Right, here we go .........
This bike came to stay at CT HQ back in November as one of three barn find bikes which had stood dormant for 41 years. There's a thread about the day I went and uncovered them here - http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...-kind-of-way)?highlight=barn+find+interesting
This Norton has had just one owner, he's still with us but is now a very elderly gentleman. I have been commissioned to restore it by his nephew Peter who himself is 60, he remembers his uncle riding the bike when he was a small boy!
The bike is showing 18,000 miles and is absolutely 100% completely and utterly original, every nut, bolt, cable and wire. Even the handlebar grips are original!
The 41 years in the dank garage hadn't particularly been kind to the old girl but things could have been worse. The chrome has been affected most but the rest of the bike has faired ok considering.
The exhausts are absolutely shot, so much so that one of them literally fell apart on my trailer on the way back. The Chrome on the rims is just falling off.
The bike did however roll freely and the brakes seemed to work, as did the suspension.
_MG_8051 by tunneruk, on Flickr
_MG_8053 by tunneruk, on Flickr
_MG_8044 by tunneruk, on Flickr
_MG_8047 by tunneruk, on Flickr
_MG_8046 by tunneruk, on Flickr
_MG_8055 by tunneruk, on Flickr
_MG_8054 by tunneruk, on Flickr
I wheeled it up onto the ramp just before Christmas. Sadly the engine was seized somewhere. I quick look in the oil tank didn't look promising. Any oil that might have been in there 40 years ago had slowly made it's way out through the bottom of the crank case a long time ago
I soaked the bores with diesel for a couple of days before popping the chain cover off and putting a socket on the crank to ease the engine over.
The engine did ease over but there was a stubborn seized component somewhere in the valve train preventing the engine from turning over. Not ideal but not the end of the world.
Time to roll up my sleeves and get to work stripping her down!!
IMG_0145 by tunneruk, on Flickr
IMG_0147 by tunneruk, on Flickr
The bike came apart amazingly well. There wasn't a single seized not and bolt on the whole bike........ Until I tried to undo the exhaust collets :ague
Ordinarily these can be undone with a simple 'C' spanner .... not today my friends, not today .....
Luckily Pete runs the engineering firm next door so I drew up what I needed and he had it machined up
It's very similar to an Airhead spanner
IMG_0189 by tunneruk, on Flickr
IMG_0192 by tunneruk, on Flickr
IMG_0191 by tunneruk, on Flickr
IMG_0194 by tunneruk, on Flickr
Sadly the 'C' shape wasn't man enough to unto the biblically tight collets and quickly bent out of shape. Seeing as the exhausts were completely unusable I cut the downpipes and welded up the new collet tool. Fortunately it worked and the collets relinquished their grip!
IMG_0198 by tunneruk, on Flickr
Time to crack on with the strip down ..
IMG_0207 by tunneruk, on Flickr
IMG_0306 by tunneruk, on Flickr
IMG_0455 by tunneruk, on Flickr
IMG_0450 by tunneruk, on Flickr
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bC_Ge7Femrc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The bike is now 99% stripped ..... time for the real work to begin
This bike came to stay at CT HQ back in November as one of three barn find bikes which had stood dormant for 41 years. There's a thread about the day I went and uncovered them here - http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...-kind-of-way)?highlight=barn+find+interesting
This Norton has had just one owner, he's still with us but is now a very elderly gentleman. I have been commissioned to restore it by his nephew Peter who himself is 60, he remembers his uncle riding the bike when he was a small boy!
The bike is showing 18,000 miles and is absolutely 100% completely and utterly original, every nut, bolt, cable and wire. Even the handlebar grips are original!
The 41 years in the dank garage hadn't particularly been kind to the old girl but things could have been worse. The chrome has been affected most but the rest of the bike has faired ok considering.
The exhausts are absolutely shot, so much so that one of them literally fell apart on my trailer on the way back. The Chrome on the rims is just falling off.
The bike did however roll freely and the brakes seemed to work, as did the suspension.
_MG_8051 by tunneruk, on Flickr_MG_8053 by tunneruk, on Flickr_MG_8044 by tunneruk, on Flickr_MG_8047 by tunneruk, on Flickr_MG_8046 by tunneruk, on Flickr_MG_8055 by tunneruk, on Flickr_MG_8054 by tunneruk, on FlickrI wheeled it up onto the ramp just before Christmas. Sadly the engine was seized somewhere. I quick look in the oil tank didn't look promising. Any oil that might have been in there 40 years ago had slowly made it's way out through the bottom of the crank case a long time ago
I soaked the bores with diesel for a couple of days before popping the chain cover off and putting a socket on the crank to ease the engine over.
The engine did ease over but there was a stubborn seized component somewhere in the valve train preventing the engine from turning over. Not ideal but not the end of the world.
Time to roll up my sleeves and get to work stripping her down!!
IMG_0145 by tunneruk, on FlickrIMG_0147 by tunneruk, on FlickrThe bike came apart amazingly well. There wasn't a single seized not and bolt on the whole bike........ Until I tried to undo the exhaust collets :ague
Ordinarily these can be undone with a simple 'C' spanner .... not today my friends, not today .....
Luckily Pete runs the engineering firm next door so I drew up what I needed and he had it machined up
It's very similar to an Airhead spanner
IMG_0189 by tunneruk, on FlickrIMG_0192 by tunneruk, on FlickrIMG_0191 by tunneruk, on FlickrIMG_0194 by tunneruk, on FlickrSadly the 'C' shape wasn't man enough to unto the biblically tight collets and quickly bent out of shape. Seeing as the exhausts were completely unusable I cut the downpipes and welded up the new collet tool. Fortunately it worked and the collets relinquished their grip!
IMG_0198 by tunneruk, on FlickrTime to crack on with the strip down ..
IMG_0207 by tunneruk, on FlickrIMG_0306 by tunneruk, on FlickrIMG_0455 by tunneruk, on FlickrIMG_0450 by tunneruk, on Flickr<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bC_Ge7Femrc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The bike is now 99% stripped ..... time for the real work to begin
. 
