Triumphrat

michaels90na · 07-13-2008

I have this 1956 triumph TR6 that was raced some 40 years ago in the dessert. I got it from my dad who had it for 30 some odd years. all I need to do was get a spark and it would have ran. I got all that but had the timing cover off and the idler pinion/gear came out will I was cranking it slowly which through off the cam timing. I have aligned them to the keyway and also according the the manual. the problem is the marks are not exacly as the manual says which leads me to believe it may have hotter cams. whith the cams lined up with the keyways like the manual says, and like ive read on here, it wouldnt start but under compression starting and manualy retarding the ignition timing at the handlebars it got a lot closer to fireing. I need some info. In the manual is gives the degrees at which the intake and exhaust open and close and that hasnt seemed to help me. When I have it set to what I think is right, which is when the exhaust of one cylinder and the intake of another open at the same time, I get less compression then what I did before everything fell apart. Some information would seriously be appreciated. thank you

panda · 07-13-2008

It was a long time ago, but I think you need to get the bike pistons at TDC. then align teh mark on the crankshaft pinion with the idler pinion. also align both timing marks on the camshafts with the idler pinion. Some probably later models had three keyways in teh pinions so teh timing could be done more precisly.

It is worthwhile cleaning all the pinions well so to see the timing marks better.

GrandPaulZ · 07-13-2008

'56 doesn't have the timing mark on the alternator rotor becasue it's a mag driven engine. You need a degree wheel on the cam to get it right.

michaels90na · 07-13-2008

It does have the three keyways and their are marks adjacent to the keyways but at that setting it wouldnt fire. The marks are not exactly like what is shown in the manual, plus there are several other little dashes around the idler, which makes it real difficult to align them. I have used the timing wheel on the crank to set ignition timing, but could you expand on intake and exhaust timing with the wheel? The twin cylinder really throws me off, knowing which one fires when. Now both valves should be closed on the compression stroke right?

DAGAD · 07-14-2008

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA there boys...... good idea telling him how to set the timing, problem is, WHAT CAMS ARE FITTED??????? I think it would be a VERY good idea to determine EXACTLY what is fitted BEFORE we tell him what to set them to, do you agree?
Roy.

Mecchanica · 07-14-2008

Are there any ID marks on the camshafts? If not, you can do a quick check of the lift by measuring with caliper or mike the distance from the nose of the lobe to the base. Note that. Then measure at 90 degrees, across the base. Subtract the smaller number from the larger. Let us know what the result is. If it's between .295" and .314", it's likely stock.

michaels90na · 07-14-2008

Is there anyway to tell without pulling the cams? Thats something im not familiar with and the bike technically belongs to my dad so I dont want to mess things up more than they already are.

quagmire · 07-14-2008

Michael, I think you mole hill just turned into a mountain

michaels90na · 07-14-2008

there seriously has to be marks of some kind on the gears. would aftermarket cams not line up with the key way?

Lutz · 07-14-2008

GPZ.
Cam timing is measured in crankshaft degrees so you don't
put the degree wheel on the cam...
Lutz