Tools You Have Made to Maintain your Norton

S.U. float height guage and tang bending implement..

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I don't have a picture, but I can describe it:

I use a vacuum generator to fill my forks with oil. I have SS top nuts that have ports in them plugged with button head screws. I made a set of adapters to connect a vacuum generator to the top nut port, and to connect a tube to the drain plug port. I measure out the desired type and quantity of fluid, hook up the apparatus, and draw the fluid in through the drain plug port. Leaving the vacuum on, I remove the adapter/tube from the drain port and put the plug in, then shut off the vacuum.

No mess, fluid is in at the exact quantity in seconds.
 
I don't like to see chewed up inspection/adjuster plugs so I made this tool for the primary and the reduced thickness for timing chain inspection cover of my Mk3, also works fine on the t160.


Cliffa please forgive my shameless rip of your tag line on the coffee mugs, I used one of the online design your own companies and made a few for Christmas presents for Brit bike owning friends.
 

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I don't like to see chewed up inspection/adjuster plugs so I made this tool for the primary and the timing cover my Mk3 also works fine on the t160.


Cliffa please forgive my shameless rip of your tag line on the coffee mugs, I used one of the online design your own companies and made a few for Christmas presents for Brit bike owning friends.
That's great, Esme I love it and I'm very flattered. Any chance I can buy one from that company?

The inspection cover tool is a good idea, nothing worse than mangled caps.
 
Not a tool but something I just learned on my 71 project .
bought the correct puller for the front chaincase pulley/gear .
the one on the crankshaft.
pit would not let go on the taper . Tried different approaches , no luck .
talked to a friend and was told to heat the gear all around , quite hot but not cherry red . Spray with WD 40 oil .
he said as it cools , it draws the oil in .
left the puller on with a bit of tension .
pit popped right off .
 
Also not a made tool, but a couple of techniques useful on engines:

To release valve collets on a cylinder head valve use a suitable sized socket over the valve spring collar, place a couple of small magnets inside the socket. Hit the socket with a 1-2lbs sledge hammer....the collets will release as spring is compressed by the hammer blow and be grabbed by magnet. Works a treat on my Norton head. Can be used on car engines still on the car (assuming you support the valves via rope trick or other methods). To re-install collets, use a bit of sponge foam around/on top of the collets positioned around the valve, then smack with the socket to drive collets down and into recesses. Didn't try this on my Norton as I'd received my proper compressor tool by that time. Seen in done on videos though.

Another neat trick is to use bits of greased rag/paper, wet paper, bread or even peanut butter to stuff/pack into a blind bearing...then hammer in a close fitting rod/bolt/socket extension etc. The hydraulic force will shift the bearing back toward the hammer blow.
 
Keeps oil off your Series 2 commando frame rails Z-plates and pipes, just a little aluminum flashing with a few stratigic sissor cuts:
Tools You Have Made to Maintain your Norton

on bike:


Tools You Have Made to Maintain your Norton
I fitted a magnet to mine to hold it to the oil tank.
 
I have made a bracket to support the cylinder barrels from the head steady mounting points on the frame rail so you can install the pistons into the barrels on the bench, with the inner circlips fitted, & turn the crankshaft to align the small ends of the connecting rods to align the gudgen pin holes & insert the pins. Much easier than trying to compress the rings whilst lowering the barrels.
 
I just tip the engine forward (on the work bench) to fit the rods into the then horizontal cylinder/barrel with pistons.
Rags under the rods and offer the cylinder with pistons up to them.
 
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