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Wideline and Slimline Engine Plates.

Submitted by ian_cordes on Tue, 12/09/2023
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Heavy Twins

I have for many years owned a Wideline twin. In fact, I like it so much I have just bought another one, a 1957 99. I digress.....When I had to remove the engine of the original machine, it would not come out without the gearbox and engine plate assembly because the position of the forward engine to rear engine plates stud was tucked between the bottom frame rails, preventing removal. Once removed, I slotted the holes so that, in future, the engine could be lifted up and out of the frame without the gearbox. A friend has a 1963 650SS, one which he believes has never had the engine disturbed; until now. He was able to raise the engine up and out of the plates as above, because his plates are slotted. Did Norton start slotting them with the commencement of the Slimline frames, or has a PO removed the engine in the dim and distant past, and slotted them, as I did mine?

Thank you in advance.

Submitted by george_farenden on Tue, 12/09/2023

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..a previous owner in the distant past has slotted the plates. 

All the slotted ones I've seen (my own bike included) looked like they were done with a hacksaw, certainly not machined or pressed/broached out. 

There are often plates found at jumbles/ebay where whats left of the engine plate in this area has broken off.

Regards,

George.

Submitted by ian_cordes on Tue, 12/09/2023

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Thanks George. Having done more homework, Andover Norton sell engine plates with the slot, but using the original Norton part number which, incidentally, is the same number as Wideline engine plates. RGM market a set with holes, no slots, for Slimline models. This all points to the factory not providing slotted plates on any of them.

Regards

Ian

Submitted by ian_cordes on Thu, 14/09/2023

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Just bumping this, because we are working on assumptions at the moment, so it would be good if a learned soul (or 2!) among you knows definitively if the factory did at some point slot the engine plates, and if so, from when?

Thanks again.

Ian C.

Submitted by howard_robinson on Fri, 15/09/2023

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They were never slotted at the factory for road bikes.  However a few may have been slotted by the race shop when preparing bikes for certain dealers prior to Production machine races.  Good luck , howard

Submitted by ian_cordes on Fri, 15/09/2023

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Howard. Many thanks. That is what I thought. I will be seeing the bike tomorrow, so will look at the plates. The owner is convinced the engine has never been out, but it would appear it must have been, in order for the plates to be slotted. One wouldn't remove the engine unless bottom end work needed to be done, which points to the fact, therefore, that the engine has been stripped at some point in its life, prior to the current owner's 30-year tenure.

All grist to the mill!

 

Ian C.

 



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