Hi all,
yesterday I started restoring my oil tank. After cleaning a question popped up.

My tank is chromed, than painted in silver and than the typical black lines on two sides. Does any know the exact and original look a like of this oil tank.

Chromed from the outside? Exact position of the black painted lines. Dimension of the black lines.

This is how my tank looks like






Thanks a lot
Phillip

email (option): phillip.thaler@gmx.at

On the image in the 1936 Norton brochure, the oil tank is slightly different than yours with the filler nearer the back.


I don't know if this is just the artists impression as the pictures of 1936 bikes I have look like this.





The tanks is still slightly different than yours. I would say your tanks is later as it's the same as my WD16H one, but I hope this helps

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Just for interest. The oil tanks on those 36 models look similar to the ones fitted to the WD big 4's. Which are designed to hold another 1/2 pint than the 16H tank.

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

It certainly is an unusually shaped neck? Swan like? Oh dear! what am I saying!

Don't forget there is a thin red line inside the black one!

The Norton oil tank situation is complicated and not helped by the fact that the catalogue illustrations were often of the previous years model, suitably adapted by an artist.

I think that Phillip's tank is correct for 1936.

The tank changed for 1937 to that with the short filler. This was necessary as although it wasn't catalogued, the roadster frames had an altered saddle spring mount from vertical to horizontal. The earlier longer neck does not clear the later horizontal spring lug.

As the change wasn't listed, it's difficult to say exactly when it occurred but certainly at the start of the 1936 build (September 1935-on) they had the longer neck and by September 1936 when the 1937 models began to emerge, they had changed.

Although the WD models are often referred to as '1937 models', in fact they used the 1936 frame. Matters are made worse as both forms of oil tank appeared to keep the same number (3581) This may be because the later tank could be retro-fitted to earlier models and was supplied as a spare for civilian orders.

The '36 brochure does give a small image which might be a help in lining. The tank should be chrome with a silver panel lined in black / red. The all-over silver is a later change.



Clicking on the photo should show a bit more of the right hand side of the scan.

I've just looked through loads of pictures of 1930's and 40's Norton's and I can only find pictures of WD bikes with a tank like Phillip's. Your bike included Rik
Well they look the same to me or have I missed something?







I've just noticed that all these bikes are from about 1939. My later WD16H has a slightly shorter neck as you said Rik.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

This is what I'd expect, based upon my conviction that the original WD contracts were to 1936 rather than 1937 specification. The only other differences that I can see up to early 1940 were superficial, not as fundamental as a frame change.

If you look in O&M, you can see a picture of the 1935 MEE Test model. This started life as a late 1935 hand change model (note the hub dust covers).

This is the timing side :-



It has the 1935 and earlier more squared-off timing cover and different tappet cover but has adopted the '1936' oil tank which seems to have stayed on the WD bikes along with this style of frame.

For the civilian bikes, this was a fairly short-lived oil tank as it was adopted in late 1935 but at some point during 1936 (and it may have been earlier than the September catalogue / model year change) they went over to the horizontal saddle spring mounts and were forced to change it again.

They did indeed later change the wartime oil tanks, ultimately ending up with a simplified two-piece heavy pressing with short neck.

Thanks for that Rik, that would make sense. But it doesn't explain the oil tanks on the 2 1936 bike pictures I posted, interesting that they were used on the B4. I've also found a number of '36 bikes with another oil tank that is very much like the artists drawing in the brochure with a long neck and rounded front, but I don't want to confuse the issue any more
This is of course assuming that these bikes are original spec

Do you know what bikes this other oil tank like Ron's B4, fits?

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

This will throw the cat among the pigeons...

Here's a 1938 Model 18 with the same oil tank as the '36 bikes I posted and Ron's B4.
As Ron said this type of tank holds more oil, I wonder if it was an optional part or used in hotter countries..?



I'm slowly gathering the parts to make a replica of this bike (without the ball breaking Tommy gun mount) and I need an oil tank. I've been looking for a 16H type and annoyingly a tank like the one fitted on this M18 was on ebay recently, I didn't buy it because it was the wrong type for a 16H. I didn't realise until now that it's the one I want

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Unless you're looking at period photos and can positively date the images then it's all a bit of guesswork. The restored Model 18 in your picture looks to be a 'Bitsa' to me - It has a flange fixed OHV barrel rather than the through-bolted type introduced for 1936 (as per the 1936 brochure illustration)...but it is a 1936 or later bottom end with the rounded timing cover. I don't think it's safe to use it as a reference. The frame and oil tank may well be late 1936 but who knows whether it was one built for the 1937 season, or even if there were 1936 season bikes built with the new style frame ?

COV is a series first issued in January 1937 and the presence of a CVC box as well as the double-bolted rear number plate fixing confirm that this is not a 1936 model.

Incidentally, the cradle framed models, including the ES2 used a different part number so that's another possible permutation.

I don't know if the WD Big 4 had a larger capacity oil tank or if it simply used the current civilian tank which was also larger. Certainly these tanks were also used on many of the India Office bikes (as were the later frames and the 1938 pattern engine).

I don't imagine that if Nortons introduced something as boring as a revised oil tank, it was always fitted at the year change and if they had hundreds in stock, there is a good possibility that they weren't fitted in sequence.

Basically, if you have a frame from 1937 or later and it isn't a WD16H frame then it will have the horizontal saddle spring mounts and you HAVE to use the tank with the inset filler and enlarged area alongside the down tube. The curved neck type will foul the spring boss. I know this as I sold one to Kostas and that is when we found out that he definitely had an India Office frame on one of his bikes.

Thanks Guy's for the detailed explenation.
Does anyone have the color code (RAL) for the gray, black and red paint?

Thanks

Phillip

email (option): phillip.thaler@gmx.at

Sorry Phillip, we've got a bit carried away

I don't think it needs a number for the paint. The black is just gloss black, the red is so fine that any bright red will do and the cans of silver paint I have are labled Vaxhall silver and Ford silver, both look the same and will look fine on the bike.

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Here's a picture that might be more help to you

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk