Forum

[Phil Ashbrook]

Always use new washers and the amount of times they have come on and off in the past 16 years I make sure they feel firm as I used a torque wrench at first but now know what firm feels like .

[loco builder bri]

The only way to get uniform torque EVERY time is to use a torque wrench! Thats why industry use them.
Just double check the setting & then check again as you are now totally reliant on the wrench. Everyones just nip is different to the next person. Dont forget to wind the tension off the wrench so the spring is not loaded in storage, it causes incorrect readings.

[Beezabryan]

The cap standing squarely ie with perfectly even gaps is much more important than "correct" torque setting with a torque wrench that has never been properly calibrated. ......... Has anyone here heard of a front wheel escaping due to badly fitted caps fracturing? Just curious.

[Alan R]

No-------and I don't want to be the first either !!......One of Mr H's products that is far more important than High comp. pistons, loud exhausts, etc.......IMHO that is.......

[Norm]

Bryan, the front wheel can't escape even with a broken cap and I can't see any way it could escape with a broken cap and one half of the cap missing. It would give you a heart flutter but it gives peace of mind to know that even in this situation you are not going to end up with a front wheel falling out. The downside I see with the stronger caps is that people who really have no idea as to feel required for this stuff(and probably should not be working on it) they will over tighten these and then they will strip the threads in the legs. I guess then we could get steel fork legs made to stop this happening and then we could get stronger studs made to stop them stripping

[PeteF]

Well, a torque wrench is only of any use if the threads are perfect, clean and dry. Any other conditions will effect the torque applied. And the, how many of us have our torque wrenches calibrated? If you don't you can not rely on them and cheap ones are literally worse than useless as they won't stay "in" for any length of time. They have their uses, but I would rather rely on "feel" in normal home workshop conditions. The trouble is that this "feel" takes experience to develop. There is a video on YouTube showing triumph twin engines being assembled in factory conditions. Looks like the fifties. Not torque wrench in sight! Oh, and we always back off our torque wrenches after use don't we?

[Beezabryan]

Thanks Norm & Peter for putting my thoughts into far better words than I could do

[loco builder bri]

Tightening fasteners isnt a black art that takes years of practice perfecting, all it requires is the correct torque figure a torque wrench & a measure of common sense. Apprentices fresh from school master it in minutes. Adopting Best practice is often cheaper in the long run.So lets keep this forum friendly with
free exchange of information to the benefit of all.

[Midge]

The subject of tightening nuts crops up quite frequently. As Enfields are fairly basic, maintenance by owners is common. Not everyone has a background in DIY or mechanics which is why we see so many stripped threads, from spark plugs to handlebar brackets and everything in between. I'm guessing that some owners having broken the alloy fork caps, have gone on to replace them with steel ones only to strip the threads on the studs! I also knew someone who used a torque wrench correctly and then gave the nut another half turn just to be on the safe side! I like to think that people read these discussions and go away having learnt something, even though they may not have directly contributed. Its a good thing. Naturally peoples learning point and ability vary but we all had to start somewhere.