Worked like a dream - undid all 4 rounded allen bolts as well as the 2 torx head screws as well. Lovely. Better get rid of the evidence before the shop inspector wakes up so I chucked them over the fence. They should make a mess of the f*cking bellend's 24/7 lawnmower next door... Front mudguard off so turn attention to the rear subframe - fuses, rear light etc. Incidentally, anyone ever seen a flasher relay fitting like this ?!? Completely new one on me, never seen one like it before - every day's a skool day huh ? And I'm guessing this isn't the OE flasher unit either ? It's fucked so its going in the bin anyway but thought I'd better check with you nosey b*stards first - come on, one of you anoraks must know !
Also came across this neat little helmet lock - never even realised it was there. I love finding stuff like this, I hope I can find a way to get this in the final build as its little details like this that really make the builds. The indicators I'm putting to the side for now - I have an idea which is radical and frankly f*cking awesome but I need to see the finished tail before I unleash it on the world...
So there you are, you're up to date, the expansion tank is off, the rear mudguard is off and you can gradually start to see the old girl's undercarriage. 43K miles on this old bird and to be honest, I've been pleasantly surprised by the Triumph build quality and the way this bike is generally thought out. Its simple, its elegant, its novel, its not skinned my knuckles yet and I think a bit of TLC will go a long way with this one. I'm thinking now that because most of the OE fastenings are either missing (Hammerfist Harry) or destroyed (Hammerfist Harry) or just plain rusted that the re-build might incorporate a lot of stainless cap heads - shiny and new... an added expense but one that a future mechanic will appreciate. Why do these sort of projects escalate in cost like this ?!? Initial draft : buy something - cut it into bits - build something else - do it cheap. Final draft : spare no expense - got to look like new - sell kidney to achieve. Swingarm is a corroded mess, rear brake set up is a rusty mess but the frame looks really good - I might just rub down the bits where the paints worn and just overspray it - it really is that good ! Cue finding big rusty hole in the next instalment.
Evening all - just another rumbling from the bottom of the oven for you…. and you’re a proper old b*stard if you get that reference ! 10points to Gryffindor if you can tell me where that’s from youngsters - and you won’t find it on yer f*cking google neither. so what did I do today ? Thought I’d have an easy day so drop the oil and coolant ready for a swingarm / rear wheel strip down tomorrow - easy right ? well Mr f*cking hammer hand put paid to that alright, same rock ape that tightened the mudguard has been at the oil plugs You can guess can’t you ?!? well the drain plug came out first time to be fair but as I cracked it I did think to myself “jeez, that was FT” oil out though and it looks a good colour, no metal either so engine is a genuine 40k and cared for by the look of it. Good result - cue Disney bluebirds stage left… on to the oil filter - socket on and crack the bolt. Round it goes - lovely why can’t I turn it with my fingers ? Why won’t the socket come off ? Nooooo!!! Not Mr Hammerhand again !! Yup. Oil filter bolt done up so tight the socket just span and rounded the head. Beautiful. Will someone please shut those f*cking bluebirds up….?! Rounder than an Oliver Cromwell cavalry helmet in fact. Wouldn’t mind getting hold of the helmet that did it up mind you - FFS people, buy a f*cking torque wrench!!! so anyway, it’s f*cked, it’s not coming out, and it’s certainly not moving so rather than crawl around on the floor of the garage I decided to knock it on the head and go in to get p*ssed. At least I can’t f*ck that up…. tomorrow the coolant - promise - it’ll be chucking it down anyway so I may as well carry on while the kids are plugged into the internet killing, well, the internet or whatever the f*ck they do on there. And anoraks ! You let me down ! Wheres the detail for the correct flasher relay to use on a 1992 Triumph Trophy huh?!? gonna be nothing but one finger hand signals the way my mood is heading today. Yes left motherf*cker!! Outta the way!
