Classic Triumph Bonneville

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

For future reference:

The thing is, even if it's previous broken state it certainly felt fast. Even by today's standards it's by no means slow. Obviously it's not a patch on a big modern bike, but she'll outrun alot of stuff on the road. It must have felt like a rocket in 1969.

That'll be big power pulses and traction, my 45bhp Husqvarna 610 would out accelerate Fireblades coming out of slow corners, it was purely down to traction and riding position - two stroke MX bikes feel incredibly fast, but they're actually not making very much power, even the 500s are only about 60bhp.

As for the working on old engine thing - I find it immensely therapeutic compared to my day job in IT, it's nice to do something where you can see what you're doing and the effect it has, old engines are pretty simple to work on, which helps.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Further disassembly tonight....it got the middle bit out of the clutch using the right sized socket and a mallet. There are twenty tiny roller bearing bits in there and I still have all twenty!

The centre bit was still shitty and wobbly even after removal from the clutch basket, so clearly the issue was in there. So I split that bjt apart too....



I'd heard in loads of places that the rubbers are tight and a twat to get in/out. These ones just fell out on to floor. Probably the source of my wobble....I think all those gunky black surfaces are supposed to be bare metal, which would at least explain where the rubber went.

[JackyJoll]

Well done. The vanes on the spider aren’t broken, so you could try putting new rubbers in.

[KungFooBob]

Looks like it's coated with oil that's been in an old skool diesel car for the last 20,000 miles.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Looks like it's got seriously hot at some point

[JackyJoll]

Looks like it's got seriously hot at some point

Heat in the clutch would go for the plates first.

[Mr. Dazzle]

A whole new hub is about £100 - hardly bank breaking. A 7 plate upgrade is another ton.

Tempted just to spend the two hundred quid and a have nice new clutch. Especially as I've just got a big cash injection from the sale of my shares in an EV business - little bit ironic there

[David]

Do it.....it's only money....and a Triumph is more than a bike.

[JackyJoll]

If you put the clutch back together as standard, you are likely to have slip problems in future. It’s a chronic fault that took them from 1957 to about 1982 to seriously address.

Lots of people say the 7 plate kit fixes that. The home-made cork and extra plate bodge worked for me, but it was a surprisingly big task.

There have been pattern replacement friction plates on the market that fixed the slippage too, but I couldn’t tell you which ones to buy from where.

[Nidge]

I can only speak from my own experience but installing the 7 plate kit meant I didn't have to choose between slip or drag (of course it may have simply been my old plates were contaminated/knackered), but the biggest plus was that I could run with 650 springs rather than the stiffer 750 ones which significantly reduced the lever pull. Of course with all your performance mods you might want to put my old 750 springs in....

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

If you put the clutch back together as standard, you are likely to have slip problems in future. It’s a chronic fault that took them from 1957 to about 1982 to seriously address.

Lots of people say the 7 plate kit fixes that. The home-made cork and extra plate bodge worked for me, but it was a surprisingly big task.

There have been pattern replacement friction plates on the market that fixed the slippage too, but I couldn’t tell you which ones to buy from where.

Barnett plates are good, but I've no idea if they make ones for this Triumph.

[Taipan]

A whole new hub is about £100 - hardly bank breaking. A 7 plate upgrade is another ton.

Tempted just to spend the two hundred quid and a have nice new clutch. Especially as I've just got a big cash injection from the sale of my shares in an EV business - little bit ironic there

Deffo do it. £200 in the scheme of things is nothing and the bikes an appreciating classic. Be plain wrong not to tbh...

[Nidge]

The only note of caution I would add is that sometimes the repro parts are not as good as slightly worn originals. Centre stands are good case in point but I’ve not had any experience with clutch baskets

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Pattern clutch baskets for LCs are terrible, they wear in 2000 miles like a genuine one does in 40000 miles.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I cleaned up the steel clutch plates today. I wanted to clean them and check them for flatness before buying new parts in case I needed any replacements.

They were pretty good, although one was covered in pitting. Another has a tiny bit on the teeth but I think that will be OK. The sixth was like this all over, its also the one at the end of the stack....dunno if that's related. It was pitted on both sides though. They've also clearly been scrubbed at least once before.



I'm gonna get the Hyde 7 plate kit. That comes with 7 friction and 1 steel plate (and you reuse your original 6). I'll get another spare steel one too.

BTW the little IKEA biscuit tins are the perfect size for immersing Triumph clutch plates. I'm not sure how corrosion resistant this steel is so they're sat in engine oil now.

[JackyJoll]

It’s mild steel, but a trace of rust isn’t the end of the World.

[JackyJoll]

They've also clearly been scrubbed at least once before.

Oh yes and washed in petrol and had stronger springs installed and all these vain efforts.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Just ordered the 7 plate clutch from Norman Hyde

[Mr. Dazzle]

BTW it was actually £179

Just about to order a centre, new springs (I don't know what the old ones are, so getting three new T120 ones), new spring end caps/nuts, one extra steel clutch plate, a new thrust washer and new primary casing gasket.

So I'm actually spending £350 on upgrading the clutch. That's still less than one clutch assembly for my wife's Nissan Note

Think I'll get a new Venhill PTFE/Stainless cable too. Then there's no bloody excuse for the clutch being shit.

[Cousin Jack]

......... Then there's no bloody excuse for the clutch being shit.

Always leave yourself an excuse. You may need it.