1971 T100c
- Thread starter rcrowley
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rcrowley
Active Member
Got the Carb and new battery in yesterday. Throttle cable is frayed and keeps getting stuck so going to hopefully pick on up today or tomorrow. The age old question: choke or not to choke? Choke cable is a mess as well so wasn't going to replace it if it wasn't necessary. I haven't used them in the last, but those bikes were late 80s early 90s.
It's up to you, but I would have fully functioning chokes.
Better to have them and not need then than to need them and not have them.
I have chokes on both of my vintage bikes, but both start right up without the choke so it may come down to what the individual bikes likes and wants.
Better to have them and not need then than to need them and not have them.
I have chokes on both of my vintage bikes, but both start right up without the choke so it may come down to what the individual bikes likes and wants.
I like (and use) the enricher slides AND the ticklers. It can guarantee virtual one-kick starting.
Great to see another old Triumph saved from oblivion. I speak from personal experience and agree that GP and Rocky are quite correct in stressing the importance of the carbs on these engines. Brand new carb is a great investment. You may already know this but when pulling off the outer gearbox case it's easier to leave the kickstart in place unless changing the oil seal. I did notice in your photo one oil pipe to the oil pump is petrol pipe rather than proper black rubber reinforced oil pipe. I would change both pipes as they are probably dodgy. If one breaks the result at best could be a blown engine. It really is a leap into the unknown if you run this engine. Just from the photos I would say the previous mechanic probably wasn't! Anyone who used petrol pipe for oil pipe should should not be trusted. You have a great matching numbers restorer, it would be terrible if the bottom end let go and destroyed the crank cases. You could certainly have the head and barrels off in a few hours. This would allow reasonable inspection of the remainder. From the photos I would take the bet this engine has seen little or no TLC. Rebuilding now would give you a reliable fun bike that should last for many years. These motors are simple, reliable and relatively cheap to repair. If you pull it apart and re assemble now there will be no part of this engine you don't know and understand. At the risk of sounding girly this will then become your bike and not just some bike you bought from someone else. Trust me, when you wind open the throttle and scoot along you really need to know the engine between your legs isn't going to spit the dummy in the middle of a fast bend. Really takes the fun out of riding if you have any doubts about the motor.
To go completely off topic someone mentioned the clutch. After experimentation using careful adjustment at the handlebar clutch lever I finally reached the point where I don't have to "break" the clutch before starting to avoid that crunchy first gear but without the clutch slipping. On these bikes if the clutch slips the bike won't kick over and start, so it's hard to get it wrong. Good luck with the rebuild and keep us all posted on progress please.
To go completely off topic someone mentioned the clutch. After experimentation using careful adjustment at the handlebar clutch lever I finally reached the point where I don't have to "break" the clutch before starting to avoid that crunchy first gear but without the clutch slipping. On these bikes if the clutch slips the bike won't kick over and start, so it's hard to get it wrong. Good luck with the rebuild and keep us all posted on progress please.
Missed the bit on the end regarding chokes. For me here in Brisbane think Florida weather and temp. It took me a while to figure out the best starting technique but this is what I have ended up with for my 67 Bonneville with twin Concentrics.
Starting from dead cold (not used for a few days) I tickle both carbs till fuel leaking. Hold throttle open about eighth of a turn then kick. It starts every single time without fail and using the original points system.
When warm do not tickle or it will flatly refuse to start. But just to be quirky, if it has cooled for a couple of hours its needs tickling again. Not sure what would be needed in freezing conditions.
Starting from dead cold (not used for a few days) I tickle both carbs till fuel leaking. Hold throttle open about eighth of a turn then kick. It starts every single time without fail and using the original points system.
When warm do not tickle or it will flatly refuse to start. But just to be quirky, if it has cooled for a couple of hours its needs tickling again. Not sure what would be needed in freezing conditions.
rcrowley
Active Member
Alright. So went ahead and just ordered a Boyer, podtronics , new coils, new spark plug wires. In the meantime I got all the original with squared away. Im getting spark at the plugs. Spray some starting fuel in it popped. Little flame out the intake and grumbled for half a second. I'll end up taking the the head off. I just want to see where is at where it stands. I will end up pulling everything off the frame and going through as much as I can to " learn" the bike.
Good luck with it all. One thing to remember, whatever problems you may encounter someone reading this forum will almost certainly suffered from and found the answer to the same problem. I think you will get a buzz out of doing the work yourself. If you are a half decent mechanic then it's great knowing you have done the repairs properly. A professional has to make a profit, you do it for fun so can afford to take your time. It can make quite a difference plus if at any time in the future it breaks down at the side of the road you will probably know how to fix it.
Lowboyjim makes a great point about the sludge trap.
I bought my 1970 T100S in April and rode it all that summer, but only putting less than 1000 miles (1600 km) on it.
That winter I tore down the engine and pulled the sludge trap plug. The trap was so packed with debris it was as hard as a bullet.
I had a fine time cleaning it out, but finally got it clean as a whistle.
Taking the engine apart shows you the condition and you learn about all the parts and pieces. As Twin Pots said, doing this and rebuilding it properly will give you confidence hours away from home and for many years.
I bought my 1970 T100S in April and rode it all that summer, but only putting less than 1000 miles (1600 km) on it.
That winter I tore down the engine and pulled the sludge trap plug. The trap was so packed with debris it was as hard as a bullet.
I had a fine time cleaning it out, but finally got it clean as a whistle.
Taking the engine apart shows you the condition and you learn about all the parts and pieces. As Twin Pots said, doing this and rebuilding it properly will give you confidence hours away from home and for many years.
I learned the hard way about the sludge trap. If you do not know for absolutely sure it has been cleaned, split the cases and clean it. GP will back me up on this.
The dimples on the edge of the plug on my engine looked like they had never been disturbed since the bike left the factory - and the trap was plugged so solid I'm 99.9% sure it had never been serviced in all those years
In spite of that the crank and bores were in amazingly good condition.
It took a lickin' and kept on tickin'
I believe you should start a new resto thread and detail your build! Sounds like you have a great story to tell in far more detail, and looks like you have pix, too!
In my opinion, member's project thread sections are the best part of any forum.
rcrowley
Active Member
Sludge trap is where I'll start then. I'll keep this post alive with progress as I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions. I figured digging into the engine was going to happen. I was surprised it even fired off. Anything else I should keep an eye out for or tips/tricks for pulling the top?
rcrowley
Active Member
Haha I know I know. Just warning you guys I'm still going to have loads of questions
Good post 
I figured out how to pull big posts like yours from somebody else's thread and pop them into a new thread. All done!
thank you jim
