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bpilgrim

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  1. Hello, Further to the other 3TA thread, I have a question about shocks. I've had a read of all the other threads, and Falcon shocks are the ones I'm looking at getting, since they're made in England too, but what 'type' should I be looking at? Do I go for the pre-75 shock designed for limited suspension travel, or actual trials shocks? I'm looking at just the steel ones too. I also don't have a clue about what spring rate and length I should get. I assume it goes on rider weight etc, so I weight about 165lbs in trials gear. A quick google tells me a 3TA weighed originally 340lbs, original shocks were 11.9" long and spring rate 135lbs/in. Wild guess here, but imagine the bike will weigh, in trials trim, maybe 300lbs? Falcon's website recommends a 14.15/50/3/8 shock for the Tiger Cub, I'm assuming that's 14.15" long, 50lbs/in and 3/8" attachment? What would you recommend for a this 3TA project? (I imagine many answers will say it depends on the rider's preference, so my preference is on the hard side, since I tend to treat trials bikes like scramblers in between sections, and my Cota 348 bottoms out quite a lot even on small jumps, I do however plan to be a bit more gentle on a 53 year old bike!) Thanks in advance, Ben
  2. Hello Everyone, I've just taken on a 1959 Triumph 3TA barn find, and I hope to turn it into a trials machine. My sort of riding is just having a bit of fun on the white route, so I'm not after much competitiveness, but I am interested in keeping it period, and I'm hoping to do as little (if any) permanent modifications as possible. Here's some pictures of the bike in question: Triumph 3TA My first question is the hubs, before I get the bits to lace the planned 21" WM1 and a 18" WM2, what hubs would be appropriate? From reading around it seems a Tiger Cub front hub is common choice, do these come in 36 or 40 hole (or does it vary, if so, which is better?). With regards to the rear hub, can I get away with using the original, as it already has a very small drum? It is the type where the sprocket and drum are cast as one, but it bolts to the hub itself, so the sprocket could still be changed without difficulty, albeit taking the drum with it. From reading the threads, it appears alignment of the sprocket is an issue with a trials conversion, which is why I'm keen to keep the original hub on the back. Also, I don't suppose anyone knows if a 18"x4" tyre will fit the swingarm on a 3TA. I'm sort of guessing here, but I think it's the same frame as the 5TA, which I'm assuming is quite a bit bigger than a tiger cub series? I'm hoping the chain won't hit the tyre. For the lacing bits, could anyone recommend a good place to source the rims and spokes from? Another question I have is about the oil tank, what are the side affects to having a smaller oil tank, I think it's got a 2 3/4 pint tank on it, would a 2 1/4 pint make any difference? Also, is a 'froth tower' recommended for trials? Other bits which I should mention; -exhaust will be twin high level pipes, inspired by the Triumph Metisse, bit heavier than the siamese system, but it'll look fantastic -forks... I hope to leave original... I'm planning to just heat treat the springs to suit, and have a play with the oil to make them work. -fuel tank, tiger cub, or terrier tank, as the newly made pre-65 trials tanks I found were really expensive. -mudguards, universal alloy ones, would you recommend the 6" D shape rear (for the B40) or the 5" C shape rear (for the Tiger cub)? (will be from trialsbits) -Handlebars - Although I love Renthal bars, the brace looks too modern for this bike, so I'm looking at the Pre-65 bars from Sammy Millers, are they any good? -Seat - I plan to make -Air filter - are pancake filters ok for trials? As mentioned, I'm only riding white route, so they're shouldn't be any deep water. I think that's enough questioning for now! Many thanks, Ben
  3. I had a similar experience with an old Landy, I have a (security) habit of leaving the gearbox in 3 neutrals (when parked on the flat), so as to help prevent some pikey from trying to pinch it and I dropped it off for an MOT and it appears to even be mechanic proof! They called me up for instructions of how to get it moving, it did make me chuckle!
  4. It is also a requirement to have tax, which still isn't a problem for pre-73, I sure they'd come up with something so that you can still transfer, e.g. a special MOT exemption certificate or something along those lines.
  5. There are already classic trucks driving round without MOT's, I guy I know who has an old Bedford, an RL I think, I think it's 3 ton and that doesn't have an MOT, I don't think a bike would do much damage in comparison...
  6. Alex feel free to repost, every chap needs his manual! I believe the service/repair manual covers the 247, including oil quantities for the forks, clutch, gearbox etc.
