1979 T140E into Rickman

mudplugger

mudplugger

Joined
Oct 24, 2011
Messages
167
I have now started my journey of complete first build. I have done a lot of work on lots of other bikes but never a full strip down of the engine, and never with a new frame etc. I will load photos as I go, will listen to all suggestions, they may not all get done but it is good to have all ideas and pick my way thru. as you can see it was a real mess, left robbed of parts over many years, left in damp areas, somebody has been into the engine and messed up in a few areas, it was supposed to have 7000 miles on it, they must have been very hard and rough if that was the case. I am re building fairly standard, putting it into a Mk3 Rickman frame, probably use the original forks as I want a disc on the front for better stopping. I have the frame in the van waiting to be unloaded now and a conical rear hub, that needs a lot of cleaning but is complete. wheels not sorted yet.
it has black fibre glass panels as per Rickman with the TT seat. bars and ancillary's still in the note book and parts catalogue, waiting for me to choose style etc.
1979 T140E into Rickman
 
Having stripped the engine, various parts are away for work. I have cleaned all parts, had vapour blasting done, polished the inlet and exhaust ports, new guides valves etc being done. Crank is being ground due to acid marks from water ingress, bores only need honing, barrel I sprayed my self, now awaiting delivery of parts.
 
That sure didn't all happen in one day! When did you get started?

Your project "before & after" photos are going to be some of the best in a long time...
 
I bought the bike along with a Daytona t100t about 2 years ago, the t100 is up and running (although not quite right), this baby has sat under the bench until December just gone, I have very little work going on at the moment so have ploughed into this project, between playing catch up with bookwork etc. I will post some more photos soon as I had an issue yesterday getting them onto the site. hope to start putting the engine back together in the next month, just waiting for regrind and parts, quite nervous, but looking forward to it. would you renew the smaller needle roller bearings, they feel ok. cheers Neil
 
Neil, that T140 is a proper project. :shock:
It makes my T140 look like it was nearly in perfect condition when I got it by comparison, even though it wasn't and has needed a lot of work.
 
The needle rollers in the tranny are typically okay as long as they're clean and lubed when you uncover them. If they're at all dirty, I just replace them. Too hard to get all the grit out of them in place, and if you've removed them for cleaning, the hard part is done.

Just remember the layshaft is sensitive to end float, so you need to check it after re-installation.
 
Thanks grandpaul for the info. things are moving on, I have picked up the frame, all engine parts are cleaned. I have put some of the sub parts back together, ie rocker shafts with new mushroom adjusters, new studs in the rocker boxes. new quadrant return springs. Hoping to pick up new screws nuts etc at the Bristol Classic Bike show on 6 Feb.
waiting on the crank now, 10 thou regrind and one end of shaft that had been hit with a hammer, not by me, and the head with new valve guides. I have polished the ports and head previously. Will wash all parts thru with fuel this week to clear any excess blasting materials and get reading how to put it back together. more photos below. cheers for now.
 
Thanks Reggie, you should put some photos up of your bonnie. nice part of the world where you are must be good roads for the bonnie. I have only touched a little of Yorkshire.
 
didn't know that, the frame has all the relevant parts for left hand change now, it will be ok as most of my bikes are left hand, even the commando.
 
After a hectic few months of cleaning, ordering and delivering parts to various people and being overloaded with work,(which must be done to pay for this project) I have now started to assemble the engine. I have made numerous mistakes and put together and taken apart, learnt one hell of a lot and pestered friends for information. The crank has been re ground and damage to one end machined out. New shells, complete chemical clean and new sludge trap, new hex head bolt to hold sludge trap. The barrels were ok and just honed out and the pistons are virtually brand new so will go back in, standard size. All bearings have been renewed as a lot of water had got in before strip down. this engine has been really abused over the years, not particularly with use but by knife and fork mechanics. at least it gives me a chance to learn from there mistakes etc.
More photos and info to follow, cheers for now


1979 T140E into Rickman

1979 T140E into Rickman

1979 T140E into Rickman
 
Getting those case halves nipped up (without forgetting anything inside) is a great milestone.

Keep rollin'...
 
Moving on with the build now. checking and overhauling all the ancillary bits, fairly confident with what I am doing but struggle at times with the manuals. I am using a Haynes and the Triumph manual for the year of this engine but keep getting discrepancies on some parts and seals, double checking with the parts manual and eventually getting there. I suppose as a beginner on this I have no past experience with recognition of the parts from one engine and year to another. even so I am enjoying doing it and when it all comes together we will have that great feeling of doing it yourself, that is some way off but I will try and be patient getting there. I have had an absolute mare with the indexing of the gearbox and eventually realised the picture in the Haynes book is wrong and its missing from the triumph manual, once you grasp the right way it all seems easy, torqueing the sprocket and cam pinions is a pain on the bench, I hope I have got them about right.
cheers for now Neil




1979 T140E into Rickman

1979 T140E into Rickman

1979 T140E into Rickman

1979 T140E into Rickman
 
well it has been a long time since I have been on here, the year has been very hard in many ways but I have pinched an hour here and there on the mettisse and now find it coming on in leaps and bounds. I had to wait 6 months for the triple clamps to be made so managed to do a lot of sub assembly parts, the rear hub has been an education but is a complete wheel on the bike now. trying to match a brake plate and the correct spindles and arms was a nightmare. the forks have been a pain since I found out the 1979 bonnie donor forks are 34.5mm not the usual 35mm. I have completely over hauled the front caliper and then had to grind some metal off to clear the larger spokes used on the wheel build. Drilled the original brake disc to shed some weight and make it look better. lots of stainless bkts, arms, head steady etc made, lightened and polished. Pictures will follow shortly, the bike is away having ally tank and side panels, high pipes and reverse megas being made. trying to sort handle bars, levers and lights along with a nice front mudguard now. then need to learn about the electrics. I have been told the original Triumph electronic ignition would be ok, or may go to Boyer, any opinions welcome. signing off for now and will get back to posting pictures, cheers Neil
 
mudplugger said:
well it has been a long time since I have been on here, the year has been very hard in many ways but I have pinched an hour here and there on the mettisse and now find it coming on in leaps and bounds. I had to wait 6 months for the triple clamps to be made so managed to do a lot of sub assembly parts, the rear hub has been an education but is a complete wheel on the bike now. trying to match a brake plate and the correct spindles and arms was a nightmare. the forks have been a pain since I found out the 1979 bonnie donor forks are 34.5mm not the usual 35mm. I have completely over hauled the front caliper and then had to grind some metal off to clear the larger spokes used on the wheel build. Drilled the original brake disc to shed some weight and make it look better. lots of stainless bkts, arms, head steady etc made, lightened and polished. Pictures will follow shortly, the bike is away having ally tank and side panels, high pipes and reverse megas being made. trying to sort handle bars, levers and lights along with a nice front mudguard now. then need to learn about the electrics. I have been told the original Triumph electronic ignition would be ok, or may go to Boyer, any opinions welcome. signing off for now and will get back to posting pictures, cheers Neil
Click to expand...

The original Lucas RITA is very good and very reliable. Boyer would be a backward step IMHO. Tri Spark is good in my own experience and has the added benefit of not having to mount a separate black box, might help if you're struggling for space.
 

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