Torque before I strip 'em

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B-Stone

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Jul 5, 2008
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Hey fellas, need some help. Am re-assembling and am putting the inner primary/chaincase back on. After lightly snugging up the three lock-tabbed bolts that connect the chaincase to the crankcase, there is no gap between the centre bolt.

I was tightening up the three bolts but am scared shitless I will strip them in the crankcase. Is there a torque setting involved here?

I have snugged them up but they always seem to turn a bit more. I was careful but am wondering if I have already stripped them... :cry:

Thanks!
 
Old Britts has a list of torques: http://www.oldbritts.com/n_torq.html

It shows 60 to 80 INCH pounds which isn't very much, about 5 - 7 foot pounds. Dunno what to tell you about maybe being stripped. Might want to pull the case back off and get a look at them, then try the bolts without the case to see how they feel. With that light of a toque setting I might try some kind of alumi-weld epoxy if you need to repair the threads.

Russ
 
rvich said:
Old Britts has a list of torques: http://www.oldbritts.com/n_torq.html

It shows 60 to 80 INCH pounds which isn't very much, about 5 - 7 foot pounds. Dunno what to tell you about maybe being stripped. Might want to pull the case back off and get a look at them, then try the bolts without the case to see how they feel. With that light of a toque setting I might try some kind of alumi-weld epoxy if you need to repair the threads.

Russ
Click to expand...

Mine are all helicoiled (not by me). I'd just snug them and then take advantage of the lock tabs.
 
Thanks Russ

I snugged them on a bit more and then bent the tabs over as best as I could what with the messed up angle for the punch.

Tried to put the engine sprocket/clutch sprocket on as well but the chain is incredibly taut. I left it as the neighbourhood kids were learning some real bad words from me!

Not sure if I should slacken the gear box to get it on or if they are supposed to be this tight.
 
Have you had things apart far enough that the gearbox adjuster would have changed? If not then you should be able to slide it back on, assuming of course that it wasn't bone tight when it came apart.
 
As noted, snug is sufficient - a dab of something like Permatex Ultimate Gray Motoseal (or Yamabond, Hondabond - same thing) on the bolt threads is a good idea since oil from the crankcase can seep around the bolts and leak on the ground/into the chain case.
 
B-Stone said:
Hey fellas, need some help. Am re-assembling and am putting the inner primary/chaincase back on. After lightly snugging up the three lock-tabbed bolts that connect the chaincase to the crankcase, there is no gap between the centre bolt.
Click to expand...

The center bolt hex stud should have shim washers to align the inner primary case parallel to the engine mounting plates. You need to dry assemble the primary case, including the crankcase gasket, and measure the gap there with a feeler gage. Then choose the appropriate shims.

Tried to put the engine sprocket/clutch sprocket on as well but the chain is incredibly taut. I left it as the neighbourhood kids were learning some real bad words from me!
Click to expand...

If the inner case is shimmed too far out the engine twists to the right in its mounts and will make the primary chain tight. However, normal chain slack is only 3/8" total up & down movement, so you do need to "wiggle" things together.
 
Make darn sure that the inner primary is flush at the crankcase and touching the chaincase centre stud with a good gasket. If there is a gap at the front of the crankcase, shim out, if gap is at the back of the crankcase, remove shims. At has to be right.
 
At hobot's suggestion, I replaced the 3 crank bolts with 1" studs and nuts. Then you can red locktite the studs into the crankcase to prevent leaks, blue locktite the nuts, and it is easier then to install the gasket, and the inner cover. You will have to grind down the bottom 2 studs so they don't stick out past the nuts and interfere with the chain. I test fitted my inner cover and I ended up putting 2 washers on the center bolt outside the inner case to take up the space. If the inner case is tight against the center bolt, the engine must not be mounted right or something is out of kilter, as far as I know they all had some space in there.

Dave
69S
 
Thank goodness it don't take much to hold on inner cover. It the threads are shot then thank goodness for helicoil or better Timeserts or even a necked set of studs bigger in crank case same size through primary case. You got the details above.

BUT BUT BUT you are in extreme danger to damage Whole Drive Train with the triplex chain ever in tension instead of floppy loose bottom run. It was tense when cold then its too late - you have already bent your main shaft if its been run to operating temperature and given enough throttle to get to traffic speed.
Always check chain when hot for some slack then feel how sloppy loose it is cold
and remember for next cold tension adjustment. Yes back off gear box and hope
main shaft and sleeve bushes give some mileage before digging in there too.

Commando are only for a matured man to tackle and can rebound again and again from the learning curve failures.

hobot - still rebounding, one more time then admit I'm whipped and give someone else a chance at a decent Commando life.
 
Slacked off the gear box bolts and rear chain completely in order to finally get it on. The gearbox moved forward on the eyebolt (right) side but on the left side (primary) it didn't slide back hardly at all. Because of this it was still a tight squeeze.

Not sure why the gear box did't move forward equally on both sides.
 
You might be on to something here.

I have attached a couple of pics

Torque before I strip 'em


Torque before I strip 'em
 
B-Stone said:
I snugged them on a bit more and then bent the tabs over as best as I could what with the messed up angle for the punch.
Click to expand...

Bend the tabs with a pliers, not a punch. Get the bend on the tab started before you install, snug the bolt up to the point where the tab will fall on one of the flats of the bolt head, place one of the jaws of the pliers on the opposite flat, squeeze, and draw the tab up on to the head of the bolt.
 
Looks like you don't have the correct bolt at the top of the gearbox, not a big issue, but there does need to be a spacer between the cradle and the top of the gearbox on the drive side to center the gearbox properly.

Torque before I strip 'em


This has been an issue with many transmission mounting problems.

Dave
69S
 
And I can personally vouch for the fact that if that spacer is not there, the tranny will not be aligned properly with the engine/rear wheel and the drive sprocket/chain will carve a nice groove in the inner chaincase.
 
Mike,
Thanks, I saw your problem with that and I have been careful to watch that issue on my rebuild.

Dave
69S
 
Thanks guys. When I bought this bike 4 years ago I was assured it was in great shape with a fresh rebuild.

Thus far it has stranded me twice and had a top and bottom end rebuild.

Off the to the shop on monday I guess to find a spacer...for now I guess I will be pulling the primary back off :cry:

BStone
 
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