Electra rebuild

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

If your interested in seeing my Electra undergoing restoration I've create a page for it here... (nothing commercial...)

Hi Ian,

Been a few months since your last update. How is the restoration proceeding?

It took me a long time to restore my Electra. One of the worst aspects was replacing the lost and rusted tinware. It was tempting to ditch the 'original' look, but I persevered. Eventually eBay, autojumbles and NOC Spares provided. Best to quietly forget the cost.

Thanks for your photos to October.

Peter

Although these posts are getting a bit old now I see a lot of good info here. Hopefully I can add a few more bits to it. When you come to the electrics a peek at my web site AOServices.co.uk re Lightweight Norton would be in order. If you are going electronic for ignition and battery charge control then I recommend a rewire it yourself job. The standard loom being for points and the switching box on the back mudguard has several point of obsolescence. So scrub round it and start again.

Don't worry about 20 AMP Ammetters the 12Amp version is plenty adequate.

Al Os

Hi Ian, Peter & all,

1) Have revisited this thread. Have looked at the photos & cannot see one of the Headlamp with its 'tell-tales'.

2) Brilliant photos, though! Must have taken you ages with mucky hands to do them. Unless you had a mate standing by.....

3) On reassembly, a spacer inboard of the centre stand leg is an essential improvement. Over the years, wear sets in where the stand 'lands' on the frame, resulting in the leg on one sode or the other moving inwards. A spacer is a good preventative measure - see picture attached

Hi Ian,

There were no air filters fitted as standard to Norton Lightweights. If you are looking at the carb and wondering what went onto the fine thread at inlet, it was a very short bellmouth about 1/2 inch long. Norton did fit some sort of a blocking plate at the bottom of the upright frame channel section. It was secured by the centre stand stop securing bolts. Purpose I believe to stop some of the spray and dust from the front wheel going straight up the channel section and into the carb bellmouth.

Cheers

Peter

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

What do Electra's use for an air filter? I see no mention of them anywhere.

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

About the handlebars; how much of a rise do the UK models have? The bike came with the high rise US bars which I don't really like.

Ian,

I've the old bars that came with the bike, and the replacement as fitted now. I'll have a go at measuring them. Believe both are the same dimensions, or thereabouts. I got the stainless replacement from Norvil who knew which bars I needed.

Peter

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

Look at these photos of the steering stop - is this the correct shape? The marks on it would indicate that it is as you can see the cut edge from the factory.

**One note of caution - this steering stop is designed for Forks with a 7" distance between the fork tube centres - up to 1963.

After 1963/4, the forks were made marginally wider to 7 3/8" - recogniseable by the addition on the top yoke of a steering lock - offset to the right from the centre line.

The steering stop for this later fork was a bracket welded onto to lower head bearing housing

Previously andy_sochanik wrote:

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

Look at these photos of the steering stop - is this the correct shape? The marks on it would indicate that it is as you can see the cut edge from the factory.

**One note of caution - this steering stop is designed for Forks with a 7" distance between the fork tube centres - up to 1963.

After 1963/4, the forks were made marginally wider to 7 3/8" - recogniseable by the addition on the top yoke of a steering lock - offset to the right from the centre line.

The steering stop for this later fork was a bracket welded onto to lower head bearing housing

**another picture

If your interested in seeing my Electra undergoing restoration I've create a page for it here... (nothing commercial...)

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

About the handlebars; how much of a rise do the UK models have? The bike came with the high rise US bars which I don't really like.

Hi Ian,

Finally got round to measuring the handlebars from my 1964 Electra. As fitted and believed to be original UK fit. They feel the same as on my 1965 Navigator which I owned in 1968. Both bikes had the later, wider, 7 3/8 Roadholders.

Should be on attachment. Sorry you had to wait so long.

Cheers

Peter

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

Anyone have a good condition 6.5" Wipac headlight rim they would like to part with? The one I have is a bit scraped up.

Ian,

I struggled to find a replacement. In the end I gave my slightly rusty and scraped rim to a good plater and much to my surprise it came back looking better than new. You have to find a plater who will put the work into the preparation - not so easy.

I was offered a new 6.5 " rim at a show and bought it. It was too large a diameter (by about 1/8 ins) and I seriously considered slitting it and rewelding it to get it to fit. Then the replating...naaah. I've still got it.

Peter

Well done that man. It's nice to see someone who can appreciate the little bikes as much as all the other models.

21,000 miles??? not a lot! Please reinstate the true mileage on the rebuilt speedo. The bike deserves it. And yes, it can be done.

