Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Vintage Royal Enfield => Topic started by: indian55-123 on January 12, 2010, 02:14:59 am
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Does anyone know where I can get 1/4, 5/16. 3/8, 1/2X26 TPI taps and dies? I am very confused about these English sizes. I thought I needed Whitworth but now it seems I need BSF. I really don't want to go metric, I just want to clean up threads. I've read on here that some businesses make a Whitworth size head for nuts and bolts but the threads are metric or some other crap that will screw up your threads and I sure don't need that kind of trouble if I need to buy nuts or bolts. So what's the word on this kind of stuff? As always any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Duane
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Here's another source
http://www.britishfasteners.com/mm5/merchant.mvc.
What model 55 do you have?
George
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Thanks Will and George, will check these places. Forgot to mention in my first post that the bike is a '55 Tomahawk 500 Twin. I've had it over 40yr. and would like to get it going again. Engine is almost rebuilt except heads and carb. Would hope to be done by fall if money streches far enough. In the meantime cleaning and playing.
Thanks again, Duane
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No problem, good luck on the rebuild project. Will.
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Hey Duane
Any pictures? I'd love to see it.
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I'm new to this computer stuff so I don't know how to send pictures yet. Just one more thing I need to learn so I can try to keep old age away. Lots of fun. I've only locked it up once so I figure I'm doing preaty good.
Thanks, Duane
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You will be looking for Britsh Standard Cycle (BSC) taps & dies. They are all 26TPI.
British Tools & Fasteners has a nice set but they aren't cheep. The ones I bought years ago weren't very expensive but they only came in a plastic bag. No fancy box that's for sure.
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Thanks rotorwrench, I was on the B T & F site last night and found some of what I need, then it was very late so I went to bed. Will send them an email today.
Thanks again, Duane
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www.tapdie.com
this company in the uk currently have a sale of BSC taps and dies on. even with postage to the states they might be cheaper.
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I'm away from my resources right now but I can give you some information. All of the early twins used 5/16 studs for the cylinder & head hold down plus the odd tube nut in various lenghs depending on the year & model. The later Interceptor models were 3/8 studs. I've found many of the older models drilled & tapped for 3/8 studs as a repair or strengthening solution. Heli coils were hard to come by back then. I'll have to check some studs at my shop to be sure but they were one of the three British Standard screw thread types. British Standard Fine (BSF) in a 5/16 is 22 tpi, British Standrad Whitworth (BSW) in a 5/16 is 18 tpi, or British Standard Cycle (BSC) which as you now know are all 26 tpi. Most of the old Royal Enfield parts books give the thread size for the studs, nuts, & other screw hardware so I'll check one out when I get to the shop.
Kerby
Post Script: I checked my 1955/56 Royal Enfield 500 Twin parts book and it lists 10 each 5/16" X 4 5/16" X 22 tpi (BSF) studs for cylinder/head holdown plus the two differennt length special tube nuts (6 ea 5/16" X 1/2" & 4 ea 5/16" X 3 1/4" shouldered nuts).
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Thanks Kerby, that really helps. WAY to many British threads for me to figure out what is the correct one. All the thread gauge that I have says is 22G which tells me nothing. I have ordered another gauge and looked for references to these numbers at sites that sell taps but have understood none of it. So far you're the only one to provide specific information for what I need and I truly appreciate it.
Thank you, Duane