Britbike forum Forums Projects started by Britbike forum members Members bike projects pidjones has a Britbike again!

My first was a '69 TR6C fully chopped (don't hate me, I was young and foolish). After rescuing three GL1000s, a CB750F, an RD400c, and just completing an XR100R it was time for another British bike. A friend had purchased this '72 T150V about five years ago in a package deal with a nice Bonnie.He brought it home and parked it in his garage (an aircraft hanger). He learned that I was looking for a Triumph for my next project and said that he really wanted to see what I could do with this one. Last week I traveled to his place and picked it up. I checked compression and in just two kicks each cylinder went over 90 psi. I made the mistake however of not taking an oil sample from the bottom of the crankcase. BIG mistake. I also should have noticed the orange RTV oozing out of the primary case joints.

Missing: Tank, fenders, most electrics (although it has a harness), seat (although I have an OIF seat that might fit), clocks, controls, side stand, air filter, mufflers, oil cooler, any lights. Oh yes, and gaskets from the primary side - RTV instead.

Pulled the sump cover and was greeted by about a pint of water before oil came - too much oil. The primary drain also came with ~1/2 pint of water before oil. The transmission contained only oil. The sump cover was packed with what appeared to be mud and after drying looked like common dirt. A LOT! The screen is still soaking in kerosene but appears Ok.

Yesterday I put her on her right side on plastic ramps and pulled the outer primary cover and primary. I intended to pull the oil pump but it wouldn't budge. Today I pulled the inner primary cover and finally removed MOST of the pump. The inner plate stayed in and it appears a PO (probably the one that gooped RTV on everything) had broken both body screws off in the bottom plate leaving no place to get a purchase on it. Also leaving the mounting screws as the only clamping force holding the pump together.

I spent much of today scraping RTV from the sealing faces of the primary covers. New GASKETS are on order as well as oil filters and pump o-rings (a PO had RTV'd two o-rings on the pump body). Inspection of the accessible crankcase areas (through the sump hole) is encouraging. I believe the water has not been pumped through the lubrication passages, but collected and sat in the sump of the crankcase for years. Although ball bearings are at risk, most journals tend to keep their oil film in the tight tolerances and the thick oil continues to protect. I learned this from a junk GL1000 that I bought for parts. The engine had been left with rain water in it for decades, and the gearing was rusted beyond use but the crank journals and bearings looked great with oil films still intact. I can only hope. Close viewing of the drive side crank carrier bearing showed no corrosion, and stains inside indicated that the level never got up to the crank. I worry more about plugged crank passages but do believe the water and muck never got there.

More immediate is question of if the pump is serviceable with just the mounting screws to hold it together, and wondering if I can manufacture a tool to try and retrieve the bottom plate from the pump - then get another to use.

Ah, the joys of following goons that should not be permitted to handle tools. Not my first rodeo. All 16 float bowl screws in my last GL1000 rescue were stripped and replaced with such as sheet metal and wood screws. Had to buy more Helicoils! It is amazing how forgiving motorcycles can be to such ham-fisted work and still run for them.

Not using a reliable Hosting service, so I'll have to ask you to view my parallel thread on Do The Ton: pidjones'72 T150V rescue

Actually got the rest of the oil pump body out. Used screws through the clamping holes to jack it away from the bottom. Turns out it was glued to the gasket, and the gasket glued to the case with RTV. Fun to get out of the pump cavity, but I did finally get it all cleaned up. Cleaned and reassembled the pump and it turns smooth.

Picked up the header for it today. Pretty nasty looking welds on it, but I think they will clean up. Discovered the choke plates missing. Will probably run without them.

Still cleaning. Pulled the anti-drain back valve and flushed from the pump through it. Pulled the filter plug and flushed/blew from the pump through it. Still need to pull the relief valve and flush through it. Several gaskets came in today. Riding my Spyder out of state tomorrow and other things for the rest of the week, but I'll get back on it next week.

