Steering Head Bearing issue?

[Donkey Hotey]

Bruce,

You may have different tools than me so take this with a grain of salt. I don't have a deep, 6 point socket large enough to get on that acorn properly. I have a 12 point that marks up the chrome and I have a 6 point standard impact that is too shallow to adequately engage. After damaging the nut on one of my bikes, I went back to the simple solution.

I now use a giant crescent wrench with a paper towel folded between the jaws and the chrome. I use it to achieve the German torque specification of Guudentite. It's less than a 90 lb pull because I'm a weakling and I'm more worried about the chrome. Close enough for me.

Someone else should be along shortly with the real number that you can use with your velvet-lined and totally equipped tool chest.

[wytfut]

Normally on the chrome fasteners I use a wrap of electrical tape to protect the shiney bits... 

As for the acorn nut the book says I believe 50 pounds. The torque I'm looking for is for the nut under the triple tree plate that compresses the bearing.

I could be full of hooey..
Thanx

[Donkey Hotey]

Ahhh, that one. I’ll be curious to read how other people do that. I’ve adopted the method from the Honda service manual for my old GL1200. On that bike they called for measuring the bearing preload with a fish scale at the tip of the bars: 14-16 oz of pull to get the bars to start moving (with the wheel in the air). Basically: “just a little drag but not too much.”

With the adjuster nut, the jam nut and the acorn contributing to the final preload, it takes a few tries before I’m happy. I snug the adjuster, then jam the thin nut down with the hydraulic wrenches. I want part of the final drag to be present but, not all of it. Torque values aren’t important because this stuff is all stacked up with the top acorn. Then I reinstall the crown and tighten the acorn before checking the result. Usually it’s too loose and I have to take the crown off and give the adjuster another smidge.

[wytfut]

Thanx buddy!!

[wytfut]

Ok... then.... I'm not real OCD, but certain things just get under my skin..... lolololol
I could not for the life of me  find the torque values on that flange nut (part number 1300-0033) under the triple tree plate. I'm sure someone way more smarter than I can find it. If anyone  does finds that torque value, please let me know where you found it...... so I called Jamie/Marty...
The torque for that piece, Jamie is using is 25-30 foot pounds. And if you still have the lock nut (part number 5199-0500), and ignored Bobby Xman Baldwin from back in the day, it will be 25 foot pounds on top of that.
Jamie also said as a reminder, before you do any assembly, and torquing to make sure you repack that lower bearing.
The Acorn nut on top of everything is still the same .... at 50 pounds. Jamie made a point to say that, the acorn nut doesn't actually hold the triple tree plate, but the support fork bolts do...

[Donkey Hotey]

Wait, what’s this bit about Bobby not putting the thin jam nut back in place? I hadn’t heard that before.

How did the time-sert installation go?

[wytfut]

I believe Bobby's direct quote from his instructions on the triple tree death wobble were to take it and Chuck it to the neighbors yard.

The time sert event to replace the rear oil plug threads went quickly and easily...
My boys helped lay 525 down on blankets towels and cardboard. And then scratched their heads as they watched the old geezer perform...

Went very well, no issues

[Donkey Hotey]

I wonder if Bobby throwing out the top nut was part of installing the tapered roller bearing on the top. That nut is probably close to the thickness you would need to remove to match the additional height of that bearing. I considered tossing it when I did mine but opted to make spacers for the sides instead.

[wytfut]

There was no bearing update at that time as in tapered bearing.
This update was for reloading a new torque, to prevent death wobble.
Well that's how I remember it....lolol
Pre superXparts for me.

[blackheart]

As follow up on the bearing replacement for the upper bearing I found it interesting that a late 40's Indian I am restoring uses a 7205 angular contact ball bearing up top and a 7206 in the bottom both of course metric race dimensions.  So I thought it was interesting that some 70+ years ago designers were applying these style bearings for this application. These were not sealed back then but had external grease fittings which kept these in great shape.

[Donkey Hotey]

Interesting indeed. That seems like an expensive choice for that time, considering where manufacturing technology was.

Are you restoring a Chief or an Enfield? You know much about them? I've tried to search around the web a few times but, never found an Indian Arrow quite like this one. I wanted to know if this was aftermarket parts or they made a high-pipe variant. It's hard to find anyone who even says Indian Arrow without spitting afterwards.

My dad, Galveston, Texas, some time around 1955:

[wytfut]

oh my thats cool....

Interesting indeed Rich

[blackheart]

It's a model 348 or "Chief"  I was wanting an old flathead, preferring a HD U/UL/ULH like my father had in the early 40's but they are harder to find. This one came across and I picked it up