Re: Clutch's & Gearbox Question

I have a WD16H with a late AMC clutch with the bonded friction back plate. It's an improvement over the postage stamp type inserts.

The 16H has a narrow chaincase so I use the early type steel pressure plate (if you have the dolls head / laydown worm, you don't need the adjuster)

The back plate is slightly thicker too but provided it's been set up carefully and isn't fouling then no problem.

I like the earlier boxes. The worm clutch operating mechanism seems much less stressed than the AMC system and gives a nice light action (although it requires long travel at the lever). Disadvantges are that they have bronze thrust washer which can wear and there is no positive location of the mainshaft....but if you have one and it works, it's certainly nothing to worry about.

1956 was still laydown I believe. When was yours actually made ?

Previously brian_west wrote:

Hello Richard, factory records show it left the factory in July of 1957 and sent to Casablanca via a shipping agent. It still has the KPH speedo fitted! The engine frame numbers match that record but the gearbox number doesn't, at first I didn't notice that the gearbox was an earlier type, only through reading Roy Bacon's book on Norton Singles after.

It would explain a circular polishing of the inner side of the chaincase adjacent to the clutch cover adjustment screw though! I have attached a couple more pics of the clutch dissasembled, can you tell if it's late AMC type friction disc's?

Thanks for your reply

I have a matching numbers 1957 ES2 "M4", it left the factory December 1956 and has the AMC box.