1957 Laydown Gearbox (Norton International)

.....with the exception of replacing the bushes for the shift mechanism in the side and then possibly honing to fit. So long as you have a heat source to R&R the bearings and understand sorting the mainshaft end float, it ain't rocket science. You might need the  assistance of a service with a press. Give it a go.

Hi Andy,

Your bike’s an International Norton, not t’other way round.

Cheers,

Alan

By Mick Hemmings, available from NOC shop

Hi Andy,

   Just give it a go, they are fairly straight forward. When you strip it, make sure to take photos at each stage of the strip-down and look to see how much wear there is as you remove each component.

   The biggest improvement you can make will be to replace the "pain in the a**e" close ratio gears and fit a standard set from an ES2/16H etc. This will make the bike much more usable, not just in built-up areas, but all-round. As an example with the close set, the difference between 3rd and top gears is about 5mph in top speed so you have, in effect, a 3 speed gearbox. If you poodle along at 3,000 revs in 2nd gear you will be breaking the 30mph speed limit. Best to clean them up and put them in a nice box and impress your friends with your spare set of close gears.