leener Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 use wood between the jack and engine Plenty of wood in this house... Mother in law builds and sells masses of IKEA furniture... It's a warehouse of a house. I ain't kiddin'!I have two car jack-stand thingy's from Halfords for the swing-arm, and I'm going to borrow a friend's trolley-jack.Budget is tight (thanks to child maintenance and my ex trying to rinse me), so I'm doing my best to keep it as inexpensive as possible, until I am financially back on track.I have a litteun on the way, so hopefully the sale of a working Triumph might help me out getting a car that isn't dependant on Kawasaki parts I'll go pester the mother in law for a little gazeebo (or equivalent) to use, seeing as her entire garden is full of them, which are all full of IKEA wood!I have no doubt that this will take several days to fully complete. I'll lose a collet or find that I need another tool, or something. The engine can be lowered down and out, using the trolley-jack, and I can work on it under a cover, if I can get one sorted out. Hopefully, videos and pics coming soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowBusa Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Got my block and head booked in for skimming this time next week (thursday) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megawatt Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I strongly recommend that you don't work on the bike while only on its sidestand, unless you leave it in gear and tie it down so it can't roll off the stand. Sometimes you have to persuade the head to come off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megawatt Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Does your bike have a hollow swingarm pivot?If so, I used to use two SDS drill bits, a length of steel bar or studding through the pivot or rear wheel spindle, resting solidly on two axle stands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Does your bike have a hollow swingarm pivot?If so, I used to use two SDS drill bits, a length of steel bar or studding through the pivot or rear wheel spindle, resting solidly on two axle stands. Not too thin a bit of stud or it'll bend and be bloody difficult to get out without damaging stuff!/experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megawatt Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 As thick as will fit in the centre hole in the pivot. I've sat on my blade with M10 studding through it. Better than just using the sidestand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 I think I used M8 and bent it. Perhaps I should lay off the pies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 I'll have the two Halfords 2T jacks / supports at the rear, one under each of the swing arms (didn't triumph do a single sided swing arm?).I was supposed to borrow my mates trolley jack and get the bulk of the work done, this Saturday, just gone. But, as luck would have it, I came down with the most violent case of snot, migraine, coughing fits, bleeding nose (from sneezing and excessive snotting), crying in pain, stuck in bed, not eating at all, and getting annoying at having yet another instance of death-flu.So sick and tired of being sick and tired. Why do people inflict their nasty plague on others?So, now I am back in the office, not snotting as much as before, and feeling miffed because the whole weekend just disappeared. I haven't even taken the cover off the bike in over a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megawatt Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Lightweight. Get on with it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Lightweight. Get on with it!!! I wanted to, but if I could have pushed past the epic pain in my skull and Niagara Falls of dark yellow phlegm, then the abattoir of liquid bum would have got in the way. Forgot to add that to my list of woes. This weekend, I'm determined to do it. I want to film the whole thing and clearly demonstrate my ability to bodge.The head gasket arrived! It's very strange. The whole thing is made of metal with three layers, and some sort of rubber bushing around the cylinders and ports... I'll take a photo when I get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Head gasket sounds normal ...They are compression seals hence different to a normal sealing gasket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share Posted February 4, 2018 (edited) Evenin', all.Today has been a fun one for myself and my lovely lady... And the bike.The damage so far is that I have stripped it down to the head, removed rocker cover, cams, chain, the cct, and a load more, including cleaning the filthy bugger.Here are some lovely photos to tell the tale. It didn't end well.Bike is ready for a good seeing to. Taking the pulse. Bit by bit... Off comes the tank. Ooh, err. Get your airbox out, baby. Bit more, love. Finding oil on things that shouldn't have oil on... Get the fairings off. Clean rust off the chain and made the wheel not black by removing several mm of crud. Bike flashing her ladder at me. Get the ladder off. Having a play with the cams. How weird. Someone has been gouging dates into parts at the factory. 