Andover Norton parts

RobinKent said:

My experience has always been good. I guess the people who need a heads up if quality is not up to scratch are Andover Norton! Drop them a line.

I built a Norvil replica a few years ago and the tank had to be cut to size. Unfinished in my view.

Speaking of tanks I bought a new steel one (Made in Pakistan) last year. It came well packaged but needed work to make the surface smooth and it leaked at the seams and around the "gas" cap. I have just resin sealed it and hope that cures the problem. I am now wondering how thick that steel is and what my next problem is going to be... If you do go that way sort the seams before you paint it.

Rob

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I had the same issue with my Paki tank. Looked good when I uncrated it, leak tested OK, did the bodywork and painted it, only to find it would weep around the filler neck. I tried soldering around the neck myself with some MAPP gas and 10% silver solder, and it worked - for about 6 months. I have since learned that 10% doesn't stick really well to steel. I ended up sending it to a radiator shop, where the owner blew off the 10% and soldered it with 62% silver solder. That stuff sticks to steel really well, but only has a plastic range of 10 degrees, so takes a quick and sure hand to do. I am very pleased with the result.

Also getting pretty good at painting tanks :wink:

This makes shameful reading, I like many others would be well peeved if the parts I ordered did not fit well and yes some parts I ordered early in my Commando ownership from dealers other than ANIL have been so bad it was pointless to modify them. I now order my parts fom ANIL direct and have done so since the 90's when they were at BSA Regal as they were local and my brother-in-law works there. Recently I have had contact with ANIL, I e-mailed them on Saturday night thinking I would get a reply in the week - no!! I got a very nice reply that same evening from Joe himself and a reply later in the week from Nick Hopkins. I'm sure that Joe and Nick would love to hear these issues expressed directly to themselves and form the responses I had and my past dealings I'm sure you'll get a prompt reply to get the suspected quality issues sorted. I understand that for most on this forum that Hungerford is thousands of miles away but I'm sure that they could ask one of their retailers or the retailer you originally obtained the parts from to assist you.

If I complain about badly fitting or non working parts, I get told that either it is my fault or all Nortons are different.

I got some stick for not splitting my crank when I did my engine, and I'm not saying it wasn't justified.
The reason I didn't bother was because at that time I was unsure of the quality of *genuine* parts and preferred to take my chances with what had demonstrably held the crank together from new with no problems....seeing photos on the short-stroke thread short-stroke-750-build-t5490-15.html of Keith's snapped con-rod bolts just reinforces my apprehension.
I've had previous experience of 'sub-continental' supplied parts being the right basic shape, but hadn't been hardened, and were therefore not fit for purpose. They weren't for Commandos either, but flight control bearing components for military aircraft.
Not something to be F***ed around with, IMHO!

A little birdy told me that AN's buyer of many years left a couple of years ago and since then the parts "which are made to original specifications" (tee hee) have fallen down on the quality side. I have had some bad experiences lately and again, it's just not economically feasible to return them.

Bloody annoying.