johnnyjazz

Thank you as always so much for your response 'feetupfun'! Thats where i'll start, with the magneto side and check play before i do anything else. so grateful to be able to receive all your knowledge and guidance. Snowy day in NYC so good excuse to be in the workshop i'm in awe of all you mechanical masterminds! have a great weekend, humbly, johnny

Thanks so much dear trials friends, your advice is, as always, invaluable. Methinks I am going to go with the if it ain't broke, don't fix it route! For now anyway. I do have all the new parts on hand and access to a workshop where everything one would need tool wise is available. i guess its all down to confidence. i changed the front fork seals with fantastic lessons from feet up fun and want to learn more about mechanics. Im thinking the only way to learn is to jump in?....though i understand fully that time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted (hence my coming here). @tony27 thanks always and Kia Ora! gee i miss NZ, best to john lawton please. will the bearings definitely be shot you think after 30 years? am i correct in thinking that's much more involved and you have to split the cases? @scifi thanks for awesome electrical maintenance suggestions. and @ Goudrons thanks for the great and sagacious advice! i wasn't planning on splitting the cases, but rather drilling the seals and extracting them with a drywall screw....well, that's if i can zip up my man suit and muster the enthusiasm, but as tony says if i should do the bearings too then i wonder if i'm getting in over my head?! as always, really appreciate your time and responses. thank you. best wishes from brooklyn.

Dear exalted shamans of mechanical knowledge and expertise, Thank you so much for all the insights and advice on this forum thus far. My little bike is coming on a treat thanks to you guys helping me learn how. So i was wondering, as the bike had been sitting for 30 years, is it fair to assume its a given that one must change the crank seals as a matter of course? They don't seem to be leaking and i did 'feetupfun's suggestion of measuring the oil and none had gone from the right side (i think my oily plug is telling me to be a little more sparing with the pre mix ratios)-but is it inevitable that its upcoming and i should muster up the courage and determination to get them done? I've found some great posts on the forum about how to do it but any 'top tips' would be welcome as i am a newbie to this stuff and don't want to mess it up. also, even though the bike runs fine should i do the points/condenser/ignition too or is it a case of if it ain't broke don't fix it? they have been on the bike perhaps for 30 years too. and finally ( i do hope i'm not outstaying my welcome) is it a big deal i noticed i don't have any vent pipes coming of my carb? does it make a big difference or is it ok just to leave it? i enclose a pic of the mellow machine before when i got it and where i'm at now with it, and again thank you so much for all your help as you guys have walked me through alot of stuff thus far! sending best vibes and bright moments from the land of trumptonian dystopia! johnny

Hola friends, just wanted to say thanks y'all for all the invaluable help. i came here a mechanically ignorant novice, and thanks to your help and guidance feel i have put together a pretty good bike. here's a pic of before and after...having sat 30yrs...now back in action on the streets (and empty lots) of NYC! i made it road legal, sorted electrics, changed fork seals, clutch seal, new cables, removed oil pump, fabricated bash plate, new rear shocks, new mudguards, new chain, block and sprocket, new tires, new handle bars, grips, re built carburetor, repacked and cleaned exhaust, getting pinhole leak in tank welded tomorrow...etc etc. life is good, feeling a bit puffed up all thanks to you! (esp senor feet up fun, the worlds TY mastermind). really appreciated. thank you also for the sense of community in a fractured world. best wishes from Brooklyn...

Holy Smokes! night and day feeling so much more confident to tackle this stuff and learn more....knowledge is power!! thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your help and kindness in this forum, esp senor lahey who seems the most effervescently resplendent mechanically minded TY chap this side of the galaxy!

alright dear friends (who are probably tired of me by now!)...totally the last question i promise then i will go into hibernation mode.. after fitting my new falcon shocks today i notice i have very little, if any, clearance between the spring and the chain. i can fettle it by hand to get a few mm's but if not they are touching. is this how it should be or have i messed something up? any suggestions/solutions? thank you, thank you and verily thrice fold thank you always. humbly yours, 'novice junior mechanic' johnny jazz over n out.

thanks so much Senor feetupfun! your knowledge is only exceeded by your kindness and willingness to share it. May you receive an abundance of good vibes from the universe my friend. My falcons arrived in the mail today. deepest joy. they look so nice i'm thinking i might as well go ahead and pimp my ride and get a new tank from clarke! there is every probability that i will fall off in my attempts to get better so i'll just put this one on the shelf if i ever sell the bike also, feeling pretty chuffed as having followed your advice in other threads got the fork seals out and replaced them. having the air gun indeed made it effortless. best wishes, johnny

