Head on Collusion

Just didn't have enough oil in the tank.
All seems ok in that dept now.

Today I torqued down the head and fitted the rocker boxes.
Having a double thickness head gasket made gettign the right squash tricky. I ended up with about 1mm with the bolts finger tightened down.
I am guessing the double gasket will squash maybe twice as much as the single, so hopefully there is enough pressure on my orings by the time I have re-torqued the head down.
The 71 has black orings at the top and squared white seals at the bottom AS WELL AS big red orings inside the tube.

Chainguard is on.

To go -
torque rockers down
attach rocker oil feed
fill gearbox
carbs on
new throttle cables on
attach speedo cable
attach and adjust clutch cable
adjust clutch
tank on
pipes on
kick the bastard

spring has sprung in Melbourne

engine in, chain on, wheel aligned, electrics connected, breathers setup, pegs on.... and oilways connected.

I have primed the case with 120ml oil as well as filling the return tube. The tank is full.
The head is not on yet.
When I operate the kickstart lever by hand (on the lift) oil bubbles up out of the return tube, so I guess the scavenge part is working.
Currently searching the forums for a static test for the intake part of the pump.
So far found a very recent one by GPZ saying to 'crack' the dome on the relief and hope for oil dribbling out. I tried this by hand and had no luck. I had to leave and open up my bar, so I will try again tomorrow.
Spring is in the air around here so I am hoping to be on the road again soon.

GAME ON MOLES

Ok, the head is in the building.
no more excuses, it is time to get it together. I got more bits and pieces done while waiting on the head, such as re-mounting the ignition switch, replacing brake switch, etc etc.


For now the bike will run without any stock sidecovers. The early oif (oil in frame) came with a 2-part side. Half air box and half just a tin cover. There are oldy worldy style fibreglass ones availablebut for now the naked look will suffice.
Tomorrow the engine goes back in the bike and the hed goes on. can't wait.

Early triumph

Today I picked up the head from Bryce at Early Triumph (Upwey, Melbourne).

Normally sticking exclusively to pre-unit Trumpy's, he was kind enough to guide me through and project manage the required outsourced machining. Having him send the work out to his favourites, pick it up and check all tolerances was a great boost to my confidence.
Dion, in the middle of shot, is working on a ratty pirate bobber, and is getting the engine completely rebuilt.




Me, Dion and Bryce

Moving ahead

Stator Stuffed

Next I inspected the stator, only to find it had been shredded at the back by the primary chain. Got a new one today.
It looks like the previous owner had not put the primary engine sprocket on fully (it was a very tight fit), resulting in the stator being too close to the chain. It also would explain why the rotor spacer was missing.... leading to the answer to the question... "why was the rotor spacer in the clutch along with the clutch spacer?".
Clearly it was left over so someone assumed it had to go into the clutch.

EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THIS FUCKING BIKE HAS BEEN BODGED
and I am making it all new again. Cheerily. With a grin and a laugh. and a wallet.

Oil pump pic

Cranky and calm

Yesterday I picked up the bits from the machinist. As it is my first British rebuild I found a perfectionist pre-unit rebuilder who helped me farm out the work to his favourite perfectionist machinists.
The crank is a work of art... where me holding it is a student in the gallery and the vibration levels will be the gallery curator. We shall see.
The barrel is lovely looking. The machinist refaced the case-contact surface and corrected a cockeyed previous bore. In his words "this was done on the piss" (drunk).
Today I put the new bearings in and did a test run putting it together. Mainly to make sure I had all the case bolts.
 When they say bag and tag everything, for fukcs' sake listen. I put everything in little tubs with the sound knowledge that it was damned obvious what they were for. Let me tell you, I had a very big 80's, a wild 90's and gave the early naughties a good nudge. Short term memory is not my forte. What was I saying... ?

Oh yeah.
Me and Wes. I have a rebuild DVD from Wes at four aces. He is definitely the man. I play it over and over while I am working. I find it gives me confidence and really helps me picture stuff learned from the manual and parts books. Even how hard to hit a drift or where to point the blowtorch. Stuff you would take for granted if you were taught this stuff by an expert. Definitely a must have for the first time builder. fouracescycle.com

Sludge

Here's the contents of the sludge trap (oilway in the crank).

drumroll please - about to start the engine build

 

• The barrel is bored
• the crank has been blueprinted and dynamicaly balanced
• The conrods are on, the head is due on Monday.

I have

• scrubbed the cases
• replaced seals, bearings etc. 
• rocker boxes rebuilt.
• replaced 3 worn and broken gears
• touched up the frame paint
• flushed the frame/oil tank
• replaced oil lines and breather hoses
• replaced rear brake shoes
• added a rectifier/regulator to replace zener etc.
• straightened and painted the footpegs
• had plunger gear selector detente added to replace leaf spring type.
• sewed a patch on my jacket
  

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

All I have to do is assemble. The pricey stuff is paid for. The tolerances are (hopefully) perfect. The parts are ready. I have a fully equipped workshop, a haynes manual, an owners manual, a parts book and even DVD. I have rebuilt many 2-stroke motors including a custom racing Vespa. All this and I am still a bit nervous. I think it is probably the time invested as well as teh cosy of replaceing pistons that make the possibility of engine failure so terrifying.
Stay tuned for the good stuff in the coming week....

Me

Dirty and the dark lord

Plunger

I got the local triumph legend to drill and tap my gearbox case for a plunger type gear shift detente. In his words "you can't do it. Bring it in"
$135 for labour and peace of mind. You only get one go at this.
UPDATE; looks like a fuckup as the angle is off and the plunger tip just hangs on the edge of the camplate. Now i will have to totally strip it and have it welded up....then start ll over again.
VERY PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW

Peggy sue

Footpegs are wildly different in length. Can't logically see why the right one would be an inch further forward than the left, so will tentatively declare another rediculous bodge.
UPDATE
WELL I NEVER......it is norml and stock. still a bodge as far as I am concerned. Just a factory one.