Hey Jim. Interesting strip and build going on here - love it! I'm not certain about this but it wouldn't surprise me if that Hella relay you found IS actually the original - it looks kinda familiar ... in a very vague, dim and distant past kind of way. I've had my 900 Trident (same as your Trophy but without the plastic clothing) from new in 1992 and can recall a similar looking item on my bike. Can't, though, confirm that. What I CAN confirm however, is that you shouldn't discard that relay, just in case ...... Fowlers are quoting a list price of £54.12 for a new one, so, if that one works, you're quids in! On the subject of indicators, the originals are very hard to find - somewhere between unobtainium and rocking horse poo - though pretty good repros are plentiful and inexpensive. If you're thinking about NOT using the ones you have, let me know and I'll happily buy them from you - and rather than hack the originals about, sell those (to me ;-)), buy a set of repros and hack them!!! I'd almost certainly be interested in buying almost any of the other original stuff you plan to discard or sell off - including, in particular, ANY engine case cover bolts, whatever condition - not, though, the crappy fasteners that the simian previous owner fitted, thanks! I was thinking that you're gonna need a serious supply of Plus Gas and a set of something like these if you don't already have one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363438496654 They might even work on that rounded oil filter bolt? Most people will replace the original engine case cover bolts with stainless items - they look much better and will last much longer - but I'm on a mission to try to obtain as many factory original bolts as possible and have them cleaned and plated/painted to original spec. They have a specific appearance that repros or modern equivalents don't have and I'd like to put some of that originality back in a couple of my bikes so let me know if you remove and replace yours, please? In the meantime, have fun and keep on keeping on!
Evening all - thanks for the tool tip Adie - have now got me some of those so once the engine is out I'll flip it over and give them a whirl. Nice tip about the indicators too, thanks - I'll probably just bang the whole lot on E-bay once I'm finished with the strip down and the dry build - then at least I'll know what I don't want and what can go. So with a week off to enjoy the summer rain I took the kids to the tank museum in Dorset and found this little beauty tucked away being ignored by everyone - Good old British Iron - 100+ years old and it still has an oil drip tray underneath it ! And yes, that is a machine gun on the sidecar ! Kids laughed and took the piss - war machines everywhere and there's me taking pictures of some boring old bike So where was I - oh yes, rear brake removal this week, it was a bit of a mess as you can tell from the last picture of my last post. Slackened the calliper bolts, took off the reservoir (very little fluid in it of course ), loosened the brake light switch, loosened the calliper end banjo bolt - checked the manual in case there was anything else to loosen and sure enough, take this opportunity to crack the brake pad mounting pins. 5mm allen key so out with my favourite tool and what do you know... What the actual f*ck ?!? Am I actually that strong !?! Answer : no Knuckles has been here too and just whacked up the pins FT when he changed the pads - first pin eventually came out but the second was rounded inside so we had to do some jiggery pokery here too. And no, not a sign of any copperslip on any of these 2 pins or their threads. Brand new pads too... Getting a bit fed up of this meat-head you know The master cylinder bolts took a little bit of "encouragement" as well. When 5 raps with the impact hammer didn't move them further encouragement came in the shape of an old v-max fork leg on a 6mm allen key. The only other issue was the split pin on the back of the master cylinder actuator rod - it eventually came out of course but only once it had decided to break into 6 pieces Gave the bits a wipe over, hoses have seen better days so they'll probably be changed and the fastenings will need to be upgraded from rusty lumps of to something else but I think the majority of the parts are pretty usable. New seal kit, rub down and re-spray and we'll be in business. He says hopefully. Left hand footpegs, gear selector and carbs off will be the next jobs - wish I'd started this in lockdown you know !
