In reply to a previous comment, the front forks have just 1/16" short of FIVE INCHES of travel! (That's a lot for an old bike).



Color match on the paint is going to be PERFECT!

Got a few items checked off the punchlist this morning...

Trimmed the inner primary chainguard lip to clear the tranny adjuster hardware, and installed a freshly cad plated Triumph chainguard lip (bent for proper fit)-



Installed inner primary cover with lockwasher & loctite on the front nut, stud lock on the 2 screws (also staked), and carefully shimmed the backside of the case to the engine/tranny mount with appropriate spacers & shim washer-



Working clearance-



Anyone note the curiosity regarding the primary chain adjuster snail cams?

Aligned the primary drive engine sprocket with the clutch basket by shimming up the backside of the basket-



(You can see that the the teeth tips just touch the edge of the square that is braced against the inner primary cover)



I scuffed up the clutch plain plates to knock the glaze offf them so they'll grab the friction plates nicely-

Clutch stack installed, primary chain installed, master link safety wired (can just make it out behind the clutch basket)-



Polished rocker inspection caps installed after setting valve lash-



Installed headlight shell just to get the box that had the chromed stuff out of the way-

are these tensioners original ??
You'll have to remove the footrest to install the primary cover .

The tenioners are not original, the original setup was counter-productive...

I believe the primary cover goes on okay w/o removing the footrest mounts. Will find out this evening.

Got the shocks done with help from a couple of friends compressing the springs while I popped the retainers in; it's starting to look like a bike-

Very nice work indeed.

ludwig wrote:
are these tensioners original ??
You'll have to remove the footrest to install the primary cover .

This is the original setup:



You can even see the engine plate bent because the adjuster was only resting on one side. I proposed the snail cam adjusters because having one on each side would spread the load and having the cams right next to the plate reduces the leverage on the two screw heads. I think it should work out good.

Jean

Jean : I am aware of the problem with the original tensioner .
I removed mine too , but I solved it in a different way .
GP : when installing the primary cover ( after removing the footrest ) , you could provisionally put 1 or 2 layers of masking tape aroud the rotor , to check the clearance with the stator .
You could also mark TDC and 30° BTDC , to strobe time the ignition , befor closing the primary .

Yes, I thought of that, and I'm fabricating a pointer to affix to a cover screw hole, just above the rotor, then bend it into position and adjust it using a timing disc to get the positioning just so...

"Why didn't the designers..." (an oft heard question, with hundreds of different variations to complete the sentence)

So, why didn't the designers use shouldered case studs placed at appropriate locations to clear the primary chain path, to hold the stator in place?

Why didn't they have timing windows back then, as on the Commandos and late 60s & 70s Triumph twins?

...etc...

ludwig wrote:Jean : I am aware of the problem with the original tensioner .
I removed mine too , but I solved it in a different way .

So... how did you do it?

curious Jean

Tank is now completely primed & prepped, so here is the procedure for lning the inside:

First, set everything (Tank, CLR bottles, Tank liner product cans) in out the sun (I'm glad it chose to cooperate), to get it to a good working temp.

Toss in a handful of sheetrock screws in the tank and roll it around 'till your arms are about to fall off. Empty it completely and blow out any remaining residue with compressed air. This loosens off any flaky rust and residue / debris.



Pour in 50/50 mix of hot water and CLR (I use 2 "quart" bottles), slosh it around till your arms are totally shot. Let the CLR sit in the tank, in the sun, for several hours. (CLR stands for Calcium, Lime & Rust; that's what it's designed to remove)



Drain, rinse, drain again. Set the tank in the sun to dry; help it along by blasting compressed air in there continuously if you want.

Next up (pix later):

Mix the Caswell "A" & "B" components in a suitable container, then pour into the tank and swirl it in every possible direction (cap in place with plastic wrap covering the opening, and petcock plugs screwed into the bungs). Take your time, this stuff sets up relatively slowly. Allow to cure per product instructions.

Quick shot just for grins-



Caswell sealer is done and sitting out in the sun to let the residue settle in the top, and drain out the filler neck (note that the tank bottom is totally prepped and primed, not just oversprayed on old paint-



I have a better idea than using this old screw for the main tap handle-

Jeandr wrote:So... how did you do it?
curious Jean

Fed up strugling with oil leaks and slipping clutch , I locked the gearbox in a fixed position , replaced the felt seal in the inner primary cover with a real oil seal and installed a Commando clutch with double row chain and Commando main shaft .
I prefered to change the chain when loose rather than adjusting the tension .
All this is long ago . It's belt drive now .