Hitchcocks Forum

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The story of that bloody nut again!



Yes, that one, or more correctly, those two on the top of the gearbox that connect to the frame brackets!


It was evening, I had adjusted the chain and rear brake, and was having a short test run before putting Tornado to bed for the night.



The resultant vibrations (the chain was too tight) caused that 'nightmare' nut and washer to come off. I was not going to ride back in that condition and so spent 40 minutes trying to get the nut back on.



Firstly, the stud had unscrewed itself, along with the washer as that side had been treated to locktite on a previous occasion. The various holes that the stud go through, manage to keep up the enfield tradition of not lining up, thus needing a tap on the nut to get it back in.






This is the easy side, the stud was revolving when I looked down, before killing the engine quick! Of course it needed a tyre lever placed on the nut and a good whack to get it back into place.







Here is that bloody nut. because of the breather, you can't get a spanner there, one finger at most. if the stud is out too far, the nut won't go on. In too far, and the nuts drops down. it was not possible to move the stud by hand so I spent an unhappy hour, trying to get the nut correct whilst going around the other side to tap the stud in a little.



By now it had got dark and I had put my mobile phone on the tea caddy airbox so that the 'torch' LED was pointing down at the nut. Finally, with the aid of a pair of curvy needle nose pliers and some shouting, i got the nut on half a turn. Went round the other side to tap the stud through a little more, but the nut was preventing that. I went to undo the nut a little, but the locktite worked and the stud turned. Result... nut had fallen off the other side GRRRR!



It is usually nice in this remote beauty spot by the river, but oddly enough, I seemed to be missing that fact in the dark and approaching cold.



Finally, i managed to get the nut (and locking washer) back on, and spent a few minutes tapping the stud in a little more, (other side) thumb tighten nut (first side) tap stud, (other side) thumb tighten nut. Finally, I got to thte stqge of finally tightening the accessible nut up, with the hope that this would also tighten the other inaccessible side to the same extent.


well, the blue stuff in the photos is locktite, sorry Tornado, but you are not playing that trick again! (Twice now).



Mind you, had I got the chain adjusted correctly, this would never have happened.


N.B. Ensure chain is slack WHEN SITTING ON THE BIKE! It will look loose when on centre stand.









Tabellarius de verbis ostensor gaudium

Sorry to hear that, Scaly. However, the workshop manual does state that the chain should have 25 to 30 mm slack tested on the top run of the chain with the bike on the centre stand. I have observed this rule since I bought the Bullet in 2003, and never had a problem with an over-tight chain.

How feasible is it to drill all the way through and fit a very long bolt that can be lock nutted?

Hi Leon, The chain had 25 mm slack when on the centre stand! It was bowstring when sitting on the bike, yikes! As usual, being hand built, every bullet is unique, nothing is true or straight!



Hi Papasmurf, this nut sits in a trough between the bracket and gearbox! That is why it is such a pain!

If I unscrewed all the breather modification, and the oil temp stick, then I guess, it would be a more useful "two fingers then a spanner' job, but as it is, not very much fun down a country lane when getting dark!

Not being negative but the Loctite might not work if the nut/stud wasn't cleaned properly. It also looks like you just sloshed the Loctite on after the event. It won't work unless it's in the threads.
Would it not be possible to make a longer stud, suitably spaced, so you can get a spanner on the RHS? From your description I fear you might not have got it properly tight.
When I first adjusted the chain I got the sprockets and swing arm in line and adjusted the chain to be just "not tight" I then measured the slack with the bike on the stand and it was almost 2". I've adjusted it to this on the stand since then with no problems.

Pete F...



Not quite sloshed, but applied with a screwdriver in the near dark! Only way I could get it onto the threads.



Stud length does work here, there is a thin trough just wider than the thickness of a spanner that this nut sits in. There is no room to actually trun a spanner once it is on, oh... I wonder about those pushrod spanners I have?



Still need to clean the rest of the blue stuff off!

I'll take the breather off and do it properly.

Can you get a thin height flex locknut to fit

Can the stud be replaced with a cap-head bolt?