Forum

[Trailblazer]

I am restoring a 1958 Indian Trailblazer. The crankshaft plugs on this engine are the metal discs held in with a snap ring. How are these removed and reinstalled?

The con rods have the socket head capscrews cotter keyed at the threaded end. When I removed the capscrews the burrs on the threads, due to the drilling, disturbed the rod treads slightly. I marked the capscrews before removing them so I can return them to the same location and position after removing the burrs. Will I have to re-drill them after they are torqued? (They have already been drilled twice) Could a modern day "Loctite" be used instead of using the cotter keys?

[MadMike]

Under no circumstances reuse con rod bolts!!!!! they should be designed to stretch under torquing up and will not recover when loosened and then retightened. Always but always use new bolts, and torque them correctly. The use of cap screws is extremely as con-rod bolts in mosr engines. Has somebody rebuilt the engine with the wrong bolts, os is this normal Enfield practice?

[Trailblazer]

The special socket head capscrews were implemented with the introduction of the 700 due to a lack of clearance in the crankcase for conventional rod bolts.

I am not against buying new rod bolts (capscrews). It has been my understanding however, that in most cases capscrews can be reused if they have not been over torqued to the point of exceeding their elastic limit at which point they permanently yield.

My original Trailblazer / Apache overhaul manual states that in refitting the connecting rods, the socket screws should be tightened to 200 -220 in-lbs. If the cotter pin holes do not line up at this point the capscrews should be removed and a different thickness of washer used under the head. Sounds like a lot of trial and error to me.

[Mark M]

Trailblazer, use new cap screws, they are available from our Hosts. Not worth reusing, you don't know how many times they've been out! The holes are not for cotter pins (an interference fit axial pin,) but for lockwire. It seems Enfield went a bit belt and braces when they altered the cap fixings. Don't bother to use lockwire, it only snaps off and ends up in the sump anyway, and they soon stopped using it on assembly although the drillings in the screws remained for some reason. Torque cap screws to 22-23 foot/pounds. Don't know about the plugs as all mine so far have been the later alloy screw in type.
REgards, Mark

[Dennis C]

As Mike and Mark say on no account reuse the old cap screws they will be stretched and re torquing them will stretch them again with risk of snapping in use, the early ones had the heads drilled and lock wire fitted, this was pretty useless as Mark says, either drill and pin or use Loctite 278 which is high temperature and high torque. ----- also be prepared for the thread in the rod to strip when torquing up if they are already damaged, the threads can be repaired using Helicoils but you must use the correct length for the thread don't try and get away with the short ones, replacement rods now come with a Helicoil fitted from new.