Triumph Trophy Engine Strip

[Mickly]

Right here goes, I will attempt to document the strip down & diagnosis, believe me, it won’t be as quick as Fastbob’s sterling ER5 job.

The reason I’m doing this is that the Trophy went to a local workshop to have the fuelling sorted as it’s got after market pipes & foam pods instead of an air box.

However it was diagnosed with a slipping clutch, oil leak ( only under load) & 59BHP - mainly due to the clutch slip.

I then got them to do a compression test & this was the result:

 

While the leak down test results weren’t too bad, the compression should be around 150psi, also there was only a small uplift between dry & wet tests. Armed with this information I’m going to have a look inside the engine & see what’s going on.

[Mickly]

So here is the bike in a dingy but relatively dry Coventry garage.

 

And armed with the Haynes Manual as a guide I will commence.

 

According to the manual could do this without removing the engine but having spilt petrol over it It needs repainting, so out it will come & onto the bench.

Which will require a little tidying first.

[Guest Swagman]

Good luck with it, new rings and valve grind maybe

[rennie]

Good Luck!

[Mickly]

Seat unit off ( bubble wrapped & stored with its fixings taped to it) & -ve battery connection undone.

[fastbob]

So what's the actual plan ? 0.5 over sized pistons and a professional rebore or maybe just new rings and a hone ? I've got a valve spring compressor and a honing tool if you want to borrow them . They're just Machine Mart stuff but they do the job .

[Mickly]

So what's the actual plan ? 0.5 over sized pistons and a professional rebore or maybe just new rings and a hone ? I've got a valve spring compressor and a honing tool if you want to borrow them . They're just Machine Mart stuff but they do the job .

 

Thanks for the offer I may well have to take you up on that.

Not sure until I get into it .... mate of mine has pointed out that I might be able to fit Triumph 955 pistons and liners and take it to 1275cc .... bloody git, now he’s planted that seed I might have to give it proper consideration.

Hopefully it’s just a hone & new rings, but as you know, it could be a whole different ball game.

[Mickly]

Air filter pods off so I can get to the fuel tap / fuel hose clamp.

That green box has had a good wash out as it will house the carbs when they come off.

[Mickly]

Fuel hose off - bit of wooden dowel with tape round it shoved in the end to stop any MORE fuel spilling out - doh !!

At least I had some rags down to catch it this time!!

[fastbob]

So what's the actual plan ? 0.5 over sized pistons and a professional rebore or maybe just new rings and a hone ? I've got a valve spring compressor and a honing tool if you want to borrow them . They're just Machine Mart stuff but they do the job .

 

Thanks for the offer I may well have to take you up on that.

Not sure until I get into it .... mate of mine has pointed out that I might be able to fit Triumph 955 pistons and liners and take it to 1275cc .... bloody git, now he’s planted that seed I might have to give it proper consideration.

Hopefully it’s just a hone & new rings, but as you know, it could be a whole different ball game.

 

You can have my knackered ER5 barrells to practice your cross hatching on .

[Mickly]

Tank off, fixings bagged & taped to it.

Wrapped in an old clean sheet & into the cardboard box it came in.

[Guest Swagman]

Moving on nicely.

[Mickly]

Engine oil filler cap removed to allow sump to vent.

 

Oil drain plug

 

Oil ... I added new oil and it certainly didn’t go in that colour !! Can’t see evidence of water ingress & it’s not milky, more burnt, probably caused by the over heating due to lean fuelling.

[Mickly]

Radiator cap removed to allow cooling system to vent

Coolant is now over flowing from the rad neck

[Mickly]

Coolant drain plug undone - the coolant looks in good nick.

[Mickly]

Lowest point of the cooling system ( looks nothing like the pic in the Haynes manual.

 

Needs this bracket undoing from the block to separate the hose.

Again not in the Haynes !!

[fastbob]

Haynes Manuals are hit and miss . The ER5 one is excellent but my Sportster one is incomprehensible shite .

[Mickly]

Hoses removed

& Filed

[onesea]

As a fellow trophy owner following with interest. You know there is a FB trophy group full of wisdom...

Do you mind if I share this post there?

[Mickly]

As a fellow trophy owner following with interest. You know there is a FB trophy group full of wisdom...

Do you mind if I share this post there?

 

No worries about you sharing it, I’m not on Facebook so unfortunately can’t partake of their wisdom, If I get stuck would you be ok to pass on a few Q’s ?

[Six30]

As a fellow trophy owner following with interest. You know there is a FB trophy group full of wisdom...

Do you mind if I share this post there?

 

No worries about you sharing it, I’m not on Facebook so unfortunately can’t partake of their wisdom, WHEN I get stuck would you be ok to pass on a few Q’s ?

 

Fixed

[Mickly]

Cooling fan switch disconnected

 

Cooling fan harness disconnected

 

Horns disconnected - both sides ( Not standard fitting point, but looks ok on the radiator)

 

Bottom fixings removed ( Both sides )

 

Top Fixings removed ( Both sides )

 

Radiator is free .... Oh no it’s not says law of Sod!! The fan harness is hooked up & you’ve forgotten the expansion tank hose !!

Radiator off, emptied, wrapped in an old tablecloth & stored with the tank.

 

 

Keep meaning to get some gloves when doing this kind of thing

[fastbob]

Does anyone remember the long thread on here where a guy stripped his Triumph down and then kind of lost interest or something and put it back together again without actually doing anything ? I'll have a dig later .

[fastbob]

Here it is . I haven't read it through but I think he lost his bottle in the end . https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=65912&start=60

[Mickly]

Right the side stand needs to be removed next.

Top side stand bracket mounting removed

Side stand switch connector undone

 

Gear change linkage rod undone & moved to allow access to lower engine mounting bolt that also holds the side stand

 

Lower engine mounting bolt removal - what Haynes don’t say is that you need 6” long fingers & the dexterity of Dynamo to get to the nut at the back.

It’s hidden by a plastic plug.

 

And remove the side stand .... but no, what Haynes failed to say is that the harness routes behind the water pump & the bloody connector doesn’t fit through the gap !!

 

Water pump loosened & withdrawn a tad releasing the connector, also need to remove the water pump upper hose cover to wiggle the water pump out.

Water pump

 

Hose Cover

Side stand removed & stored in an old shoebox.

Hose cover wrapped & put with tin with other fixings ( danger of this turning into a biscuit thread )

Watch this space ( or not ) for the next instalment.... removing the exhaust oooooooh

Edited November 10, 2020 by Mickly