classic motorcycle forum
Motorcycle Discussions => British Bikes => Topic started by: murdo on June 07, 2026, 08:12:49 AM
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Have taken on the resarrection of a 350 Royal Enfield and has been robbed of most of the engine case nuts. Has anybody got any suggestion as to where to get nuts from in Australia for a reasonable price? Thanks.
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You could try Classic Fasteners in Adelaide: https://www.classicfasteners.com.au/
Do you need anything special, or just plain nuts?
Leon
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Tread carefully here ?
I don't know about the G2 Bullets, but earlier Enfields had those nuts turned down a shade at one end,
so as to go into the CIRCULAR recess in the timing cover. This means hex nuts won't go.
But they may have changed this arrangement for the Bullets ?
Hitchcocks in the UK would have the real deal.
https://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/partsbook-pages/1444
I think 30 and 31 are what is required (no quantities listed, so cannot be sure.)
They look like just plain cycle thread 1/4" nuts.
Luke at Britcycle.com.au had them NOS at $1 each, cad ? plated.
You'd have to chase the washers - stainless ?
Interesting sounding project. ?
Can we see it when done
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Thanks for the replys. I have been looking at them (classic fasteners) and are a bit shocked at the prices ($2.70 each for plain zinc coated 3/8 nuts) compared to what I buy locally (either metric or unf/unc) for a dollar a handful. I guess that is the price of something rare. Was hoping to buy locally, or even in Aus, but the cost of postage is about the same from UK so will think some more. Other wise buy a tap and some hex bar and make my own.
This engine has been for a swim at one time and left with the water in it. My sandblaster is going to get a workout with this one.
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Nookys Nuts in the UK is another supplier who specialise in British threads. Nuts are correctly chamfered on one side only. Small bag of mixed BSC nuts is £12 plus postage.
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Nooky's Nuts have excellent product. I haven't tried them lately, but mostly, worldwide, postage to Australia has gone from reasonable (pre-covid) to prohibitive. So many things I can no longer source at a half-way reasonable price. What a pity!
Leon
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That strange paradox that as the world gets ever-smaller trade and carriage between countries gets more expensive.
{Unless you're China, in which case you can ship and sell anything anywhere for a couple of quid}
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Thanks for the replys. I looked at Nookys Nuts but the postage to Aus worked out to $25.00 for $7.00 of nuts. I think I will get a tap and die and some hex bar from steel suppliers and make my own.
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Modaks in Melbourne often have useful small stuff like that, at very reasonable prices.
Think he is mail order only these days.
Worth a try ?
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Even making your own nuts can become expensive nowadays. Sourcing Whitworth hex bar can be a drama and you have to decide between 26tpi carbon steel taps or high speed steel jobbies. Having long since built a good workshop range of 26 & 20 tpi taps I'm okay but I'd hate to be starting off now. It's great once you're set up but taps can get pricy if you don't watch out. I think I haunted every second hand tool merchant and machine shop clearance sales for years to get some of the more obscure sizes. Some of the various 1" plus 20tpi sizes for old fixed head side valve engines were a real find.
Any way, go to it Murdo. you'll be surprised how often having a tap of the right size gets you out of trouble. Just make sure you have dry long term storage for your hex bar.
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Well update on the nuts. I could not find the correct sized bar at any of the local steel merchants, so even looking at internet sellers gave no joy. The price of a tap to use once or twice was prohibitive so I just counted up the number I needed and added then to my Hiscocks order. Still not cheap but will be the right size and should fit with no dramas.
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Things havent progressed much while I have been in hospital but I am able to do small things that dont involve lifting ok. Today I filled the oil tank and spun the engine over with battery drill (no cylinder head on yet) to get oil pressure up. I have good flow to the crank and return to tank, but cannot get any oil from the fitting that the cylinder head pipe attaches to.
For those not familiar with Royal Enfields, the head oil supply comes from the scavange pump side and is pushed through the timing case to passages in the crankcase and up to the head through an external pipe.
Today I took the timing cover off and rechecked all the passages and that the relief valve was seated correctly. Using an oil can was able to push oil through all the passages and could feel the relief valve open when pumping hard with the oil can. By turning the oil pump shaft by hand was able to get oil flowing, so I know that the pumps are working fine.
Could the problem be that the drill is not turning the engine (and therefore pumps) fast enough to get the oil to flow?
I hope some of you wiser gentlemen may be able to suggest where I can go from here as I have no wish to start the engine with no oil flow.
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if the pumps are present and pumping and the oil drillings are clear what's the issue? I've always been surprised at the simplicity of Enfield pumps and oil systems, so maybe you're looking into it too deeply?
They're ball/roller bearings so run on a smear of oil at no pressure.
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I think he's referring to the rockers feed which of course are plain bearings. Have you checked the pressure relief valve in the crankcase ?
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Have you checked the pressure relief valve in the crankcase ?
Yes as described above, the ball is seated correctly and can feel it relieve the pressure when pumping hard with oil can. The oil feed to the rockers is showing no sign of any oil at the crankcase fitting.
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Have put aside the oil feed to head problem for the moment. I need to replace the valve guides and have new ones to hand and have made tools to do the job, but I am wondering what temp I should bring the head to before picking up the hammer. The vintage motorcyclist book doesnt mention a temp for this job. Any suggestions?
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For fitting bearings (into the crankcase) the traditional quote was to get it hot enough
"that when you spit on it, it spits back at you"
I'd think that alloy cyl heads would need to be at least this hot.
The last thing you want to do is split something in half because it wasn't hot enough.
AI suggests a broad range of 150 C ++
Aluminium melts at a (moderately) lowish temp, with about zero warning, so don't overdo it ! (oxy torch, etc).
You don't want to soften or warp it either.
Chilling the new guides assists a little also.
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Slow heating in the oven, for caution...
Best also to do some careful measuring to asses the level of interference of the fit. I'm not sure exactly what is should be - look it up - but it's only small - I doubt it's more than 0.001" or so. It would be a pity to heat your head, cool your guides, and still find the things stuck half-way in!!
Leon
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Using my gas BBQ I took the head casting to about 180 deg (might have cooled a little by the time I got it on the wooden blocks) and only took two light taps to remove old guides and three to seat the new ones. The guides needed a light touch with a reamer after cooling down to get a nice sliding fit, but the exhaust was a little off centre when I put some bearing blue on the valve and fitted in the seat. Took a bit with the stones to get straight, the intake was good. Ended up with good seal and seat widths.