Norton 19s . Crank should the bearing slide on the shaft by hand

My book says they should be a sliding fit on the crank, but i think it should be a tight sliding fit, ie doesn’t need to be pressed on. 

Hi Stephen,

   Dan is correct  in his post, but after 60+ years I guess yours will be fairly lose. If you are fitting new bearings, check the outer is a tight fit in the cases and if not use Loctite bearing fit. The single edge lipped roller bearings on each side control the end -float with addition of shims which needs to be set at 10 thou. This might take a few trial assemblies to get right, but when you come to the final assembly it would be best to Loctite the inner of the 2 bearings onto the mainshafts with the relevant shims held captive and pushed tight against the flywheels and allowed to set prior to fitting in the cases. Fit first into the timing side then before you fit the transmission side, apply sealant to the mating faces and apply Loctite to the area of the mainshaft where the second ball bearing fits and bolt up the cases as quickly as possible. Failure to do this will lead to the bearing surfaces slipping and wearing the mainshafts and an even loser fit.