TecBike Parts Derestrict Cam Install

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Gear1

Well-Known Member
It seemed that others might be interested in my experience in installing the TecBikeParts Derestrict camshaft on my 2018 T100 Bonneville.

The cam itself is a very nicely machined steel billet part, and the cam lobes are much "fatter" than the stock camshaft. I measured the base circle diameter as .002-.004" smaller than the stock camshaft (resulting in a slightly increased valve clearance, but still within specification).

The TecBike video by George Milburn was most useful in helping to do things in an orderly way. The only thing glossed over was the disconnection of the wiring harness under the upper frame tube. It turns out that there are only four connectors to disconnect after the gas tank is removed; however, all of them have latches that must be lifted to allow separation of the connectors. The hardest one was the #2 fuel injector, as the latch is quite inaccessible. I broke part of that latch trying to disconnect the injector plug. (If anyone has a suggestion to make this easier, I'd like to know.) The injector fuel line is also a struggle to remove from the injector rail. At the suggestion of Triumph Albuquerque's technicians, I disconnected the fuel line at the tank end, as it has a banjo bolt fitting easily removed with an 18 mm socket.

Tools similar to the ones shown in the video were made: the timing pin from an 8 mm bolt, turned down to 6.5 mm at the end, and the cam timing tool was made from 1/4" by 2" aluminum bar stock.

By following the video, backed up by the Haynes manual, everything went well. Mr. Milburn painted a white spot on the chain and the cam sprocket to help with reassembly. Although it was not mentioned in the video, I copied this, and it helped! Especially useful was Mr. Milburn's suggestion that a bit of Super Glue be used to hold the alternator wires grommet to the alternator cover (I used a Super Glue gel). I did, however use a bit of black Permatex sealant to replicate the factory installation. No leaks!

As noted in the video, there was a brief clatter in the engine upon start, till the oil pressure came up and the timing chain tensioner tightened up the timing chain. Otherwise, it ran (up to 4000 rpm) with a nice bark.

If anyone is contemplating changing the cam in the T100 engine, it is a straightforward process. An experienced Triumph mechanic could do it much faster than I did. The quality, design, and workmanship of the motorcycle is most impressive.

If anyone is contemplating installing the TecBike camshaft, I would be happy to loan my tools. Just let me know and I'll ship them to you.

Now if it will just stop snowing here in Pagosa Springs CO for the roads to dry, I can take it for a ride.

Craig Taylor
 
It seemed that others might be interested in my experience in installing the TecBikeParts Derestrict camshaft on my 2018 T100 Bonneville.

The cam itself is a very nicely machined steel billet part, and the cam lobes are much "fatter" than the stock camshaft. I measured the base circle diameter as .002-.004" smaller than the stock camshaft (resulting in a slightly increased valve clearance, but still within specification).

The TecBike video by George Milburn was most useful in helping to do things in an orderly way. The only thing glossed over was the disconnection of the wiring harness under the upper frame tube. It turns out that there are only four connectors to disconnect after the gas tank is removed; however, all of them have latches that must be lifted to allow separation of the connectors. The hardest one was the #2 fuel injector, as the latch is quite inaccessible. I broke part of that latch trying to disconnect the injector plug. (If anyone has a suggestion to make this easier, I'd like to know.) The injector fuel line is also a struggle to remove from the injector rail. At the suggestion of Triumph Albuquerque's technicians, I disconnected the fuel line at the tank end, as it has a banjo bolt fitting easily removed with an 18 mm socket.

Tools similar to the ones shown in the video were made: the timing pin from an 8 mm bolt, turned down to 6.5 mm at the end, and the cam timing tool was made from 1/4" by 2" aluminum bar stock.

By following the video, backed up by the Haynes manual, everything went well. Mr. Milburn painted a white spot on the chain and the cam sprocket to help with reassembly. Although it was not mentioned in the video, I copied this, and it helped! Especially useful was Mr. Milburn's suggestion that a bit of Super Glue be used to hold the alternator wires grommet to the alternator cover (I used a Super Glue gel). I did, however use a bit of black Permatex sealant to replicate the factory installation. No leaks!

As noted in the video, there was a brief clatter in the engine upon start, till the oil pressure came up and the timing chain tensioner tightened up the timing chain. Otherwise, it ran (up to 4000 rpm) with a nice bark.

