Pre-unit T110 priming a rebuilt engine

I have recently been asked to get a 1957 T 110 back on the road after the owner took it back off the guy who was restoring it due to no progress for the last 4 years or so. It has not run since the rebuild nor indeed for over 20 years prior to this. I have removed the mag, cleaned all the mushrooms out and am now getting a good spark, however when I took the timing cover off virtually no oil came out and I note that the oil tank is full. The Triumph oil pump has some one way valves to stop wet sumping but I am wondering whether there is some kind of procedure for priming the system prior to starting the bike. I will of course liberally douse the top end through the rocker covers prior to starting, but I don't want to miss out on some vital procedure.
Thanks for any advise on this.

You shouldn't have to prime the pump. Oil should come out of the holes in the face that mates with the timing cover after a dozen or so turns of the engine. Oil won't come out of there if the engine isn't turning, unless the engine has been running: then a small amount held up between the pump and the timing cover will come out.

Watch you don't have the oil hoses reversed, feed and scavenge. When you take the pump off, oil should drain from the tank and dribble out of a hole behind the pump.

The ball valves are needed for the pump to function. They can get dirt under them, especially after a rebuild. Easy to clean out the pump and the valves and tap the balls onto their seats.

While you have the cover off, pump some oil into the crankshaft with an oil can.

Thanks TT, this has been a great help to a fellow Scot, born in Greenock.

Hi Dave
It would be great to see a few pics of the T110 if you wouldn't mind posting some
Cheers
Mike

Mike,

I will try to post some. I am not very computer savvy, so I normally send an e-mail to L.A.B. and he kindly posts it on my behalf.

The bike was delivered new in 1959 to Singapore and then brought to Hong Kong in the early 60s by the original owner who got transferred here. The original owner now in his 80s is still around and gave the bike - which had sat around under cover for decades - to the current owner who is restoring it as a homage to the original owner. Unfortunately he had a falling out with the chap doing the restoration and took the bike back. This is a bit embarassing for me because I am friends with both and don't want it to look like I am taking away business from the restorer, however I spoke to him about it and he is glad to see the back of it.

As usual with these things the last 10% takes 90% of the effort and all those little things needed to get it running, get it through the government roadworthyness test and get it runnng reliably on the road still need to be done. I am ready to try to start it now but it has been raining heavilly for the past several days so I will have to wait a bit.

I will post some photos ASAP

Hi Dave
Thanks a lot for sharing the story about the history of the bike. No rush on the pics, it's just great to see them in photos.
Best regards
Mike

Sorry for the delay Mike, it is monsoon season here and has been rainng solidly for about 10 days. I got the bike out of the workshop today during a break in the weather and took a couple of photos.

More exciting for me is that I got it fired up today after a hibernation of several decades, now I can move forward and sort out all the little bits and pieces for the M.OT.

Hi Dave
Thanks very much for posting the pics. That is a beautiful bike and i love that colour scheme. It's such a nice sporty look with the split color on the petrol tank and mudguards. Here's a pic of my 56 T110. It was a 2 year restoration but I loved it.
Cheers
Mike

My goodness! What a wonderful looking bike Mike, very traditional and classic in it's colour etc. Congratulations on a fine restoration job. I can't take credit for the restoration on the one that I currently have, just the final hurdle, like getting it running.

Haha, that's the toughest part Dave, getting it running nicely! As my bike turned from a bicycle frame into a motorbike, my neighbour would keep asking me "how do you know it's going to start after all this work?" My response was that I didn't.. except all the right ingredients were there. Thanks for your kind words

Dave & Mike:

VERY classy bikes, each with it's own allure.

Classic beauties.