Ripping the CS1 engine apart

Though a firm believer of the "If it aint broken, don't fix it school" I did want to have a peek inside. Dismantling a Norton OHC engine is not difficult; it takes no more than 8 bolts to remove cambox, head and cylinder.

No disasters yet! This looks like a used but well-maintained engine. Quite special is the bronze cylinder head, probably somewhat more modern than the 1932 (confirmed by the VMCC) crankcases.

More to follow!

Stanley's 1932 Model 30 Norton

Stanley's winning Model 30 at the 1932 Dutch TT

Frans's c1932 CS1 Norton

Sent by Frans in Belgium

This Norton, owned by Frans, was raced in Belgium untill quite recently. The tanks are from a later model, the Enfield and Horton hubs have been replaced but the three-stay frame and the engine are clearly 1931/1932. The gearbox is a very rare early Sturmey Archer as fitted to the works racers (like this one).

c1932 Model 19 Norton

Found on the website of a Danish motorcycle club; it's a c1932 Model 19, note the Norton hubs and forks, replacing Enfield and Webb parts used in the years before. The exhaust pipe is still on the left hand side which better befits a 1931 machine. The Sturmey-Archer gearbox has been replaced by a postwar Norton box. 

1932 Norton M40 Internationals - For Sale

As advertised on the Car and Classic website.

Quoting the seller: "Norton International Model 40, racing specification, delivered in 1932 to Hans Soenius from Cologne. He then was the best the best German road racer and he raced the bike in 1932 and 1933 before he joined NSU as a works rider. Matching frame (46538) and engine numbers (1594). The frame was modified to rear suspension at one point. The black and white photo above shows Hans Soenius on this Inter in 1933. Priced at 15.700 GBP"

and another one from the same seller: "Norton International, Model 40, engine no.1596, sold in 1932 to C.J.Hands from Birmingham in racing specification. The frame is not original and probably left the works part of a CJ, CS1 or ES2. The girder fork is correct for 1932. Front brake with cooling rings, drum is original. Priced at 12.400 GBP"

Both bikes are in the Czech Republic.

Ko Konijn's Model 40 International Norton

A few blogs ago I reported on Rob's latest purchase, a Model 40 International. A few days later I was contacted by Marcel, a nephew of Ko Konijn who was the previous owner of Rob's Norton and this is Marcel's story:

"When I saw the blog last Saturday, I immediately recognized the 1932 International in the pictures! It used to belong to my late uncle Ko and the last time that I've seen and used it was in early 1999. Ko (in the pictures above) bought the Norton in 1966, in Turnhout, Belgium. When Ko bought the Inter it had been used on road and quite a few parts had been changed from standard specification (like the later gearbox with the kickstarter). Ko did persuade the vendor to include the original racing parts in the deal and when he got the bike home he had it rebuild and he fitted the original parts to bring it back to racing specification. He did not touch the paint or chrome however.

As Rob mentioned already, Ko was passionate about his Norton collection. His Nortons were all over the place and the Inter was stored in Ko's house together with his other motorcycles; because of Ko's bad health he could not ride his Nortons. 

After Ko passed away, his Nortons were not sold as suggested before and most of them are still in the family, though no longer under one roof. Rob's Model 40 and a 1924 Model 16H are the exceptions; they were inherited by a family member who did not care too much about old motorcycles and these two were sold off. It's good to see that the Model 40 is in the hands of an old friend of Ko now and I hope that Rob will enjoy the bike and take good care of it; it's something special as Ko would have said. My brother and I are Norton enthusiasts too, and like in Ko's house, the Nortons are gradually filling up the living room and the hall. This year, I graduated as a goldsmith, and as a masterpiece I made a Norton in silver (below). In many ways, Norton fills our lives. Regards, Marcel"

Rob's 1932 Model 40 Norton

Rob has got himself another Norton and this is the story that goes with it:

"This International Norton was advertised recently on PreWarCar and when I looked at the photos I immediately recognized the motorcycle. This Norton once belonged to an old friend of mine, Ko Konijn, who died approximately 12 years ago at the age of 62. As far as I can remember from what he told me, Ko started collecting motorcycles at a young age, in the 1950s and his special interest was Norton... His house was like a museum and there were Nortons all over the place! There were Nortons in the hallway, in the living room, in the kitchen and in his bedroom... Ko had it all, but very few people were ever allowed to see the bikes and fortunately I was one of them. Unfortunately, Ko's health prevented him from riding his beloved motorcycles but he did take very good care of them. After his death his bikes were inherited by his family and this 1932 Model 40 International is one of the few bikes to leave Ko's collection. 