If anyone is contemplating changing the cam in the T100 engine, it is a straightforward process. An experienced Triumph mechanic could do it much faster than I did. The quality, design, and workmanship of the motorcycle is most impressive.

If anyone is contemplating installing the TecBike camshaft, I would be happy to loan my tools. Just let me know and I'll ship them to you.

Now if it will just stop snowing here in Pagosa Springs CO for the roads to dry, I can take it for a ride.

Craig Taylor
I'm looking forward to getting one of these for my 2012 Thruxton. So, you had no problem ordering the part? Did you have it imported or is there a US office?
 
Interested to hear about your ride and what you think of the cam. Did you have spare shims on hand for the valve clearances? Thanks for posting
 
The US agent, TecBikePartsUSA does not import the camshafts. It is ordered direct from TecBikeParts in England www.tecbikeparts.com. Your VIN number is required to be sure that they send the correct camshaft (there are two for the 900CC engine, and two for the 1200CC engine). My camshaft cleared customs with no problem, and it was delivered to my address. The camshaft was shipped through FedEx. TecBikeParts owner, George Milborn, ships throughout the world, so it is not a big issue. I have read that the Customs Service does not require any customs broker or charges customs fees on purchases under $800.00 US, so that is probably why it was not delayed by Customs. You will need to purchase (from your local Triumph dealer) the two "O" rings for the hydraulic chain tensioner and two special bolts that hold the camshaft sprocket to the camshaft. They are all one-use only. I also replaced the camshaft cover gasket, although it probably could have been reused. Contact George Milborn at [email protected] or phone (44) 01661 823370. I hope this helps!

Snowflake, I did not have to reset the valves, as they remained within spec. My Triumph dealer (Triumph Albuquerque) had shim, should I have needed them.


Craig
 
The US agent, TecBikePartsUSA does not import the camshafts. It is ordered direct from TecBikeParts in England www.tecbikeparts.com. Your VIN number is required to be sure that they send the correct camshaft (there are two for the 900CC engine, and two for the 1200CC engine). My camshaft cleared customs with no problem, and it was delivered to my address. The camshaft was shipped through FedEx. TecBikeParts owner, George Milborn, ships throughout the world, so it is not a big issue. I have read that the Customs Service does not require any customs broker or charges customs fees on purchases under $800.00 US, so that is probably why it was not delayed by Customs. You will need to purchase (from your local Triumph dealer) the two "O" rings for the hydraulic chain tensioner and two special bolts that hold the camshaft sprocket to the camshaft. They are all one-use only. I also replaced the camshaft cover gasket, although it probably could have been reused. Contact George Milborn at [email protected] or phone (44) 01661 823370. I hope this helps!

Snowflake, I did not have to reset the valves, as they remained within spec. My Triumph dealer (Triumph Albuquerque) had shim, should I have needed them.


Craig
Thanks Craig
 
The US agent, TecBikePartsUSA does not import the camshafts. It is ordered direct from TecBikeParts in England www.tecbikeparts.com. Your VIN number is required to be sure that they send the correct camshaft (there are two for the 900CC engine, and two for the 1200CC engine). My camshaft cleared customs with no problem, and it was delivered to my address. The camshaft was shipped through FedEx. TecBikeParts owner, George Milborn, ships throughout the world, so it is not a big issue. I have read that the Customs Service does not require any customs broker or charges customs fees on purchases under $800.00 US, so that is probably why it was not delayed by Customs. You will need to purchase (from your local Triumph dealer) the two "O" rings for the hydraulic chain tensioner and two special bolts that hold the camshaft sprocket to the camshaft. They are all one-use only. I also replaced the camshaft cover gasket, although it probably could have been reused. Contact George Milborn at [email protected] or phone (44) 01661 823370. I hope this helps!

Snowflake, I did not have to reset the valves, as they remained within spec. My Triumph dealer (Triumph Albuquerque) had shim, should I have needed them.


Craig
That is very helpful, thank you. Ride safe.
 
