[pcoburn]

On the fender I'm not inclined to make additional holes in it - I know it works with the OEM caliper so I'm back to looking for one of those.

On the caliper, the bleed screw takes a 10mm wrench, it does not have any name cast into it. The stock brake line felt fine, but this had been installed using non-metric brake lines before so not sure if anything was done at that time (but I doubt it). Since M10-1.25 is "close enough" to 3/8-24 it could be metric. I'm not really comfortable with "close enough" on the brake system, so another indicator I should be looking for a replacement caliper.

Or maybe turn it into a chopper and remove the front brake entirely... LOL

 

[GrandPaulZ]

@GrandPaulZ - still have these around? I just need a "plain" caliper, the pistons I have are good, just the bleed screw seat.

Yep, I think I have 5 spares, very similar good used condition. I MIGHT have one good set of pucks, I'll dig 'em out, NEXT WEEK (just heading out to the beach for the weekend)

 

[StuartMac]

Hi,

On the fender I'm not inclined to make additional holes in it

Uh-uh, I didn't intend to suggest you do, +1 the fender'll look I was just highlighting the problem.

bleed screw takes a 10mm wrench

Mmmm ... all-in-all, I suspect the caliper's more likely an early Grimeca copy of the Lockheed, rather than a Wassell Girling?

stock brake line felt fine, but this had been installed using non-metric brake lines before so not sure if anything was done at that time

If the caliper was connected using the standard bent steel pipe from the slider/fender bracket, nothing could be done.

Nevertheless, ask me how I know 3/8"-24 male will fit in M10x1.0 female ... - M10 is slightly bigger than 3/8", 1.0 mm. pitch = 25.4 tpi so 24 is close enough over the length of a brake hose (in my case) or pipe fitting ...

not really comfortable with "close enough" on the brake system

+1. I make my own Goodridge braided hoses rather than use the standard collection of steel pipes and rubber hoses, so I'd put a proper M10x1.0 end on the Goodridge hose into a caliper like that

another indicator I should be looking for a replacement caliper.

Also, if it is a Grimeca, the mounting holes are 10 mm. ID rather than 3/8" with only a little clearance.

Hth.

Regards,

 

[pcoburn]

Yep, I think I have 5 spares, very similar good used condition. I MIGHT have one good set of pucks, I'll dig 'em out, NEXT WEEK (just heading out to the beach for the weekend)

Thanks Paul. No pistons needed, the ones I have in the spare OEM caliper with the ruined bleed screw seat are fine. Just back from a camping trip myself.

 

[pcoburn]

@GrandPaulZ - let me know if you're back and whether you've been able to locate a good caliper.

Milestone this week of getting the bike off the stand and sitting on 2 wheels. I'm sure it will be back on the stand again at some point but it felt like progress!

Next major project is wiring up inside the headlight/dash. I've had problems with painting the dash, on my 3rd try so hopefully no issues this time. Wiring for the rest of the bike is complete (I think!)

I ran out of pennies for the center stand spring... I rarely use cash these days to get any change! I think I added even more washers for the final fit before I was able to get it hooked on.

 

[GrandPaulZ]

@pcoburn

I use a loop of hard wire with a piece of pipe, or (when I can find it) my spring hook.

I happened to be scrounging around looking for my vacuum pump and spark lighter, and didn't run across the brake calipers yet.

 

[pcoburn]

Just a few more hours of work to get everything back together. I've painted the dash about 4 times already and on the second coat the paint reacts and spider webs - just happened again this morning so I need to sand it down and try again.

Question on the engine - I can get the oil pressure to build up enough to turn the oil pressure warning light off when kicking it, but I'm not getting any flow to the rocker oil feed (I have it disconnected to confirm oil flow). Should I be able to get oil flow up there from kicking or does it need to run to build up enough pressure? From overnight it takes about 5 kicks to get the oil pressure light to go out, and even after a dozen or so more I don't see any flow.

Thanks, Phil

 

[GrandPaulZ]

Check your rocker feed piping for obstruction...

 

[StuartMac]

Hi Phil,

can get the oil pressure to build up enough to turn the oil pressure warning light off when kicking it, but I'm not getting any flow to the rocker oil feed

Bear in mind:-

. Original switch opens above 3 psi. New pattern switch, who knows?

. Rocker oil feed is from the crankcase scavenge. Unless you put oil in the crankcase as per Waking The Sleeping Beast, no crankcase scavenge 'til enough oil's worked its way through the crankshaft and the crankcase level has reached the bottom of the scavenge draw. Even when it has, the scavenge is a mixture of oil and air, kicking turns the engine very slowly, the rockers are high up, each time the engine stops, and level in the rocker oil feed pipe just falls again. Imho, you'd do better following WTSB recommendations for start-up rocker lubrication.

Hth.

Regards,

 

[pcoburn]

I disconnected it and blew through it and didn't have anything come out. So I just kept kicking and eventually got some oil coming out.

I'll check out the WTSB article, probably some other things I missed!

 

[pcoburn]

Well, on the plus side, I did overfill the primary a bit and waited a while before starting to kick it over so I should have had some oil in the crankcase. All seems good but I haven't fired it up yet. Right now I mostly just need time, I'm very close but I'm sure the last few things will take me a while.

