- 3 piece tappet adjuster set, including tappet pad, outer adjuster and full width locknut - Fits all SOHC rocker arms. - A very popular item, as these are one of the main consumables of this engine.  Price is per Each (i.e. 2 required per cambox)

We have been making these for over 10 years and have sold very many - they are CNC made just as per the originals and are a clever design.

The outer threaded collar has slots and screws into the rocker arms.  The inner tappet shaft has a taper that corresponds to a similar taper on the inside of the collar.  To adjust the tappet clearance - undo the top locknut, adjust the outer collar using a spanner to set the correct tappet adjustment, then re-tighten the locknut, which locks the two tapers again.

Note: it is often a good idea to loosen the locknut, then give the tappet a vertical 'tap' with a rawhide mallet first, before trying to adjust, this helps 'break' the taper lock on the innder tappet shaft first and makes adjustment easier.

- Spare top nut for the 3 piece tappet adjuster set.  These 'lock nuts' are particular to these 3 piece adjuster sets, as they have a deeper thread depth than normal nuts of this thread type.  Never the less, it is common for them to come loose, due to the high revs of the rocker arm and get lost - It is not unusual to take your petrol tank off and find at least one of them have disappeared!

Therefore sold on their own here - price is 'each'

- Hardened rocker pads that press into the rocker arms - high quality replacement for a part that is often badly worn - This is for the standard shaft diameter item, which should be selected if the old item was a tight/press fit into the rocker arm. If the rocker arm had a loose fitting rocker pad then select an appropriate oversize rocker pad instead. - If you are unsure, but have an old rockepad to measure - these replacement items have a shaft diameter of exactly 0.312" (Std).

- Hardened rocker pads that press into the rocker arms - high quality replacement for a part that is often badly worn - This description is for a rockerpad with a +0.002" (2 thou) oversize shaft. This can be used if you believe the hole of the rocker arm is worn and the old item had become a loose fit. - If you are unsure, but have an old rockepad to measure - these replacement items have a shaft diameter of exactly 0.314" (Std 0.312" + 0.002").

- Hardened rocker pads that press into the rocker arms - high quality replacement for a part that is often badly worn - This description is for a rockerpad with a +0.005" (5 thou) oversize shaft. This can be used if you believe the hole of the rocker arm is very worn and the old item had become a very loose fit. - If you are unsure, but have an old rockepad to measure - these replacement items have a shaft diameter of exactly 0.317" (Std 0.312" + 0.005").

This Flat Bottomed Rocker Adjuster and Tapered Locknut are to fit the first SOHC Walter Moore (i.e. Cricket Bat type) and 1930 - 1937 OHV Models.  They were fitted to CS1 models from 1927-1930 (approximately) and OHV models from 1929 - 1937.  This type of rocker adjuster were fitted to the rear rocker arms and acted directly on the valves.  We have CNC manufactured this type using an original early 1930's Norton item as the pattern and includes the correct profile locknut, with tapered bottom face, the locknut being in stainless steel. 

Price is for a single adjuster and locknut (i.e. 2 parts)

We have CNC manufactured this type of rocker adjuster using an original early 1930's Norton item as the pattern - and replicating all dimensions as per the original.  They are made from case hardened EN32B, but like the Norton originals - the threads are 'painted off' before hardening, so the threads do not go brittle in the hardening process.  The reverse end of the adjuster has a square head milled into it, for adjusting tappet clearance iwth a small spanner - again replicating the dimensions of the original Norton square.  It should be noted that the thread of this type Rocker Adjusters (and the slightly earlier  ball type adjusters we also offer - Item 1119) is actually 9/32" x 26tpi BSC thread - as per the original item.

As well as the actual hardened adjuster, we also include the correct profile locknut - which has a slight taper on one end - which should fit into the original Norton OHV Rocker recess.  The other end has a minimum chamfer.  This locknut is copied from an original period Item - but unlike the original, ours are CNC manufactured from stainless steel - to prevent rusting.  It should be noted that on the original 1930's nut that we copied (which was still fitted to a flat bottomed adjuster) - we noted that the depth of this nut was fractionally deeper than the original 1920's nut fitted to the earlier 'Ball type' rocker adjuster (Item 1119) - but the difference is minimal, and I suspect either type could be used for either application.

