Royal Enfield 500 TWIN 1949 Workshop Maintenance Manual page 73

ROYAL ENFIELD WORKSHOP MANUAL
The leads to the lighting switch and ammeter
should be disconnected from the battery,
regulator, tail lamp, etc. at their lower ends or by
means of the plug and socket connectors when
these are provided. The switch and ammeter are
push fits into the rubber bushes (LU/365408) in
the fork head.
Disconnect the speedometer drive from the
speedometer head and unscrew the steering
damper knob and rod (if fitted) after removal of
the split pin through the lower end of the rod.
Undo the steering damper anchor plate pin so as
to disconnect the damper from the frame of the
machine.
Remove the two plug screws (38968) and
loosen the steering head clip bolt and the two
fork crown clamp bolts.
Now unscrew the fork main tubes from the
fork head and the steering stem locknut from the
top of the steering stem, turning each tube and the
nut a turn or two at a time. When the nut has been
removed from the steering stem and the main
tubes have been completely unscrewed from the
fork head the complete fork and wheel with
steering stem can be lifted out of the head lug of
the frame.
8. Lubrication
The lubrication of the fork bearings is effected
by the oil which forms the hydraulic damping
Section J1 Page 4
medium. All that is necessary is to keep sufficient
oil in the fork to ensure that the top end of the
bottom spring stud is never uncovered even in the
full rebound position. The level of oil in the fork
can be gauged by removing the top plug screw
and inserting a long rod about 3/8 in. diameter. If
slightly tilted this will ledge against the nut at the
upper end of the bottom spring stud and indicate
the level of oil above the stud. If the fork is empty
to start with the
approximately 7.1/2 fluid ounces in each leg.
Recommended grades of oil are Castrolite,
Mobiloil Arctic, Essolube 20, B.P. Energol S.A.E.
20 and Shell X-100 20/20W.
9. Air Vents
The earlier forks of this type were provided
with holes at the upper end of each main tube
communicating with small vent holes in the
Casquette head. Experience has shown that on
rough roads oil may escape through these air vents
which in consequence are now omitted. Escape of
oil from the earlier forks can be largely eliminated
by fitting specially long plug screws, which are
available. The Part Number is 40118. If these are
fitted and the final vent hole is stopped up with a
wooden plug leakage at this point is impossible.
Fitting the special plug screws alone is sufficient in
most instances.
quantity required is