Dominator 88 SS Barrels

[click]

Hi Lads,

A friend of mine is having issues with his 88 SS and needs a set of barrels, anybody have a set gathering dust under a bench?

 

[norton bob]

Hens teeth.

 

[click]

Hens teeth.

Ah, that's why he can't find any!!!

Are 88 barrels more available or is it just the 88 SS that are like 'hens teeth'!!

Obviously my knowledge of Dominators is extremly limited

 

[t ingermanson]

the model 88 was a more common motorbike, available for longer, so easier to find parts for.

the 88 barrels are reportedly usable on an ss if the pushrod passages are opened up for the bigger lobed cams and fatter pushrods. could be wrong though. never tried it myself.

good 88 barrels are also hard to find due to an unavailability of pistons historically. a lot of them were bored out to 68mm to use 99 pistons, which were more available. apparently the opened up barrels can be sleeved back to standard.

what is the trouble he's having with the motor/barrels?

 

[click]

the model 88 was a more common motorbike, available for longer, so easier to find parts for.

the 88 barrels are reportedly usable on an ss if the pushrod passages are opened up for the bigger lobed cams and fatter pushrods. could be wrong though. never tried it myself.

good 88 barrels are also hard to find due to an unavailability of pistons historically. a lot of them were bored out to 68mm to use 99 pistons, which were more available. apparently the opened up barrels can be sleeved back to standard.

what is the trouble he's having with the motor/barrels?

Appreciate all the info.

I had a very quick chat with him so I'm short on detail.

He originally had an oil burning issue and traced it to the bore. He had it bored out to +80. He eventually got the barrels relined back to standard by Norvil but after 90 miles the smoking started.
He was checking the bore & is convinced it's oval, he says he can see marks from the piston rings only on some parts of the bore but not on others.

He was waiting for a loan of a cylinder bore gauge so he could verify his theory.

This chap has rebuilt a lot of brit engines, Triumph, BSA & Norton so he knows his stuff, this particular problem has him stumped.

His plan is to get another set of barrels, put the engine back together & see what happens!!

 

[norton bob]

88,99 and 650 barrels are all scarce , no 88/99 barrels were sent from the old Norton factory to AMC in 1963, I doubt AMC made any,probably relied on dealers stocks, Took them a while to make usable parts after sacking all the Experienced staff.

 

[t ingermanson]

Appreciate all the info.

I had a very quick chat with him so I'm short on detail.

He originally had an oil burning issue and traced it to the bore. He had it bored out to +80. He eventually got the barrels relined back to standard by Norvil but after 90 miles the smoking started.
He was checking the bore & is convinced it's oval, he says he can see marks from the piston rings only on some parts of the bore but not on others.

He was waiting for a loan of a cylinder bore gauge so he could verify his theory.

This chap has rebuilt a lot of brit engines, Triumph, BSA & Norton so he knows his stuff, this particular problem has him stumped.

His plan is to get another set of barrels, put the engine back together & see what happens!!

seems like a reasonable plan. if only it were as easy as that.

i've only got a couple 88 (non ss) barrels, one set in need of sleeving to standard (+.080" and worn out) and one on a motor, so i'm not of much help, but i'm very interested in the outcome. keep us posted. the sleeving is debate is ongoing, but at some future point they'll all need it, whether we like it or not.