It finally warmed up enough (and roads clear of snow and ice) to ride my T100 Bonneville with the new TecBikeParts camshaft. Although the instructions said keep it under 4000 RPM for 300 miles, it did seem noticeably more "eager" as it approached 4000 RPM in any gear. Very difficult to keep from going over 4000 rpm! As weather permits here in Pagosa Springs CO, I will try to put miles on it to break in the cam; once I have the recommended 300 miles on the bike and have a chance to see how it does, I'll report again. So far, I'm very impressed with the TechBikeParts camshaft. More reports soon, I hope.

Craig
 
The weather was clear and 41 degrees yesterday, so I got a 70 mile ride in. Performance is improved with the new camshaft. In 5th gear time from 3000 rpm to 4000 rpm was 3.5 sec vs 4 seconds with the old cam, or 13.5% faster. This is in line with what TecBikeParts dyno sheets showed with the decat pipes installed (29% increase in HP over the stock cam and catalytic converter). I was riding at about 7000' elevation, so I suspect that the "new" performance here is bout the same as the "old, stock" would be at sea level. I would like to find a motorcycle chassis dyno to see what the actual corrected HP is with the new cam. In any case, the seat-of-the-pants dyno shows a distinct improvement. No more riding for a couple of weeks; snow is coming.

The ECU seemed to adapt very quickly to the new camshaft; even lugging around in town at 1500 rpm was smooth. The engine did seem to be happiest above 3200 rpm. Still have not gone much over 4000 rpm.

Craig
 
The weather was clear and 41 degrees yesterday, so I got a 70 mile ride in. Performance is improved with the new camshaft. In 5th gear time from 3000 rpm to 4000 rpm was 3.5 sec vs 4 seconds with the old cam, or 13.5% faster. This is in line with what TecBikeParts dyno sheets showed with the decat pipes installed (29% increase in HP over the stock cam and catalytic converter). I was riding at about 7000' elevation, so I suspect that the "new" performance here is bout the same as the "old, stock" would be at sea level. I would like to find a motorcycle chassis dyno to see what the actual corrected HP is with the new cam. In any case, the seat-of-the-pants dyno shows a distinct improvement. No more riding for a couple of weeks; snow is coming.

The ECU seemed to adapt very quickly to the new camshaft; even lugging around in town at 1500 rpm was smooth. The engine did seem to be happiest above 3200 rpm. Still have not gone much over 4000 rpm.

Craig
Good report and good information. Seems like you made a really good mod. TUP
 
Weather got up to 45 degrees F today, so I finally got 300 miles on the new camshaft as directed by TecBike. Wow! Does it pull, right up to 6500 (I chickened out at 6500 in 3rd...). I had no baselines of acceleration above 4000 (see previous post) but the torque increases between 3000 and 4000, then does not feel to drop off at all up to 6500. (Seat of the pants dyno - TecBike's dyno sheets show a slight fall off at higher RPM.) I still consider myself a novice rider (8000 miles so far) so the "new" engine is plenty thrilling for me! So far I have only installed a decat X-pipe and the cam (have not removed snorkel and stock air filter).. The ECU handled the changes with no problem; no remap at all. I would recommend the TecBike camshaft to anyone with a 2020 or earlier 900 twin. (I have read that the 2021 Bonnevilles have a better cam, and 11:1 compression and do the de-tune with the ECU, with upgrade to higher power by a remap.)
Craig
 
It finally warmed up enough (and roads clear of snow and ice) to ride my T100 Bonneville with the new TecBikeParts camshaft. Although the instructions said keep it under 4000 RPM for 300 miles, it did seem noticeably more "eager" as it approached 4000 RPM in any gear. Very difficult to keep from going over 4000 rpm! As weather permits here in Pagosa Springs CO, I will try to put miles on it to break in the cam; once I have the recommended 300 miles on the bike and have a chance to see how it does, I'll report again. So far, I'm very impressed with the TechBikeParts camshaft. More reports soon, I hope.

Craig
Hello, I was reading up on your thread about the tec cam. Funny enough I'm also in CO (denver) I was wondering if you bought replacement bolts for the cam chain sproket. Not sure if reusing them are a big deal or not.
 
Hello, EZ
I would think that the bolts would be reusable, although I did use new ones obtained from the Triumph dealer in ABQ.

What bike do you have?

I found a big improvement with the new cam and a decat. Kept the stock "Peashooters" yielding a very nice sound....
 

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