This gasket set consists of 2 x bottom O Ring rubber seals and 2 x top rubber tube seals of the correct type to fit the OHV pushrod tubes of the shorter 1956-59 design Supplied as a set of 4

This was the later design of OHV engine manufactured from 1956 onwards, and it differed from earlier OHV models, in that the fin had the upper pushrod area cast into the aluminium cylinder head - therefore the chrome pushrods that extended out from the crankcase upwards, were shorter than the earlier type - they reduced in diameter and fed into the cylinder head (instead of locating up to the rockerbox which the earler longer pushrod tubes did).

And although the pushrod tubes initially look like just a shorter version of the earlier pushrod tubes - actually the design at both the bottom and top of the tubes changed as well - at the bottom the tube open out to take a rubber O ring (rather than the earlier designs rubber collar).  And at the top of the tube, the chrome tube reduced in diameter and a rubber collar fitted over it.

This pushrod seal set consists of 2 x bottom O rings and 2 x rubber collar rings, 4 seals in total.

Incidentally, the photograph shows a genuine set of late pushrod tubes that have been in our collection of spare OHV parts since the 1960's! - and I also remember as a child at the same time my father stopping off in our Rover 90 at an old motorcycle shop in Norwich (when coming back from visiting relatives)  . . . and coming out carrying a complete (and rebuilt) Model 50 engine of the same type, shortly before the shop closed for good!. . . in later years when I was old enough to ride, it went into a rigid Model 18 chassis - a nice sweet engine.

This gasket is the large single piece oil resistent gasket that was fitted on the later OHV design from 1956-59 design.  As you can see - the rocker mating faces had a quite different shape to the earlier OHV design, and this gasket incorporates the top of the pushrod area within its casting.  

This rockerbox design covered all OHV variants from 1956-59 - so should fit Model 50 (350cc), ES2 (500cc and Model 19S (600cc) models.

We have included a diagram from the 1957 Spare Parts List to show its fitment (and will shortly be adding this 1957 Spare Parts Catalog in our Facsimiles library).

This oil resistent gasket is manufactured for us by a well established UK gasket manufacturer

Part 2 of the Gasket and Seal Section lists:

Norton Side Valve (SV) single cylinder engine gaskets 

Email us if you have a particular gasket or seal requirement and do not see it listed here: sales@racingvincent.co.uk

This is a good quality copper/non-abestos type head gasket - of the type that was fitted to Sidevalve Norton engines (i.e. 16H and Model 1 types) through the 1930's up until end of 1947. 

It also fits the WD 16H engine, and one is shown fitted to that engine here.

Original head gaskets would have been copper/abestos, but as abestos is now known to be a dangerous substance - this style of gasket is made with a non/abestos head gasket alternative

This gasket is the 16H (500cc) version - pre war part number was 9113.  The 596cc Model 1 was listed with part number 9112 - however the stud fittings for both should be the same, with just the internal combustion shape fractionally different - and this should also fit the Model 1, but please email at sales@racingvincent.co.uk if you want profile dimensions to confirm that.

I cannot confirm what year this model of head gasket was first fitted - definitely early 1930's (and is listed in the 1934 Spare parts catalog), but is possibly the same one as fitted to the first detachable SV cylinder heads - which I believe was approx 1929-30 - if you have an engine that early, please email us and we can confirm dimensions.

In the accompanying photograph you can see the gasket fitted to a WD 16H cylinder head, and a picture of that engine type is also attached..  The same gasket (Part no 9112) continued to be used on the re-designed (retail customer version) 1938-47 type engine offered both pre-war and postward.  This engine was of a later design to the WD 16H, although both were manufactured concurrently - but both used the same copper head gasket.

These head gaskets are manufactured for us by a well established specialist UK gasket manufacturer, and as can be seen from the picture - the discolouration of the copper is where they have been annealed ready to fit.