126? Valves all numbered up, ready to remove. Exhaust off. THAT WAS A NIGHTMARE! And, this was the offender. Need to find some new manifold bolts and gaskets. Now for a peek into the exhaust ports:Cylinder 1. Cylinder 2. Cylinder 3. Not looking good.More to follow... Edited February 4, 2018 by leener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share Posted February 4, 2018 Coolant already done. Spark plug 1 was caked in oil. Spark plug 2 wasn't fantastic, but ok... And number 3. Not bad. Time to get the cylinder head bolts out... Researched torque sequence on triple engines, and started with my big torque wrench and star-shaped thingy-majigies to get the bolts out. First bolt untorqued...Go to do number 2 and then suddenly... "OOOH, FUP!" Luckily, we could extract the broken off bit from the cylinder head bolt.Gave up and wrapped her up, in the end. So, need some half decent and STRONG tools to finish the job. Have to wait until they arrive. Gutted. Not even got the head off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowBusa Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 You did well getting that far in a day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbob Posted February 4, 2018 Share Posted February 4, 2018 It's amazing how much you can get done once you get stuck in . That's a lot of soot in those exhaust ports , burning oil ? looks like it was running on oil ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 Cheers, fellas.A quick recap of why I'm doing this insane job with little or no mechanical skill: Bike goes to start and struggles to catch. There is fuel, but the spark isn't quite there. There is clearly oil getting into the combustion chamber. When it eventually starts, it blows blue smoke and really grumbles about being revved hard for a while. Middle cylinder gave the highest compression reading, by far. It just so happens that the middle exhaust port shows definite wet oil on the valve stem.It was joint effort, me and my missus. I was still coughing and had a banging headache, while she is half way through the pregnancy, so she's not allowed to do anything intensive. But, she insisted on getting stuck in with helping remove fairings, bag up the cams and bits for me, and other things, removing the muffler, like hold up the cam chain on a shoe-lace. She's a keeper, my lady. I am lucky to have her.We started at about 11am, and finally finished at about 5pm, now my legs ache like when I used to actually train them.Can't wait to get the head off. I think there is enough clearance to do it without dropping it out the frame. What do you think?The tools I used were just awful. Not fit for purpose. I am quite sure we got a little beyond 120nm before it snapped.Oh, well. Has anyone got a suggestions on strong-ass tools that can take on cylinder head bolts? And good, strong sockets that won't destroy themselves by taking the bolts out of the ladder, and such? I ruined three of my 8mm sockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megawatt Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 You should be able to do that job with any decent quality tools. Try Halfords Professional sockets at a good price. Personally, I buy spanners from Aldi and Lidl and have never had a problem. A good 3/8 ratchet and sockets from Halfords should do the job. If bolts or nuts are really tight, use a strong arm instead of a ratchet. If you end up cracking a socket, buy an impact socket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowBusa Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Try Halfords Professional sockets Ive just bought a 13mm deep halfords socket for the Nuts [mention]Mr Fro[/mention] made meMy other deep sockets are halfords........if they break halfords will replace without receipt and no matter what age they are.....Win Win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share Posted February 5, 2018 Ordered a new Voche 40pc set, which I hope do the trick. Halfords would have been a good idea, too.Also ordered three exhaust gaskets and CCT gasket. Hopefully that is all I need.If all arrives before the weekend, then I'll attack the Triumph with new tools. The set that broke were brand new from the local Motaparts store, purchased about a year ago. I'm only just putting them to use and they snap, just trying to get a cylinder head off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 I'm only just putting them to use and they snap, just trying to get a cylinder head off.As you have found out, the simple job of "just trying to get a cylinder head off", can be a right buggeration. Broke a few fins in the past doing this. Slow & sure is the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 As you have found out, the simple job of "just trying to get a cylinder head off", can be a right buggeration. Broke a few fins in the past doing this. Slow & sure is the way. I have very much found out. It was supposed to be a difficult job, but didn't expect to break my poor tool. I wasn't even going that hard, either! (That's two innuendos)I lucky to get the end out, after it broke. (That's three)Luckily, mother in law taught me a few new tricks... (potentially number four, and a total wrong-un)By rubbing your screw driver against a magnet, you can magnetise it, thus making it easy to extract the snapped off torx bit.New impact bits should arrive any day, now. I will get straight in there, this weekend, pending the weather... which is due to be abysmal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fro Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 Luckily, mother in law taught me a few new tricks... (potentially number four, and a total wrong-un) Depends really, my mother in law is pretty hot...For a pensioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 For a pensioner. Oooh, young man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leener Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 I got the head off, which is now in the kitchen.There’s some carnage: Just tried scrubbing the pistons, without damaging the walls. Am I taking on too much here?Any advice on cleaning?Hoping I can find a magnet to get these bloody valve shins out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowBusa Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Am I taking on too much here? Too late to have doubts now mateThe fact you can remove the head without removing oil cooler and tilting engine forward saves you a lot of timeI would be far more worried about the mating surfaces than the piston crownsRust is not good thereStart by cleaning the tops of the barrels with a soft rag and some sort of solvent then measuring the tolerance with a straight edge and feeler gaugeDiscoloration isnt a problem but rough surface is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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