First Norton

30 years sitting will have rotted out most of the rubber parts especially the tyres

Welcome to the group and good luck with your new project. There are lots on here that will be able to answer your questions so don't be afraid to ask. We all love a project so please post pictures  as you get on.

Your oil tank will be empty, the contents will be in the sump of the engine and in the crank chamber, So when changing the oil more will come out of the sump than the tank.

Hello Christopher,

Are you thinking of a full strip down and restoration or just the minimum to get it running at this stage? A word of warning! Just because an engine has been rebuilt before laying up doesn`t mean it will be ok now, it very much depends on the storage conditions. A mate of mine was in exactly the same situation with a Tr1@*ph, the engine had just been rebuilt before laying up and assured by his dad it would be ok he restored the rest of the bike without stripping the motor. It would seem that rust must have started forming on the main bearings so after using it a few times, the drive side bearing picked up and smashed the crankcase! If your bottom end is full of oil as suggested, this may not be the case but I would still consider an engine strip and assessment and fit new mains and seals.

Regards, Al.

The Haynes manual is mostly useful for the pictures; some of the data and advice is unreliable.

You need (all equal priority)

• Workshop Manual
• Parts Book
• Norman White's new book

Free e-versions of the first two can be found on-line.

The Andover Norton site is developing a useful collection of instruction leaflets.

The Clymer Manual has clearer photo's that the Haynes (it's printed on better quality paper), look for a pre-loved one on eBay/Amazon/etc (there's also a version covering BSA/Triumph/Norton, but it is  abridged for each marque).

Also recommended, the dvd's produced by the NOC with Mick Hemmings.

Good Luck with the recommissioning!

I should have remembered these. They are just as essential as the Workshop Manual, etc.

Parts Lists are available from Andover Norton. You can get online copies from several websites.

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Parts/NortonParts.htm

I’m also rebuilding a Commando, and personally I don’t think you can have too many manuals!

I know I am like a stuck record on this subject, but I would urge you strongly to strip the crankshaft and clean out the sludge trap, you will need to do the mains anyway unless the engine has been regularly turned over.

If there is sludge in the trap and it has dried out, it will break up up and block the oilways after a few miles, I have seen a couple of 'time capsule' bikes destroyed in this way.

Good luck with the rebuild!

The Parts Book is online at Andover Norton & can be used for identifying & ordering parts. I would still suggest a hard copy tho'. I have 2 copies, one for the garage (grubby one) & a clean one on the bookshelf for browsing (possibly a bit sad really).

One of the advantages of the Norton Workshop Manuals & parts lists is that the line drawings make it easy to photograph & print the relevant workshop manual pages & parts diagrams for sticking to the garage wall for reference when undertaking more complex tasks that jump around the manual (e.g. head removal/replacement, gearbox strip) - this aide enables me to annotate & check things off as required  (& keep track of progress, useful if a e.g. family/work emergency intervenes with the critical part of our lives).