I found a 52 Norton Dominator Model 7 and I am lost!

Previously wrote:

Hi there. I have just found a Norton Dominator n. 7 1952 in the countryside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I need some help from you guys. I am not going to restore the machine to it's original shape. I have a mechanic that will do for me, but the extense of the damage made into this bike was so big that I decided to do a bobber: I have the frame, the tank is in bad shape but I can restore it, headlight maybe I can use it and the motor is missing parts. Other than that the bike is not original or it's missing parts, that's why I decided to go bobber. We are still making a shopping list for it, but I would like to hear from you guys if you have any recomendation of upgrade kits sold to a Dominator. Or kits to change entire parts of the bike: for instance, screws and bolts are in bad shape. I would like to change them all. Do you where can I find kits of bolts and screws? As I am a brazilian and english is not my first language, how should I ask to Norvil (if it's the best place to buy parts) this bolts and screws for the Dominator? Screw and bolts kits? Do you know any company that sells fastener kits for a Dominator restoration? Do you guys think I should restore the motor to it's original condition or upgrade it? Which type of upgrade you recomend? Any other recomendations? Any other upgrades I could do i.e. brembo brakes to this bike? How would you guys handle it? I posted the photos of the Norton I found below. Many thanks again! http://gallery.me.com/facundoguerra#100023

Hello there! Well I have looked at your photos and can help you with the bike. It's not too bad? The tinware is the same as an ES2 for the same years 1950/3. I would suggest you go for a complete restoration though! I would not try and replace all the nuts and bolts, there's a lot you can clean up. All you need is an electric drill and wire brush wheel and a 6" inch wheel polishing kit. First I would get yourself some boxes or plastic containers to put the parts in, and start at one end and work to the other end. When it comes to the engine, you need to know what you are doing here. I suggest you take a photo at every stage of the engine strip? We have a DVD of the late John Hudson filmed in 1991 and copied on to DVD for sale on this site. It shows you how to strip your engine and rebuild it - and what to look out for? We also have a DVD of how to strip the gearbox and rebuild it by John Hudson. The tricky bit is rebuilding your engine as it's a dynamo model with the engine center bar. This makes it difficult to get the connecting rods under the center bar. If you get stuck on something you can email me at annajeannette@btinternet.com hope this may help you in some way, yours Anna J Dixon Secretary East Yorkshire Branch

Hi Facundo. It looks fairly intact to me. Just requires a magneto, dynamo, chain guard and silencers. It would be a shame if you chopped it into a "bobber" but it's your choice. The finished bike will depend on the amount you wish to spend on it, so perhaps you should give yourself a target, (budget) money wiseand then decide what can be done. The disc brake conversion could be done easily enough using modern Norton parts.

The engine's iron cylinder head will limit the tuning, but an alloy one could be fitted and then you could tune it to an 88 SS specification if you wanted too, but with plunger rear suspension..well top speed might cause some safety issues.

Surely it would be better to just get it going again and leave it as it is, it looks OK to me. If you want a powerful fast bike, just buy one that is already like that.

Beauty is in the eye on the beholder, and fashions change, like a beautiful women who has her beautiful skin covered in tattoos, to some it might look attractive, but in a few years time? No not for me, but each to their own of course.

When you own and ride an old motorcycle the pleasure is experiencing the way the bike felt like when it was on the road 60 years ago, it's all part of the joy. Changing it to a customized creation, that is just trying to replicate modern standardscould easily be a massive disappointment and will just be a waste of time, money and dreams, whereas restoringan old machineback from the "dead"to a proudworking motorcyle, just like it left the factory and was ridden like that back in the early 50's willgive you enormous pleasure and a valuable machine. If you do decide to change it into a bobber it will certainlybe unique and may well be completely to your taste, but before you start it will be worth some more thought before it's too late, methinks.

BTW. ANNA. I recently put together the old style engine with the crankcase cross bar.I did it my way and found it absolutely straight forward, and it could not have been simpler. Workshop manuals do it the wrong way round. When you have another one to do, get in touch.

ATB.

