Shim crankshaft, which side?

wildbill56 · Saturday at 6:47 PM

Checked end float today on fresh superblends. Crankshaft is not oig to this engine. Both 750. Engine is 1971. Float measures .026-.027 repeatedly. I ordered 5 shims from Baxter, intending to need 4
If this works out, which side to shim? Or 4 ea side?

Fast Eddie · Saturday at 11:45 PM

wildbill56 said:
Checked end float today on fresh superblends. Crankshaft is not oig to this engine. Both 750. Engine is 1971. Float measures .026-.027 repeatedly. I ordered 5 shims from Baxter, intending to need 4
If this works out, which side to shim? Or 4 ea side?

Don’t shim it, that’s fine.

kerinorton · 2026-09-13T01:20:37-0600

I think I have seen the float should be between 10 and 20 thou. Shim the rhs if you are fitting shims on the crank. never on the left as that side is not held like the rhs. If shimming the bearing into the crank case, then do what you have to. Ideal each side evenly. I shimmed my 750 to 10 thou and no problems.

L.A.B. · 2026-09-13T01:36:34-0600

The end float for the two roller bearings was 0.010"- 0.024" this was not entered into the manual until Mk3 but it is in the Service Release although that says 0.010" - 0.020" although another says 0.024".

kommando · 2026-09-13T03:14:03-0600

Considering the issues you can get from shims when put between the roller inner and the crank either go for a shim between the roller outer and the crankcase or leave out completely. I left a 25 thou endfloat alone and no issues.

wildbill56 · 2026-09-13T05:07:01-0600

Thnx guys...I have left them almost this diminsion may times. I think I'll do the same this time. I'm getting (more) anal as the years go by it seems I ride these gems like an old geezer these days and just appreciate them, malthough the wife can hiook up the trailer to her Tacoma easily if she gets a call from me...LOL

ashman · 2026-09-13T07:09:19-0600

Norton cranks like a bit of end float, it won't go bang.

Schwany · 2026-09-13T10:42:44-0600

I brought the endfloat down to around .015, but I think it was a waste of time more than anything else since it was at .021 to start with. I put it behind the race against the timing side of the crank, since that was the easiest place to do it for me at the time. Hasn't blown up yet, and I still do stupid stuff if there is no traffic in front of me and no cops behind. I did not check crank endfloat when I was in my 20's, which was a hell of a while ago, and it did not blow up then either.

TBW · 2026-09-13T15:43:46-0600

Schwany said:
I brought the endfloat down to around .015, but I think it was a waste of time more than anything else since it was at .021 to start with. I put it behind the race against the timing side of the crank, since that was the easiest place to do it for me at the time. Hasn't blown up yet, and I still do stupid stuff if there is no traffic in front of me and no cops behind. I did not check crank endfloat when I was in my 20's, which was a hell of a while ago, and it did not blow up then either.

Funny how we didn’t worry so much about these details in our 20s…didn’t even know about end float n all the other specifics, all we did was go as fast as we could

ashman · 2026-09-13T17:04:41-0600

I think most just worry about nothing, end float as I say seems Nortons come from the factory with end float, doesn't seem to worry them.

wildbill56 · 2026-09-13T17:08:09-0600

Schwany said:
I brought the endfloat down to around .015, but I think it was a waste of time more than anything else since it was at .021 to start with. I put it behind the race against the timing side of the crank, since that was the easiest place to do it for me at the time. Hasn't blown up yet, and I still do stupid stuff if there is no traffic in front of me and no cops behind. I did not check crank endfloat when I was in my 20's, which was a hell of a while ago, and it did not blow up then either.

I share similar youthful experiences. I ve decide to build it as is. I am too old to ride the crap out of them these days...I ride them like the old geezer I am. But on my 2018 M8 Road King, it's a different story. Some engine work few yrs back got me 98HP, 106 TQ. Now it's fun and kinda loud with V&H pro pipe.

Shim crankshaft, which side?

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