Very well done on finding the little b@$tard, just don’t drop anything down there when you rebuild it.
Thanks all, just waiting for all the gaskets and O rings to come in at my local M/c shop, now working out the shim sizes, I have decided to go mid way between the recommended tolerances.
I was also watching the thread in great suspense. Congratulations for getting your loose part and welcome to the forum!
progress report, collected 5 shims and all the gaskets and sundrie parts I ordered, on Friday, so I set about fitting the valve cup shims and re-fitted the cams, some clearances were not correct, so this ended up with me removing the camshafts. swapping shims and refitting the cams, Several times, valve 6, 7, and lter 8 were not correct, so Saturday morning I started swapping shime about again and ended up using my plate glass and wet and dry to take 3 shims down a wee tad, eventually by 12.30pm I had managed to get all clearances correct. intake 0.15mm slides in niceley but a 0.20 will not and the same on the exhaust with 0,25 and 0,30mm, so all torqued down job done on the valve clearances. After lunch I set about fitting the side covers and sump along with any sundry parts I removed, then after getting two strapping lads,( my near neighbors) to lift the engine down onto the floor near the bike I set about lifting the engine into place using ratchet straps, a bit fiddly but did it in the end, fitted the 3 engine bolts and at 7-30 pm I called it a day Not sure I will be able to do any more until next weekend as have to go on a trip away.
Welcome Richard. Pleased to hear you got it sorted. If you'd like to put faces to names then pop along to our annual picnic, blather-fest and JD/Bushmills tasting event in July. https://www.thetriumphforum.com/threads/grand-meet-up-2018-wales.12452/
the bike is back on the road, started the engine Friday night, finished the odd bits, screen, rack, seat and brakes saturday morning, took it out for a spin Saturday afternoon, all working and sounding as it should, one tipI picked up from Ed at Blades in Swindon, no matter how much I bled the front brake the lever still went nearly to the bar when I applied the brake, was to pull the lever in tight to the bar as far as it would go, tie it with a strap and leave overnight, in the morning Bingo all as it should be, apparently by doing this the air is forced back up to the reservoir, nice one Ed.
Well done Richard for sticking to your guns and painstakingly removing the dowel. Big job but well worth the effort for peace of mind and potentially saving a lot of engine damage.
Thank you all for your comments and support not sure what I am up to in July, or should I say what the wife has in store for me, but may take a ride to wales for the picnic