Contact was made with the vendor, a friendly chap in Belgium and John and I took the car and trailer, and a stack of cash and met with the vendor and his family on a parking lot in Antwerp...tough negotiations followed but inevitably the Model 40 came back to Holland.

The Norton looks like it has been used for racing in the first decades of it's life. Some parts have been repainted and the motorcycle bears the scars of competition. The front forks may have been changed at some stage and the four-speed Sturmey Archer racing gearbox as fitted started life in a 1931 Model 30. The Norton is still on obsolete Englebert tyres front and rear. This looks like a motorcycle that has seen some proper use but that has not been restored. It has probably been in storage for more than 50 years...exactly like you would like to find them. And added to the surprise, it starts and runs very well! Regards, Rob"

Pa's 1932 Model 20 Norton

An email from Pa Houlihan in Ireland: "I bought the Model 20 over the phone and collected it at Stafford show in 1995 I think. The picture shows what I came home with. I was lucky enough to find a brass carb at the show that suited. The engine number and frame number are both 1932 but very little else is. The engine got new crank bearings, rings, valve springs and an oil pump. The piston is on standard bore. The rest I salvaged what I could and not having a big budget I assembled what I had. I ended up with is a bike that goes very well and is great fun to ride. I took it to the Inchageelagh Rally this May and did 200 miles without trouble. The second picture is at the Irish National Rally in 1997."

Beatrice Shilling

Beatrice Shilling became famous for two things. First, as a university-trained engineer she solved a serious problem with the carburettors of Rolls-Royce Merlin-engined fighters such as the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Acrobatic maneuvres with these planes resulted in fuel starvation and engine cutouts, a serious drawback when chasing -or being cased by- a Messerschmitt Bf109. Beatrice solved the problem by fitting a restrictor in the fuel line, aptly named "Miss Shilling's Orifice".

Second, she knew how to fettle and race a cammy Norton and proved so be lapping the Brooklands track at 106 mph on the M30 prepared by herself, earning herself the Brookland Gold Star in the process. She raced and won from professional riders such as Noel Pope on his supercharged Brough Superior.

Her Norton in the picture above, taken in 1935, is a very standard-looking 490cc M30. It may date from as early as 1932 as the engine does not contain the distinct oilfilter bolt in the bottom of the bevel chamber. Also, the gearbox predates 1935. The crankcases do look a bit dark to me; they may be made from the magnesium-based alloy "Electron" or they may just be dirty. No trick International parts like a narrow front forks or an Andree steering damper are fitted and the engine still has the coil valve springs instead of hairpins. The fuel tank does not seem to fit properly and may have been replaced. Unfortunaly it is not clear whatever it is she did with the engine to make it go that fast though it looks like the inlet tract is longer than standard.

Beatrice raced her M30 untill 1939, at one time even fitting a supercharger. With the declaration of war racing ended at Brooklands and the Norton was returned to a road machine to become Beatrice's chief means of transport for the next fourteen years. (More reading on Beatrice: Google for the book by Matthew Freudenberg)

Bronze cylinder head

Took it apart, which took some time because I do not have a suitable tool to remove the hairpin type valve springs. To be honest, the valves and guides will last for another season but I should start looking for replacements.

Look at that polished inlet port!

Let's rock

One of the last parts for inspection; the rockerbox. This is the part that contains the rockers, cams, camshaft and the bevel wheels that drive the cams via the vertical camshaft. Simply remove the rocker spindles and a few screws and the cover comes off. The rockers can now be withdrawn and the oil seals removed.

The cams and camshaft are left in situ; everything looks fine and well oiled. The tunnel that contains the cams is in perfect shape; this is the part that is sometimes smashed in worn engines, resulting in excessive oil leaks (I'm quoting George Cohen here). The 'ear' at the inlet side has been welded; it looks like a repair well done, no cracks visible. No signs of excessive wear except for the rocker spindles that show some marks where they rubbed against the rocker-rollers. I'll see if I can get replacements for the spindles, new seals, clean it all up and fit it back together again.