Hornplates/spectacle plates and rear wheel axle shaft

I have assembled the spectacle plates and rear/second shaft housings to the hornplates after some difficulty making everything bolt together. I started bolting everything to one of the hornplates then attempted to fix the second hornplate. The issue was that after fixing the 2 axle housings the hornplates seemed not to be parallel so that there was about a 3/16" gap on one side at the front spectacle plate. I tried loosening the bolts of the axle housing to allow enough free movement on the front spectacle plate end to allow the spectacle plate nuts and bolts to be started. I gradually tightened everything ok but I am now wondering whether by pulling everything-in the hornplates will be under too much tension. Has anyone else experienced this issue please? I am also wondering whether I should dry fit the hornplates etc. to the boiler before I start the gloss painting of this assembly.

Also the retaining bolts holding the 2nd shaft housing on the righthand side protrude about 3-4mm. Is this ok/normal?

Finally I have been reading back on the various methods of fitting the rear wheel shaft through the axle bushes. Is it easier with the axle housing bolted to the hornplates or is it easier with the housing separate?

All comments/observations very welcome.
Thanks
Martin

Hi Martin,

How are you doing with the horn plates?

I am sure you have probably checked this but, where the shaft housing goes through the horn plates are they fully seated home. The shoulder of the shaft is in full contact with the horn plate.

Have you measured the shafts, bolting surface to surface?

regards

Mark

Thanks for the reply Mark
No progress on the hornplates as I decided to start the tender and then see how it fitted to the hornplates.

I am sure the axel housings are tight against the hornplates but I have not checked the measurements of each side of the axels-will do this when I take apart.

Tender is going together well and all seems to be fitting fairly easily with only some hole widening. I have left off the front face so that I have easy access for waterproofing later.
Regards
Martin

My hornplates seem to go together ok , I remember having to shorten screws though.

Kev

The screws that stick out the left hornplate form the 2nd shaft flange can stay as they are. They do not get in the way of anything or are really seen once the steering, pipework and flywheel are attached.

Ok thanks Lynnr

I shortened mine at the time just in case,looked better too.

Kev

I can't quite believe it but the axle shaft has trial fitted really easily.  Tight fit but I can just rotate it with my hands.  I was expecting this to take several hours rather than the 2 minutes it actually took.

what I did was put a few drops of "Brasso" one the axel and push it in and out turning it all the time and it will polish up nicely but when finished make sure you clean all the parts
mark