If you have a later 16H/Big 4 model with the 1948-55 Type engine, we can also supply the head gasket for that engine - but it is a different shape, this is our Item number 0928

This is the oil reistent paper gasket that was fitted to the newly re-designed (civilian version) Sidevalve Norton engines (i.e. 16H and Model 1 types) from 1938 until the end of 1947.  Note that the WD 16H Engine which was manufactured at the same time did not have this cover fitted

In 1938 both the OHV and Side valve engines had a re-design and the Side Valve model had a newly designed barrel that included a cast in tappet adjustment area to the barrel, with an aluminium square shaped cover.  This gasket is the gasket that was fitted behind that cover.  Although I do not have an original barrel to show the gasket against, we have included a picture from the Norton 1939 model catalog that shows this engine, which was manufactured until the end of the 1947 model year.

Note that the WD 16H engine continued to be manufactured for WW2 army contracts alongside this model, but the WD engine was based on the pre-1938 design and did not have this gasket fitted.

These head gaskets are manufactured for us by a well established specialist UK gasket manufacturer.

This is the oil reistent paper gasket that was fitted to cylinder base on the  the newly re-designed (civilian version) Sidevalve Norton engines (i.e. 16H and Model 1 types) from 1938 until the end of 1947.  Note that the WD 16H Engine which was manufactured at the same time did not have this cover fitted.

In 1938 both the OHV and Side valve engines had a re-design and the Side Valve model had a newly designed barrel that included a cast in tappet adjustment area to the barrel, the cylinder base gasket for that new barrel is the one shown here.   Although I do not have an original barrel to show the gasket against, we have included a picture from the Norton 1939 model catalog that shows this engine, which was manufactured until the end of the 1947 model year.

This is an unusual and rarely seen gasket, as this engine was only produced for a short time and is not pictorially displayed in any original Spare Parts catalog I have seen, although its part number is listed in the 1939 Catalog.

Note that the WD 16H engine continued to be manufactured for WW2 army contracts alongside this model, but the WD engine was based on the pre-1938 design and did not have this type of cylinder base gasket fitted - but we can provide that as well, it being Item 0917.

These head gaskets are manufactured for us by a well established specialist UK gasket manufacturer.

This is a good quality aluminium type head gasket - of the type that was fitted to Sidevalve Norton engines (i.e. 16H and Model 1 types) on the 1948 - 55 type engine.

This later type side valve engine was based on the crankcase re-design that took place in 1948, and was identifiable from earlier versions, in that it had a seperate alloy casting for the tappet adjustment area.  

I do not have an engine of this type in my OHV/SV parts collection any more (although one of this model was the first motorcycle I ever built and owned!) - but have included a picture from the 1948 Spare Parts catalog, to identify the head gasket from the earlier copper side valve head gasket fitted to the pre-48 models, that we also stock (item 0925).

This gasket is manufactured for us by a specialist and well established gasket manufacturer in the UK.

This is the distinctive oval shaped cork gasket that fits over the alumium tappet cover casting on 1948 -  1955 type side valve engines.  See detail listing for more fitment information

This is a nice quality cork gasket manufactured for us by an established gasket manufacturer in the UK

This is the upper and lower gasket set that fits the alumium tappet cover casting on 1948 -  1955 type side valve engines (similar to the pushrod gasket set for the OHV engine) - with 4 gaskets in the set.  See detail listing for more fitment information

Similar to the 1948 - 1955 OHV engine, the Side valve engine shared the same crankcase and cam pusher design - and it also shared the same lower tappet rubber seals on the lower part of the aluminium tappet adjuster casting.  However, on the top of this same casting were different sealant material gaskets, which were unique to this model.  This set of 4 consists of the 2 lower rubbers seals and the two large oil resistent gaskets.   See picture of the 16H sidevalve engine from the 1948 Spare Parts Catalog that show the casting these gaskets were fitted to.

These are nice quality seals/gaskets manufactured for us by a well established and specialist gasket manufacturer in the UK

This is the circular oil resistent rubber seal that fits on the shaft of the exhaust valve lifter mechanism on the side of the aluminium tappet chest of 1948 - 55 16H and Big 4 Side Valve Engines. 

This good quality seal is manufactured for us by a well established and specialist gasket manufacturer in the UK