Author Topic: CW Fork Spindles  (Read 3266 times)

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Offline jasper1912

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CW Fork Spindles
« on: 03 May 2019 at 00:42 »
I am in the final throes of dismantling my 1925 CW project with the steering head/forks etc. All reasonably good so far but I seem to have hit a snag with the fork spindles (apart from the challenge of actually prising some of them apart). All the larger threads on the RHS are excellent but most of the smaller threads on the LHS are very poor having been butchered at some stage of their life. Are there any recognised techniques for building up and re-threading or is it a remake situation?

Has anyone ever done a run of new spindles or, indeed, can anyone help me with good used replacements?

Thanks for reading,

Jeff

Offline RockDr.

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Offline graeme

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Re: CW Fork Spindles
« Reply #2 on: 06 May 2019 at 12:06 »
I'm sorry to report that the maker of these parts, Stephen Sellar, sadly passed away a couple of years ago  :(

Offline lovejoy

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Re: CW Fork Spindles
« Reply #3 on: 06 May 2019 at 17:17 »
Hi, Many thanks for the sad news. Perhaps someone else has ideas or drawings so I can have them made.

Regards Martin

Offline carl denton

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Re: CW Fork Spindles
« Reply #4 on: 07 May 2019 at 12:58 »
hi search on eBay Australia and look for cjchris71 he is an amazing bloke and makes all sorts of parts for Douglas bikes .

hope this helps carl

Offline eddie

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Re: CW Fork Spindles
« Reply #5 on: 07 May 2019 at 14:25 »
Hi Jeff,
           Firstly, an observation! Quite a few prewar Douglas components seem to suffer from damaged threads due to the items being fully hardened. Now, threads are quite highly stressed anyway, and also suffer from stress concentrations at the roots of the threads, so the hardened threads often shatter and break away.
   Now, a suggestion! Assuming you only have the thread damage, if you can get the stripped thread area of the spindles built up with TIG weld, and re-machined, the spindles should then be stronger than they originally were because the weld heat would have tempered the spindle, making it tougher and less brittle.

Regards,
               Eddie

Offline Charlie18

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Re: CW Fork Spindles/EW crank
« Reply #6 on: 08 May 2019 at 05:52 »
Hi Eddie,
                 Re your suggestion to Jeff ,would you use a TIG  to build up and rethread the timing end of an EW crankshaft.?  This is the end that drives the oil pump . My other option would be to turn down the damage and rethread to 9/16” and make up a new nut/ drive.  Cheers Doug

Offline eddie

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Re: CW Fork Spindles
« Reply #7 on: 08 May 2019 at 06:30 »
Hi Doug,
              As with all repairs of this type, the success rate depends upon the expertise of the person doing the welding, and their ability to control the temperatures within the parent metal. Having said that, if the damage is restricted to the threaded end that retains the timing pinion, the repair should prove reliable. I have seen damaged tapers on the DRIVE end of DT crankshafts built up with TIG weld and remachined to give further service in sprint engines (and you cant give a Douglas crankshaft much more grief than that!)

  Regards,
                 Eddie.

Offline Charlie18

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Re: CW Fork Spindles/EW
« Reply #8 on: 08 May 2019 at 07:03 »
Eddie ,
            Thankyou for that information , I’ll search out a TIG /lathe operator and see what they can do .
                   Cheers  Doug