Triumphrat

tommytiger

Hello again,

I have finally got round to stripping my clutch and boiling the plates as per plewsys vid and advice from a pm a while ago (thanks plewsey).

My clutch functioned perfectly except for the fact that is stuck firmly together if left for a day or two and all the tricks would not free it off, I resorted to starting the bike, running up the road with it in neutral, jumping on the bike and popping it into 1st. This avoided the horrible crunch but was a tad annoying and tiresome!

I have put this down to me stupidly using some cheapo 20/50 in the primary, it may have contaminated the plates. My Triumph manual specifies 20/50 for the primary but my two local reputable Triumph suppliers (wilemans and TMS) recommend a mineral 10 or 20 weight.

Surely through the engine oil can get into the primary via the primary side main bearing, drain back through those tiny hole back into the crankcase and be pumped into the oil res? Would this not slowly mix the 10 or 20 weight with the 20/50 in the engine?

Also I've always thought that when the primary is drained this is just to get rid of some of the crud that accumulates in there and refilling the primary was just a priming exercise.

By the way it is not my intention to start 'another' engine oil thread!!!

Triton Thrasher

Why don't you try it? 150cc of thin oil isn't going to destroy anything, wherever it ends up.

DAVE M

I have no problems on my 79.
The bikes are identical as far as the bottom end goes.

I'd junk the original oil and run a Morris or Silkolene 20/50 for classics.

You should expect to have to free the plates, but they shouldn't stick like glue even after 6 months. I run a 7 plate clutch with an alli pressure plate and T120 springs

Any oil in the primary will spread to the engine unless you go to extreme measures to revert to contained primary.

Caulky

Use the same oil that`s in the oil tank.
After the primary has been drained, prime it with 5/8 pint.
Use a mineral oil for classic engines like this:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/s...egoryId_165581

This stuff is actually Duckhams...I think.

epynt1050

I am with DaveM and Caulky on this. I use a classic low detergent 20w/50 oil on my T140 and TR65 (basically the same). I pump the clutch lever vigerously half a dozen times or so before starting the engine and a couple more times once the engine is running. Even after 12 months the engine slips into 1st seemlessly. Everything is standard. In the case of the T140, the clutch has never been apart and the TR65 has not been touched in the 10 yrs I have owned it.

tommytiger

Thanks for the replies chaps, seems my suspicions are correct, the primary oil is essentially the engine oil and the level is maintained by the oil draining through the tiny holes into the crankcase.

Just to clarify.....the only reason I put the unknown brand 20/50 in the primary was that I didn't fully understand the lube system and thought the primary was totally separate from the engine oil. I was going on a longish trip and used all my Morris 20/50 on the engine oil change, I didn't have time to get more oil so used some old 20/50 ( I forget the brand ) I'd had lying around for years that I used to use in my old Mini!

It's the manky stuff I used in the primary that didn't appear to like our Triumph clutch.

Now I've cleaned the plates I'll revert back to Morris 20/50 for both primary and engine.

cheers.

Caulky

The clutch is [should be] essentially dry.
Except by being splashed by the primary chain.
The level only bathes the lower part of the chain.

Is the clutch adjusted properly?

tommytiger

The springs are less than a year old, I suppose there is a chance I had them a little tight which wouldn't help things but like I said the clutch did not stick excessively until I put that oil in, the only variable that changed here was the type of oil in the primary.