Jim Lane This is one terrific write up. You are tops keep the story going love it to bits. And you flasher relay have not got a scooby. Joe
Evening all ! how have you nosey bar stewards been then huh ? Done absolutely b*gger all to the Triumph for 3 months now so thought I’d have a wander to the shed to see if it was still there… And sadly it was Not to worry, revamped and revitalised by being back in the office (not) I have finally found an hour to get going again - remember when you were 19 and the days had like 36 hours in them and you got loads done all the time ? Why is is when you’re 48 and 3/4 the day is only 5 hours long and you get nothing done ?!? anyway, just 3 quick jobs today, left hand footpeg hanger, air box and carbs. LHS footpeg first and despite the crusty looking gear selector the whole thing came off with no pain or drama at all - hallelujah!! Next the airbox and carbs - did a bit of reading on these and you have to slacken hose clips on the box and then on the carbs and then slide the airbox back and then pull the carbs off the stubs and then withdraw from the left and then take off the cables and then if you’ve got any skin left on your knuckles hurl them bodily against the wall…. so yeah, was expecting a fight but then if anyone has ever done a set of Yamaha XJ carbs these were a piece of piss by comparison ! Do the above and voila- carbs sitting nicely on the shelf ! tool tip Get yourself a set of JiS screwdrivers - just look at that fit For years I thought Jap bikes had chocolate screw heads but in fact all you need is a Japanese industry standard screwdriver and the sods come out first time every time with no fuss ! I mean, who knew right ! Lol Number 1 is a bit grubby Not going to worry too much, ran sweet as a nut before so will not try to fix something that isn’t broken. And that’s that, next time will be the oil cooler and front pipes I reckon, slowly the strip down continues and slowly the pile of horrible fastners grows. updated this on my phone this evening, it took ages as the phone keyboard is designed for fingers that belong on midgets so now I’m stressed, squinting and have a headache - bloody technology - burn it all I say !!!
@Jim Lane Great to hear you are still on the job. It will be worth it and you will love the Steed even more knowing you did the work. Keep it going and keep us inmates amused with lots more pictures. Like the guards by the way. Joe.
Jesus Christ ! Has it really been 7 months since I did anything to the Trophy turd ?!? Reckon half you really old un's are probably dead by now right ? And half the young un's are now old !! Better give you nosy buggers an update then I suppose - if you're still awake and or alive that is... So having successfully ignored the bastard thing for 7 months I decided I needed to get back on this and start pulling my finger out so picking up where I left off the first job then rear wheel and swinging arm. Yuk - I'm gonna fucking catch something touching that skanky piece of... Ah well... had worse things in my hands I suppose... And yes off course Hammerfist Harry has been here too but Mr 43mm V-Max fork leg makes short work of the rear wheel spindle. Wheel out and it looks ok you know, bit of surface rust on the disc but in the main, a bit of a clean and this will look great you know. Wishbone pivot bolts look a bit manky mind but they were freshly greased so again, bit of a clean and we'll see what falls out from under the crud. Swinging arm next and the bearings look good, lots of new grease etc its just the arm itself really - looks like its gone 10 rounds with Tyson and lost. Badly. But if you think that's bad then check this out - shock looks like it got caught in a drive by... Yikes So promptly giving that a really good ignoring and pretending that it'll be fine and nothing a can of Hammerite can't sort I moved back to the front of the bike and removed the oil cooler. Well I say 'removed' but basically I undid the two bolts securing the hoses and the fucker basically fell off the bike and made a run for the back of the shed juvenile alien style... Does look a bit like the old face-hugger bastards don't it ? anyway, seems this piece of junk has been hanging in the salt, water and general road debris for some time now and the bracket that...ahem...secured (?) it to the frame was essentially just being held in place by the paint... ! Yup, think that oil cooler has had it don't you ? Thankfully however I don't think the final CRK build uses it so I can bin it off without having to do my Jesus thing and resurrect it from beyond the grave. Next up to be removed was the wiring loom - just basically a load of fucking octopus tentacles wrapped round literally everything, cable-tied on in ridiculous places with connectors that just won't go through the gaps no matter how hard you pull them.... Enter 11 year old stage left with 11 year old sized hands and the threat of no PlayStation until all the fucking octopus tentacles are lying on the drive. Boy done good, took us most of a Saturday afternoon but eventually all the tentacles lay on the drive. The only one that wouldn't move was the side stand cut-out - it seems you actually have to take either the starter motor or the alternator off in order to finally get the side stand and its wiring clear of the bike. Triumph engineers take a bow - the side stand removal on these early bikes is the worst I've ever come across - proper designed by committee fucking shambles - and up until then it was going so well And yes, so you know, the side stand is still not clear of the sodding bike and its been undone and hanging in the breeze for 6 bloody months FFS.... What next then ? We're into the big, easy wins now, next up radiator and fan assembly : No problem. Now we're talking, motoring and cooking with fucking gas baby... Cue exhausts stage left...
