Royal Enfield 500 TWIN 1949 Workshop Maintenance Manual Download

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ROYAL ENFIELD WORKSHOP MANUAL

tightening  the  steering  stem  locknut  after
loosening  the  nuts  on  the  three  pinch  bolts
which secure the fork head to the steering stem
and to the  two  main tubes.  The  head should be
adjusted  so  that  when  the  front  wheel  is  lifted
clear of the ground a light tap on the handlebars
will  cause  the  steering  to  swing  to  full  lock  in
either  direction,  while  at  the  same  time  there
should be only the slightest trace of play in the
bearings.  When  testing  for  freedom  of
movement the steering damper, if fitted, should
be disconnected by unscrewing the anchor plate
pin.

Adjustment of the steering head depends on

the  ability  of  the  fork  head  to  slide  on  the
steering  stem  and  on  the  fork  main  tubes.  A
rubber  washer  is  interposed  between  the  fork
head  and  the  top  of  the  lamp  bracket  tube  to
permit  the  necessary  movement.  If  this  rubber
washer  is  fully  compressed  while  there  is  still
some  play  in  the  steering  head,  it  will  be
necessary  to  remove  the  fork  head  (see
paragraph 5) and shorten the  lamp bracket tube
by,  say,  1/32  in.  Alternatively,  if  the  lamp
bracket  tube  is  loose  when  the  steering  head  is
correctly adjusted, it can be tightened by fitting
an  additional  steel  washer  (Part  No.  35974)
beneath the rubber washer.

It is also possible that the steering head

cannot  be  adjusted  because  the  main  tube  is
bottoming  in  the  recess  in  the  fork  head  in
which it fits.  In this case  the  fork crown clamp
screws  must  be  loosened,  thus  permitting  the
main tubes to slide through the fork crown. Do
no  forget  to  tighten  the  fork  head  pinch  bolts
and the fork crown clamp screws after adjusting
the steering head.

5. Removal of Facia Panel Fork Head,
Spring, etc.

To remove the Facia Panel Fork Head for

access  to  the  lamp  bracket  tubes  (or  to  change
the  fork  spring  without  disturbing  the  bearings)
proceed  as  follows  -  disconnect  all  control
cables  at  the  handlebar  end  and  remove  the
headlamp  from  the  lamp  brackets.  The  switch
panel  can  conveniently  be  removed  from  the
back  of  the  lamp  so  that  the  body  of  the  lamp
can be removed completely.

Now unscrew the two Fork Spring Scroll

Bolts  from  the  fork  head,  unscrew  the  nuts  on
the  fork  head  clip  bolt  and  the  two  main  tube
clip bolts, remove the three clip bolt sleeves and
knock  out  the  three  clip  bolts.  The  facia  panel
fork  head  can  now  be  tapped  gently  upwards
with  a  hide  mallet  or  a  hammer  and  a  wooden
drift but care must be taken to hit only the more
solid  parts  of  the  fork  head,  i.e.  beneath  the
handlebar clip and at the back of the main tubes,
avoiding the underside of the comparatively thin
portion in front of the speedometer.

After removal of the fork head the lamp

bracket  tubes  can  be  lifted  straight  off  and  the
springs can be withdrawn from the upper end of
the  main  tubes  after  unscrewing  the  oil  level
plug  and  the  nut  which  secures  the  spring  stud
to  the  fork  end  and  knocking  the  spring  stud
upwards.

6. Removal of Main Tubes

To remove the main tubes first dismantle the

fork  as  described  in  paragraph  2,  then  remove
the  facia  panel  fork  head  and  lamp  bracket
tubes  as  described  in  paragraph  5.  Now  loosen
the  fork  crown  clamp  screws  and  knock  the
main tubes out of the fork crown either upwards
or  downwards  as  may  be  most  convenient.  If
the  machine  has  been  in  an  accident  and  the
tube  is  badly  bent  both  above  and  below  the
fork crown,  it  may be  necessary to cut through
the  tube  with  a  hacksaw  before  it  can  be
withdrawn.

7. Reassembly of Parts

No difficulty should be experienced with

this.

When refitting the main tube, use the lamp

bracket tube as a guide to its correct position in
the  fork crown.  The  small shoulder some  1.1/2
in.  from  the  upper  end  of  the  tube  should  be
flush  with  the  top  of  the  lamp  bracket  tube
when the latter is in position on the fork crown.
With the  main tube  in this position,  tighten the
fork crown clamp screws before fitting the facia
panel fork head.

If new oil seals have been fitted it may be

found  that  the  action  of  the  fork  is  very  stiff
when  the  gland  nuts  are  tightened  down  fully.
In  this  case  the  nuts  may  be  left  half  a  turn  or
so  slack  until  the  seals  have  freed  off,  after
which they should be tightened down. Note that
the  seal,  must  be  fitted  with  the  larger  bore
uppermost,  i.e.  with  the  scraping  edges  facing
downwards.

When refitting the three clip bolts, which

secure  the  fork  head  to  the  main  tubes  and
steering stem, make sure that the clip bolts and
their  sleeve,  are  correctly  fitted  so  that  the
cut-away  portions  of  them  bear  against  the
tubes.  Any attempt to tighten the  nuts  with the
bolts  or  sleeves  incorrectly  fitted  may  result  in
cracking the facia panel fork head.

8. Lubrication

The lubrication of the fork bearings is

effected  by  the  oil  which  forms  the  hydraulic
damping  medium.  The  oil  level  is  fixed  by  a
cross hole in the spring stud leading to a drilled
passage terminating in the oil level plug. To fill
each  fork  leg  to  the  correct  level  remove  the
plug screws from the fork head and the oil level
plugs  from  the  fork  end.  Pour  oil  in  at  the  top
until it runs out at the bottom of the fork. Wait
till  oil  has  stopped  running  and  replace  level
plugs and plug screws.

Recommended grades of oil are Castrolite,

Mobiloil Arctic, Essolube 20, B.P. Energol

S.A.E. 20, Shell X-100 20/20 w.

Section J4 Page 3

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