Newbie here, I recently aquired a stock 74 850 Roaster from the original owner that was riden about 1000 miles every year . Its in reaonably good condition. I rebuilt the Amal 932's, the posts here were a great help! I have a few things to do, replace cracked headers and am currently replacing the tires with Avon Roadriders. Does anyone know the torque settings for the front and rear axle nuts and front fork axle pinch nut. I don't see them in the Workshop manual besides a warning not to overtighten the pinchnut.

Pinch bolt - 15 ft-lb
Rear axle - 80 ft-lb
Front axlle nut - 60 ft-lb

For a complete listing of Norton torque specs, go to Fred's site at

http://www.oldbritts.com/ob_start.html

print it and install it in your shop notebook. You'll refer to it constantly.

Always feels do good to go by the manual with calibrated torque wrench in nice comfy shop at home. But factory didn't bother and nor should you once you get a feel for the torque effort as must be done when a flat occurs away from home and pick up rescue.
Torque on axles mainly needs to be enough not to come undone rather than more strongly bind whats between together.
A cotter key or safety wire is more useful to be considering.
If axle nut clamp force removed much, the drive chain can pull RH axle to rear of slot to prove rear tire rules the roost in directional control.

hobot

rick in seattle wrote:For a complete listing of Norton torque specs, go to Fred's site at

http://www.oldbritts.com/ob_start.html

print it and install it in your shop notebook. You'll refer to it constantly.

Here's a better link.

http://www.oldbritts.com/n_torq.html

Thanks, for the specs, links and sage advice

hobot wrote: factory didn't bother and nor should you once you get a feel for the torque effort as must be done when a flat occurs away from home and pick up rescue.
Torque on axles mainly needs to be enough not to come undone rather than more strongly bind whats between together.


hobot

I agree- tight is tight. Once you have unscrewed things and screwed them back together a few thousand times, you get a feel for when something's torqued sufficiently. The only thing I ever use a torque wrench on is cylinder and head bolts where uneven torque from one to the other can cause problems. And I've never seen anything but a box-end wrench and a ball-peen hammer used on the under-exhaust nuts and the nut underneath the back of the cylinder head. How couold one possibly get a torque wrench on any of these?

Hobot is right! And not a bad idea to put a couple of wraps of safety wire around right side rear Axel bolt end and to the the right side frame welded lug that the threaded adjuster passes through just in the rare event the two piece Axel should god forbid ever break, which would pull the Axel rearward.

highdesert wrote:Hobot is right! And not a bad idea to put a couple of wraps of safety wire around right side rear Axel bolt end and to the the right side frame welded lug that the threaded adjuster passes through just in the rare event the two piece Axel should god forbid ever break, which would pull the Axel rearward.

Picture?

Torque specs are to avoid OVERtightening, rather than the converse.

Or at least I've been told.

Me, I tighten it 'til it strips then back off 1/8 turn....

Seriously, though, torqueing to spec is a worthwhile exercise. And for axle and pinch nuts, don't forget to first spin that wheel and then apply the brake and HOLD IT ON, then tighten.

Or, after Hobot:

Torque specs are to avoid
OVERtightening, rather than
the converse.

Or at least I've been
told.

Me, I tighten it 'til it
strips then
back off 1/8 turn....

Seriously, though, torqueing
to spec is
a worthwhile exercise.
And for axle and pinch nuts,
don't forget
to first spin that wheel
and then apply the brake
and HOLD IT ON, then tighten.






Just having you on Hobot, love you mang!

If just fixed a flat and using a 12" wrench no breaker bar, tighten until you hear yourself go UhnN and feel the blood squeezed out the contact zone but not really painful. Then reset wrench to best aim and give a back up UhnpF so ya bounce back from it a bit - just to be sure. Vary this with mood and size of tool applying the torque lever.
If suddenly gets easier what ever ya do don't back off any of what ya gained : (

Hail to the Norton Commando - Squat in worship to its axle level.
hobot

Hobot - What Snowbum - of BMW airhead fame - would call "a good grunt" as torque spec!

hehe, we all got our own personal calibration scales but after a while most end up sufficiently nipped. Like many I used to have a impact installed clicker in an elbow when a certain amount muscle strain reached. But I found that's a sliding scale as mine resolved back to normal. I think public schools should have a class with various fasteners sizes and let em twist till they snap then give em a torque wrench and let em do it again. Then introduce to slot and philip head learning curve/

After having too many weeps and loosening ups every wheres, I now go more by my jaw teeth grit sense into back of the neck, till I feel the blood squeeze out the pressure points but not quite painful shearing point of suddenly too easy.

Measure rod and crank fastener stretch, go by gosh and by golly for the rest.
No where is a torque wrench really helpful on Commandos, just like oil pressure
and bar mounted compass or timing lights. Nothing wrong with these mine ya, just no useful data to guide best actions.

hobot

Fark, Hobot, I'm just gonna mount you on my top triple with one of those speaking cones (or I can put one on my ear) and have you shout out instructions to me as I ride....

Left! Right! Throttle bloody hell now BRAKE ye great hairy $$$$$$.... Countersteer now lad, not that much bloody hell!!!...that's it.... shift yer bloody arse rightwards on the seat and take this turn lad.....

A partnership for the ages!