  7. Hi, I have a 348 with your very exact problem, before I acquired it, the flywheel had snapped off with quite a bit of the crank, and has eaten part of the casing, as well as putting a hole in the front of the casing (which has been fixed with a very hard filler). I have ridden my bike (quite aggressively) for about 20hrs and it has been fine. The primary gear is only half on the end of the crank, and it hasn't broken off yet...(I hope I haven't just jinxed my next trial!) It also seems to run fine without mass of the flywheel, I believe riders used to skim the flywheel anyway to take some mass off it and make the bike rev quicker. I'm not sure about the torque, as I haven't ridden a 348 with the flywheel on, but I'm sure it would make a difference. I have (eventually) managed to get my hands on a complete 348 engine (with an intact crank and flywheel), so I plan to swap the crank as mentioned above. Here's some pics off my bike: (if you skip to picture 29, that's probably the best pic of the crank, and the primary gear only just on it) https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59664&id=1497248461&l=b591644882 I've also got some electronic copies of 348 manuals if you need them. Ben
  8. Time for an update I think, since the bike is almost complete. - The gear problem was indeed the gear selector mechanism, the previous owner had been fiddling and must have put it on incorrectly, I just followed the manual and I now have 6 gears selecting well. -The tank was a 349 tank, it was shorter and wider than the 348 tank. It also had no breather and the filler was in the centre, I've now got a 348 tank with the offset filler and breather, fits nicely. -The wheels I have been told were from a MH349, the rear had the orginal 30 ish year old MT13 tyre on! I now have an original set of 348 wheels. -The carb was indeed a Mikuni, an Amal L2627/402 is now on it. -The front brake torque arm appeared to be galvanised steel strip that is used for securing joists together, I've now got a proper aluminium one. -Got myself a decompressor for the second port, which makes a great sound! -Frame powder coated back to black instead of red. The timing and points gap you mentioned work a treat, the bike has tonnes of power, it pulls like a tractor! I eventually managed to get myself a complete 348 engine which is in great condition, but as I want to keep matching numbers, I'm going to pinch lots of parts from the spare, instead of swapping engines. I haven't got around to doing this yet, but at least I now have the parts ready. The old melted coil still worked, so the new one is just kept as a spare, mainly because it doesn't fit, I'll need to trim down the bracket. Now for the project cost (ouch!), I bought the bike for £280, and the total cost so far (bike + parts) is currently at £1050 This does however include quite a lot of spares, I tend to just buy 348 parts in case I ever need them, somehow I have ended up with with 3 cylinder heads, 3 LH engine cases, and lots of spindles! I'm sure they'll come in handy one day! Main bits left to buy/do: -Strip both engines to make one good one. -Shocks -Handle bars/amal levers -Mudguards/fairing Here's the album of pics (you may notice some mistakes I made in the rebuild, such as the rear engine mount on the swinging arm, I put it on the wrong way, which I only found out when I couldn't get the engine bolts in!) https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59664&id=1497248461&l=b591644882 Thanks again for all your advice, it came in very handy! Ben
  9. Hi Alex, I've measured what I think the exposed length should be and 240mm seems about right. Could you post a pic to facebook of the steel bracket you mention, as mine doesn't have that bracket, the mudguard stay has just been drilled instead. I've just noticed that the ebay listing for the cable states Cota 348 1976-78, although In Motion said mine is 1977, I actually think it's more likely 1979, with the build number being 13'030. If this is the case, what's the font brake difference between the 1976-78 and the 79 model?
  10. It's not on a spline, and I've compared it to a spare 348 brake plate and it seems exactly the same. I now really don't know why the cable seems so long...
  11. Thanks for that, my front brake stay is 195mm, the inner cable is 1060mm, and the outer is 685mm (excluding adjuster), which is odd because it means the length of the exposed cable (the difference) on mine is 375mm and your difference is 400mm, yet mine is already too long... hmmm I wonder whether the brake actuator arm is on a spline, everything else is the same, so maybe that has been adjusted... I'll go and find out.
  12. Right, I've opened up the the carb again to check the 'float needle' (I'm learning!). It looks quite a technical little needle, my one is of a triangular sort, with 3 points that make contact with the jet, and it has a funny little tip. I've cleaned the needle, the jet and also made sure the float moves freely on the brass spindle, and the bike's running well. I'll see how it goes, and if the problem appears again I'll change the float needle as you suggest. Is this type of carb, standard 348 Amal (L2627/402), is it a 600 series Amal? As the parts are split into categories for the 600, 900, Mk2 and Monobloc. I think this is the right sort: http://www.trialsbits.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=34_35&products_id=85 Do float needles only ever come in one size? Thanks, Ben
  13. My manual for my 348 also says 190cc/leg, I too thought this was a bit low, I just put 200ml in, it seems to work ok. I also have another montesa manual that covers several models, and all the fork oil quantities are low, see p101 (it's a big file and may take a while to open): http://bpilgrim.webs.com/montesa_service_repair_1965_75.pdf Ben
  14. Hi, I really don't know much about carbs, so is this the big needle in the centre? Is that the main needle? I was looking at this today, I noticed on the top, there was a little washer type clip, and there were I think 5 slots on the top of the needle, is this for main adjustment?