Dear super trials friends, what are your expert thoughts on 'Caswell' tank sealer? after trying to do some research it appears its the best option there is for the pin hole seam leaks i have. is it a good choice for a steel tank. i read mr. feetupfuns advice that it's not good if you bend/ding the tank- although it was used to good affect on fiberglass tanks. i guess either that or maybe i need to get a new tank. i see clarke racing make one that will fit. is that a better idea at this stage- and retire this one as a shelf trophy? id rather pay $40 for sealer than $240 for a new tank but want to do the right thing in the long run (and also @ feetupfun those dings in the forks were at 50mm so happy days!) many thanks always for any revered guidance and encouragement...

Thank you so much my friend! i am truly in your debt for your kindness in helping us newbies learn this stuff. thank you so much for passing it on im hoping my stanchion is ok and below the 57mm mark...it looks close though. though i should think for a beginner like myself it is less imperative to get it fixed as it probably wont be facing the vicissitudes that a pro like yourself would put it through? anyways, it was a lovely afternoon in Brooklyn and i found these two spots today where no one seemed to mind me playing around. i revisited my 70s classic Don Smith 'how to ride trials' book, and was just working on going as slow as possible in 8s and trying to bunny hop a brick. i cant wait for my new falcons to come! thanks you for your recommending those too sir. so much to learn about trials skills and mechanical skills...so onward and upwards! wishing for you all a great weekend of riding and thank you for making me feel welcome in your forum...

OK, salutations once again friends, so i disassembled the top bit of the forks..tho .cor blimey.gov! that cap nut was a bit of an ordeal. got there in the end my fork springs each measured exactly around the 400mm mark and after changing the oil (from half a cup of sludgey grime) to 125cc of nice fork oil, there was a huge improvement. i did notice i am missing the the packing # 434-23163-00. is that something that i should definitely have? fork seals are still leaking too so that's the next job. however, i noticed today when i pulled down the top left gaiter the chrome seems a bit damaged. is it high enough up it doesn't matter or do i need to have the leg re chromed so i don't damage the new seal? lastly, traced the gas leak to what i think is the seam on the underside on the right. that said, it only seems to leak with a full tank of gas. i drained half of the tank and so far it hasn't leaked. im thinking of my options.... does somewhere like this look any good to you experts? does it look rubbish inside the tank or ok you think? http://www.motorcyclefueltankservices.com/about.html i enclose a few pics for your advice and guidance. humbly yours and wishing for you all a great weekend!, johnny jazz

Thank you again so much 'feet up fun' for your wisdom and kindness of sharing it. i see in the manual the fork springs should measure 400.5mm. i am hoping to get to it tomorrow so will report back my findings. i hope very much too that the leak is on the underside at the bottom. if that is the case, i see the procedure for welding it is fairly straight forward in the hands of the right person. again i'll report back my findings. still love your quote. always timely. hamlet yeah? talking about Denmark i always loved the one from that play 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio than are dreamt of in your philosophy' thanks again guys! great advice.

thanks so much for the reply again my friend. at best i ride more traily/green lane and clubman trials level than anything else. ive ordered a set of falcons for the back at 'feetup funs' suggestion in another post. ive removed the oil pump and put a blanking plate and now have all new cables too. this bike is kicking my a*** in some ways though (but a great learning curve!).... i need to replace the fork seals and maybe get new springs though im not looking forward to working at that damper rod bolt! hopefully the good lord will assist. i have a rattle gun so i should be ok i hope? ive been watching vids on youtube so feel fairly confident. more importantly though....arrrggghh ive noticed the tank is leaking. its only a tiny bit but im guessing its a seam? what to do?...kinda pin hole vibe leak. the paint is so nice on the tank and i really think its all original...hmmmmm...man vs machine. machine winning thus far. is that stuff kreem any good? JB weld...Bondo tank fix? or send it out somewhere?... sorry to ask so many questions my exalted shamans of mechanical expertise! any advice, recommendations or guidance gratefully received. as always, with very best wishes and bright moments from brooklyn. johnny

hello scot taco..thanks so much for the reply, currently going 40:1 on the premix.... maybe do i need to turn the air jet in a 1/4 turn? i had set it to 1 1/2 out like the manual said but i noticed it has a #112 jet and i see the manual says it should have a #114. i've been trying to learn about jetting and what its all about maybe they put a #112 as it gets a bit chilly here in winter? no doubt whoever owned the bike originally (apparently a farmer in Pennsylvania) had been into trials enough to swap it to a 12 tooth on the front and disconnect the oil pump and look after it!

