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Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

Hi All
Does anyone have a suggested torque setting for a WD/G3L crank pin/big end assembly? I took my crankshaft assembly in to the local engine shop for truing up and they want a torque setting. I can't find any info on totque settings anywhere.
Many thanks
Paul

email (option): paul@holmesfamily.ws

Re: Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

No torque setting ever published in those days; I used a socket on an 14inch bar done up till the veins stood out on my forehead.

Your engine shop doesn't understand these engines.

Re: Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

The WD Matchless standards book from 1953 gives 210 lbs/ft. so something must have been known around the time.

It is quite a high setting, I've heard from engine shops doing this kind of work.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@wel***.net

Re: Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

When I did the one on my AJS I was told by an ancient engineer I knew that it should be done up 'F' tight, he never told me what the F stood for.

Re: Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

Thanks guys. That does sound high but I'm like Ken, I do it by feel!????

email (option): paul@holmesfamily.ws

Re: Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

what you have to watch for is that if too tight at any time past or present the holes in the flywheels enlarge, not much but enough to render them useless when using a replacement pin.
Which is why mine wears a BSA crankpin conversion.

when these people align the wheels, are they intending to tighten them before or after alignment?

The traditional way was a lead lump hammer, or a judicious bash on the bench was the way one old guy of my aquaintance did it, and his were always spot on.
No point in tightening afterwards.

As usual I am educated from Holland once again, as I've never seen a torque setting for this application, nor felt the need for one on any of the Matchless engines I've built.
Get yourself a couple of V blocks and do it yourself.

Re: Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

Sorry Ken, just looked it up in the book! the same book for BSA doesn't have any torque settings!!

I was told, because of the non tapered big-end on the Matchlesses, it needs to be tighter, if you overtighten it on a tapered big-end bike, like M20 and most others, there is the effect of enlarging the bores with overtightening.

The one and only reason the bores will expand on a Matchless is when not tightening the nuts enough! that's what various racing people have told me anyway.

When I did some cranks, with the help of a real oldtimer, who had done nothing much else for over 60 years, he trued them after we set the torque to 180 or so, and re-tightened to 210 after trueing, and then checked again.





He also balanced the flywheel assy., and knew exactly where to drill the
holes!!!





Thanks Bob!!!! this was all in the US, at Bob's Indians, Etters PA, USA, note the trueing stand is a Harley one!! the only part Bob said was better then Indian, love it.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@wel***.net

Re: Matchless WD / G3L torque settings

One set of folk I have never sought advice from is motorcycle racers, they break so many bikes....

I can assure you Matchless flywheels will get enlarge holes for a number of reasons,they also crack between the pin hole and the T/S shaft which doesn't help. and if not assembled correctly by tightening one side at atime, they'll pull the centre shaft through the 2-piece pin.
I have also been led to believe that there is the slightest of tapers on those parallel pins but I have never felt the need to measure one.
surely on BSA pins once the shoulder is home onto the flywheel cheek as it should be, it'll need some mighty force to expand the hole?

yes your old fella is the sort we are losing sadly, my old guy didnt have such a clean and tidy workshop.

I scribe the flywheels with a set square before dismantling, then they are very near the marks when back together again, I do them up tight once, then true with the trusty lead hammer scientifically applied to the high spots.
no need to do it all twice.

might not be the textbook method but I don't have much bother with the bottom ends or vibes, so something works.


One thing really pisses me off on here, why is everyones workshops so spacious clean and welll organised?
doesn't anyone else have a roof that leaks and a dirt floor?

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