[pidjones]

To start the thread. Bought and brought home yesterday. Compression 90 psi on each cylinder after just two kicks. Many things missing. Not my first rescue - I've done several GL1000 GoldWings, a CB750F, an RD400c, a little XR100R. Most were what I refer to as "fence row rescues". The kind you find forgotten in a fence row that you have to pull weeds out of. This bike appears to have been kept in the dry, at least in recent years. And, I've yet to find rodent evidence!

Already placed many items on my eBay watch list, but holding off on purchases until some more investigation is done. Wiring harness appears fairly complete except for many connectors stripped off of the ends. No controls on it.

I'll probably attack cleaning it up and rebuilding the carbs first as that has been my normal method. I have the pdf parts and service manuals.

I have a very nice T140 saddle that appears to be very close fit. Might get a pair of hinges and try to mount it.

Present plan is for a resto-mod. This is only my second Triumph, and the first was a '69 TR6C back in 1972 that was fully chopped (I should have been shot for that).

Photo is as it sat whem purchased.

 

[mike715]

Best of luck, having owned a T 160 since I bought it new I can tell you you're in for in an interesting ride on many levels.

 

[GrandPaulZ]

I have a very few spare parts for T150 Trident-
-rubber end cap for oil cooler (only one)
-complete set of brand new oil pump gears
-(2) exhaust headers
-Transmission outer cover (bare)
-Set of chrome meter mounts
-Pair of rubber meter cups (new)
-Set of 3 intake rubbers

I'm sure I have a few other things, ping if you can use this stuff.

 

[pidjones]

Thanks, Paul. I'll keep you in mind down the road. But it may be a long, rough road. Why do people let motorcycles set unprotected in the weather? And WHY DIDN'T I CHECK A BIT OF OIL DRAINED?

Total oil from crankcase, primary, oil tank, and gearbox. The water and sludge were in the primary and crankcase.

The cover cleaned up pretty well. The screen is soaking in kerosene.

 

[pidjones]

A look in the bottom isn't quite as scary as I feared.

I figure the oil pump should come out, be inspected, and give me a lead as to where to go from here So, primary outer cover off:

And I find that the goons glued it with orange RTV instead of using the proper gasket. And, they used the hammer and chisel wrench on the drive sprocket nut.

BTW, I LOVE this impact wrench! Haven't found anything that it can't loosen yet.

BUT! the goons also RTVed the inner primary cover on, which squished into the oil pump cavity and glued it in fast. So, I guess the inner primary cover comes off tomorrow. Enough fun for today!

 

[pidjones]

Please, if you see someone using RTV on a motorcycle crankcase - put them out of my misery! A loose blob from a PO lodged in the oil restrictor on the right head on my show GoldWing. Cost me a head and cam.

 

[StuartMac]

Hi,

GoldWing. Cost me a head and cam.

Honda and their fixation with running cams direct in heads ...?

Daft thing is, they've produced a range - the CD's - since God was in short trousers, that have bushes and bearings. Years ago, I knew a guy that ran a business hiring bikes in London; all he used were CD's, said he'd never had one returned he couldn't fix just with new bearings and bushes ... and some of his customers were dispatch riders who thought Japanese oil change intervals were just advisory ...

Regards,

 

[pidjones]

I don't know - without oil starvation (the RTV cut off ALL oil flow to that head) GoldWings have been known to run 300K or more miles with normal oil change type maintenance. I had 123K on a GL1800 when I sold it and it still was running like new with only oil changes and valve shim change (once). This old GL1000 would not have needed me to visit ebay for a head if not for a PO squirting orange RTV on things (and I thought that I had picked it all out). Zero oil lead to seizing the center cam bearing on the right side, which snapped in half and the front cylinder kept firing. Down on power and 2 miles from home (no awkward noise) I turned around and made it back about 1/2 mile before the bike stopped due to running the carbs dry (fuel pump run off the back of the right cam). We were taught that we were never to use RTV in the Navy, and I've only used it on exhaust systems on motorcycles. I'll use Permatex #2 non-hardening (and very lightly) to dress the new gaskets (this one had only RTV - no gasket). I sometimes use Indian Head to tack gaskets in place as it comes off easily with a wipe of acetone. The oil pump came out - well, part of it. They had broken the cover-to-body screws of in the baseplate, so it is still stuck in the hole. I was still able to blow out all of the lines and I'm reassured that the water was only in the sump and primary cover - none through the rest of the system. All of the primary outer and inner cover surfaces have been cleaned and are ready for the gaskets that are on order. Sump cover is still off and I am still swabbing it with various rags, solvents, and tools to make sure it is dry and clean. I also ordered a pair of new oil filters. The bike doesn't yet have an oil cooler, so I don't have to worry about contamination of that, and the line to it has been blown dry.

