68 Triumph T120 Project

[jgrm1]

So talked to Steve today. What a bang up guy, and I say that even as he won't do my engine! He is over committed and won't take any more work for that reason. Soooo not sure what to do. He offered to help if I need it which is awesome. These things are pretty simple compared to any other engine work I've done, but I am not totally comfortable as yet, but it's only a couple hundred in tools.....

You can do it!

-Jeff

 

[Plane Dr]

Project is now the focussed word!

As it comes apart the inside is pretty much like the outside. Everything in the primary case is unserviceable. The head looks good, dirty but the valves are fluid tight. But pending teardown on it.

Timing side and transmission to come apart yet. I need to order special pullers. I don't have the ones that will work.

Bottom end and rods feel good. But at this point, no point in doing everything else and leaving it........

About $2500 in parts so far and climbing! Good thing it was "Free" I'm sitting at $4600 ish so far.........

 

[grandpaul]

You don't really need special pullers if you don't have to change the timing drive pinion on the crank. Also, you can leave the cams in place as long as the bushings aren't too floppy (the book has the specs).

I've got parts & shop manuals in digital form if you want 'em.

I've overhauled more than 20 Triumph big twins, so "piece of cake"...

 

[Windmill]

Project is now the focussed word!

As it comes apart the inside is pretty much like the outside. Everything in the primary case is unserviceable. The head looks good, dirty but the valves are fluid tight. But pending teardown on it.

Timing side and transmission to come apart yet. I need to order special pullers. I don't have the ones that will work.

Bottom end and rods feel good. But at this point, no point in doing everything else and leaving it........

About $2500 in parts so far and climbing! Good thing it was "Free" I'm sitting at $4600 ish so far.........

Can't put a price on joy. Enjoying the thread. I had Triumphs back in the day.

 

[Plane Dr]

You don't really need special pullers if you don't have to change the timing drive pinion on the crank. Also, you can leave the cams in place as long as the bushings aren't too floppy (the book has the specs).

I've got parts & shop manuals in digital form if you want 'em.

I've overhauled more than 20 Triumph big twins, so "piece of cake"...

Thank you I would appreciate anything you can share. I am starting to look for a parts catalog.

I have a clymers, factory shop manual, and Glenn somebodies manual. The original manuals assume you know the clunky ways these go together, Glenns is better. So It's really just skill I'm missing! I really should have known with the chassis issues.

I figured at this point I will do a full tear down including the bottom end. I am just reluctant now to let it go on 60 year old bearings. The original plan was just a "fresh". The deeper I go, it is constant worn or just plain bad parts. The tappet blocks were rusted in, I broke 1 pounding it out even with the proper tool. Not worth cleaning up some original bits. The head is about the only thing that looks good. It was full of crud so it needs to come apart cleaned and ? The lifter tunnels were gooped with silicone inside and out, not a seal or factory "cup" to be found. The tach mount bolt was stripped before I started, time to cut away. Just a mess,

I feel at this point it is about $2500 in parts what's another $2K for a "forever" ish engine. In for a penny in for a pound. I would hate to put money into the other bits just to drop a bottom end.

It feels tight but looking at the rotor and primary, it has had bad things happen at some point. The primary was seized or came to an abrupt halt at some point. The damage there was pretty obvious. I'm just resigned to a "replacement" now. It has been abused badly in the past and/or had very questionable maintenance. It has been partially apart at some point and reassembled without the gaskets etc.

Original hard bits, cleaned from 60 years of grime. Waxed so they don't rust "more". All new rubber bits.

This will be an amazing machine when done. I do feel bad about it being a catalog engine though, I wanted authentic. Scratch rebuild basically all new modern machined components. It will also be a 750 when done since I have to replace all those bits, drop in kit for the same price as stock. Down the rabbit hole.......

Oh added some porn too!

 

[grandpaul]

That Joe Hunt mag is THE BUSINESS!

I had one on my '69 quasi-street-tracker, and would bet anyone and everyone $100 that I could start it first kick every time.

It never failed me until the time I forgot to tickle the carbs! It started on the 1st kick AFTER I tickled them. Anyway, it was a buddy who was really down on his luck, and the $100 was HUGE for him; I was happy to pay up! I put a nice old set of monoblocs on it because that's what I liked best.

