Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Triumph bulletin board '72 Tiger Transmission Install Question.

I just completed a complete engine rebuild on my Tiger. The engine runs great but I am having issues with the transmission. Can anyone tell me what configuration to install the inner cover containing the plunger. The manual says to install the plunger in the detent between 2nd and 3rd gear but the only detent I see is the neutral detent. I know it is not supposed to be installed in neutral (i did it about six times last night) because it seems to shift into first, neutral and second once and then it forces the shift cam into completely the wrong position. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am about to wear out the threads in the case taking this thing apart. Thanks!

It helps if people can say exactly which version manual they are referring to, rather than just simply saying "the manual".
The "between 2nd and 3rd gear" information is wrong for your '72 model.

If it's the Haynes T120/T140 manual then the gearbox assembly info is not correct for the late 4-speed or any 5-speed gearbox.

http://www.classicbike.biz/Triumph/Repair/1970s/72Triumph_650cc_Twins_Workshop_Manual.pdf
Section
Gearbox rebuild info in section D11 (4-speed) or DV (5-speed)

When you say, "inner cover containing the plunger." You don't mean the inner cover with the leaf spring?

If so, it is easier if you time it in first gear.

Thank you both for your replies. That information will most definately take care of the problem. So much for using that old beat down Haynes manual of mine from here on out!

Even with the "correct" manual, timing the gearbox is still a bit tricky. The transmission is the clutch, not the gearbox. There's thread on here somewhere mostly done by John Healy. It will make it a snap. Set the gearbox cameplate into first gear. The manual has pictures of the realative positions for the gears and camplate. Begin to offer the inner cover. Hold the shifter quadrant down with your thumb on the bottom of the inner cover. Slide in slowly, dragging the quadrant on the inside top of the gearbox. When you contact the camplate, stop and pull the cover back out just a little bit. Let the shifter quadrant drop (lift your thumb about 1/8") which is one tooth on the camplate, and push the cover home. That's it, your indexed in first. I call it the Healy method, and it works everytime first time. He's the expert, and I am only repeating what I learned a few years ago.

After running various competition bikes, I realized a method of quick assembly and varifying the camplate indexing might prove helpful at a track day.

While the gearbox was apart, I'd taken the time to permanently mark the quadrant with a small notch. Once the gearbox was installed and indexing tested, I put a corresponding dot punch mark on the inner cover, exactly adjacent to the mark on the quadrant (With gearbox in 1st gear).
This gives instant verification of the indexing!
(I hope that's clear)

This may be helpful, especially if you're in the pits battling with gearbox assembly and your race is up next!
Thankfully, to date I've had very little gearbox issues, the B range 5 speed proving quite strong.

Road Warrior is on the right track, but he described doing it with the cam plate in high gear. For first gear you do the same thing, but you do the opposite. You use the bottom surface of the gear box casting as reference. For the plunger type detent I prefer the 5th gear routine.

But, and this is the reason I asked about the detent, if it is the leaf spring detent you have to assemble the box in first gear.

This is what I do when faced with a leaf spring detent:
Assemble the box and rotate the cam plate so the bike is in first gear. Now, continue rotating the plate counter clockwise, as viewed from the back of the motorcycle, until the first gear indent in the cam plate is level with the spring.

Now, when you offer the inner cover assembly the spring will engage the first gear indent and as you push the cover on it will rotate the cam plate clockwise back into the first gear position. You are now ready to index the teeth on the cam plate to the teeth on the quadrant.

Place your thumb on the inner cover quadrant (its the part with the teeth on it that engages, and rotates, the cam plate). As you offer the inner cover keep putting a little pressure just barely lifting the quadrant's teeth until you feel them just start to hit the cam plate teeth. Back the inner cover out ever so little, push down on (just a tad) with your thumb so you raise the inner part of the quadrant up one tooth. Push the inner cover on and the gearbox quadrant is timed.

Once you get the feel of how much you have to move the quadrant from where it hits the gearbox casting on either first (bottom) or high (top) you will be able to do this job blind folded. It is a lot easier than you think!!!!!!!!

I had a horrible time doing mine. I had the leaf springs and not the plunger. The leaf spring would push the cam plate as I was "offering it". I rented the jig and put a plunger in.
The other thing I was doing wrong, when I was testing it, I was turning the output shaft and not the main shaft. You need to turn the main shaft or the gears won't mesh.
And after all of that I realized that I didn't need to take it apart in the first place. You can rebuild the engine with the gears in place. Oh well. You get a merit badge for that and the sludge trap don't you?

Take it apart, put it together, ride it, cuss it, take it apart, put it together, ride it, cuss it, till you get it right...the DPO way!!!

He's my son....he's already done that.

....that's the way I taught him.....

Bernie

Mike: How do you get the nut off the 3/8" stud behind the inner transmission cover that holds the cases together.



That is why you rotate the cam plate PAST first before you offer the inner cover. That way, when the spring hits the cam plate it is in the first gear indent.

So the haynes method for early(64) gear box indexing will work?which method should be used?can't find john healys thread on it.also when viewing the cam plate from the rear of the engine which indentation is first gear?

John Healy sez:

1. Rotate the cam plate clockwise until the cam plate plunger is in cam plate's first gear notch.
2. Offer inner cover, and once the cam plate quadrant is free to fall, let it, and it will rest on the bottom of the transmission casing.

(If you to push the inner cover "home at this point, with the bottom of the cam plate quadrant resting on the floor of the transmission case, you would be one tooth out. (It would be the same if you were in high gear and the quadrant was hitting the roof of the transmission case - you would be one tooth out, but down instead of up) ).

3. To engage the cam plate quadrant's teeth into the proper engagement with the teeth on the cam plate, you need to rotate the quadrant so it moves the distance of one tooth. If you put your thumb on the cam plate quadrant with the inner cover almost all the way in (resting on face of the dowels), and try to move it, you can feel the teeth engagement.
4. To be able to rotate the cam plate quadrant you need to pull the INNER cover out just enough (approx. 1/8") to allow you to rotate the quadrant. With your thumb you should be able to feel the teeth move past each other. Rotate it so the quadrant moves just one tooth. Practice this until you begin to feel the teeth slip past each other.
5. Push the inner cover home, and secure with the bolt, allen, and philip screw.
6. Offer outer cover and check the shifting using the shift lever.

HTH,

Steve