 

[pcoburn]

Ended up with a used caliper from eBay. I was able to get one piston moving with just air pressure, but I had to break out the grease gun to get the other one moving, no movement even at 120psi with air and I didn't want it to shoot through the wall if it did break free! Pistons aren't too bad considering how stuck they were but I'll be using the ones from my "bad" caliper because there were in great shape (only the bleed screw seal is bad on that one). Bores are in decent shape, just new seals needed.

I also started getting a leak on the rear caliper on the hose from the reservoir. It looked like the hose end where it connects to the rear brake master had lost it's seal on the barbed fitting. The hose was only just long enough so I couldn't cut off the end and try again. When I took it off I checked the numbers on the hose it is for a transmission oil cooler according to the SAE number on it - not sure if that's good for brake fluid or not but since I needed to replace it anyway I ordered the correct hose along with the rebuild kit for the eBay caliper.

Anyone have a good source for bulk seat foam? It currently has an incorrect seat pan/cover on it from an earlier T140 (not sure what year but the cover doesn't have the drop sides and the label has points gap information). It was recently re-foamed, but the foam is way too soft and when I sit on the bike I sink down to the seat pan (maybe someone lighter wouldn't have this problem, LOL!). Eventually I'll probably put the correct seat on it, but trying to keep the costs down for a bit.

 

[pcoburn]

Major milestone last weekend, I had the bike pretty much back together and took it for a quick run. Looks like I'll be replacing the rocker shaft seals (again), maybe I cut them when I installed the new ones, but either way they are both leaking. Otherwise things went pretty well. I got the bike warmed up and set the timing, I still need to check the mixture and balance for the carbs.

The seat and side panels still need to be done. I have primer on the side panels, they need some sanding and then paint. For the seat I haven't found any foam yet, I might just re-use what was on there for now and worry about it later.

 

[pcoburn]

A few more minor things taken care of this weekend, fine tuning and taking for a longer (5 mile) run. Good to get the bike fully warmed up.

Question on the brakes - should they have springs to hold the pads off the disc? I get quite a noticeable pad slap from the front brake. Definitely coming from there, if I squeeze the lever a little it goes away.

I also started getting a leak from the top of the exhaust push rod tube so I'll be taking the head off again to investigate and will look at the rocker seals at the same time. I'm using the smallest/shortest white seals I could and thought I had all the squish measurements in spec so hopefully something I did wrong. I did order a couple of extra o-rings when I got the short seals so I can have at least 1 more try before ordering anything again!

Slow progress on the side panels, I thought I'd have the primer finished up this weekend, but there are still a few spots I'm not happy with.

No progress on the seat. I've been riding it without the seat foam until I figure something out there.

 

[pcoburn]

Worked on the push rod tube seals this evening. I’m getting a very consistent .035 clearance after seating but before torquing down the head but after getting everything torqued I see a small amount of the o-ring has come through into the head on the exhaust side. Is this OK, or do I need to consider a thicker head gasket? (I’m using the smallest white seals on the bottom)

 

[pcoburn]

I also had the smallest amount of the rocker shaft seal that was shaved off, but looks like enough to cause a leak since they’re so skinny to begin with. You can see the top of the o-ring is pretty thin in the bottom picture.

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[StuartMac]

Hi,

push rod tube seals
getting a very consistent .035 clearance after seating but before torquing down the head but after getting everything torqued I see a small amount of the o-ring has come through into the head on the exhaust side.
need to consider a thicker head gasket?

Aiui, the O-ring at the top of a PRT seals between the PRT and the recess in the head, the O-ring should stay between the PRT and the head.

Afaict specifically a thicker head gasket won't help, either you messed-up fitting the PRT and O-ring into the head - I know some owners turn the head upside-down, fit the PRT and O-rings into the head recesses first then turn the whole assembly right-way-up and fit it over the cylinder block - or you need to find out why the head and PRT aren't keeping the O-ring between them.

Hth.

Regards,

 

[pcoburn]

PRT seals -

I checked with a mirror to make sure the seals were seated correctly in the head before starting to torque them down, and torqued in 3 steps up to the 16/18ft-lbs from the manual. The seal only pushed into the head after torquing things down. The seats in the head were clean, the tubes looked fine and are seated down on the lifters.

I'm not sure what else to check/change, if anyone has suggestions let me know. The PRTs looked fine, but that's the only thing I can think of - maybe those are out-of-round by just enough to make the seals fail.

My prior install of the seals was putting the PRTs in the head first because the engine was out, not sure if that's possible with the engine in the frame. Both times I'm getting gap measurements within the spec as I understand it (.030-.040) and using o-rings from a reputable supplier, but maybe I need to try another supplier and see if I get different results. No point in doing the same thing a third time, I know what the result will be!

 

[newsh]

Question on the brakes - should they have springs to hold the pads off the disc? I get quite a noticeable pad slap from the front brake. Definitely coming from there, if I squeeze the lever a little it goes away.

I.

No springs as standard but some people have had success fitting Biro springs on the split pins, try a search there are some pics on here.

 

[newsh]

T140 "anti-rattle" front brake pads

http://www.triumphrat.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=242585&stc=1&d=1426662445 I've found that by fitting springs over the pad retaining pins on the AP Lockheed brakes fitted to T140's brake pad "rattle" has been eliminated. All I need to do now is hide my mum's pens..

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