Rik, here are the levers and horn button setup on my 16H, original apart from the dip switch which is WD pattern. Bars are 1" Hope this helps.
Tim W
email (option): t.j.walker@btinternet.com
It looks as if they didn't change from '35 to '39. As per Lex, I'd be keen to see a good plan view photo and a front elevation - and if you ever have the top clamp / lever removed for any reason, a picture would be handy.
The top levers do turn up (or components at least) but the lower clamp / pivots seem to have disappeared. I'm hoping to put a set together to sell to Lex for Loads of Money !
....I'll have to get up early though as he seems to have swept every jumble clean before I even get there.
Thanks Tim, that would be splendid!! maybe you could confim a 1" distance (center to center) of the lever's cable ferrule, and fulcrum screw??
Rik, while you were drinking some nice Belgian "Tripel" beer, I was out hunting for parts, and found the following:
Looks like the same in the parts lists, both 16H and B4 have the same number:
But still a little different in the wartime pictures:
Before someone mentions it, know that the two levers in the top picture are both front brake ones, as the clutch one is 1" shorter!
Cheers,
Lex
email (option): welbike@welbike.net
Tim, that would be helpful but please don't blame me if a screw sheers off, I did very carefully only ask for you to look next time it was apart.... By the way, I have the page on the 'Vintage Norton' blog site showing your bike saved under my favourites.
Lex, Belgian jumbles are impossible without drinking something. In fact there is usually more beer than Norton parts.
As you know, my 16H is from contract C5109 and this appears to be the first of the parts books with a supersession list. Instead of the levers 3537 and 3539, it lists one lever 3980 for both and the 'body' 3538 and 3540 is replaced by one body for both sides - 3979.
Conventional wisdom has it that the clutch lever was used on both sides and this may well be true of the later pressed steel units but when mine was dragged out of its 65-year storage, it had a broken single clamp dangling on the cable with what is clearly a right hand (brake) lever fitted. This is a 6" lever - does this mean that they used a 6" clutch lever as well for early wartime production ? I've fitted a 5" clutch to mine to replace the missing original
The point of all this is that these later non-combination levers had 1 1/8" centres - confirmed by what was on mine and all the clearly WD Norton items that I've found since. Did they change from 1" centres in late 1939 or were the combination levers also that distance ? I have been looking for 1 1/8" - perhaps they don't exist and that's why I haven't found any....
Isn't it wonderful how a thread going off-topic can re-ignite this research ? (but then I'm a rivet-counter, I would think that !)
Yes Rik, that's my 16H on the Vintage Norton site, also 2 of my other vintage OHV bangers are on there as well. Removed the brake lever today here are the pics
As Lex said mine has the 5" clutch lever and a 6" brake lever handed with the slot for the cable nipple at the bottom.
Both are 1 1/8" centres pivot to nipple. You need this to lift the Norton clutch to stop it dragging, sure you both know.
If you look at the brass clamp section it's a more of a square section ie not rounded off.
Next pic shows the air lever, all chrome on brass apart from the top cover, Again look at the section around the cable inlet, note the square section, advance lever is the same but handed.
Hope this helps.
PS I won't be lifting the cylinder so you can look at the piston!
Cheers
Tim W
email (option): t.j.walker@btinternet.com
Dave, unfortunatly totally different, this is the Matchless setup, have a couple of those.
Rik and Tim, have measured again, and it is 1 1/8" don't know how I came up with one inch before? anyway many thanks for the pictures, now I can move forward, and will ask around to have the clampy bits cast, as I need at least 3 sets.
Rik, can you post a picture of what you have or need? I cannot understand how one part can work for both l&r side?
Thanks,
Lex
The Norton levers seem to have been made to Doherty patents (although they're generally not marked as such). They are of a better quality and more sophisticated construction than the Bowden or Amal components (no leather washers in conical seats here !)
Lex, glad to hear that you've actually got 1 1/8" and not just a 1-incher !
I don't actually need anything Lex (that's not strictly true, I NEED to know as much as possible about pre- and early-war WD Nortons !)
Mine is correct with its non-combination pivots (these are obviously not right or left handed and I assume that was the reason for the change from the combination type, even though it meant stocking back-plates and using four of them for all the levers).
I suppose that I live in hope of finding some NOS dull-chromed combination levers so that I can try them on the bike and see if they do look much tidier (and if they allow the use of the tapped holes for the dip switch).
Probably, I'd just keep them for private enjoyment...My Precious....