26 tpi taps and dies

[Jules]

has anybody recently purchased any taps and dies for the 26tpi bike threads from UK,US or Australia please?? I'm looking to purchase some to clean up the threads as I rebuild the bike.....thanks

[MG]

I bought mine from RDG Tools (http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/). I've been using them quite a lot and am very happy with them so far. They are relatively cheap, probably not the best taps and dies in the world, but very good value for the money.

Cheers, Markus

[groily]

Can't do much better on choice or price than Tracy Tools at www.tracytools.com in the UK. Good mail order service, keen prices. HSS is twice the price of cheapo carbon steel but worth it IMHO. But for clean-up work cheapo can be fine. I get almost all my tackle from them, as they keep a vast range as you'll see if you look at their site. Always a good idea to look under 'Specials' as they often have sets available at good reductions - that was how I got a lot of BSF stuff and quite a bit of BA. They have all normal 26 tpi stuff and also most of the 20 tpi Cycle sizes you'd ever need.

[Goldy]

Had mine from Tracy tools couple of years ago, no problems.

[bsa-bill]

I agree with both the above, got a set of taper reams off RDG for reasonable price, as Markus said good enough for our couple of times every ten years or so, also Uni-thread for taps and helicoil sets

Be aware cylinder head bolts are BSF not cycle, I've had to helicoil the two back holes as the threads were shot, looking at them I wondered if a PO had tried to clean them up with a wrong tap as they weren't worn as much as chewed up, also noticeable the two back bolts do not engage as much thread as the rest of the head bolts, anybody noticed this

[muskrat]

Got mine from Tracey tools 25 years ago, only broken 1 so far.
Cheers

[orabanda]

I also endorse Tracey Tools; excellent (prompt) service always.
They can also help with 9/16" LH tap & die for oil pump drive pinion & crankshaft, and tap for oil relief valve.
Richard

[BSA_54A10]

When you buy 26 TPI dies make sure that they are advertised as CEI or BSC not just 26 TPI suitable for old cars & bikes.

There are a lot of clowns out there flogging off Brass thread ( 26 TPI ) as suitable for replacing CEI and it is not as the thread pitch is different and the thread depth is deeper.

The crux for any of the stuff is the brand name. If it is not branded then there is a 99.9999999999% chance that it is crap.
Also a lot of parts that are threaded are forgings so need to be cleaned up with a HSS tap & not a carbon steel tap.
I have some from a local ex maker , Sutton  & some P & N ones. the rest came from Tracy like every one else.

You really need to buy the full set of 3 taps as you will need a plug to get to the bottom of a lot of blind holes.
Dies must be open with an adjusting grub screw, however for cleaning up a thread you can cut a nut in half, square up the cut then clamp it on the thread in a pair of vice grips working it back & forth with a good amount of oil.
This is a good bodge for left hand threads that are hard to get dies for.

[Jules]

Great thoughts and advice, thanks to all, I'll have a browse on Tracey to start with, cheers 

[Stu55Flash]

I use RDG with good results. Most bolts are 26tpi some are 21tpi CEI but I can't remember which ones. I struggled with helicoles for he head bolts so used M7??? The spanner size is the same as the whitworth. The bright shinny head should remind me its different!

 
Stu

[iansoady]

Most bolts are 26tpi some are 21tpi CEI but I can't remember which ones.

I've never heard of 21tpi Cycle........

I struggled with helicoles for he head bolts so used M7??? The spanner size is the same as the whitworth. The bright shinny head should remind me its different!
 
Stu

Pity the next owner who tries to put the proper studs in.

Cycle thread helicoils are readily available from here to give just one example.

[bsa-bill]

Yep - I just helicoiled all nine holes in the barrels and have the head back on and torqued down.
Will post some impressions later, but really not too bad a job, and nice to know I can pull the head down with confidence

[Stu55Flash]

Sorry meant 20 tpi also available at RDG:

http://www.rdgtools.co.uk/acatalog/20TPI_CYCLE_THREAD.html

I think these were on the fork pinch bolts?

When I did the head couldn't find any BSF helicols; but note the set above from Uni-Thread for future reference. Anyway I thought I done pretty well in replacing most bolts with the correct 26tpi from an assemblage of BSF, Whitworth, UNC, UNF, BA, BSP and metric that it came with and I am pleased with the results -- so there.

If there is a moral to the story it is to be very careful what you screw into what and to understand what the tread differences are.

Stu

[A10Boy]

If there is a moral to the story it is to be very careful what you screw into what

I'll go along with that !

[pato08]

Will I need the whole set ??  www.tracytools.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_22&product_id=594

Pato