valve adjustment

Can someone direct me in the art of valve adjustment on my 72 roadster.
let me see if I have this right (1) remove rocker covers (2) bring the right piston to tdc (3) check for 6 & 8 6 being intake & 8 being exhaust (4) adjust if necessary.
(5) repete on left cylinder. is that correct ???
only after adjusting the valves should I attempt to set the points at 12 thousanths.
am I correct so far ???
then set the points at 28 degrees btdc. firtsly the left side which is the most fwd. points then the right side.
so far so good ??? please correct me if I'm wrong as I've never attempted this before on a Norton.
then button it up & see if it will start ? ...............I guess I need an instructor & maybe a manual might help ya think

Thanks Ray

Get a manual and you can't go wrong.

My manual says to get the left inlet valve at full lift, and set the clearance on the right hand one. Then do the same on all four valves. ie get one side at full lift and set the clearance on the equivalent valve on the opposite side.

If your valve tops are worn, ie a dent in the top,its not possible to set them correctly with feeler gauges. as the gauge spans the dent.
A small DTI is better,

krazyray said:

Can someone direct me in the art of valve adjustment on my 72 roadster.
let me see if I have this right (1)
REMOVE THE SPARK PLUGS .
remove rocker covers (2) bring the right piston to tdc (3) check for 6 & 8 6 being intake & 8 being exhaust (4) adjust if necessary.
BRING ONE FRONT VALVE FULLY OPEN ( down ) & ADJUST OTHER . Ditto Rear .
(5) repete on left cylinder. is that correct ???
only after adjusting the valves should I attempt to set the points at 12 thousanths.
am I correct so far ???
Dwell Meters BEST .
then set the points at 28 degrees btdc. firtsly the left side which is the most fwd. points then the right side.
so far so good ??? please correct me if I'm wrong as I've never attempted this before on a Norton.

BUT of Course ! :twisted:
Disecting the Contact Breaker Assy. under a magnifying lens . Ascertain If The Mateing Faces ARE CLEAN .
if theyre NOT , or They DONT meet ' square ' face to face ( heres were a ciggarret paper comes in .
Pull the swine & stone FLAT and set faces to MATE before INSTALLING .

Prior to THIS , ' We've ' sussed out the Auto Advance mechanism .
Have a good fiddle . correct fitting spanners mandatory . MAKE ONE ( a Screwdriver ) on the Grind Stone to match
points adjusters exactly . If theyre Not Allen Screws .
And Dont Strip the THREADS .

The A. Adv. should operate smoothly & freely .
then button it up & see if it will start ? ...............I guess I need an instructor & maybe a manual might help ya think

Thanks Ray

Click to expand...

one of my early tirades is the CORRECT adjustment & installation of the Ignition System . So youll have to go on ' search '
or the stuff in the oven will get Burnt. & itll be all your fault ! :? :lol: :wink:

lastly . Dont Button It Up . untill youre all packed away ( nearly ) and its DARK . V much so .

then you sit on a milk crate , watching it run / all the little sparks . ! ( there SHOULD ONLY be Two ! :idea: )
any others shouldnt be there . putting a light on them wont get rid of them . It will only stop YOU from seeing them . :x

If you have a strobe light , you can observe the advance per rpm , make notes . see if it sticks / jams .
and other things .
Theyll have a fit if I mention 30 or 31 degrees . Dunno on this new fuel .

The Ignition should be EXACT . Both Spark @ same degree . Or you got two singles .

Feeler should Just Slide , on valve Adj. NOT GRAB , or slip thru easy . At least FIND the Grab Point , the Free Point ,
the range between , & choose bias . A gnats free best for starters . RESET after RETOURQUEING Head .

Ex grow most ( tighten ) temp. expansion .. If ridden Hard , so use free slideing but not loose on adjuster & see its not pulled tight as the locknut can pull the screw . So Allways re check . Fastidious - or stoopid ?

Ign. Assy is best stripped , blueprinted on bench , AFTER CLEANING . Lubed & Installed .
particularly the Auto Adv. in fact its a Serviceing Requirement .
Lazy Sods fit Electronic Ign .( just kidding ) ( fit & forget ( :lol: )
IF it dont use std. Auto Advance . If It Does . It needs maintanace
Id want 30 degree range advance curve too )
Cunning Sods fit BSA Adv. Unit . for 30 degree range & sweet Idle .
also Lucas Adv. springs are a ' distributor curve ' tuneing adjustment .
differant springs , the bobweights spring faster or slower )
ARGH . Bob Weights . lube ? slack ? Rattle ? Stick ?
you can see ' do it once , right , on the bench , is more satisfactory .

not to worry , have a go . fire it up . but if youre after sweet smooth running , three guesses .

Did We mention the CARBS . :x

Simple when you know how ! take it easy . No Rush . Dont maul it . Make That Screwdriver FIRST .
parrallel sides . square end the correct length . perfect fit . A soft one might be o.k. do with File .& Vice.

Let us know how ya go . Gotta Camera :?: a pictures worth a thousand words . :wink: :lol:

P.S. rotate Engine Fwd. ( in gear , use wheel - nudge ) Adjusting C.B. assy . Not Backward . or itll be OUT of Kilter . o.k.

can also ascertain timing chain tension , almost . observeing bits you mention, maybe . ( zen exercise )

AND I believe You MEAN .015 . 14 to 16 . At CORRECT DWELL , otherwise .016 . clean cam , polish if removed .
grease ( light ) points ' follower ' run . clean . a smear from toothpick at base regd. Cam JUST not ' dry ' .

NEW Nylon ' beds in ' so needs lube . dry itll scuff erode , close gap . Advance ign. point .
resetting gap ( .016 ) resets timing to correct . IF it was at .016 in the first place .
the Opening Point , checked identical Degrees ( crank ) both for smooth running. and grunt .

so worth the time , understand it . make a point of enjoying perfectionism at the points .

Welcome to the group and the joys of Norton ownership. 6 and 8 thousandths for standard engine or 8 and 10 for Combat. A manual is a good starting point. It will help you weed out all the BS you'll read on here.