Oh yes, the exhausts.... Dreading this was I (said in a Yoda voice) How many studs would I snap ? How tight did Hammerfist do these up ?? First one squeaked. Second one squealed. And then I just lost all mechanical sympathy and went for it... Ta-Daaaaa!! Exhausts off and hanging on the shed wall !! No drama, no fuss, just some squeals of rusty disapproval and then there they are. I think these will get a rub down and re-spray with the balance pipe getting most of the attention - totally salvageable however so good news. So back to the rear shock absorber then - can't put it off any longer we're going to have to bite the bullet and get it done. Oh god its awful. From start to finish this is the worst job so far. Starts with the preload adjuster knob - 2 torx head screws - one undoes fine but the other (of course) has other ideas and rounds itself off.... Half an hour I wasted on this little fucker before I said 'sod it', grabbed Mr Angle Grinder and cut a bloody great big trench right through the head Problem solved, large flat head screwdriver removed the troublesome screw and we moved on to the pivot bolt. Undo the bolt on the left hand side says the manual. Check. Remove the pivot pin from the right hand side of the bike says the manual. Nope. Not having it. No way. Nil Nada. Nein. Fuck off. Having removed both end screws with some assistance... I then spent the next 45 minutes with a blow torch, a 16mm socket and a 9lb lump hammer trying to encourage the pivot pin to move. Eventually it did but I had to go proper 'Hulk Smash' to get it moving - nightmare So there you are - you're up to date. Tomorrow I'm going to drop the starter motor, alternator, water pump & drive socket cover so I can finally separate the side stand from the carcass (seriously Triumph - what the actual fuck ?!?) and then I'll remove the front end completely and if the gods are willing separate the frame and the engine. With luck by the next time I update my long term meds will have kicked in, my anger management therapist will have given me the all clear and I'll be happily skipping into the office to jovially interact with my fabulously materialistically shallow colleagues all day. Nah. I won't take the meds. I'll have killed the therapist and buried him in the garden - fucking Labrador is digging a trench to China in the lawn anyway so may as well make use of it. And the bell-ends in the office can go fuck themselves - Mr Nice guy won't be showing his middle aged drunk assed face anytime soon Live fast - ride fast motherfuckers, am off to get pissed
Some help and assistance from an expatriate , down here in OZ . Those exhaust pipes ... A good oven cleaner , one with 10% acid or so . Apply to warm pipe's, easier if they are attached to an engine that run's and will heat them from the inside ! But hey left in a bright sunny spot work's too ! Leave on for 10 minutes at least , upto an hour ~ and wash off - bit of polish and you will be surprised at how well/good they look.
Oven cleaner ? What's that then ? Doesn't everyone use a black lab or is that just me ? So since the last update over 70 people have clocked in and read these ramblings but only one comment from a guy on the other side of the world who, lets face it, has probably been in the sun for too long. So by not replying, adding your opinion, chipping in, speaking up, starting some banter, just reading and moving on, adding some advice etc. are you Triumph lot a) boring ? b) scared of offending me ? (as if you could!) c) Drones ? or d) all of the above ? Honestly, what has the world come to ? Engage, enjoy, take the piss, anything ! Jeez - in a hundred years no-one will give a fuck what you wrote on the internet - trust me ! Sunday - 4 hours of toil on the Triumph today - reckon that calls for a trophy on its own. See what I did there ? Thought of the day - Why is there no tumbleweed emoji...? Task 1 : remove water pump - Check. Under the ever watchful eye of the shop inspector of course... Task 2 : remove starter motor - Check Task 3 : Finally get that pain in the arse side stand out the way - remember the jammed connector ? Designed by committee - exhibit 1. Task 4 : Alternator off Needed a thin wall 12mm socket to get this off - none of my usual ones were able to sit on the head of the bolt. Interestingly (for me anyway) my Dad had a set of sockets that he carried around in a Triumph Spitfire years ago and I was always taking the mickey saying they were too small, would be no use anywhere blah blah usual 19 yr old knows everything bullshit. Here I am, 30 years later, still using his small socket set 10 years after his passing and thinking of him and his knowing smile every time I pick one of them up. Funny old world isn't it ? Alternator cush-drive rubbers will probably need replacing... Task 5 : Clutch master cylinder removal Looks a bit grubby but will be fine after a clean up. Honest... Task 6 : Ignition coils to be removed Numbered and photographed so not even bollock brain here can fuck it up when they're refitted. What next then ? Ah, the front end of course... Is it me or is it quiet in here ? HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!????!!!!