Each Rocker Adjuster and Locknut is supplied assembled with high melting point grease applied - to prevent corrosion in storage.

Price is for a single adjuster and locknut (i.e. 2 parts) - Therefore 2 of these are required per engine.

Backgound: 

This flat bottomed rocker adjuster is of the type that looks to have been fitted to most OHV models and also early SOHC models from approximately 1927 (in the case of Walter Moore CS1 Models) through to 1937 OHV motors.

This specific design - which has a flat foot, slightly wider than the thread shaft, is pictured in the 1933-34 Norton Spare Parts Catalog - and given the Norton part number 9163 - and was shown there as an adjuster and locknut, as we offer here - i.e. 2 parts.

As well as having this flat foot, the other distinguishing feature of this type of adjuster s that the thread is 9/32" x 26tpi BSC.  And finally, the other feature is having a 'square' top at the other end of the adjuster - to allow tappet clearance to be adjusted, once the tapered locknut is looesened.

The reason these features are important - is that there does seem to have been some variations on this adjuster offered - particularly on earlier Walter Moore CS1 and OHV models in the late 1920's - for example, I have also seen early examples that look to have a pad which is closer to the diameter of the shaft, and other examples that have a Hex pad, rather than a round pad - Which I assume was to make adjustment possible from the lower end.

Therefore please satisfy yourself before ordering that your model of Norton has the correct 9/32" x 26 tpi thread in the rocker - and that you are comfortable to use this design with the wider flat pad - which seems to have been standardised on all OHV models by 1933 at the latest.

Wtih regard to the use of this type of Rocker Adjuster on SOHC Engines:  It is difficult to be distinct about Walter Moore CS1 development between 1927-30 (and I am definitely not an expert on this model) - but they were definitely fitted with the 9/32" x 26 tpi adjuster - although early examples may have had a slimmer hardened head than the type shown here -this type should be interchangeable, but please satisfy yourself before ordering us, or email us on sales@racingvincent.co.uk before ordering.

Having consulted with some early SOHC experts- I gather that occasionally worn CS1 rocker arms were drilled out to a larger thread to take later 5/16" SOHC Adjusters (see our SOHC Cambox section for standard 3 part SOHC tappet adjuster sets) - but before ordering these adjusters - please satisfy yourself that your CS1 (Walter Moore) rocker arms still have a 9/32" thread.

Likewise - the earliest Arthur Carroll SOHC cambox's - i.e. 1931-33 era also had differnces to later SOHC cambox's.  I cannot be certain, as I do not have a complete earliest type Arthur Carroll cambox in my collection - but there is also a good indication that the early versions of this type of cambox may also have used this type of adjuster (early Arthur Carroll Camboxs are often identified by a more curved front bevel cover casting thant the standard later version).

With all of this background - the key thing to remember is:  It is very difficult to be definitive about types and sizes, as so few engines are totally original  . .. and a high mieage engine may have had its consumable parts replaced many times over the years - often using whatever parts are available at the time.

However, with all these 1930's engines - up to the introduction of the adjustable pushrod on 1938 onwards OHV engines - these 9/32" rocker pads are manufactured to an original and well tested Norton design - hence why it is important to note that the thread diameter is the most important point to note if you have a Norton single model from late '20's to 1937 where the tappet adjuster sits directly over the valve stem.

You can email us on sales@racingvincent.co.uk if you need more information or need to check 

 

This Flat Bottomed Rocker Adjuster and Tapered Locknut are a slightly longer version of the 9163 (Std length) adjuster fitted to early SOHC engines and most OHV models up to 1937.  We modellecd this 5mm longer version on an original adjuster - that may have been modified, as at least one customer has requested a longer type. 

