Pre-Featherbed steering head bearings

Peter, I'd like to know the answer to this too. Unfortunately there appears to be little or no support at the NOC for pre F/beds, having searched for engine plates for a 1957 Model 50 for coming up to six years.

If I get around the engine plate issue then the steering head bearings would have been the next issue. If a mod does not exist, are all parts available for the original set up?

Neil: I had to make the engine plates for my 30's inter. But they are just flat plates of steel with holes and then cut to shape. Are the '57 Model 50 ones more involved?

I had to make a lot of bits for that bike that aren't available, but similarly found a lot of the more universal bits available from the NOC, serves me right for choosing one of the rarer models to do.

I guess they have to look at demand and prioritise their spending which you can't really fault them for, if they tried to make everything they where asked for I can imagine funds would run out pretty quickly.

I'm running the original style bearings in both my '51 ES2 and my '34 Inter. The sets are available from RGM. I would however still be interested to learn about any mods that can be made.

Andy

Chris, I take your point but it begs the question why the club supply parts available from other suppliers when there are parts not available anywhere keeping some Norton's off the road. For the record, I did send the drawings to club spares but they were unable to help. Guess I will have to make my own after all.

Thanks for letting me know the original set up is available Andy, an upgrade would be nice to know about but at least it means getting on the road. Engine plates permitting.

NB: The plates for 57/58 singles are different because of the AMC gearbox, so not so many of them.

Are the engine plates really that rare. I have a pair of plates for my 1946 rigid, I copied these and made another set (filing an drilling) for another bike Im building. Did the same for a plunger frame. I could, with not much bother put these onto CAD so that these could be laser cut. Many fabrication shops now have this facility an I dont think its megabucks. If theres enough interest I could get the local fabricator to do a load, but I think it would be preferable if this was organised via the club. If someone wishes to get in touch ???.

Just one fly in the ointment, as I was making these plates I noticed that the front engine plates were different, i.e. a set of original front plaates would not match other frames. I think perhaps that frames `adjust` over time, I think it would be preferable if the front `frame` hole was ommitted and drilled `on site` as it were.

best regards

John

Since this was originally an enquiry about sealed steering head bearings, here goes. You can use sealed races of the appropriate OD and ID, but should use a spacer between them. I am unsure as to whether or not the Commando bearings and spacer sold by Andover Norton and RGM are a direct replacement. Give them a call, I am sure they can help.

I used the RGM bearings and spacer on my featherbed dommi with no problems.

Here is a side by side photo of featherbed and pre-featherbed yokes. They are very different other than the adjustment mechanism looks the same.

Also the pre-featherbed bearing inner dimension is 1-1/4 inches. This is a very common size and my bearing supplier lists many ball bearings with this ID. I don't know the ID of your frame stem so I can't recommend a specific bearing. If you can't find the exact right one (unlikely), you can make a sleeve to get a tight fit. Only taper rollers and angular contact bearings (the originals in my Dominator) do not use a distance piece. Normal ball bearings don't want to be squeezed so use a distance piece with them (same as a wheel bearing).

Here is an example of a bearing that would fit the yokes in the photo assuming the frame stem is 2 inches ID:

http://www.vxb.com/page/bearings/PROD/Kit7483

Of course, a distance piece must be used.