Triumphrat

soitainly · 11-18-2009, 05:49 PM

Hello - does anyone have any expierience of small, gold-colored chips at the bottom of the catch-pan when changing the oil? I have experienced this a little w/my '98 Thunderbird Sport. One local mechanic thinks this is evidence of rod-/main-bearing failure. Am not so sure I buy that in this case. Another view I have heard is that it is clutch-related...just some normal wear from the clutch plates (brass). Could it be transmission-related? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. (The bike only has 12,600 mi. total. I am the original owner. Difficult to believe that I have a self-destructing engine - no other symptoms of trouble.) Thanks...

Muzz Bird98 · 11-21-2009, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soitainly

Hello - does anyone have any expierience of small, gold-colored chips at the bottom of the catch-pan when changing the oil? I have experienced this a little w/my '98 Thunderbird Sport. One local mechanic thinks this is evidence of rod-/main-bearing failure. Am not so sure I buy that in this case. Another view I have heard is that it is clutch-related...just some normal wear from the clutch plates (brass). Could it be transmission-related? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. (The bike only has 12,600 mi. total. I am the original owner. Difficult to believe that I have a self-destructing engine - no other symptoms of trouble.) Thanks...

Soitainly, Wish I could help , I tend to agree maybe clutch plate and could have been in the sump a while. Doubt mains as there would be other symtoms.
See whats in there next time and don't worry. Spoils the experience.
Others may have ideas ?

cheers
Murray

soitainly · 11-22-2009, 02:54 PM

Thanks much, MuzzBird. Have decided to just ride the thing, do my routine maint., and monitor the situation. Agree that lack of other symptoms gives doubt that it would be disintegrating engine bearings. At any rate, if a problem really exists, it will make itself known pretty unmistakably - probably soon, too. Add to that the fact that the dealership for which the mechanic making the dire assessment works - (he had not actually seen the situation, but was responding to my verbal description over the phone) - just happened to be holding a sales event w/demo rides that upcoming weekend. Of course, his first suggestion as to a solution was that maybe I'd like to trade it in at the demo ride event. Well, I guess people have to make a living, but why does it have to be at the cost of our getting "worked over"? Anyway, best wishes from "America - land of the flim-flammed".
Jim

cafetbird · 11-22-2009, 04:43 PM

I think it is the carburetor ...

Trying to remember where there might be any brass bushings in this drive train....