Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: Bmadd34 on November 20, 2018, 07:58:08 pm

Title: Battery cover latch
Post by: Bmadd34 on November 20, 2018, 07:58:08 pm
I rode out to the Post office to ship a .36 cal pepperbox to it's new owner, and the battery cover just fell off. The latch snapped. Is this common? Just in case any are curious, I attached a picture of the Pepperbox.  :)
Title: Re: Battery cover latch
Post by: Mad4Bullets on November 20, 2018, 08:20:52 pm
Well I guess we all know by know from our multiple experiences that near anything can fail in and around this area from high frequency vibration.  You've added a fair amount of leather to your C5 recently.  After replacing the the broken latch you may also want to source a matching leather strap as a secondary backup for your battery cover.  It's both good looking and functional.  When refitting the battery cover you might also want to slightly bend the tab on the frame outward so that the plastic latch isn't too stressed when fully engaged.  I had to adjust mine after upgrading to the sealed MotoBatt battery which was a slightly tighter fit than OEM.  You don't want the plastic latch to engage too tightly.  Good luck.  Regards,  Kevin Daly
Title: Re: Battery cover latch
Post by: johno on November 20, 2018, 08:52:08 pm
Hitchcock offer old type standard metal slotted catches, in the catalogue it states that the catches are known weakness.

So I guess it is common......
Title: Re: Battery cover latch
Post by: Arizoni on November 20, 2018, 10:08:32 pm
Bmadd34:
You aren't someone named "Maddman" on another forum are you?

Those "Classic Arms Pepperboxes" aren't real common and Maddman just sold one very recently.
Title: Re: Battery cover latch
Post by: Bmadd34 on November 20, 2018, 10:17:02 pm
Bmadd34:
You aren't someone named "Maddman" on another forum are you?

Those "Classic Arms Pepperboxes" aren't real common and Maddman just sold one very recently.

    Yes, That was me. Tried to trade it with a T/C Tree Hawk, but eveyone was acting like I had the Plague or something. So I decided to just sell them to pick up my next project for the winter, Traditions Blunderbuss kit. Thought it would make a nice build. Every once in a while luck smiles on me and I found the money to back the purchase and it will be here next week. Can't decide if I want to stain it, dye it, or just linseed oil it. I'm leaning toward just oil finish. Maybe brown the barrel. IDK. I've built many in my day. I got one in the cabinet that I built for my Son. carved the stock fron a chunk of walnut myself years ago.
Title: Re: Battery cover latch
Post by: Arizoni on November 20, 2018, 10:45:50 pm
Baa, Haw, haw, haw !!

I thought so.  Old Zonie  found you.

Getting back to those locks, I'm sorry to see that Royal Enfield changed them from the all metal ones they used to use.
Although the locking finger was made from die cast pot metal, I've never had a problem with mine.

I have heard a few tails of woe about some folks loosing their sidecovers though.
I don't know if it was because they didn't really get the covers locked or the old locks broke.

If I were you, I'd try the ones from Hitchcock although I'm sure the key would not match the one you have now.

As for finishing your blunderbuss kit, those questions and thoughts are more suited for the other forum than this one.

Zonie (Baa, haw, haw, haw).  ;D