Les

hi iv looked at your photos and its in a hellof a lot beter condition than mine was yes you can bobber it but thay dont make the best as i build custom bikes my self ( bodge it and scarper custom bikes and trikes south wales ) i am curently doing a es2 custom for a custemer but the frame isent in good condition and thats the only reson its geting done finanshaly its not worth doing a bobber as it will be worth a lot less than a standerd bike

if you are detemind to do a bobber then buy a custom frame and just use the engine and box and moden parts then you have the option to restor the original frame to standerd

Previously wrote:

Hi there. I have just found a Norton Dominator n. 7 1952 in the countryside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.I need some help from you guys.I am not going to restore the machine to it's original shape. I have a mechanic that will do for me, but the extense of the damage made into this bike was so big that I decided to do a bobber: I have the frame, the tank is in bad shape but I can restore it, headlight maybe I can use it and the motor is missing parts. Other than that the bike is not original or it's missing parts, that's why I decided to go bobber.We are still making a shopping list for it, but I would like to hear from you guys if you have any recomendation of upgrade kits sold to a Dominator. Or kits to change entire parts of the bike: for instance, screws and bolts are in bad shape. I would like to change them all. Do you where can I find kits of bolts and screws?As I am a brazilian and english is not my first language, how should I ask to Norvil (if it's the best place to buy parts) this bolts and screws for the Dominator? Screw and bolts kits? Do you know any company that sells fastener kits for a Dominator restoration?Do you guys think I should restore the motor to it's original condition or upgrade it? Which type of upgrade you recomend? Any other recomendations? Any other upgrades I could do i.e. brembo brakes to this bike? How would you guys handle it?I posted the photos of the Norton I found below. Many thanks again!http://gallery.me.com/facundoguerra#100023

Hello again my friend!

For spare parts i'd give RGM Motors a call on +441946841517, and for nuts and bolts I'd go to "Classic Stainless Steel". For bearings, try "Vintage bearings" (Tel: +44 793900 5739)

Hope this helps

Hello Facundo.

Many people in England will be most envious of your good fortune in findingan old Nortonin such areasonable condition. Most of them would alsoprobably advise you to restore the bike to standard. You could then enjoy taking it to show off at classic motorcycle shows and perhaps later offer it to a museum or sell it to a collector. You would get a very good price for it just as it is, in Europe at the moment.

If you are going to dismantle the engine, then you will need to get or make some special tools.This will possibly help tosave you a lot of timeand prevent damage to the engine.

To get the crankshaft out of the engine, you have to first remove all of the timing cover contents. ie oil pump, oil pump worm drive, cranshaft pinion,magneto sprocket, camshaft sprocket, half-timing pinion and dynamo pinion.

The oil pump worm drive sits on the end of the crankshaft and has a left handed thread. It is the only left handed thread on the engine. Behind this item sits the the crankshaft pinion. From my experience of removing these from old Norton engines, you will need a pinion puller and lots of heat to break the seal caused by years of old oil gluing the parts together. Trying to use levers on this item often leads to big dents or even holes in the cranksases.

Anna Dixon was quite correct when she said that, with the Model 7 engine, it could be a little difficultremoving the crankshaft out of the casesif the tie bar across the crankcase mouth has been kept. Lots of owners cut this item off to make dismantling and rebuilding easier. The problem with the tie bar is that it will not let the crankshaft slide out though the timing side main bearing. You have to heat up the cases and drive this bearing out while it is still on the crankshaft. Not an easy job for one person.

You will have to get someone to help you by holding the cases while you remove the crankshaft or make up a frame to hold the engine on its side.

On rebuildingModel 7engines, with a tie bar, you have to fit the timing side bearing onto the Crankshaft, then heat the cases beforesliding everything into place.

Hopefully, with this messagethere should be a diagram showing the insides of the engine.

Just to say to Phil Hannan, his method is extremely complicated and totally unnessessary. As I said, it is aVERY easy job, but unless someone asks me how to do it for a genuine personalreasonI won't bother to explain, as most of my tips I write up herego unanswered.

Les

Previously wrote:

Just to say to Phil Hannan, his method is extremely complicated and totally unnessessary. As I said, it is aVERY easy job, but unless someone asks me how to do it for a genuine personalreasonI won't bother to explain, as most of my tips I write up herego unanswered.

Les

Les Don't give up. There are some people on this site that find your tips etc interesting.

Dominic

Previously wrote:

Just to say to Phil Hannan, his method is extremely complicated and totally unnessessary. As I said, it is aVERY easy job, but unless someone asks me how to do it for a genuine personalreasonI won't bother to explain, as most of my tips I write up herego unanswered.

Les

Hi Les,

Cheers Dominic and Tony. Much appreciated, I did sound a bit severe earlier but as writing up a complete engine strip down and rebuild seemed a bit dauting, I just thought I 'd save it for when someone wanted it specifically rather than just out of interest and I am going to be dead busy for a while too. Quite happy to do it some time later though. Many thanks for the feedback.

Les

Hi please keep the bike as original.

Would you consider selling as is? and then buy a bobber. What is the frame off shown in the pictures

If you decide to restore here is a small tip. We always take loads of digital pictures before starting a restoration we photograph everything close up and then put on computer, its a great help when rebuilding the bike. In fact we produce an album and keep it with the bike as a reference.When finishedit is good to see before and after