Hi
We didn’t go down the outrigger route mainly because we hadn’t had mainshaft bending problems. A friend of ours did make an outrigger set up funnily enough for his Metisse. I can’t remember too much about it but if you are interested I can get in touch to ask him details.
Mike
Thanks Mike
I run a TTi box, which today is my preferred solution to gearboxes and outriggers. If you had few problems you probably used the shorter shaft and an Atlas clutch. The problems mainly came when using the Commando clutch and longer mainshaft.
I guess I am more interested to know who it was I was in contact all those years ago, and if he has carried on his Norton or racing interests. I was in the RAF and living in Lincolnshire at the time.
Whoever it was sent me drawings and had spent some time responding to me. He used typical machine shop language, which needed translation for a young and naive Avionics Technician, I had though trepanning was something to do with brain surgery, but I discovered it was a milling process to cut a large diameter hole in sheet metal.
I was grateful for the response, it clarified a lot for me, but I didn't pursue it. Even though I was running a high spec 850 I didn't have much of a gearbox issue in reality, but I saw others rebuilding 5 Speed gearboxes almost weekly, and I was afraid it could happen.
I had chosen to raise the primary ratio based on good advice from Norton factory people, and I built a 4 speed AMC box with a cluster from Quaife and a modified layshaft to accommodate a ball race and no kickstart shaft. The ratios were Manx, which were the 4 upper ratios from a 5 speed, with push starts I pushed off in first and there were very few occasions when I would have used a lower gear. The cover didn't come off that box in 4 seasons.
Steve