I have a question concerning Whitworth treads, mainly on British motorcycles. Would forming taps be suitable to reshape the Whitworth tread to American standard? I'm talking aluminum cases and the like. I think that the tpi and dia. are the same in most instances, the big difference is thread shape. Thanks for any input.
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forming taps
- Thread starter DGT
- Start date
- Replies 12
- Views 2,494
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Yes it will work, and IMHU is better than cutting the threads ** (see note below)............but BSW - coarse only interchange up to & inc 7/16 1/2 is different, as are some sizes above. BSF - fine and UNF do not play ball.
BS Cycle thread BS Cy is actually 60 deg and not 55deg WW form as many think, and AFAIK do not interchange with any unified threads.
** Be careful, some Brit bike alu castings are very crumbly and brittle AKA muckmetal .......... do not take kindly to being formed.
OVERALL IT IS A BODGE ...... If you want to do a proper job, helicoil the threads to take UN fastenings.
BS Cycle thread BS Cy is actually 60 deg and not 55deg WW form as many think, and AFAIK do not interchange with any unified threads.
** Be careful, some Brit bike alu castings are very crumbly and brittle AKA muckmetal .......... do not take kindly to being formed.
OVERALL IT IS A BODGE ...... If you want to do a proper job, helicoil the threads to take UN fastenings.
Mark Rand
Diamond
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2007
- Location
- UK Rugby Warwickshire
Just get Whitworth bolts and screws...
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Errr yeah? ..they CAN be hard enough to find in this country, .........I shudder to think what the USA would be like.
Joe Rogers
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2006
- Location
- North Eastern West Virginia
Hah...Brings to mind the learning curve I had keeping my 71 Norton on the road...
Joe
Joe
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
Commando by any chance?
My idea behind getting away from the Whitworth tread is to go to socket head screws. Anyone who has worked on old Brit bikes knows the problems with Philips screws. Also I like the idea of being able to go to the hardware store and buying the screws that vibrated out on my last ride. I'm looking around to see what taps can be used and then I'll have to find a proper lube. I've got some junk aluminum cases that I can practice on. All part of the brit bike experience, I love it.
Joe Rogers
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2006
- Location
- North Eastern West Virginia
Yep.
Commando S. Not a Roadster. Peanut tank instead of the big Roadster tank. Only differance though.
Miss it.
Joe
Limy Sami
Diamond
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Location
- Norfolk, UK
I guessed as much Joe, ....you had to be a Norton nut to love one though, I never was a Norton man, but my mate, was, .big glitch, - he was next to, no! ;- worse than useless with the wrenches, ......and as for that abortion of a gear box? ...........it would have been quite good - if they'd managed to get all the shafts in line.
IMO Nortons never could build a parallel twin engine, .....their singles were GOOD , .but obviously should not have got married.
They made my 350 & 500 Triumph twins seem positively civilised and well made,
That isolastic (anti vibration) engine / swing arm mount, shim and set so it didn't vibrate too badly and the bloody thing cornered like a wardrobe on top of a blancmange, set it so it cornered and it shook yer bloody teeth out.
And they wonder why they went down the tubes, talk about lipstick on a pig.
Joe Rogers
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2006
- Location
- North Eastern West Virginia
All true. But it was a good looking scoot.
Joe
Joe
moonlight machine
Diamond
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2007
- Location
- marysville ohio
Well first of all, they are not phillips head, they are Posidrive, get the correct screwdriver and it will work a lot better. That is if some moron has not bodged them all up with a philips screwdriver. Get your whitworth socket head cap screws from Klempf's British parts. Dodge center Minnesota. 507 374 2222 I have known him since the early 70's when we worked at WIW cycle center in Minneapolis. He probably knows more about british bikes than any man alive and you talk to Mitch himself not some moron from India that just takes orders.