Looks to be a lot going on and a T150 is a super cool bike to be putting back on the road but where are the pics, Bud?

I don't use a Hosting service. I could cross-link to photos on another forum, but that is usually frowned on.

I'll try linking a couple from Do The Ton:
https://www.dotheton.com/index.php?attachments/72-t150v-jpg.234386/
https://www.dotheton.com/index.php?attachments/img_20211124_120811127-jpg.234407/
https://www.dotheton.com/index.php?attachments/img_20211126_150300174-jpg.234410/

Damn, that sump plate is scary.

You can use a free Hosting service such as Imgur or become a paying member here and be able to attach pics from your computer.

Cleaned up Okay, but I worry about the rest. Not really worried so much about rust, but what may have been carried in by the water.
https://www.dotheton.com/index.php?attachments/img_20211126_142043263-jpg.234409/

Decided this was definitely going to require engine out of the frame, even if not a full tear-down (not decided on that yet). So, today I pulled it onto a furniture dolly so I can roll it around the garage. Pretty dicey for an old man by myself, but it went Ok in the long run. Might be a different story going back in.
https://www.dotheton.com/index.php?attachments/img_20211206_142013862-jpg.234627/

What about laying both engine and frame on their side, bolt the engine in and pick the bike up? Worked a treat for a CB750F.

Yep, that works. I use my camping mattress for that task.

Good news this morning was that the oil pressure relief valve came out easy and shows no evidence of water (although it had a lot of sludge). A little bit daily, and in a couple years it will be on the road! After work on the Triumph, went to Knoxville to retrieve my GL1000 that was used for a magazine cover shoot there this weekend.

Took the covers off the rocker boxes today. RTV of course, but none made it inside.The one inch 5/16 NF bolts on the intake side had both stripped threads and were just hinting at a hold. Measured and tested - they will be replaced by 1.25 inch bolts. Visual inspection in the rocker box area and through the valve clearance test holes looks clean as a pin. Cleaned the advance mechanism and points mounting plate. Cleaning gaskets off is made more fun with the RTV added in. Finding that carb & choke cleaner loosens its grip and a brass rotary brush in a cheap Harbor Freight moto tool makes it look good.

The 1.25 inch long 5/16 bolts worked perfectly. The originals were 1/4-20 it seems. Don't know the sequence of mishaps that resulted in stripped 5/16 NF threads with 6 ft-lb torque, but not surprised. Also, the covers are chrome-plated with a ragged edge fouling the sealing surface. Considering lapping the sealing face, but worried about starting the chrome to peel.

Put the covers on a surface rig maade up of 600 grit glued to plate glass. Did this while carb parts were enjoying a dip in the ultrasonic. The carb bodies, float bowls, and operating linkage that joins them are all chomed, too. Only lapped the cover sealing faces lightly with isopropyl alcohol lubricant. The chrome is hard, but eventually came off down to copper under-plate and I left them at that. Ended up with 1.25 5/16 NF bolts on both plates. Added chromed (all the hardware store had) small OD washers under them to get the bolt heads up away from the fins a bit. Carb parts came out nicely, and will be assembled when missing inlet filter and mounting o-rings get in.

Next, on to cleaning up the points and their mechanism!

Dry-fitting carbs together, I noticed that all three float valve seats look eroded. I made a brass lapping tool on the lathe but they appear to be pitted bad enough to need re-cut. I realize this changes the fuel height, and have the appropriate size drifts to adjust seat pksition. I will take a shot at making a seat cutting tool in the next few days if lapping doesn't restore them properly.

It's just work. I prefer the drain plugs so they can be drained between seasons.

Also decided the upper spring abutments must be replaced with some that I will make with no Pacman cut in them. I don't see how these will reliably stay in place. I know the option of deleating them, the small springs, and the operator spring and using later model return springs exists, but I'll try this first.

