Triumphrat

dazco

......about the Tbird you may not know...the tank is hinged at the seat end so to work on it the tank raises up like a car's hood ! Is that not fantastic?! The spark plugs for example are not accessible the tank on, and i was worried about having to remove it just to change or look at the plugs. But while i haven't done it yet, theres a screw at the front and i believe you just remove that and the tank goes up. Not sure what fuel hoses and all might need to be removed, but i bet they designed it so you don't have to remove anything to lift the tank. This to me is a huge +++.

by the way, the reason a was looking at it to see how the tank comes off is that i want to change the plugs out for Irridiums. Something you may want to consider because 1)-they last nearly forever so the gap won't change at all for nearly the life of the bike, and they will last that long i believe or close. 2)-the added a bit better throttle response to my speedmaster. 3)-and this is the main reason, they smooth the engine vibes a lot, or least they did on the speedmaster. At one point i had aftermarket mirrors that were so blurry i couldn't tell what kind of vehicle was in back of me. Almost totally useless. The plugs smoothed the bike out so much they cleared up about 50-75% and the erratic idle the bike always had was gone. Anyways, the Tbird has 4 plugs so it will be a rather expensive proposition at $20 *list* each (tho i think i've seen them as low as $8) but IMO well worth it IF they work as well in the bird. I'm willing to take the chance. Oh, and i think the mileage improves a tad as well, not not 100% on that.

Anyways, the tank hinge is going to make working on it so much simpler, just thought ya'll would wanna know.

Birdy68

Great - that is a good one to know. I'd still like to install a manual oil pressure gauge like the one I have on my Speedy. So I think this feature will be a great help.


But - they still say they have to pull the engine to install the BBKit?


<edit>
I bet this would help with Rayzor's coolant problem and trying to tighten up the hoses!?!
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dazco

Probably would. Anything that needs tank removal will be made much easier. I want to try it just to see and to see how hard the plugs will be to remove. (mech said they're really hard to get to) but i'll probably wait to get the manual just to be safe. Theres another subject altogether....i wonder how long we'll have to wait till thats available.

Birdy68

I've got an excellent Haynes workshop manual for the Speedmaster. Well actually it covers the PTwin 790cc and 865cc engines.
Link: Triumph Bonneville (01 - 07)

What manual would you be look for?
I'll be waiting for a Haynes, but that could be, as you said - a while!

dazco

Well, i had the Triumph manual and the haynes for my speedy, and as much as i hate to say it, i used the triumph one all the time. It just always seemed to show/say what i needed most of the time. If i tried to use the haynes i would always end up needing something that it didn't show or say and went to the Triumph shop manual. The triumph one however is a total rip-off at $80 for a bunch of photocopied pages in a binder ! Unfortunatly i found a PDF copy i could have printed it from AFTER i bought it. I wish they could sell that but they can't for obvious reasons, tho it gets out there anyways eventually. The thing about the PDF version is you can view it on your PC and do searches, AND print a version for your garage. And since your hands are greasy when working on your bike, when pages get greasy you can print the page and replace it. It's so much better.

And yeah, the haynes won't be here for a LONNNNG time. The one for the twins came out something like 6-7 years after the first twin was produced. The triumph one hopefully within a few weeks or months. I'd wait for the PDF you show up but that could be a long time unless some disgruntled triumph employee does us a favor soon.

Birdy68

I know what your saying about the Haynes manuals - it's ALWAYS that bolt or screw that ISN'T shown that stumbles you when working on them....


I got my NISSAN Patrol GR Official Manual from the tinternet.
Some Russian web site it was - couldn't read a ting except 'NISSAN Patrol 1998-Present (PDF Download)'

It's great to take it with me to the garage and say to them while pointing at the part "ONLY replace that seal please!"

So *crosses fingers & toes*, lets hope a copy drifts onto the web soon.

*opens new browser window and start search*

Rayzor61

I took off the tank 3 times already. After loosening the rear hinge mount you remove the allen screw up front and lift the tank. It can be held up with an 8 inch piece of 2x4. At this point there is 2 electrical connectors, the gas line( with a snap link), and a breather hose. Once fully removed, there is quite a bit of cables neatly tucked into a plastic tray which hold each cable in place. Ps: the coolant filler is right behind the front allen bolt and can be accessed by proping up the tank and leaving the rear hing in place (loosened).

dazco

Did you happen to note how easy/hard it would be to get the plugs out? My dealer's mech told me they are a biotch to get to and i want to put some irridiums in it.