs on the back of the replica tacho was non-standard. It all looks well enough, even if I wouldn't rely on the accuracy of the reading. Send me a pm and I will send you some photos of how it all fits together. Air filtration is challenging with twin carbs (as is jetting with filters on) but I have a couple of options which you could try if you want to go down this route.
 
I was asked if the barrels were ever stamped SS, and I'm sure I have seen it,however don't think it was common or signified any difference to the std barrel. Do you know any different?.

Are you asking about 88 barrels?
If so, I have 4 generator barrels and 2 alternator barrels. One of the alternator barrels I acquired is still at standard bore.
Marking is "B" grade/size and SS next to each cylinder. This engine is the basis for my faux 62 88SS in the 63 atlas rolling chassis.
Dommy SS  Barrels
 
I think I'm beginning to see the light. Bores can be graded A or B depending how they come out in manufacture and a slightly loser bore would be more suitable for an SS . So the SS stamping would not signify any other differences.
 
Hello Bob - I think I read somewhere that SS barrels had more room in the pushrod tunnels for the fatter SS pushrods. That may be another difference.

Has anyone got a pre-down draft head 88SS (1960?) on the original barrels? Were these the earlier or later pattern finning at the front? I will try and dig out that old Motor Cyling road test where they clocked one at well over the ton at MIRA, see if there is a clear shot of the motor.
 
Hello Bob - I think I read somewhere that SS barrels had more room in the pushrod tunnels for the fatter SS pushrods. That may be another difference.
snip

SS cam had higher lift and more rocker arm arc
Looking at the push rod tunnels, I would be inclined to agree. What I see is the tunnel, on the exhaust side only, is relieved toward the cam...i.e.front side
I would surmise that allows the push rod to rock toward the cam/front of the engine being led by the ball end of the rocker while rising.
The intake ball end would rock to the rear...and since it is the longer rocker arm the arcing movement is less. Since no interference may have been found, there was no reason for a cure on the intake side.
 
Hello Dynodave - is this greater pushrod-tunnel clearance on barrels stamped "SS" (and "B") with the pre-1962(?) old-style finning pattern at the front of the barrel?
 
Hello Dynodave - is this greater pushrod-tunnel clearance on barrels stamped "SS" (and "B") with the pre-1962(?) old-style finning pattern at the front of the barrel?

The SS barrels in the pix have the same finning pattern as the +.080 worn out barrels that came with the original 1959 bottom end. The finning is also the same as all the generator 500 barrels. I would guess that these are 61 SS barrels, though I am putting the S650/136 head on it, as 1962 88SS configuration.
 
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