Price is for a single adjuster and locknut (i.e. 2 parts)

At the same time as manufacturing the 'standard length' 9163 - Our Item 1121, one customer that had been helping us with original patterns had requested a longer type of adjuster, to fit his early 1930's OHV engine - which had a longer original adjuster fitted, see accompanyning photo.  As you can see, this adjuster had a longer head than the more common version.  Although there is a small chance this was original Norton - it is probable it is actually an original standard version that had had its head built up later in life.  Regardless - for whatever reason, the engine this adjuster came from required a longer adjuster than the normal 9163 type, to give the correct tappet adjustment.

Therefore, we have made a small batch of this longer version of the 9163 type adjuster, in case other customers also require a longer version.  As you will see, for our longer versions - we have replicated the original 9163 design - but the length of the thread on this longer version is 5mm longer than standard.  Othen than that, all dimensions are as per our item 1121 (Std 9163 type) - so before purchasing this type - also read the background information for that item as well.

The locknut supplied with this adjuster is the same stainless steel tapered locknut as the standard 9163 adjuster.

Thread for this adjuster is also the same as the standard version - 9/32" x 26tpii BSC

Final note October 2022: we have only made a small batch of these longer versions - as we are not sure what demand there will be for them, so please bear this in mind - stocks of this type are limited

Email us on sales@racingvincent.co.uk if you require more information on this item, and please also read the full description against Item 1121 as well.

These are the distinctive 9/32" x 26tpi BSC tapered locknuts as fitted to the Norton OHV/Walter Moore CS1 Flat Pad type rocker adjusters (our items 1121 and 1122 from approximately 1929-37.  These have been CNC manufactured in stainless steel to exactly the same dimensions as a Norton 1930's example.  Note we also sell the locknut with the actual adjuster - see Item 1121 and 1122, but as the original nuts are often chewed or come loose and fall off - we sell them on their own here.  

Price is each (i.e. one locknut)

The thread on these locknuts is - 9/32" x 26tpi BSC thread - as per the original item.

This nut is CNC manufactured in stainless steel to the original Norton design - which has a slight taper on one end - which should fit into the original Norton OHV Rocker recess.  The other end has a minimum chamfer.  This locknut is copied from an original period Item - but unlike the original, ours are CNC manufactured from stainless steel - to prevent rusting.  It should be noted that on the original 1930's nut that we coped - we noted that the depth of this nut was fractionally deeper than the original earlier 1920s ball type rocker version of the same nut.  The difference is minimal though, and I suspect either type could be used if one or other type is out of stock.  

See also the description listing for Item 1119 (Ball Type Adjuster and Locknut - Pair) for more background information on these items.

If these nuts are showing out of stock - then Item 1120 is a possible alternative as the depth difference of the later nut is only fractionally shallower than this type - we decided to make both types because we wanted each Rocker Adjuster/Locknut combination to be true to the original patterns we copied

 

For those rocker arms that are fitted with lipped side washers (which is by far the most common type of rocker arm – identifiable by its machined lip on each side of the bearing boss), these lipped washers (termed Steel Cup's in the 1948 catalog) are manufactuerd in hardwearing EN8 steel. These fit over the rocker arm bearing on each side, and provide a flat face for the cork washers to seal against. 4 required per cambox.

For the earlier type rocker arms - which are identifiable by not having a machined recess to take the later 'lipped washer', I have had a batch of the cam rocker steel washers, that fit between the rocker arms and the cork washers.

As well as not having a lip they are also slimmer than the later lipped type (see the second photo - the rocker arms for these type, on the right, do not have a machined recess). Note: These steel washers will not fit the very earliest cam rockers (fitted approx pre-1932) which have a different centre boss diameter These fit over the rocker arm bearing on each side, and provide a flat face for the cork washers to seal against. 4 required per cambox.

By the way, it is important with these type to ensure the side walls of the rocker arm are absolutely flat with no burrs, otherwise oil will leak from the rockers more profusely