 

[Plane Dr]

That's just purdy..... Mine will ...... nope never look like that!

 

[Plane Dr]

So I caved and took it to Steve yesterday. With a background in Japanese and Euro bikes, I was pretty defeated. When I had it opened up it was depressing.

Fast forward. That's not bad, that's good, this is okay. I see way worse. So I went from a laundry list of replacements to, not. I feel much better about it knowing it will get done right, by someone who knows. Thing is this bike will never see the miles my other bikes do. I never it expect it to see the mileage the VFRx or the KLR see in a year. So a good rebuild, done right, will last longer than I need it to. Very worth taking it to a man that knows. He helped educate me, and saved me a couple traps on how I am building.

Hats off to Steve at Preservation Cycle. Mine will never be like some of the beauties he's working on, but it will be mine with a story. Plus since apparently, "not bad" the timeline looks way better. Here's to a ride in the fall!

Happy happy guy!

 

[Plane Dr]

I heard back from Steve. He's making steady progress, cases are apart, cleaned, repaired, crank is being machined. Transmission is wear items only, so moving forward.

So it was time to step up the "bike portion". I have been ordering electric bits and visualizing the system for ages. Time to open the magic mystery boxes and see what all I have. It turns out I had the majority of the necessary pieces I only had to order a couple relays and decided to add some switches. Below was the dash mock up and then the final config.

In this all I keep using the refence "Rat Bike", the term might be better if I were to say partially restored? I have reworked so much on this. So cosmetically it is mixed? I think the parts when done will be pretty clean while exuding the old school duct tape and binder twine build. It will also have all the functioning necessities while looking old school stripped.

The seat was a mess, spring literally hose clamped in place. So new pivot (Metric bolt in whitworth threads! Plus base mounts also metric! This is clean but hopefully not too fancy?

Here's a couple pictures as it comes together. The headlight and taillight are LED and full function, integrated signals etc. The tool roll will hold the wiring connections. The dash has the master switches and a Trailtech speedo, way more function than original! So to keep it interesting, the speedo magnet pick up fit in the stock bolt hole, no idea how the threads matched. So 7 3/8's (SAE) and 1 metric 13mm. The seat is similar. So unless you have Whitworth, SAE and Metric you are soo hosed! Keep em guessing!

 

[Simmons1]

Nice progress

 

[grandpaul]

I heard back from Steve. He's making steady progress, cases are apart, cleaned, repaired, crank is being machined. Transmission is wear items only, so moving forward.

So it was time to step up the "bike portion". I have been ordering electric bits and visualizing the system for ages. Time to open the magic mystery boxes and see what all I have. It turns out I had the majority of the necessary pieces I only had to order a couple relays and decided to add some switches. Below was the dash mock up and then the final config.

In this all I keep using the refence "Rat Bike", the term might be better if I were to say partially restored? I have reworked so much on this. So cosmetically it is mixed? I think the parts when done will be pretty clean while exuding the old school duct tape and binder twine build. It will also have all the functioning necessities while looking old school stripped.

The seat was a mess, spring literally hose clamped in place. So new pivot (Metric bolt in whitworth threads! Plus base mounts also metric! This is clean but hopefully not too fancy?

Here's a couple pictures as it comes together. The headlight and taillight are LED and full function, integrated signals etc. The tool roll will hold the wiring connections. The dash has the master switches and a Trailtech speedo, way more function than original! So to keep it interesting, the speedo magnet pick up fit in the stock bolt hole, no idea how the threads matched. So 7 3/8's (SAE) and 1 metric 13mm. The seat is similar. So unless you have Whitworth, SAE and Metric you are soo hosed! Keep em guessing!

Slowly... slowly... catchee money!

 

[Plane Dr]

Update. Steve has the crank back and starting to reassemble the bottom end. I'll be taking the cylinders and head to him tomorrow. Oh and a

I think I have the wiring harness figured just a matter of assembling it. Hopefully another month or so and Steve will want the frame.

Being optimistic I might have a runner in hand August ish. Then the dick about for finishing the bonded title. It may be a legit bike by labor day!

 

[Simmons1]

Great update! Steady progress is always good.