Hi Ian,

You are doing a fantastic job! How do you find the time to do the rebuild, take photos, upload & annotate photos? Brilliant.

Meanwhile, while looking through your snaps I came across this photo of yours https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208474791814435&set=oa.1044636755563010&type=3&theater

Its the centre stand stop & 'cushion'.

What you have called a cushion, is in fact only a part of the whole. The whole piece was a baffle placed on the engine side of the centre frame channel to stop mud and dirt being flung up behind the engine. It was made from some sort of hardboard.

I have a complete one somewhere & will update you when I locate it. (Still looking for stuff 1yr+ after moving).

Hi Ian,

I just found another picture of yours that I'd like to comment on. Hopefully, Peter Holland has spotted it earlier for you - but just in case -

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205961998676177&set=oa.1044636755563010&type=3&theater

This picture shows your clutch release mechanism. I would not expect the cable to have an adjuster at this point. The cable adjuster was situated in the cable itself, about 3" away from the lever. (I think) all Electra and post 106838 Jubilees & Navigators had the same method of cable adjustment. The note of caution is because I do not know exactly when Norton chose to use an in-line adjuster. My guess is that the change of gearbox innards & crankcase castings was a good change point.

The earlier bikes did have the cable adjustment at the gearbox end, and a right pig of a job it was too. The move to in-line adjustment was sensible and overdue.

Ian,

A little while since I wired my tricon switch.

H/L on the headlamp shell selects either headlights (H) or just parking lights (L).

With H selected on the headlamp shell, the toggle on the tricon switch will select either Hior Lo beam. That accounts for three wires to your tricon switch.

The red button on the tricon switch usually does the starter motor. Red button earths the starter wire to handlebars for on.

The black button on the tricon switch does the horn.Black button earths thehorn wire to handlebar for beep.

This accounts for five wires from the tricon switch. If there is a 6th wire shown, I'd suggest it is an earth wire from the headlamp shell to the tricon. Not absolutely essential, but a much better path for the earth current from the horn than through the greasy steering head bearings or handle bar clamps. Your winker wires (if you fit them) have to go into the handlebars. I took an earth wire in too, and terminated it to a small nut and bolt through the handlebar and invisible under the left hand rubber grip.

The winker L/off/Rswitch was fitted on the right side by Norton.

Don't recognise the switch in your photo.

Ergonomically, the switchgear is a catastrophe.

Pull in the clutch and thumb the starter when you stall? Not for any human I've met. Reach the winker switch with your throttle thumb? Only if you can keep the throttle open with your little finger only.

Have fun.

Peter

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

Looking again at the switch am I right in thinking that the red button is the starter the toggle is high/low beam (though H/L is on the head light switch) and the black bottom on the bottom is the horn? It's not making sense with the H/L switch on the headlight shell. The bike also came with a switch on the left handle bar which someone in the past has been spicing wires in to. It actually has all the colours I was expecting but the white and yellow have been disconnected and twisted together and other stuff spliced in.

Ian,

Looks like I should have looked at the diagram. The starter solenoid need to receive 12 volts from the red button to work. This means the red button needs two wires, not one. That makes six wires in total needed to the Tricon switch on left of handlebar.

Sorry for the wrong information. This diagram courtesy of Tony Ripley. Not the full, original, Norton circuit diagram.

Peter

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

Thanks Peter. Sounds like I wired everything up correctly and just need to find a indicator switch for the right side. Nice to get that confirmed.Ian

Previously peter_holland1 wrote:

Ian,

Looks like I should have looked at the diagram. The starter solenoid need to receive 12 volts from the red button to work. This means the red button needs two wires, not one. That makes six wires in total needed to the Tricon switch on left of handlebar.

Sorry for the wrong information. This diagram courtesy of Tony Ripley. Not the full, original, Norton circuit diagram.

Peter

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

Thanks Peter. Sounds like I wired everything up correctly and just need to find a indicator switch for the right side. Nice to get that confirmed.Ian

I don't think you will find a Tricon switch with a switch for the starter other than the one where the RED button goes to earth on the handlebar. The other way round the problem is to fit a relay, which is pulled in by the Tricon earth switch. This relay then putting a LIVE onto the starter solenoid. This type of starter solenoid has its energising coil going to earth inside it hence you have to supply it with a live.

Al O

Previously andy_sochanik wrote:

See attached for the correct looking Clutch cable

Anfy S

----------------------

Previously peter_holland1 wrote:

Ian,

I wish you had put these photos up eight years ago when I started my Electra rebuild. It is a travesty that the NOC have never produced a video of a lightweight rebuild. Your photos are, in many ways even better.

