Norton exhaust port repair

Joined Sep 14, Messages Re: exhaust to head issues and question Britbike - The exhaust nuts are shorter, to accomodate the collet system that has to be used with the balance pipe.

When I changed my over to headers, I had the same issue at first. Phil at Fair Spares told me to double up with the crush washers or go on the hunt for nuts with longer threads. Check e-bay for the Commando Specialties exhaust nuts. I think they're Andover, but don't quote me They do have the three 'fat' lugs to use the spanner on.

Use the right wrench, then lean on 'em good and hard while the engine is hot and running. Best of luck, T. Joined Jun 7, Messages Re: exhaust to head issues and question The and exhaust pipes do not fit to the head the same. The pipes use the longer collar on the pipe with the crush washer. The 's use a shorter collar with a split collet and seal which can only be used with the balance pipe exhaust, to get around the obstruction problem the balance pipe causes. Mismatching the pipes with collars will produce exactly what you've found, there's nothing wrong.

If you fit pipes to an you need to use the longer collar unless you've got some sort of hybrid pipe. As to bending the lugs on a collar, I've never heard of this with the standard steel collars even using a 2ft extension on the lockring tool. Finally, whether to machine off your excess insert from the head it would depend on how deep the thread is. If, after it's machined off you're left with the standard amount of thread in the head then I'd have it machined off.

If you're going to be left with less then normal thread then it's either use as is or have the whole insert machined out and get the job done properly. Joined Jun 28, Messages 1, Re: exhaust to head issues and question If you're investing in new hardware maybe it's worth considering the bronze nuts sold in the UK by Norvil - they're style length-wise, and expand at a similar rate to the alloy head, so less prone to working loose.

Not sure who stocks them in the US, but others closer to home should be able to advise. Joined Apr 15, Messages 11, If you're investing in new hardware maybe it's worth considering the bronze nuts sold in the UK by Norvil - they're style length-wise, and expand at a similar rate to the alloy head, so less prone to working loose. Click to expand Joined Jun 29, Messages Re: exhaust to head issues and question Britbike, just out of curiosity: what material is the insert? Mine are steel, not welded but fixated at the "bottom" with 2 little machine screws internal hex.

Still can come loose though Re: exhaust to head issues and question slimslowslider said:. Britbike, just out of curiosity: what material is the insert? Joined Jun 14, Messages 1, Re: exhaust to head issues and question I use "unbalanced" suits my temperament Torque to 60 lbs-ft and retorque after the first few heat cycles, with bike running, and ideally, a helper revving it thank you Ludwig!

Never have a problem with exhaust nuts loosening. Joined Dec 28, Messages 1, Re: exhaust to head issues and question On non-balance pipe applications my understanding is that a crush washer is fitted, then the pipe and the deeper exhaust nut is run up the pipe, screwed into the head and you are good to go. In the case of the original post it would save BritBike the cost and agravation of removing the head and the expense of re-threading???

Re: exhaust to head issues and question It was weird I had the longer looking nuts on it, but the norton nut wrench did not fit around them like it should, so upon tightening, the fins would bend and snap off. Looking at the other I do have the thicker nuts on it and I do not recall doing anything, but tightening them after a few heat cycles.

Maybe I did put in an extra washer. The nuts that were on it didn't tighten all the way either so new nuts are just going to allow torquing not seating. So I figure unless I am able to get spacers made I will have to send the head out for repair.

I will probably call Ella Monday and ask if I can exchange these for good nuts. In the mean time I am waiting to see if a local machinist can turn some spacers for me.

There are options, just been frustrating to have to keep dumping money into an already expensive bike that was restored. Re: exhaust to head issues and question Britbike Owning a Norton is all about doing your own work; it makes the smile you crack in your helmet that much broader There are a number of vendors that you can ship your Norton to along witha check for over 20 grand, nearer 30, who will deliver to you an amazing piece of work, but in any case you will still need to maintain it as if it were an original, if you want it to last.

I am suggesting that you can use your exhaust nuts, with OE collets and be done with it, short of someone with more knowledge saying anything to the contrary?? Re: exhaust to head issues and question Bill, on mine the shorter nuts didn't go in far enough to push the end of the pipe "home", so it could rattle and leak. Possibly you could stack multiple crush washers or the like to take up some of the room, but I didn't even try. The nuts don't screw all the way in on mine, a few threads remain exposed but not enough to be "unsightly," and they work well.

Are you open for business in Hudson yet? I'd love to see the shop one of these days. I've found this method to be so much easier to live with, and to work with, on Japanese bikes from the late '70s to mid '80s, although of course I've no idea how practical it might be to convert a Norton head to use it. I've seen it done on Norton heads. I have an idea that it might have been featured in 'Motorcycle Mechanics' during the s. The only realistic way of doing it is to drill up through the fins and insert a cross-bored trunnion on each side.

OK if hidden behind an Interpol fairing but not really an improvement to the lines of the Norton head. Springs such as used on race exhaust systems can work quite well, but nothing looks as nice as the standard set-up.

This is a bit along the same topic. I used the 8mm copper nuts VW used on their air cooled cc flat fours. They are the same threads as the ones used by Kawasaki and Yamaha and will not seize up Would it not be possible to weld up bosses between fins to take studs? Just a thought. I don't believe there's anything fundamentally wrong with the threaded exhaust ports. London is he still there? The threaded exhaust port goes back to Vintage days and to my mind works perfecltly well.

Thanks Ian, but, when you say you 'had [your] first Commando done', you're referring to exhaust port thread repair? Here, I'm really just indulging in an electronic form of thinking aloud, and looking for helpful responses, even if they're along the lines of 'it can't be done'.

Those threads, as they are, have been a bane to me. If you needed a repair once, even if it was more than 20 years ago, then you know there's a demand for that at least. And I can certainly see myself going for the threaded-sleeve-insert method outlined in the first post in this thread. As far as 'the problem' is concerned, isn't that material for a different topic? Why not get it Helicoiled by RGM? Inserts in an ancient, cast-alloy head seem like bad news to me, no matter what they are made from.

Taking material from the head isn't good whereas Helicoiling removes a minimal amount by re-tapping. The insert is a hard material too, so even when your pipes go walkabout and rattle they are much less likely to get damaged. Thanks, Lionel, it hadn't even occurred to me that these threads could usefully be helicoiled! They offered good pay, benefits, an entire social life the huge complex was like a small city.

Upon his return, he was ready to try something new, so he bought a Yamaha XS, more or less the ultimate road rocket at the time. While it was fast, he said that after a Norton, the handling was a letdown. He learned the lesson that many do when trying to sell a used Japanese bike. It took months to sell, but finally a call came through. A man from Liverpool was interested, but only if Phil would take a trade.

What is it? A Interpol, an ex-police bike. When the newsletter arrived, it included a list of all the other Branches of the Norton Club around the world.

But many people seemed reluctant. How would they return it for the right one? He can answer their questions, sometimes asking a few of his own, in order to get it right the first time. He ships a lot of stainless parts for Nortons. He does a booming mail order business. You can go to his website FairSparesAmerica. Every wear item is new. From what I saw, when finished, this will look better than new. All with genuine Norton Parts. They are as follows:.