‘Sealing Washers and the Oil-Tight Triumph Engine’ by Dave Porter, Customer and Tech Support at The Bonneville Shop
Table of Contents
We have been working on assembling various kits over the past few months, with the latest kits comprised of fiber and copper washers, as used on BSA, Norton, and Triumph engines, gearboxes, and forks. The idea is to group together commonly used sealing washers in quantities that apply to their usage on the various models we cater to. These latest kits are ideal for the British motorcycle enthusiast to have on hand when performing routine services, without incurring a major cost.
“Save time and avoid disappointment by replacing sealing washers any time they are removed for fluid services.”
Fiber Washers
Fiber washers come in various colors and dimensions, and while they are old technology, they provide an adequate seal under the head of a flange bolt or drain plug. They can often be reused, but they have a limited service life and will split and degrade over time, necessitating replacement.
Copper Washers
Copper sealing washers are typically used in applications where significant heat is present, such as the rocker spindle oil feed junction on Triumph twin rocker boxes. They can also be reused in some applications, but every time they are fully tightened under the fastener, they become compressed. Because of the distortion that occurs on the very thin copper washers, annealing doesn’t always adequately restore sealing properties, so they are best replaced. Aluminum crush washers are also best replaced after being compressed, as they cannot be annealed and lose some of their sealing properties due to distortion.
Stat-O-Seal and Dowty Washers
Stat-O-Seal and Dowty washers are a metal washer with a rubberized inside diameter and are commonly used in applications where both the threads and a mating face between two parts require sealing, such as on Triumph and Norton petcocks and later inner fork damper assemblies, as used on BSA and Triumph models 1971-onward. Although they can sometimes be reused, given their low cost it is advisable to replace them if they have been in service for long periods of time, as the rubber coating can be diminished by the sharp peaks of the threads they’re fitted over.
Save time and avoid disappointment by replacing sealing washers any time they are removed for fluid services.
Buy fiber washers and copper washers online today:
