telboy1969

have just completely rebuilt this little ty80 for my 9 yr old son, next project is a ty50m which is halfway there just need to track down a dual seat if anyone out there has one kicking around?

wooah, yamanx, just about to respray a restored cota 348 in VW mars red with newly painted black frame! If I'd seen that photo before I may have just changed my mind, that looks terrific, I know the purists won't like it but I think that is an awesome job!

I remember riding a FZ750 in my youth with a tiny numberplate, got pulled on it often leading to producers from the local police station to ensure that I fitted the correct size and the local MOT garage had to stamp a certificate to prove it... after a few of these I just fitted the standard size back it was too much hassle, my advice would be stick to the standard cos they scrutineer every little bit of the bike if they ever pull you for it, I had to grind out the "not for road use" stamp out of the race exhaust at one point.....just not worth the hassle, or have I suddenly got older and more sensible.....

Right, hmmm the sodding clutch..... Thanks big shiney will check that today or tomorrow when I take the casing off yet again!! Will clamp it and see whether my torque wrench is up to the job.....Just to give you all an update, torqued the clutch nut to 20 newtons (just over 15lbs), have an old short pusher and a brand new 10mm one, and two of everything else including spiders, retaining pins, tab washers... the lot. I've come to the conclusion that the old pin is too short to work it and it would appear the 10mm is too long and just gives me a floppy kickstart, HOWEVER take the clutch out of the lever and I get compression back will just and so work without the handlebar adjuster, think I've spotted what may be the problem with it now though.... Up until now I've disconnected the lever and left it dangling to work on the clutch, when I came to put it on last time the nipple popped out and as I went to press it back in I saw that it wasn't a nipple but the end of a bolt with a hole drilled through and the wire soldered/welded/stuck/whatever into place!! Now its beginning to make a bit more sense.... the cable has obviously snapped at some point, probably near the nipple and someones done a repair which means of course that the clutch cable is that little bit shorter.... So when I try and put in the new 10mm push pin it presses the plates straight away hence kickstart slipping.... Probably my schoolboy error that I didn't spot this before, it never dawned on me, but logic now says that a new proper length cable and the 10mm may just work... will buy one and see, fingers crossed.. Samwisemcg, have 13 plates in both clutches, one set has side slots for the rattle springs and the other set look like aftermarket ones with no spring slots, definitely 13 though not 15, I'm guessing it ill be down to the thickness of the plates though so you'd have to stack them next to the old ones to see how much difference the 15 plates make. I'm also guessing you're changing them cos they're worn so would expect the new ones to be a slightly bigger pile at the right amount if thats logical... Mind you what do I know about montesa clutches.....hahaha

Thank you so much for the replies... had another play today , put in a brand new longer brass push pin and have nearly got a clutch back... real fine line though between it working and making the kickstart floppy so it won't kick over. will check the settings of the clutch nut with a torque wrench later this week when I get chance but my guess is that the nut is way over 15ft lbs so am betting that if I slacken that off and torque it correctly I might get a proper clutch ... Does the manual say the torque settting for the balancer nut? I made that one very tight again as I don't want that to make an appearance out of the side of the casing, it was very very tough to get off so was guessing the tighter the better on that one... Will let you all know how I get on but once again many thanks.

I know its been a couple of months since I last posted but been mad busy at work so havent had time to play! The good news is that the old girl has taken shape and is looking like a trials bike again. Once fully complete i will post some pics of the restoration, next project is a ty80 restore so I'm learning all the time at the mo! Back to the 348 though, the clutch did not work, nada, nothing, so got a replacement basket and plates off ebay for cheap money! fitted them today, the balancer nut had been loctited on so after lots of heat, rattle guns, long bars and grips it finally came away. Put the new (2nd hand) basket on, finger tightened the nut, fitted the casing back on to test and wahoo working clutch!! Took casing back off refitted the balancer and tightened both that nut and the clutch nut and put everything back together thinking I'd solved the problem but sadly no... pull the clutch and the kickstart goes floppy but put it into gear and the clutch does not work... My conclusions are that it was working when finger tight, can't imagine the balancer is the culprit, and the only thing I've really done is tighten the clutch nut up to the hilt and bent over the tab washer so question is am I over tightening the clutch nut? should it be just past fingertight or have a torque setting? Or am I missing something obvious? All this has been done with the engine not running, so does the clutch need to be spinning to work properly. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated! Finally, the seat base was rotten so have had to use this as a template and slowly build it up with fibreglass to the right shape, final piece of the jigsaw nearly done (apart from the clutch), got some VW mars red to respray the tank unit then its time to play ....hopefully!!

