Britbike forum Forums British motorcycles in general Britbike gallery 1962 6T

I bought this Thunderbird in original condition awhile back and it still runs like new
Not bad for 60 years old
In the process of rehabbing the primary now and should be riding again in a day or two
I live down a mile of gravel and mud but whatever

Mark,

That is a beautiful machine and an excellent score...welcome to the Triumph Pre-Unit world!!

I want to thank you, Jon, for the content you've posted that guided me through processes that were new to me. Yeah I love this old girl. She's been my rider while wrenching on my project bikes. The low compression ratio makes her feel like my fast tractor.

You are welcome, Mark, and glad to be of some help!

I have recently bought a project 1957 6T it was previously a chopper , so I am trying to put back to as original as possible it has bonnie heads which I think will stay for now .My question , will the timing marks remain the same as on a 6T or would I have to change the timing mark position any differently, meaning long dash or dot on the intake gear wheel ,also what would the valve clearances be as on the bonnie or for a thunderbird .Sorry if this question is in the wrong place I am not sure how to manage this site properly yet

Hi Rodders,
In my workshop manual (1956-1962) it shows a very detailed description of the valve timing for both engines.
My bike has the wagon wheel stamped version which has the softer cams.
According to the manual, intake valve timing is also retarded by one tooth
My manual is #99-0837 and I must say it is well worth whatever you need to pay for it
I believe Kim the CD Man, has it available on this site
I think the main question would be which cams do you have
Does your engine number have the wagon wheel? Has it been stamped over to denote a cam change?
Kind regards,
Mark

Thanks for your reply Mark , no wheel markings I am going to assume it has standard cams & set it as would be for the T110 - small dot , I have asked a mechanic that done his apprenticeship with a Triumph dealer here in Australia he says that this would be a good place to start 6 & 8 valve clearances with Static Timing 6 Deg BTDC or 0.08 mm piston position BTDC setting fully retarded ( which Honestly sounds way to close but I think it equates to 31 Deg BTDC fully advanced ) will play a bit more & see , but would value your opinion cheers Rod

Good luck Rod!
Glad to hear you're going to attempt to put it back to original
I'm all for artistic expression (choppers, etc.) but there was a lot of artistic expression in the original design as well
My bike, with the soft cams and low compression ratio is plenty fast and very reliable
Previous owner put a Boyer ignition on it, but I do have the original distributor that I'd like to figure out how to re-install someday