Hi everyone, picked up a 95 thunderbird with only 169 miles! U heard that right , have original title! Wasn’t put up properly though. Fuel in tank, brake fluid in all lines etc. can someone guide me through the proper sequence of procedures to fire it up? Suggestions for cleaning tank & petcock? Have manual but not familiar with this year triumph. Bought it because of original mileage. Any help greatly appreciated! Thanks
Getting 95 Thunderbird Back On The Road ??
- Thread starter Catchalot
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Congratulations on the find a very rare find indeed 
I would start by emptying the fuel tank out and rinse with fresh fuel , then get your self a tin of carb cleaner and strip and clean the petcock , next leaving the tank off drain the carbs using the drain screws on the bottom of the float bowls and retighten , refill carbs with carb cleaner and leave over night .
You may want to do this 2 or 3 times the alternative is a full strip down of the carbs and full clean if the carbs are badly gumed up , or you could send them to be ultrasonically cleaned .
I dont think you will need to change plugs at this stage ( with only 169 miles on the clock ) so next i would change engine oil and filter .
Now presuming you have a good battery , new oil + filter , carbs clean and fresh fuel you should be able to fire it up and see how it idles and revs up and see if all is ok .
If all is ok then before you ride it i would change the brake fluid and brake pads , clean and relube chain and a general check that everything works as it should , all lights , check wheel bearings and headstock bearings .
you may find things as you go but this should get you going .
I would start by emptying the fuel tank out and rinse with fresh fuel , then get your self a tin of carb cleaner and strip and clean the petcock , next leaving the tank off drain the carbs using the drain screws on the bottom of the float bowls and retighten , refill carbs with carb cleaner and leave over night .
You may want to do this 2 or 3 times the alternative is a full strip down of the carbs and full clean if the carbs are badly gumed up , or you could send them to be ultrasonically cleaned .
I dont think you will need to change plugs at this stage ( with only 169 miles on the clock ) so next i would change engine oil and filter .
Now presuming you have a good battery , new oil + filter , carbs clean and fresh fuel you should be able to fire it up and see how it idles and revs up and see if all is ok .
If all is ok then before you ride it i would change the brake fluid and brake pads , clean and relube chain and a general check that everything works as it should , all lights , check wheel bearings and headstock bearings .
you may find things as you go but this should get you going .
Its a little down on the original but if it turns it over at a good pace then it should do the job .
Licensed Master Auto/Lt.Truck/Motorcycle Mechanic here- I am with Shanered6 on his post. A few additions; Contrary to common thinking it is the AIR BLEEDS in carbs that sit that will cause you to pull your hair out. Carb cleaner MAY work as suggested, but in the end, at least, be sure pilot jet (S) are clean. Be prepared that you MAY have to remove carbs and clean properly. Get a manual, even the substandard Haynes one, (because likely that's all you'll find). A factory Triumph manual is FAR better and I've occasionally seen them on EBay. Go slow, be careful and meticulously clean and you can do a "carburectomy" Also- "Eastwood" makes a great product for cleaning inside the fuel tank, called "Marine Clean" if memory is correct. Made for boats. Works great. Absolutely new oil/filter!!! And DON"T try to start it with a weak/undersize/poorly charged, etc battery!! Repeat- DON'T!! The starter sprag is notoriously a problem and even though yours is a '95 model and MAY have the access to the sprag, (or if not- you're taking the engine out to split the crankcases to access it!!) this is a job to avoid!! And absolutely, positively, at minimum, change the brake fluid and clutch fluids after cleaning out the goo inside the reservoir. Be prepared for brake caliper, master cylinder and clutch master and slave cyl. rebuild, too. And be extremely wary of 25+ year old rubber brake lines!! A new set from Galfer or similar is cheap insurance!. NONE of these service items are big $$$$, just a bit of time invested. But hey, it's winter, what else are you gonna do? BUT... in the end, with some time and a relatively small amount of $$ and with a few minor modifications, (RaceTech front springs + new fork oil, the ZX9 rear shock mod. etc), you will have a GREAT bike!! I have a '96 that I bought as a wreck to fix&flip, but of the 35-40 bikes I've owned it is a "top 5" favorite! I LOVE it! Will never sell it
How do I tell if my bike has the sprag access cover ?? Seems like that would be a very big deal !!! Thanks
B25bsaboy
Well-Known Member
Mr. Dearborn makes a number of very good suggestions I. Which I totally agree, as I am now just finishing a mechanical restoration of a low mileage 1995 Triumph Thunderbird 900.
