Triumphrat

red59

I am a firm believer in cleaning sludge traps on any Britbikes I have purchased regardless of the age or mileage. Besides, every one I've had needed rebuilt anyway.
A friend of mine recently purchased a 64 Bonnie with 7000 miles on the Odometer. The seller claimed the top end was rebuilt in the70s but had no reason why. The bike looks very original with the bolts etc not boogered up. It has not been started in about 20 years.
My concern is, if my friend does not go through the engine and clean the sludge trap, it may just burn up the engine.
Does this trapped sludge get to be more of a threat with age as it just hardens up as it sits without running?
Are Briit bikes the only bikes that are designed like this?

tridentt150v

No short cuts, I'd strip and clean.

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tridentt150v,
Great Southern Land.
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leonbee

Based on the last few I've had apart, from here on out I'll not only clean that trap, but I want to know what somebody else did or didn't do in that motor.

quagmire

The top end may have been rebuilt but what about the bottom end? I wouldn't mess around with a nice bike like that. It's hard to believe that a 40 year old bike has 7000 miles on it, even a 20 year old bike, and if it does all the more reason to do it right. Rip the motor apart and clean the trap.

The sludge trap on my 1970 TR6 was completely full!! And the sludge was more like concrete. I had to use a drillbit to get most of it out.

Besides what else does your friend have to do this winter?

[ This message was edited by: quagmire on 2005-11-14 20:31 ]

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TRI-AL

As some previous "poster" used to say, "Put oil in it and ride it"! If it ain't broke don't "fix" it! Just my motto. Ciao

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GrandPaulZ

If your question is in the form of a poll, put me down for a "remove and clean it" vote.

By now you may have heard of the phrase "riding a grenade with the pin pulled"? That's where it originated.

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vik

I second the vote for "remove and clean it".

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tridentt150v

I look at it like this:

1. You strip and cleanand it costs you time, say $300. But then you have a reliable and known motorcycle. You know what it is like, and can depend on it.

2. You don't strip and clean, the motor goes clunk, and then option 1 has to be done, plus an extra say $200 for new bearings and regrinds etc.

3. You don't strip and clean and the motor goes clunk big time - seizes at the big end. You pop a leg out of bed [your conrod breaks at the little end and then proceeds to rotate at great revs and destroys your bike cases, literally breaks them apart], then you have a bike that may be unrepairable, or at best requires $1,000's and expert highly specialised help. And if it can't be fixed, I want your rolling chassis for my T120R motor I have. Cos that is the only option sell the rest of the bike for parts.

4. You don't strip and clean and the bike performs faultlessly for years [yeah right, and all pigs are fueled up and ready to fly]. I mean, get real..........this is a +20 year old bike that has 7,000 mls on it? Even at that mileage [if were true], how do you know that they didn't have water in the oil, the oil was not changed, no servicing was done, the oil was an incorrect one for the application, the bike was previously allowed to run dry, the bike was over revved during run in etc etc etc. Have a look around at 20 year old cars that are still running and haven't been done up/restored.........scary isn't it?

[ This message was edited by: tridentt150v on 2005-11-15 14:12 ]

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tridentt150v,
Great Southern Land.
(Where women blow and men chunder).