  15. Hi, yet more questions from me! Just spent
  16. Hi, thanks, I think I'll probably try several rear sprockets, as at the moment (not entirely sure what sizes are on) first is a bit slow and I run out of beans going up a hill. I seem to use second most of the time but sometimes, it runs away, I often find myself changing between first and second during a section, which I don't think you're supposed to do. I have also dropped points before by changing gear, and getting it stuck in neutral... not good when you can't balance!
  17. Hi, I failed to finish a trial on Sunday as my bike had some running issues, it eventually cut out, I pushed it back up the quarry, sort of fixed it and then I ran out of time! It started the day running perfectly, started easily, tickover was good and it revved cleanly. After 2 laps, idle started being a little funny, it was wanting to cut out, and seemed to be surging slightly, like it was running out of fuel. I then noticed that it was dumping fuel out of the overflow pipes when I revved it and then backed off, I have heard this is the float sticking, so I had a go at tapping the body of the carb, which didn't really fix it. I managed another lap, struggling to keep it running, until it finally packed up. After about 40 mins, fiddling, tapping the carb, I managed to get it going again, it struggled to start and was very smokey, but after about a minute, it ran perfectly well again, and I carried on until I ran out of time. I stripped the carb today, as I have heard ethanol affects the plastic float (although I'm running it on shell 95, which I believe doesn't contain ethanol), and it was fine, I was expecting a sludge, but it was clean, I checked the filter in the bottom of the carb, and the inline fuel filter and they are both clean. After stripping the carb today, I ran it for a while, and I let it idle on the spot for a while until it was very hot, to see if it was just doing it when it was hot, but it was fine. I'm now slightly puzzled as to why (I think) the float is sticking and why it seems to happen at random... Any help would be much appreciated, Ben
  18. Thanks for all the comments. I have now finished the rims, with new rim tapes, talon rimlocks (drilled the rear rim and fitted two), heavy duty michelin tubes in them (which are for enduro/mx) but are so thick I'd be very surprised if I ever got a puncture and the tyre still deforms well with these thick tubes in. Tyres, well I'm a student, so I went for Pirelli's and I am so far very impressed with the grip (and the self cleaning). Then again, my first two trials were on the original 30+ year old Pirelli MT13 tyres. The only problem I have had is with the rear tyre unseating at low pressure (4psi), the bead is popping onto the inside of the rim, opposed to sitting on the edge of the rim. The rim lock sizes were indeed WM1 front and WM2 rear, as you correctly stated. Sprockets: Haven't yet ordered these, but will go for the standard gearing, 10T and 33T, using talon sprockets, and the Renthal R1 520 chain, as have been recommended. I had some fun getting the front sprocket off a spare engine the other day, I managed to get it off with a puller, but it came off with quite a bang! Regarding the woodruff key on the front sprocket, since woodruff keys (and other types) are only for locating things on shafts, and are not load bearing (I think), why did Montesa give the front sprocket a key? It doesn't matter what orientation it goes on... Thanks, Ben
  19. Hello, I'm after some advice about a BSA B40 trials project. I'm a 19 yr old engineering student and have almost completed my first bike restoration of a Montesa Cota 348. It was a fairly simple bike, but I have learnt a lot and I think it's time I took on another project. I want a British bike, (which I wanted initially, but thought I'd start on something simpler and cheaper!). I want to use the bike for trials, so the B40 comes to mind. (The C15 seems a nice bike too, and is probably better for trials, but I'd much rather have a 350cc) So in a few months time I will be looking to buy a BSA B40 for restoration. It doesn't have to be a runner (I'd actually rather it didn't run, just for the thrill of getting it running!) and I plan to turn it into a trials machine, and so I am not too fussed about whether it has the tinware, tank, mudguards etc. One thing that it must have is matching frame and engine numbers, I know the numbers aren't that important, but I have a 1971 Land Rover that I bought when I was 16, which doesn't have matching numbers, and it bugs me little... I am therefore after some advice on how much you think a B40 would cost, in complete mechanical condition, with matching numbers. I'm also after a bit of help with turning it into trials trim. I know some people take the modifications really quite far and get quite technical/competitive with Pre-65 bikes, but I just trial for fun and so I want to keep it fairly standard. (Here's me now being picky and patriotic) I set my 'modification limit' at not making any permanent or irreversible modifications whatsoever, I also wouldn't go near electronic ignition, or use parts off foreign bikes (e.g. Montesa fork internals