Triumphrat

Mecchanica · 09-23-2006

Yep, a sorta bitsa. 68 Bonneville which I bought from a friend who proved too large to ride it......he was over 400 lbs. It was pretty much stock, right to the paint on the tank, when a retired NH HP officer turned left from the right lane.....in front of me. Squashed the pipes, kicker, forks, wheel, headlight, and the stock tank. Bummer. But it gave me license to do the improvements I knew I would probably have done anyway.
Installed a 70 TR6 top end, as it was already all done up and on the shelf, no out of pocket to do the T120 head. Opened up the inlet manifold and installed a 32mm concentric, redone with chrome slide and some upgrades. Routt 750 kit with .060 Morgo pistons (AE)....765cc. Black Diamond valves with Ampco 45 guides, alloy spring reatiners and Kibblewhite springs, tubular special adaptor pushrods to run lightened 500 tappets in the 650. Lightened and polished rocker arms, spacers in place of thackery springs, allen adjusters and alloy locknuts, hard anodized alloy rocker pins. Jomo 15 cams on new phosphor bronze hard bushes, late 500 cam pinions, thinned idler and crank pinions. T140 oil pump. 78 T140 five speed gearbox with 20 T sprocket (43T rear). Lightened and balanced clutch with MAP pressure plate and clutch plate kit, three phase alternator, relocated alt. wire exit. 1968 light crank, heavy 71 con rods, balanced. Additional breather from timing plug hole. Many small mods to improve reliability and performance.
Yep, just a bitsa. Runs ok though, and has done so for over a decade with virtually no maintenance......two primary chains, a couple sets of points and condensers, just for fun. One tappet shed it's hard face. Changed all the oil seals and the rocker box gaskets two years ago. Synthetic oil changes about once a year. Kick and go. But it lives outside and needs some cosmetics. With the Thruxton, I can now strip it and make it pretty, plus take the engine down and see what it looks like. Still doesn't smoke or do anything untoward. I plan to replace the light cam pinions with the heavier T140 pinions to see if I can get a little less noise. Probably save some wear and tear on the valve train, too.
Yep, just a bitsa. But also the most highly developed Triumph on this island.

KADUTZ · 09-23-2006

MJ what is the complete VIN number did you get a title and if so what does it say.
frame and engine number should be the same

09-23-2006

Man, I've searched that bike looking for a VIN number and all I have found is the H3042 designation that appears on both the frame and the engine. The bike had not been licensed since 1987 and I purchased it from an old hippie buddy of mine that was seling it for his V.A. hospital bound brother (who I met many years earlier as I was his bartender) so the saale of said bike consisted of a handshake, transfer of cash, and a contract that might as well have been written on a bar napkin. I have no legal documentation that would provide information as to the year and model. I plan on eventually getting the bike licensed, but I am much more concerned with getting the bike running and that necessitates figuring out the year and model. I was able to track down the last mechanic that had worked on the bike and he had remembered it and said that he recalled it being from the early 1960s. Obviously I would prefer that the bike was in fact manufactured in 1958. BUT, if that is not the case...so what! I still got a Triumph and will once again be able to ride! As I can't figure out how to post pictures within Discussion Forums, I would be more then happy to send pictures to email addresses in order to ease identification. Thanks. MJ

GrandPaulZ · 09-23-2006

e-mail pix to grandpaulz at hotmail dot com and I'll have a look.

KADUTZ · 09-24-2006

as a starting point where are the ignition points?( I assume there isn't a magneto on this bike ) IN an automotive style distributor or in the timing cover on the right side of the engine? Also the assumption is made the bike is complete and not a pile of "lumps".

09-24-2006

Your assumption is correct and there is a distributor style set-up.

09-24-2006

Okay, here goes picture upload:

and

KADUTZ · 09-24-2006

here is what I come up based on a VIN #H3042
this is a 1958 triumph. Further if the VIN number is correct
the bike should be a 350cc. (first unit 500 was 1960).
on the engine drive side below the barrels is where your vin number H3042 should be look forward approx 1 to 2 inches there MAYBE a stamp 3TA. (at least that is where the 5TA is stamped on a 60 500 project I have is)
If that is there you have a 1958 350cc 3TA (Twenty-One) Triumph. If not you may have to pull the head and measure the bore.
From the pictures you posted the bike is not entirely stock, as I am sure you know. Gas tank, wheels, fork assy, frame appear to be stock. Seat, fenders, headlamp& tail lite assy are from other models. Not sure about timing cover as it appears to have a Tach drive unit on it. I note one other thing that is the heat sink for the Zener I suspect a 6 to 12volt conversion. hope this helps a little.

a note to our Hawaiian friend I am very impressed. You must have VERY DEEP pockets to keep building all the bikes with exotic parts. you be BIG FISH in little island ocean.

09-24-2006

Kadutz:

Thanks for the help. There is no "3TA" stamp but there is a "21" stamp located where you indicated. I think that the carb is an Amal 930R but they weren't manufactured until 1967. I'm reminded of Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time"

Thanks again. Matt

GrandPaulZ · 09-24-2006

By the way, I got the pix. I was going to stumble in with a clueless answer. I see, though, that you've got it posted AND I.D.'ed. Thanx, Kadutz.