What were the EARLIEST Commando head steadies?

What were the EARLIEST Commando head steadies used with a single central fixing bolt on top of the head (rocker oil feeds on top at either side)???

And, were those simply Atlas power units, tipped forward?

Earliest would have been the type fitted to the widowmaker frame. I'm not aware of any being single bolt or any Commando head having rocker feeds "on top".

grandpaul said:

And, were those simply Atlas power units, tipped forward?

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No.

Even the Earl’s Court prototype Commando in 1967 had rocker feed pipes on the sides of the head…at least from this photo.

Splitting hairs ……….but aren’t they on the rocker box?

Stevo said:

Splitting hairs ……….but aren’t they on the rocker box?

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Well no, not really. One of the distinctive features of the Norton head is that the rockers are integrated into the head casting. The rocker covers are just that. Covers.

While this means fitting the pushrods can be a bit of a challenge, any leaks at a rocker box joint are eliminated. It may be a bit of a legend but reportedly several other head designs had issues with the rocker boxes moving about a few thou and giving leak and performance issues.

I've got an early head steady with through hardware you can have for free . Also very early scrolled rocker shafts .

L.A.B. said:

Earliest would have been the type fitted to the widowmaker frame. I'm not aware of any being single bolt or any Commando head having rocker feeds "on top".

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Then he's got an Atlas head on a Commando, it would appear. I believe I've seen that a time or three...

grandpaul said:

Then he's got an Atlas head on a Commando, it would appear. I believe I've seen that a time or three...

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Who he?

APRRSV said:

Who he?

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He's the guy in the Norton Commando fecebook group wondering what the heck.

Torontonian said:

I've got an early head steady with through hardware you can have for free . Also very early scrolled rocker shafts .

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so is it the same as the slightly later ones, presumably? I can’t believe it isn’t , as it would have surfaced on this forum several times by now!

grandpaul said:

He's the guy in the Norton Commando fecebook group wondering what the heck.

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I saw that one - My response was 'looks like you've got an Atlas head', but in fairness to the guy, he pointed to an exploded view of 'The New Norton Commando' engine which does show the Atlas head, hence supporting his case - he's got the head, and the drawing to back it up.

I posted a photo from a '68 road test of a very early production bike to provide some balance.

Yep, I too saw the PHOTO (of the engine), and disregarded the drawing, because I'd seen the exact same thing in my Kim the CD Man digital version.

grandpaul said:

Yep, I too saw the PHOTO (of the engine), and disregarded the drawing, because I'd seen the exact same thing in my Kim the CD Man digital version.

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The drawing in the '68 Commando parts book was copied from the Atlas illustration and incorporated in the first Commando parts book; besides illustrating the Atlas-type oil feed to the head, it shows the engine in a vertical position. A change was made to the drawing showing the oil pipe takeoff near the pressure relief on the primary cover and the oil pipe referenced in that parts book is the oil pipe that had the turned-down banjos at the head (as seen on all Commandos) -- very different from the Atlas type that has the banjos parallel to the top surface of the head. The head steady on the Atlas is a single screw (or maybe a stud and nut, details fuzzy in the old mind) which fixes a bracket which is, in turn, fixed to the Atlas Featherbed frame.
No Commandos had oil feed on the top surface, that's an Atlas feature. Early in the Commando design process at Plumstead Rd., the decision was made to use the three threaded points on the top surface of the head as an integral part of the Isolastic system (see the Earl's Court show photo of the earliest known Commando which actually represents the design details. )

Paul, the accurate parts drawing was also adapted from the original Norton Villiers parts book by Andover Norton and incorporated onto their website, and also copied onto Kim the CD Man's disks. It was the "official" publication in 1968 but it did not accurately reflect the specification details of the Commando engine.

Yeah, tell me something I DON'T know!

I have one of the first 300 Commandos made and it’s untouched (I got it off Jimbo) and it has a head steady that is held in place with 3 bolts.

Yorkie said:

I have one of the first 300 Commandos made and it’s untouched (I got it off Jimbo) and it has a head steady that is held in place with 3 bolts.

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Plain "early" style.
Triangular plates on each side.

Yorkie said:

I have one of the first 300 Commandos made and it’s untouched (I got it off Jimbo) and it has a head steady that is held in place with 3 bolts.

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Yorkie, please read up on the "widowmaker" frames and strongly consider whether you think that riding one at any speed is a good idea. Or, at least, have a competent welder do a good inspection of the welds and metal condition around the steering head on this motorcycle. Not telling you what you do with your property but I've seen some toe-curlin' results of the failure of those frames -- yes, some fatal.