and definitely not a Mikuni carb!), I'll run it with the standard Amal monobloc carb and standard spark plug too, which was possibly a Lodge? I like keeping it fairly standard because I like learning about classic bikes and tinkering with the points and the timing, and playing with the carb. These are the jobs that I am currently aware of to get it from road trim into trials trim: - Fit aluminium mudguards, tank, and a small seat (or just make a plate and put some sticky foam on it) - Fit high level exhaust from Sammy Miller. Quite a few B40s/C15s don't seem to have silencers on the high level exhausts, can I run it straight piped? Are they really loud when straight piped? I'd like a loud BSA! Also, if I can use a straight pipe, will it burn the exhaust valves, maybe need a richer jetting? - Tyres, I believe both front and back road rims are 18", are these rims strong enough for trials? Is it possible to get a suitable front trials tyre for an 18" rim? - Oil tank, I've seen a C15 scrambler with the standard oil tank on ebay, but most seem to have slimmed down tanks, or oil in frame, what is the benefit of oil in frame? - Sump guard, plan to make an aluminium one - Handle bars, I would assume the road versions are unsuitable for trials. So new trials bars, 6" rise ish? - Gearing, I think I've read that the gearbox has a lower range on trials/scrambler models, but can this not just be done with a small front and a large rear sprocket? - Suspension, would the road setup be ok for trials? That's probably enough questions for now! Many thanks in advance, Ben
  20. bpilgrim

    petrol !

    Whilst we're on the topic of fuels affecting rubber and plastic components, I have a query: My Cota 348 has an original Amal carb, which I believe has a plastic float. When I first put the carb on, it ran perfectly, but now when the bike has been standing for maybe a week, the float seems to stick (I think), when I rev the bike and then the RPM drops, the carb dumps fuel out of one of the overflow pipes. It happened at my last trial and a guy said the float was sticking and he tapped the carb with a spanner, which cured it for the trial (but it still does it now and again). So is it the float that is sticking? If so, would this be caused by detergents in the fuel? I've been running it on Shell 95 which I believe doesn't have ethanol in it, but I've just read about shell 95 on their website: "Special detergents act on your engine as you drive to prevent the build up of deposits." Are these detergents damaging to rubber/plastic? Thanks, Ben
  21. bpilgrim

    petrol !

    Hi, You can also get AVGAS from most airports over here. I fly from Liverpool and guys often come in and buy AVGAS for 'special' uses, often racing. The most common stuff is AVGAS 100LL, i.e. 100 octane, low lead. Apart from lead boosting the octane level, it gives added protection to I believe the valve seats, which is why it's used in light aircraft. You can get higher octane ratings, but I believe they were for military use (and are not available at Liverpool at least). The current price of AVGAS 100LL is about
  22. Yes, but only as it was raced with no oil! (my dad failed to mix the fuel), it seized and locked up the rear 3 times, the third was fatal. The piston (and the ring, melted into the piston), is now an ornament on my desk...
  23. I have been told that the aluminium fuel tanks were for all UK imports, as regulations at the time prevented the use of fibreglass/plastic tanks.
  24. Hello, I'm after new sprockets and chain for my 348, just wondering from your experience, what the best sprocket sizes are (front and back) for riding modern trial sections (and no road use)? Also, what would be a good sprocket make? I've been looking at Talon sprockets, but the front (on a taper) doesn't have a cut out for a woodruff key, do I need to find a special front sprocket? Chain: I believe it's a 520, any particularly good makes? Tyres: I've searched for other threads and everyone seems to hate the Pirelli's, but for a novice, would there actually be much difference between the MT43s and the X11s? I was inclined to the Pirelli's because it said they were harder, so they should last longer, do they? The Michelin's are only £25 more than the Pirelli's (for both front and back combined, tube type), so if the Michelin's last longer I'll go for them. Tubes: I'm looking at the Michelin tubes, but do I need normal tubes (£8 each), 'heavy duty' (£12 each) or 'ultra heavy duty tubes' (£25 each)? Rimlocks: I'm a little confused, the sizes I've found are WM1(1.6"), WM2(1.85"), WM3(2.15") and WM4(2.5"). I was after 2.75" and 4.00" since I have 2.75x21 and 4.00x18 rims, so what do these sizes relate to? Also I was looking at the fancy aluminium Talon rimlocks, apparently they are the best on the market, any experience with these? Thanks in advance, Ben
  25. Thanks for the pics, it's nice to have a benchmark to go off! I've been keeping an eye out for some original mudguards but I too haven't seen any. I'm looking at going for the (white) reproduction mudguards from In Motion, as both the front and rear on my bike have melted.
 
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