Forks

Welcome to the club Michael, you will certainly not be short of friendly advice. How useful it is might be debateable however!

Can you add a photo or 2 of the mystery slot, that will be helpful.

Michael, these are the correct "Long" Roadholders for your bike, readily identifiable by the external springs. The later "Short" Roadholders, along with much longer springs internal to the stanchions have a (slightly!) improved damper, with a long rod screwed in to the underside of the tube top nuts. Your earlier damper does not have this arrangement, just the solid tapering item you show. Memory definitely shaky on these forks, but I think there is a slot on top of your damper, just to act as a screwdriver slot. I'm sure if I am wrong, I'll be shot down in a flash!

Cheers, Mike

From the picture supplied, there appears to be a very nasty score in the stanchion stretching above and below where the top of the spring is. 
 

It is not wholly clear from the picture, but looks as though the stanchion may have cracked all the way through along part of the scoring - if it has I’d suggest a replacement as the structural integrity  will be impaired.

Michael,

If you need to replace your upper spring cover tube then make sure you get the correct length, there are two lengths that I've seen i.e. 6.25" and 6.5".  My 1955 ES2 needed the longer ones so that there was no gap between the top and bottom tubes.

A bush kit from the club and a new pair of stanchions are reasonably priced compared to new stuff, and probably well worth the investment.  Also get yourself a good manual, I think the club sells them. I can’t remember the oil level but 1/2 pint comes to mind, but to be honest that’s a starting point. If you search on fork improvements you’ll see there are options to prevent or reduce bottoming out or topping. You an also fit the later dampers if you want to go a stage further. None of these alterations change the appearance of the forks

Michael, I hope that is a scratch on the fork leg at the bottom on the axle support. I needed a bit of magnification. If it is a crack, I'd get it repaired by someone with good alloy welding skill. Cracks on the other fork leg are common in the axle pinch area and need similar treatment.

Peter 

appear on my Model 88 fork shrouds when on full extension.  I am fairly confident that it has the original shrouds.  What matters most of all is that there is not a clash when on full compression.  Assuming that clashing is not an issue, more coverage is better. 

English, not USA pint.

Or is the "half pint" from USA sources? English pint = 20 fluid ounces, USA = 16 fluid ounces.

EM Franks says 1/4 pint for the early Roadholders. 5 fluid ounces.

Dan, you made a comment about fitting the later damper to Long Roadholders. I’ve not read of this being done, is it really a practical suggestion? Obviously either damper tube will fit into the sliders, and the hollow stanchion top nuts are easily replaced by the later solid and threaded ones used on Short Roadholders. But would the damper rod fit? After all, long Roadholders are, well, longer- the stanchions that is. I don’t have the numbers to hand, but from memory there’s at least an inch difference, so wouldn’t the damper rod be too short when fitted to Long Roadholders?

Curious to know.

The Norton Manual copied above says 1/2 pint, I think I put 200cc in mine.

The commando stanchions are 1/4 inch shorter so not much in it, I have them fitted in my ES2 trials bike, I seem to recall having to have slightly longer damper rods but I did use the commando stanchions, I think both are available from RGM. Ill see if I can find the previous thread about this

Here 

https://www.nortonownersclub.org/node/1312

Dan

and innards can replace the early long Roadholders. They will then have real damping, internal springs, and are more durable. They only differ in length by 0.10". This was suggested by Ken McIntosh and I can testify works great on my '48 Gardengate. I found all good, used parts so it wasn't even very expensive. Undetectable.  Read this from Ken:

http://www.manxnorton.co.nz/faq/;jsessionid=E0F335692EDD3034E6721DDAC9AC479F?faq_id=2

A useful and straightforward mod then, pleased its worked for you guys. Thats the beauty of this forum!