So in the best traditions of Heath Robinson / the average home mechanic / fucking lunatics everywhere (delete as applicable) I set up the remains of the bike so it wouldn't collapse in a shambolic heap as soon as I loosened the front axle. Yeah, basically got the car jack and a bit of wood and crossed my fingers. Callipers off - check. Is calliper spelt with 2 l's ? Doesn't look right ? Do you care ? Left hand handle bar mount with clutch etc removed - check Going well this isn't it ? Ahhhhhh! Disaster !!!! What bell-end uttered the "going well this isn't it ?" phrase ???!??? Damn it. Well I suppose given the state of some of the fixtures on this bike to only have the one snap off is testament to the quality of these machines I suppose. Handle bar off, wheel out and forks off... Leaving a very precariously balanced engine and frame on a car jack and a bit of wood in the middle of the shed. Nothing but images of smashing casings / scraped frame tubes on concrete in my head at this point.... Can't beat living on the edge baby ! So of course I did what any self respecting lunatic would do and got a pallet. And then bodily lifted frame and engine onto said pallet. Confucius say : Within the depths of blind panic lies the strength of desperation... Totally got away with one here - so going to play the lottery this week
Next up there's a sprocket cover that I've completely missed throughout the entire course of the dismantling process so off with that and the final chain forthwith I say ! Next up the engine mounting nuts, the bolts and the centre stand. Only realised as it was lying next to the carcass that I'm probably going to need the wishbone for the suspension on the re-build Annoyingly it would of been easier to get the last bolt off in situ but hey, these things are sent to test us right ? Sure they are... So with a little bit of encouragement - you need to read 'a lot of encouragement' here - no in fact you need to read the truth, I basically stood behind this bastard, lifted the frame and then hit the engine really hard with a hide hammer to get it to free up and drop out. Ugly but there it is - finesse, craft and skill are happy bedfellows but sometimes all it needs is a fucking good belt... So there you have it, the full strip down in all its gory detail. It wasn't easy. It took ages because I'm a lazy twat. But it was painless overall and we only had the one snapped bolt so overall a good effort. Now to the next stage - the rebuild. It'll be the engine first, with a rough plan that will go along the lines of : a) turn it over b) get the mangled filter bolt out c) clean the whole motor. d) remove all covers e) paint crankcases f) paint engine covers. So questions - and please - make an effort here huh ? 1) Is there a Triumph engine grey colour on the market ? Because if not then it'll be matt black I reckon. 2) Thoughts - should I strip off the old paint or just clean and cover it with new ? 3) Has anyone done this on here before ? is there a link to engine / covers painting on this site anywhere ? Thoughts / hints / critisisms / general unrelated chat most welcome. Please god one of you pipe up otherwise I'm just stumbling around in the dark swearing at an empty room. Again!!! Final thought then - took the mutts out and saw this little beauty at the end of my road : Triumph Sunbeam - Tiger Alpine 260 Probably the wrong type of Triumph but still an eye catcher none the less. Absolutely stank of neat petrol, only had lap belts and the speedo stopped at 140mph. My Dad would have stopped, admired and got his socket set out....
Ah, the easy bit done. Now it'll cost money. That's what happens in my experience, although, saying that. What do I know about these new fangled machines? A new computer chip and all is well. Maybe they clean up and then run like a top. Please don't go for ye olde black engine paint. Even new, black engines look like poo. Black zorsts yeah ok, but not the engine. Enjoying this and will probably learn a bit about these.
Projects for you... Massive love hate relationship when doing a bike. I'm sure it'll be mint. Keep the progress reports coming
You like taking the piss , even at your self. Good luck with getting any help , pisstaking or true . As to being sunburnt , I'm an expat who was lucky enough to be born with Olive self tanning skin LoL. I go brown under the sunburn . Peel and viola brown
Going on the previous owners direction, I’d get a wire brush and a tin of Hammerite... booty-full! You wanna save some of that chain throw off from the sprocket case too... good for camouflage face stripes on your next Perch hunting trip... waterproof and lasts ages! Good work old bean, keep it coming!