I can see from your photos that my clutch is probably more worn than I thought. I'm not sure I saw any cork inserts on the inner race plate as you show. Something else to check before summer and might explain why it slips.

I see your clutch cable has an adjuster where it enters the gearbox. This is a clutch cable from the 'early' Jub and Nav. All clutch cables on later gearbox lightweights have an adjuster mid cable. If it works for you, fine, but you will be caught unawares if you buy the original replacement.

_______________________________

My '64 Navigator, post-106838, has the clutch cable adjuster about 3 inches along the cable...but at the clutch end, not the lever end (see pic). The pic put up by Andy S. shows the adjuster at the lever end, which makes more sense. So what's with my cable? It seems neither one thing nor the other.

Terry

I'm pretty sure that on my jubilee, the oil ways lined up with the tank outlets without crossing over which made the inside pipe the return, but I must admit to connecting it up with clear pipes for the first fire up to make sure I'd got them the right way around!

Hi Ian,

Dan seems to be right.

http://www.nortonownersclub.org/noc-chat/technical3-light-twins-forum/524944964?b_start=0#694115609

Peter

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

I'm needing a bit of help here as the manual is no use for this question.

Two steel lines go into the bottom of the engine on the right side of the bike; one is the feed from the oil tank and one is the return from the scavanging back to the tank. Which is which? When I took the lines off of the bike the feed from the tank went to the right (or outside) line. Just want to make sure before I start it up that the lines are correct. In the photo it would appear that the hole on the left side where it mounts is bigger than the right which also makes me think the left side (inside)line is the return.

Previously Ian Easton wrote:

Thanks guys, it makes sense as you say that the lines match up without crossing over.

Peter - that link doesn't appear to work, can you re-post it?

Try this Dan.

It just worked for me and relates to the same article.

http://www.nortonownersclub.org/noc-chat/technical3-light-twins-forum/161809937?b_start=0#943441151

Cheers Peter

Looking good! On the jubilee and Navigator the rear brake rod goes under the rear axle?

Interesting, I didn't know that.

dan

I am fairly certain that the Electra rear hub/brake is the same as the Dominator and very different to the Jubilee/Navigator item. Even the actual swinging arm is different as well but as I have never had an Electra I don't know all the differences.

Excellent pictures.

Patrick.

Hi Ian,

A little while since I looked at the progress and pictures.

Re Speedo.

I've already said that the headlamp shell with red tell-tales comes from an earlier bike. Also, that the condition of the engine internals is far better than 22k miles would suggest. Your speedometer, with the external illuminating bulb, is of the same era as the headlamp shell. Your original speedometer would have had an internal bulb for illumination. I speculatethe original speedometerwould have had very few miles on it when replaced. Sorry if this is bad news.

Your chromer has done an EXCELLENTjob. Get plenty of waxy rust proofer on the inside of the mudguards. The damp can get inside the rolled edges. I painted mine with hammerite silver on the insides as soon as they were back from the platers. Then Waxoil. If you intend a show queen then these precautions against damp and stone chips can be ignored.

Still got the dodgy lever on the mainstand I see.

Yes, the sidestand should be straight. NOC had some remade some years ago. Yours is correct, if a lot distorted and worn.

Can't help with the '3' on the exhausts. They look original.

Go easy with the grease points on the ends of the brake cams. I just put a couple of drops of oil in them once in a while.

You may be interested in my Norton Electra rebuild which is being run in the 'Real Classic' magazine, with the first part in the October issue.

If you go onto the NOC website, Yorkshire Branch, Our stories, you can smile with me on my Electra rides.

Well done and thank you for the wonderful photos.

Peter

Hi Ian,

You have certainly put in a huge amount of work and have produced a superb looking machine. It will be good to get it running and you can then enjoy using it. Don't worry too far about minor details.

Going back to what Peter mentioned on the speedo/headlight I notice that your speedo has the Smiths reference number of 3170 26 1600. I bought a speedo at an English autojumble a few years ago and it has the identical same reference. The odd thing about the transaction was that the seller said it came from a Norton ELECTRA which is an almost unknown model here !. I bought it as it looked identical to the speedo in my 1961 Navigator De Luxe which has the reference number 3153 95 1600 on the dial.

So your headlight and speedo just might be original to an US market 1963 machine as the Electra did not appear on the UK scene until some time later- at least the parts you have are working and come from the same stable. I think Peter is referring to the grey faced speedo. It's amazing the detail differences between Jubilee/Navigator/Electra over their short life span.

Patrick