Featured Cracked The Sump :(

Discussion in 'Triumph General Discussion' started by NivenDaytona675, Nov 2, 2017.

  1. NivenDaytona675

    NivenDaytona675 Well-Known Member

    Oct 24, 2017
    22
    58
    South Africa, Gauteng
    Hi All
    As the title suggests i cracked the sump by overtightening the sump nut. or maybe the previous owner overtightened it and i just exposed the crack, who knows.
    Was a real dillema as i was using a torque wrench set at the reccommended torque, wont be doing that ever again.
    Anyway i had to get the sump out, decided to get it welded for the time being as cash is a little tight as i just got my bike.
    Got it welded.
    Had to get a sump gasket as well, hugggggeeeeee shout- out to Nick from Traditional Triumph out in Edenvale, SA, who was willing to give me advice on how to get this done and providing a gasket as well. I really appreciate all your help.
    Got the sump out, got it welded,got the gasket changed, assembled everything, prayed to the gods that i didnt overtighten or undertighten any bolt, filled the oil, started her up, drove her around.
    I can honestly say this was a very very big learning curve for me, im glad everything worked out fine and my bike is on the road with no issues.

    Lesson learned: dont use a torque wrench to tighten a sump nut, rather use a normal wrench and feel how tight by hand.
     
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  2. steve lovatt

    steve lovatt Something else

    May 12, 2014
    9,216
    1,000
    North Yorkshire
    Very true. Had a Royal Enfield and every bolt I tightened to the recommended torque snapped!
     
  3. MickEng

    MickEng Noble Member

    Sep 29, 2016
    1,805
    450
    West Yorkshire
    Well done ND, you will have saved yourself a fortune repairing it yourself.
    The copper crush washer is there for the sealing and gives a little 'spring' against the sump nut which helps stop it undoing itself.
    It is bad when you cannot trust the recommended torque settings, for experienced mechanics it is not a big issue as you can go on 'feel', but for the less experienced I can see it causing problems.
    Keep your eye on the welded area.
     
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  4. Sprinter

    Sprinter Kinigit

    Aug 17, 2014
    6,029
    1,000
    uk

    SO Steve, would you recommend an Enfield?
     
  5. t552

    t552 Senior Member

    Nov 17, 2014
    416
    113
    Bristol UK
    Did you use the right scale, used ft/Lbs instead of Nm? or was it a cheap torque wrench. I calibrate torque wrenches for aircrarft industry (checked regularly) I recommend Norbar wrenches. Btw always store at the minimum setting.
     
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  6. NivenDaytona675

    NivenDaytona675 Well-Known Member

    Oct 24, 2017
    22
    58
    South Africa, Gauteng
    Hi t552, yes i made double sure that i was using the correct torque settings. torque bar was brand new as i bought it specifically to install frame sliders and torque engine mount bolts to correct torque settings. ensured that i got the torque wrench that covered from 10nm all the way up to 100 and something. the brand was called Auto Gear, purchased from a local MIDAS store close to home. The bar seemed to work fine for the frame slider install, but not for the oil sump, was a sickening feeling seeing the oil leak out the pan and see the crack, i almost threw up at my foolishness. Anyway, where and how can i get this calibrated to ensure that i dont have a messed up wrench.
     
  7. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Crème de la Crème

    Dec 12, 2015
    3,399
    1,000
    Barnsley
    I suspect from your description that the damage had already been done by the last person to change the oil. It’s likely that even if you had just used your “feeling” to tighten the sump plug it would have ended up being the same. Glad you got it sorted without too much trouble.
     
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  8. Oldyam

    Oldyam Grumpy Old Git

    May 14, 2017
    610
    500
    ireland
    And also operate the "Click" type several times ( I usually do this set at minimum before adjusting ) to ensure the wrench operates correctly and ensure that the internals are lubricated and operate at the correct settings.
     
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  9. NivenDaytona675

    NivenDaytona675 Well-Known Member

    Oct 24, 2017
    22
    58
    South Africa, Gauteng
    my suspicion as well as there was bolts missing from the clutch cover as well and there seemed to be oil around it. not sure if the previous owner had any knowledge, but im glad that it got sorted and i now know a bit more about my bike than i initially did.
     
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  10. tumpbro

    tumpbro Member

    Sep 13, 2014
    25
    18
    pontypridd
    Just bought a draper 10/80Nm torque wrench as I needed it to tighten the cam cover bolts, after checking the valve clearances. After reading your post, I tried the wrench on the two bolts that hold the fuel tank.(8 Nm) On minimum setting 10Nm it was clearly over-tightening, no click? Wound the adjuster up and down a bit then tried again with it set to minimum 10Nm - click, not as noticeable at low range, but it definitely gives.
    So I was nowhere near tight enough on my guess of the setting, also did my spark plugs, which I'm also wary of stripping!
    The tips other riders gave on this forum were very useful, ie winding the adjuster up and down to engage ratchet, relaxing the mechanism after use and tightening in stages!
    Glad you sorted your sump bolt out though, joys of biking, eh?
     
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  11. t552

    t552 Senior Member

    Nov 17, 2014
    416
    113
    Bristol UK
    Winding adjuster up and down, we don't do that to get a correct setting. It would get scrapped. Moral buy Norbar. Buy once.
     
  12. tumpbro

    tumpbro Member

    Sep 13, 2014
    25
    18
    pontypridd
    Maybe so, you do get what you pay for! I'm happy the wrench is working now. Would not have been happy, shagging the threads !!
    Camshafts, cylinder head, etc; argh !
     
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