Ended up modifying a damaged set of needle nose pliers to install the upper spring abutments in the carbs. Choke adjusters replaced with blanking plugs. I've twice ordered 1.5 mm o-rings and twice received 1.25 mm o-rings, so 2.0 mm o-rings are now on order for the carb-to-manifold joint. The ones that came in it have had the RTV treatment, also, but this was more like grey Hondabond.

After opening and swabbing/flushing/blowing all access to the oil paths the oil pump and relief valve are reinstalled. Brass 1/8"NPT adapter chucked in the lathe and cut/rethreaded to 5/16-18 for connecting an oil pressure gauge (I've had one on the peg board for over a decade - maybe this is what it was saved for).

Engine now on its right side on carpet scraps to permit final cleaning/polishing of covers and internals on the left side. Then, it will be rolled over to its left side to permit polishing the transmission cover (in place) and installation of timing cover gasket (fit up dry right now) and advance/points assembly (now all clean). Tightening of the points cam and plate will wait until the engine can be barred over and those set correctly.

Meanwhile, some missing parts have been acquired such as oil cooler, fuel tank, and carb manifold-to-head boots (for this, purchased 1.25 inch ID reinforced silicone radiator hose). Still in need of all lights, fenders and side covers. Will probably replicate the old wiring with new but with modern reg/rect. The Zenier will remain mounted as a "hood ornament".

Correct o-rings finally came in so that the carbs can be joined to the rack, fuel lines (temporary) hooked up, and leak testing/correction commenced. I was expecting the float valves (still metal) to be a problem, but do far the banjos and drain plugs have been the only leaks to find. Being stingy (yet no known Scottish ancestry), I had reused all of the drain pkug gaskets and two of the inlet screens. But, the flack chrome at the bottom is also suspected of allowing the alcohol (using 91% isopropyl for testing) to weep past.

At least they are all as a unit now, and initial sync done.

I think that the carb leaks are narrowed down. Right carb float valve. I'll attack it tomorrow. They are still metal. Might check on some Viton type. Seal came in for the clutch pull rod, so it is now installed along with the outer primary cover. Back up on the dolly and rotated around to permit finishing up the right side before taking off the rocker boxes.

Well, fixed the right side carb leak. REAL GOOD. Actually had it stopped - may have been set too high (adjusted) or needed the seat lapped (did that too). Had it connected up to the auxiliary tank by itself for testing. Then, to return to normal I had to disconnect the banjo, rotate it, and remount. Ended up stripping out the banjo bolt hole threads. Looking at the threads, about half of them looked to be corroded away. Went ahead and ordered another float bowl. Oh well, things happen. Sometimes I create my own problems along with PO issues.

Continuing to clean the engine. I don't think it has been cleaned since it left Meriden Now using strips of "Scotchbrite" clamped in hemostats to get between the fins. A lot of the paint is off and I am considering removing the rest from the rocker boxes and maybe the head, just touch-up the jugs. Why someone would let it get this bad and yet put chromed carbs and rocker covers on it is beyond me. "Lipstick on a pig" indeed.

Pulled the wire harness out of the box I had stashed it in. Doesn't match up to any diagram that I have, but I plan now to convert to negative ground, all LED lighting, and a modern reg/rec so that is Ok. The heavy original wires will be reused for primary power supply, but loads will all be smaller gauge wire (with every attempt to maintain the same color coding). I will produce a smooth final as-built schematic when it is finished. Since it will remain kick-start, the original 120 Watt alternator will be enough. I won't need to plug in heated gear as I only ride my "rescue" bikes in warm weather.

Have been cleaning and inspecting the old wires. They had been wrapped with standard electrical tape, leaving the gummy adhesive and crispy wrapping. all of that is removed and I have been cleaning the gummy residue off with kerosene. Black spray paint is removed with acetone. I plan to reuse the bullet connectors that can be de-soldered. They seem to work fine. Sadly, there are many splices in the harness with the wires just twisted together.