Miscellaneous Car News

The yellow CS tach always looks cool.

 

OK, here's the story so far...
I pushed it into a corner and brooded. Had a few very experienced old Brit bike guys offer to have a look, but couldn't bring myself to start. It did goad me on a bit to get some more of the mancave finished, so I had a space to work on it. Anyway, while at the local biker's coffee shop, one of the regulars, who usually rocks up on a 1952 BSA that his father bought new, made a few suggestions. The key one was that these things are very sensitive to bad fuel and he's had a few "pinch" after a low octane fill. The broker, to his credit, came and cracked the whip while I went through the bike and changed out the fuel for fresh 98 (the previous owner said he put fresh fuel in it, but he said lots of things...). I also found the source of the majority of the oil leaks. The previous owner (again) had said he topped up the oil for me (nice!). The breather system in these Triumph triples is a bit unusual - there is no breather on the crankcase. Instead, they don't run a primary seal and the crankcase breathes through the primary bearing into the primary chain case, which has the breather. It also has a secondary breather, hard to see. Anyway, the primary chain case needs 290ml of oil in it. Well-meaning previous owner put in over 700ml, which flicked up and out the secondary breather, which looks like an innocuous little grub screw and not a likely candidate for the uninitiated to think of as a source of oil leaks.

So, with the right fluids in the right places, I cautiously kicked it into life. Made it all the way to the cafe (15km), but picked up a few more problems - leaky exhaust, very difficult to change gears, and running a bit rough. I live at the top of a big hill, and the (drum) brakes still need bedding in, but kept it upright. The main oil leak culprit behaved, and now I only have to deal with the usual British bike weeping from one or two places. Thank God it started first kick when I left, as there was quite an audience of experts watching, and possibly having a few bets on the side. It ran like a dog on the way home, dropping cylinders on throttle opening under load, and nearly didn't make it up the hill. I figured fuel or spark. The plugs were black, so I checked the spark, which was very weak. It turns out it runs pretty little Champion resistor plug caps, which are meant to be 10KOhms - they ranged from 85K to 35M. So, tomorrow I'll grab some caps and try again.

I still find it unbelievable that something as simple as bad fuel can cause the engine to seize, but I'll keep it on short trips and work my way through the little problems in the meantime. Can't load pics because of the stupid FChat app.

 

Oh, I fixed the exhaust leak, too.

 

2 suggestions.

I believe you can buy electronic ignition that fits under the points cover. Google suppliers in the UK. At the least, don't trust the leads you've inherited, by some MSD lead and make up new ones. Also fit NGK Iridium plugs, one heat range colder.

I had (I think) the same brakes on my Bonneville. They were excellent but sensitive to shoe lining material. Brake and Clutch places will bond on a generic material that's fine for trailers but not a high performance bike. I would speak to Motorsport brakes in QLD and see if someone can bond a quality lining for the front shoes.

 

Also if I may add: make sure the NGK's were manufactured in Japan (not Thailand)

= read the very fine print on the box

Can be hard to get

Good Luck

 

Good to hear...............sorta.

Sounds like it's good you have nothing better to do with your time but tinker with this old clunker.

 

Aussie fuel is famously bad !

I would be sticking to Mobil = 7/11 fuel

I would not hesitate to try 95 or even 91 octane (slower burn = bigger bang)

I have had a series of carbureted & injected Ducati's which all ran like dogs on 98 but were fine on 95 octane

Again Good Luck

 

Anyone interested in a signed Sir Jack Brabham framed photo?

Someone local here is selling it for $150 ono. Framed 33cm x 23cm.

I am no autograph expert, but a quick Google search looks like it's legit to me.

If anyone is keen on it, let me know as I am happy to help buy it and send it out to you.


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It's running NGK B8ES, from memory. Online is a hotbed of opinion, but Champion is popular. I think that there are Chinese NGKs out there that aren't any good. In any case, it the suppressor caps that were the problem, and I can't get any today (did a drive-around this morning), so it looks like ordering some. It's running Trispark ignition already, which recommends 5K suppressor caps. The Campions (when they're working) are 10K, which doesn't make a lot of difference at HT voltages. The leads are copper core (to please Greg), and test out fine. One thing I noticed today - you can't buy plug leads and ends any more, it's mostly bespoke. In one place I went this morning, the 12 year old behind the counter cut me off when I was trying to describe what I wanted, and asked what my rego number was! I hate this world.

 

It’s a useless exercise speaking with the “kid” manning the front counter at Repco these days. Worse than Bunnings…

 

You either fit or you don't

 

Phew I'm glad it wasn't my fault!

 

Wes selling the same thing for $99.

 

Just gunna throw my 2c in again on Champion plugs.

I just purchased a Holden Crewman off a work mate to sell on the lot at Murri Motors. It's a 2004 Crewman ute with the old 3.8L Eco-tec engine.

Speaking of not telling the truth lol, even my own mates don't speak the truth. I asked him what repairs this car needs as I am paying $2000 for it and only re-sell them for around $3500 or so.

"Nah, **** all Pap. Needs clips for the backs of the seats and engine has a miss in it, but I fit new spark plugs and it still has a miss"- that's a dumb ass diesel fitter for ya.

Anyway, car shows up, needs a windscreen, rear tail lights cracked, battery ****ed, aircon don't work and ignition barrel worn out, and yes, the seat back clips and engine miss-fire.

I already paid him the cash at work and he dropped the car over one afternoon when I wasn't there. So it needs $1000 extra in parts because the windscreen here costs $450 straight up and the battery cost me $220.

Again, I would have still purchased the car, but would have told him $1000 or even $1500 to soften the blow of adding all these extra repairs into the re-sale. I never mentioned anything to him at work and he's never asked lol. Not going to let $1000 ruin a work friendship of 15 years, I am still going to sell it and make a profit.

Anyway, engine miss. Brand new Champion iridium spark plugs fitted, engine miss fired straight away so he kept driving it the last few months and told me he sold it to me because he can't work out what is wrong with it.

I fire this thing and start to check the coil packs and spark plug leads. All good, still dead on #4 cylinder. I removed the plug, can't fault it. Replace the entire set with NGK and it's all good.

So even brand new Champion iridium spark plugs were rubbish straight out of the box. Till the day I die I will keep telling people to stay away from Champion spark plugs lol And Bosch ones too.

 

Cool man, I haven't talked to this fella, so no idea where it came from etc.

It may be a fake, someone sitting there signing hundreds of these and selling them lol.

 

I wonder where the plugs were made?

 

I'm not sure, I've never looked them up and I binned them straight up last Thursday.

 

I would have kept them... and binned them in 20 years.

 

Yep always good to have proof:
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A couple of other layabouts on the same piece:
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You can buy DIY leads kits from Summit Racing in the US.

 

I've ordered plug caps from Trispark, so it should match. It would be nice if I could buy these things in a local shop . In the meantime, I'm tackling the oil leak from the tacho drive, which is stuck fast and there are no online instructions .

 

The tacho drive is a left hand thread !!!

 

I learnt this the hard way when I rebuilt my TR6 engine

 

Yep, that's great man.