Kickstart rubbing exhaust

I just noticed that on my new norton, the kickstart is rubbing the exhaust and scratching the pipes! Not cool. Any advice on how to eliminate this problem?

Thanks

only way I know is change kick arm or change ur exhaust type

Loosen the Muffler where it mounts to the Headpipe AND loosen the headpipe where it goes into the Head.
Close the gap between the Headpipe and the frame so that the Kickstarter clears and hold the Headpipe with something (rope).
Tighten everything back up.

And/or buy a Mark III Kickstart lever (it sticks out farther).

Unclviny

Your problem is a lot more common than you'd think. A Mk III k/s arm may fix your problem and help maintain the symmetry in the rear view of your Norton (both mufflers have the same angle and arc out with the same dimension).

I have never had the luxury of pipes that fit perfectly out of the box; I bend them. I do this by figuring how much they need to move and in what direction. Then I remove the muffler, loosen the flange nut, move the bare pipe out to where I can give it some serious torque, retighten the flange nut (or you may hurt the threads in the head) and begin bending; I do this in many small steps going back and forth with re-fitting the pipe/muffler and bending untill the fit is perfect; that is a fit where the k/s clears and the pipe/muffler fit with no stress.

If your symmetry is off (right---left pipe/muffler assemblies) you can bend the left side untill you achieve the degree of perfection that suites you.

Remember to do the bending slowly with torque, not with impulse, in small steps.

Mk III k/s arms cost over $100, even used on E-Bay no one gives them away.

RS

I just loosen the head nut, push the muffler in towards the bike with my foot, and hold it there while I retorque the head nut (to 60 lbs-ft). Repeat the pushing in/tightening sequence, without loosening first, the first couple times I run the bike, with engine hot and idling before shutting down. Works a treat.

Have a look at your 'Z' plates. The rear mountings should have a thick washer as well as the spacer (between plate and frame gusset). This pulls the rear of the silencer out put pushes the front inwards as it is positioned by the isolastic stud. It can be enough to give the required clearance.

Try this



Works good!

Bought it here

http://www.rgmmotors.co.uk

I like the MkIII kick start lever - it sticks out a little farther, so clearance against the pipe is not an issue, and its a little longer, maybe 1/2". It doesn't sound like much, but it gives you just that little bit extra leverage.

The lever that came on my bike wasn't genuine Norton, anyway, but a Racing Spares (Les Harris), and worn out at the peg pivot. Since I had to get one, I went for the late style.

79x100 i am interested in your post but looking at a genuine 1971 parts book i do not see the extra washer, just the ones that go against the bolt head and the nut.

i to have had the same problem with a new arrival to the family a 69 fastback with later pipes and mufflers, when purchased it had rearsets which i replaced with std pegs and yes the same, i trried 4 different sets of pipes with only a set of a friends old factory origonals clearing the kickstart. maybe each time the pipes get copied there must be a difference?

possm said:

79x100 i am interested in your post but looking at a genuine 1971 parts book i do not see the extra washer, just the ones that go against the bolt head and the nut.

Click to expand...

You're quite right of course and that is part of the problem.

To quote the then factory Quality Engineer Tim Stevens in the old NOC Service Notes :-

"...the catalogue is not strictly accurate - as well as the spacers between the frame and the side plates there are extra 3/8" washers on the 3/8" bolts. This was to cock the plates outwards at the rear and avoid a snarl-up of the rear brake cable and the silencer studs."

I have them on my Mk111 so I can't comment on the brake cable aspect but they do have the effect of bringing the rear of the silencer out wider and the front closer to the frame. Every little helps !

You can also fit the later 850 spherical exhaust washers, these allow the header to be turned in but not forced back out when the large nuts are tightened, they work with 750 header pipes so no need to change those.

I wound up adjusting the exhaust. I loosened up the exhaust and the rubber things near the rear of the bike, and had my wife push down gently as I tightened everything back up. Now everything is good, and it isn't rubbing anymore. I guess I will keep my eyes out for a mkIII kickstart and watch my exhaust in the meantime.

Thanks

sammyman said:

I wound up adjusting the exhaust. I loosened up the exhaust and the rubber things near the rear of the bike, and had my wife push down gently as I tightened everything back up. Now everything is good, and it isn't rubbing anymore. I guess I will keep my eyes out for a mkIII kickstart and watch my exhaust in the meantime.

Thanks

Click to expand...

You pretty much fixed it.