Triumphrat

hisnameisjimmy · 02-01-2007

Hi,
I'm a 23 year old total newbie who got hooked on the idea of restoring a Triumph. I love the old British bikes, and decided if I was going to get a bike, I was going to do it right and learn everything about it by rebuilding one.

So I've been taking this thing apart and learning about everything, and I opened the chaincase and there was some rust on the cover plate. I read in multiple places that using kerosene and steel wool was the way to go, so I cleaned it off and all went well. I decided to open up the gearbox to check that as well, and found more rust. I wanted to get the opinion of the boards to see what you guys think and whether or not I should get these parts replaced, or if they seem ok.

I'm including some before and after picture for your perusal.

I often wonder why there aren't more image posters and people looking for newbie stuff. Am I missing something? Are there other forums where I can find more detailed walkthroughs?

[ This message was edited by: hisnameisjimmy on 2007-02-17 19:53 ]

peintremondain · 02-01-2007

nice project!
read the old threads and you ll find a mine of information about the triumphs.some guys here are very sharp on the subject!!!
you ll also find some links about restoration which are prettily well done!!
welcome in this world
ben :wink: :wink:

hisnameisjimmy · 02-01-2007

I've been trying to sift through to find something about the topic, but the forums aren't that easy to navigate. I wish there were specific sections within the classic bikes for restoration work (with pictures!!) but it seems there is more text than anything. I like to throw up pictures so people can see exactly what I'm dealing with, and follow along.

Anyway, here is the bike when I purchased it:

And here is the mess I've made so far. I'm using up tupperware like crazy keeping track of things, soon I'm going to put masking tape on all of them and label everything just so I don't lose anything.

Sorry for the previous post's images being so big, I should've known to resize them to 600x450

jtrip · 02-01-2007

Good looking project bike. I went through the same thing last winter. Not sure what to tell you about the rust. What you have shown does not look to bad. What do the gears look like? If I were you I would do a complete teardown of the engine. Take lots of pic's as you take it apart and put it back togather. You will enjoy them later and they may help in the process.

johnnypence · 02-01-2007

you might want to replace that kickstart watch spring. it can break, and those rust pits didn't make it any stronger. mine was pitted like that and broke -- pretty cheap part, and worth the trouble since you've got it open.

and for what its worth, that nut on the end of your clutch pushrod looks about like mine, and i'm getting ready to replace it and the ball ramp as well.

also make sure you get those seal-mating surfaces on the case and cover good and clean. a nylon-bristle brush or even a soft touch with a razor blade (don't nick, dent, or distort anything, but clean it spotless). i don't have a gasket on either case (i use selant on both), and neither leaks, but next time i crack them open i'm getting new gaskets for both.

if you're going to have it open for awhile, you might coat those rusty parts with something greasy so they don't rust again while you work on other stuff (if it were me and my shelf of chemicals, i'd use mineral spirits and wash it off with denatured alcohol before reassembling).

nobody on this BBS knows how to post pictures. that's why you don't see more....

take pictures of everything before you take it apart!

have a good time with this. i hope you're single -- a project like this in a young man's marriage can be one of those trials that the preacher warned you about. :-D

[ This message was edited by: johnnypence on 2007-02-01 08:09 ]

hisnameisjimmy · 02-01-2007

Thanks for the advice Johnny. So far I've scrubbed the seals with kerosene and steel wool as it had this weird goop/pvc stuff. It made getting the hex screws out hell; I had to hit an allen wrench with a hammer (lightly) to get a few out. But I'll scrub some more to get them shimmering.

Do you have someone you go to for parts that you recommend? From what I'm reading, I'm advised to make a list of everything I'll need so I can negotiate prices. However, I'd also like to get certain things taken care of before moving on. Ya know, like getting the engine running!

In terms of preventing rust while I'm working on it, I was thinking of just rubbing some of the clutch lube on those parts within the gearbox, and some oil in the chaincase.

I'm going to order this specific set of gaskets off ebay, which I'm nearly 100% sure fit my bike: Triumph Gaskets

What do you mean by the ball ramp? Do you mean the ball within the clutch lever assembly?

I'm not married, but I'm not single. My girlfriend of a year and a half calls it my "new girlfriend" and thinks that I'm ignoring her for it. But I'm obsessed at this point. I really don't think I can turn back. All I do is think about working on it, figuring it out, etc. The one thing that's killing me is that I can't read electrical diagrams very well, and even what I do understand I can't translate to the actual bike. Especially since I don't exactly know what each wire is connecting to...

jtrip: I'm kind of scared of taking the engine apart in its entirety. Honestly, scared. It seems to be in good shape besides a couple of those outside rust spots. Do you really think I should delve in that deep? As I said, I am a total noob. As in, no experience whatsoever with cars or cycles. I'm diving in head first, and trying to do everything right. But man, the engine? Whew. I guess it would be good to know how everything is doing, inside and out. But jeeze.

GrandPaulZ · 02-01-2007

Welcome to the forum!

Nice pix. I love to take pictures of everything as I progress in a project, and often do side-by-sides (before/after) shots as well.

What you have there is only surface rust, except that on thin parts (like the spring) that can be significant.

While I am fairly active over here, I chronicle all of my projects on my own forum, and simply post links over here, due to the fact that it's a bit more fuss to post pix here (you have to upload them, grab the link, then paste it in the message).

You are more than welcome to copy your posts on my forum on Delphi Triumph Bonnevilles on Delphi Delphi membership is free.

The format over there is sectioned, as it is here, but it's dedicated to a focused group, whereas this one is across the entire Triumph line from Vintage to Modern. Therefor, the sections are more specific to each aspect of the old Triumphs.

DON'T BE SCARED TO OVERHAUL YOUR ENGINE.

Shop manual, parts book, proper tools, and patience.

hisnameisjimmy · 02-01-2007

See, I'm not sure if I have the proper tools though. Also, when you say "engine" do you mean "transmission" as well? I think the transmission freaks me out far more than anything else.

Also, I'm not sure I have all the proper tools. Some advice on specific tools I should have on hand would be great.

I'll copy my posts to the other forum as well (with smaller pictures for the before/after) and hopefully get some good advice over there as well. I have the shop manual and parts catalogue, so I should be good on that end of things. It just scares me a bit to get into the engine. Do you think I should get a triumph engine stand like the ones they sell on ebay?

quagmire · 02-02-2007

Get the video by Hughie Hancox thar rips apart a 1970 650 engine. He'll walk you thru step by step. I used it for my engine and it was a peice of cake. I had someone help me out for some parts, boring out the cylinders and putting the lower case together but the rest is pretty simple.null

hisnameisjimmy · 02-02-2007

Any suggestions for tools I'll definitely need to take apart the engine?

It looks like a pinion extractor are good investments, along with the clutch nut screwdriver/tool. That and the timing disk and crankcase parting tool.

How much would all this cost?

Is there anything else I should really have? I'll be taking apart the forks as well, and I've heard there are specific tools to do so.