 

[pidjones]

A couple photos. One of the cleaned up case awaiting inner primary cover and oil pump, the other of some of the RTV that was scrapped off the inner primary alone.

 

[pidjones]

Actually got the rest of the oil pump body out. Used screws through the clamping holes to jack it away from the bottom. Turns out it was glued to the gasket, and the gasket glued to the case with RTV. Fun to get out of the pump cavity, but I did finally get it all cleaned up. Cleaned and reassembled the pump and it turns smooth.

 

[pidjones]

More cleaning and flushing. Pulled the anti-drain back valve out and flushed through it. Pulled both hoses off (they will be replaced) and flushed through their fittings. Pulled the filter cap and flushed through it. When I can get the engine out of the frame I'll pull the relief valve and flush through it.

 

[Happyfeet]

Good luck with your T150! I had been poking around looking for a Trident but as of now I didn't find the right one. From the looks of things you are finding and your experience with a Honda GW, I'd be inclined to tear that engine all the way down. Sounds like you're planning to pull the engine. Buy or build a stand for it and leave no stone unturned. I'm no professional or even an experienced rebuilder having only refurbished four other Triumph twins and my latest project was a basket case 69 Bonneville, (there's a thread of my Bonne rebuild here) but again I would be very hesitant to start that triple without a complete examination. Again, best of luck, welcome to the forum and keep the pictures coming! HF

 

[pidjones]

Decided this was definitely going to require engine out of the frame, even if not a full tear-down (not decided on that yet). So, today I pulled it onto a furniture dolly so I can roll it around the garage. Pretty dicey for an old man by myself, but it went Ok in the long run. Might be a different story going back in.

 

[pidjones]

BTW, is the drawing of engine removal in the Triumph shop manual (Fig B2) a joke?

 

[StuartMac]

Hi,

is the drawing of engine removal in the Triumph shop manual (Fig B2) a joke?

The manual text does say, "will require two people" ...

Has to be said, the more dismantling done in the frame, the easier final removal is ...

Regards,

 

[Adam M.]

+1 to above.
With the old nearly abandon triple its IMHO essential to take it apart completely and check it's mains and big ends. Somehow previous owners didn't care enough about oil changes in those engines. Expect your exhaust valves to be shot too.

 

[GrandPaulZ]

With the old nearly abandon triple its IMHO essential to take it apart completely and check it's mains and big ends. Somehow previous owners didn't care enough about oil changes in those engines.

The problem seems to have been more of a case where these models seemed to wet-sump very often, so the owners had to drain them before starting and riding. That meant the bearings and bushings could be oil starved before proper oil flow resumed, resulting in rapid wear.

 

[pidjones]

No more work this week. Several other duties including a funeral Saturday and a photo shoot Sunday to attend to . Back at it next week. I have a tendency to skip around on tasks, keeping me from loosing interest but always moving forward. Considering a rebuild of the tach next. Doesn't seem to fully respond. I suspect something is stopping the movement and as usual aged, hardened grease can use a micro-drop of silicone to thin it out.

 

[Adam M.]

I never dump the oil completely after my bike spent lets say a month without being used, just dump it from a primary compartment and after a few kicks observe my oil pressure gage, when it shows pressure I start the bike and add dumped oil to the tank. In a moment oil gets cleared from a sump and everything works OK.

 

[pidjones]

Pulled the oil pressure relief valve this morning. Encouraged that there was no water in it. Cleaned it up well and reassembled. No fiber washer for it in my gasket kit, but an aluminum of the correct size. Was this a replacement?