In answer to your question about the sprang clutch issue access, this can only be accessed by splitting the engine cases which means dropping the engine, turning up side down to gain access. Later 900 series engines changed the design, but not on your model. Best advise I will give you is buy a new battery, as the quickest way to create a sprag clutch issue is using a battery that doesn’t have enough amperage and this has been clearly documented in the past 25 years.
Secondly pay close attention to all and any rubbers that are exposed externally, as they will deteriate over time and need to be replaced. The worst is the flange inlet rubbers from the carburetor to the cylinder head block. You may want to consider utilizing the TBird Sport flange rubber design, as these don’t have an internal flow restriction As the stock TBird 900’s do.
Thirdly, get a Triumph factory shop manual and Clymer manual as the information is clearly documented
Last but not least, change all oils, even if it looks clean.It’s cheap insurance. Word of caution here, in that once you have changed to the oil’s, put a new battery in and cleaned the carburetors, don’t try and start the engine. Turn the key on, pull all three spark plugs out and only then turn over the engine hitting the starter button paying attention to the red oil light. Once the oil is moving throughout the engine, the light will go out and you are now ready to start the engine with clean fresh giddy up go juice!
The 900 series Triumph’s TBirds are a well built motorcycle and I have owned four in my life time. This board is a great place to get technical information and don’t be scared to ask questions, as someone here can answer it or give you some direction.
Any way, Welcome to the Triumph Talk Board! Post some photos of your find as many of us have done in the past.
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FWIW, and if it's any help, the Yuasa YTX14-BS is the battery used in my T100 Bonneville.
B25bsaboy
Well-Known Member
These are the excellent batteries!
I agree and only use no-maintenance Yuasa in all my bikes - vintage included.
Making sure the battery fits where it's supposed to go is vital.
I suggest getting the dimensions of the battery chosen and try to compare that to where the battery must live on the bike.
Just discovered that motor won’t turn over ! Followed advice & put in new fluids & battery. Removed plugs , wanted to turn it over & get oil thru engine without compression. Just clicks . Jacked up rear wheel , put it in gear & cannot spin motor over!!! Major bummer !! 169 miles on bike , looks new! Any advice to free up pistons without tear down?? Thanks in advancedCongratulations on the find a very rare find indeed
I would start by emptying the fuel tank out and rinse with fresh fuel , then get your self a tin of carb cleaner and strip and clean the petcock , next leaving the tank off drain the carbs using the drain screws on the bottom of the float bowls and retighten , refill carbs with carb cleaner and leave over night .
You may want to do this 2 or 3 times the alternative is a full strip down of the carbs and full clean if the carbs are badly gumed up , or you could send them to be ultrasonically cleaned .
I dont think you will need to change plugs at this stage ( with only 169 miles on the clock ) so next i would change engine oil and filter .
Now presuming you have a good battery , new oil + filter , carbs clean and fresh fuel you should be able to fire it up and see how it idles and revs up and see if all is ok .
If all is ok then before you ride it i would change the brake fluid and brake pads , clean and relube chain and a general check that everything works as it should , all lights , check wheel bearings and headstock bearings .
you may find things as you go but this should get you going .
B25bsaboy
Well-Known Member
Well, been there done that moment. Although there is no mileage on the bike you are now at a cross roads to either sell the bike to someone who knows what’s involved in dropping and taking the engine apart to address the Sprag Clutch or do it yourself. It will be time consuming, heavy work as these engines are the earlier sand cast when you drop the engine from the spine of the frame. You will need two strong backs, good set of metric sockets and spend some time reviewing after the engine has been turned upside down the proper procedure to remove the lower half of the. My Sprag Clutch has design flaw that was stupid and one day I will post it on this board once I figure out how to make my iPhone photos smaller.
When I did mine last summer I knew this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, but I just finished my 1995 TBird and what a spectacular looking machine with 34,000 Kim’s registered. Just have to get the air bubbles out of the front brake line (stainless stee lined construction), check the clutch hydraulic and put some kiddy up go juice in the tank and life is good!
Good luck with your decision!
Don’t think it’s a sprag clutch issue. I think the Pistons rings are stuck in the cylinders. I cannot turn the motor over with the rear wheel off the ground and engaged in gear. I’m not sure how to turn the motor over with a wrench. Access on the right or left side of the motor? Thank you for the reply
Have heard a bit of ATF in each cylinder and let it soak for a couple of days may work. Hopefully someone with more experience in this are will chime in.
Thanks
One of the best things for stuck pistons is WD40 or GT85 ... add plenty let it sit for a day and repeat for 2 or 3 days refitting the plugs after each dose to stop it evaporating .
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