At some point in its life, the swinging arm had been chewed by the chain and blob welded, when I knocked the old bushes out the chain marks were on there too. To say they were worn is an understatement, you could rattle them up and down, forwards and backwards. This is a barn find rebuild so expect some anomalies and I'm guessing those bushes have never been changed in its lifetime. They were dry, the nipples and oil pipe were blocked and full of mud so thought sod it I'll buy the whole new kit off inmotion. When it came I noticed than the swing arm holes were slightly ovalled (probably due to wear and tear) and so hammering a bush in by about 2 cm started to nip it and no longer let the inner slide in, hence the trip to my friends to have them reamed. We're talking in thousands of an inch here not taking huge chunks.... Shes an old girl who's had no TLC so these things are sent to try us... Thanks for the replies Lithium grease and oil it is then... Cheers.

Still busy putting in a couple of hours here and there rebuilding a cota 348. The old swinging arm bushes were shot so ordered a new kit with the outer and inner bushes. A very good friend of mine reamed the swing arm holes , then pressed in you bushes using a milled template of the inner and again gently reamed the inside of the bushes so the inners go in smoothly (little bit tight at the moment but I've been assured they'll soon free up!!). Question is that I have the oil tube linking both bushes with the nipples. Should I just grease them on assembly and forget the tube or oil them and fill the tube with oil as well. If so what grade of oil/grease do I need? Don't really want to get this bit wrong after my mates hard work....

Been thinking, If I want to use this properly I would like a bashplate of some kind, scoured the internet for one but no joy, does anyone know where I can get a decent aftermarket one to u-clamp on or something?? Also think the back wheel has the same problem so gonna try the retaining compound method - will let you know how it goes... I will get there eventually...

Hmm this bike has air assisted forks so am beginning to wonder if it a bitsa from two bikes due to the different engine and frame numbers and from the info you kind people have given me.. Gonna rebuild it anyway so may be asking other questions too Many thanks for your help much appreciated!!!

Thanks for that, guessed it was late 70's, got another complete flywheel cover to go on instead of the cut one, as for the bash plate, they've done a very good job of cutting it out and grinding back as there are no visible remains of welds or bobbles on the frame where it may have been so thats a mystery as to why someone would do that or did some just not have them? Frame is pretty solid, few little dings but no cracks or bends, actually in very good shape for something that old!! I don't know the complete history of the bike but will ask the previous owner (who I know wouldn't have the tools to do that ) and see if I can trace the background. Another query is the front wheel bearings got a new set and fitted them today but they are not tight as I expected, still quite a bit of play - could it be that the bearing housings has worn? On the main hub side it was tight to hammer in then once through the gap seemed jts to pop into place too easily, on the shoe side the bearing just pushes in and out using fingers? Definitely the right bearings as got them off inmotion with some other bits and pieces....

this was the bike halfway through stripping it....

this is the frame stripped of paint ready for primer...

Sorry both numbers do indeed begin with 51M, Will post some photos of them both shortly

Have recently bought a cota 348 which was originally for me to do up for the kids, it was an amazing barn find for £100 so couldn't complain. A week later I get offered a TY80 for £200 so that is now the kids toy as it didnt need much TLC before it was revving freely and racing down the fields. Anyhow this montesa has got me hooked, used to have a bultaco sherpa in my youth so I think I'm going through a mid-age crisis here trying to relive my younger days. Took a long look at it before I started then a couple of hours later I was down to the bare frame ( hand painted white!!), have stripped that back to bare metal, along with the swinging arm and the central engine mount bit, applied some red oxide primer and just going to spray it with black hammerite smooth to gibe it some more protection. Forks were seized ( that was a learning curve) managed to knock them out with an improvised piece of wood screwed in the bottom of the damper and carefully sand back the pistons, working nice now though with fresh seals and oil (can alloy really swell?) . There was a spark on the bike but no clutch, got one off fleabay but after taking the cover off though the push pin looked worn so got another , worn??? tsk the new one is about 5 mm taller and there was no oil in it either. Got new gaskets for electrics and clutch, new tapered head bearing, wheel bearings and swinging arm bush kit (ouch!!) and am just going to piece it all back together. Exhaust was a tin can end, on a butchered front pipe, after 2 fleabay purchases I think I've got enough exhausts to kit three bikes out as each one had been cut at some point so missed the bracket hole. I like it to be right.... hate things amiss. So in the next few weeks I'm going to put it back together, I'm not after concours, just something that rides nicely, and I can have fun on, it'll be smart but usable, not to bang in a garage on paddock stands (have an R1 that does that) BUT after all that dialogue I do have one query, don't know how to date it, The engine number and frame numbers are different (might be nicked!!) the frame has no bashplate or mesh, just tubes and is earlyish as is stamped 87**, the engine may have been replaced at some point as this is 129**. Anything I should be aware of when putting this all back together now just in case I start buying short exhausts(as I have done) as it may be a bit of a hybrid!!!