Wowsers super exalted and revered internet buddies!! thank you so much for the wonderful replies esp 'thats a five' for such a huge chunk of knowledge. its really appreciated as i embark on this new journey of 'vtg trials!' sorry to be such a noob, i hope its not annoying u expert peeps!.....(remember, there's always a subject each of us knows nothing about....) i guess im just having that 'mid life crisis' and didn't want a harley or a muscle car! in answers to your questions, yes, i'm easily able to get into 5th...in fairness maybe its nearer 40mph tops than 35 and yes, while in NYC it would appear all one does is sit at the lights . -and thank you very much for the suggestion about throttle slide. i am planning a carb overhaul when i get my new single throttle cable. the oil pump has been disconnected but is still running both cables from the throttle at the moment. thanks for all other great pointers about the plug. i went for a blast earlier and took a pic on my return. im pretty certain it looks how it should? but ultimately, i realize this bike just wants to be off road and was never built for streets so i'll listen to what shes trying to tell me. i'll put a 14 on the front and see how it goes from there. also, if i can dare to impose with yet another question....as a novice clubman vtg trialer, am i best to keep the bike as original as possible for potential resale or should i just go for gold and start upgrading things like the rear shocks etc... i didnt restore the bike myself, i believe its all original- but have been going over it and doing/learning about basic maintenance as it has sat for 30 years in someones static collection. i had trials bikes as a kid in the 80s in the UK- and obviously don't come across too many in NYC, so i just bought this one on a whim! i get good vibes from the bike so just want to treat her nicely and do her right thanks again trials friends for all your time, knowledge and expertise. humbly yours, johnny

hello again my trials experts friends! as wondrous soothsayers of all things TY and this forum being a veritable grotto of educational engineering effervescence, would someone be as kind as to help me with my latest conundrum? having just got my bike fully street legal (thanks Vermont!) i have found with the current gearing of 12/53 i really am struggling to keep up with traffic even on slower roads. let me state that i am well aware this isn't a road bike and isn't geared as such and i am not a speed freak at all, id just like to not be a hazard to others! im only riding 2-3 miles to get to a few industrial construction sites where i can practice trials. so my question is, when i look in the manual (see attached pic) it says the original gearing is 14/53 and during break-in to avoid speeds in excess of 60mph! i mean seriously, could a '74 TY actually go that fast or was that just a generic page from a book to cover all models like the DT/RD too? i find with the 12/53 i am lucky to get maybe 35mph tops and if my sums are correct the difference between a 12 and a 14 front is 16.9% so that's nowhere near 60! the bike seems to be running very well, alot of torque and smooth but just as slow as a steam roller. seeing as i will have to do some road riding to get to my secret spots are there any mods i can do to help with overall top speed? it currently has a #112 main jet and i remember 'mr feetupfun' saying somewhere if you were using it at more higher speeds, then the main jet size is of vital importance to avoid seizing the motor. any advice or guidance most welcome. very best wishes from NYC. johnny (btw, if interested to get it road legal...$17 reg, $6 inspection, $99 year insurance! happy days)

Thank you all again for your wonderful help and sense of community! and yes, @Tony27...it was indeed John L who got me back into trials when i moved to NZ from the UK! when/if you next talk to him pls send him my very best (he'll remember me as johnny saxophone- i left NZ in 07) i started out on TYs growing up and learnt to ride at the Dove holes trials quarry in Derbyshire so it was nostalgia that prompted me to randomly grab this bike. great to know the B model cycle serve manual covers covers the A model too. i see i can get one off ebay from motueka NZ funnily enough! if the pump is shot -which i assume it is if its been turning dry- im guessing other than the weight issue, there is no real harm just leaving it as it is? id hate to try and take it out and do something wrong. or is it so simple a monkey could do it? super glad i found this out before hardly any engine time, the guy i bought it off thought the pumped worked - although it came from someone who had it in a man cave for 30 years so he really wasn't sure. and @feetupfun i found your endless knowledge on this subject on other threads and forums, so a big retro thank you for sharing your extreme wealth of mechanical skills with others! i can only aspire to learn to be as good as you guys with regards A, actually riding and B, engine maintenance! best wishes and bright moments

Thanks tony and Kia ora! i see from your profile you are from palmy. i lived 10 years in wellington! love kiwi mountain. i used to have a nice modern beta when i lived out there but im in NYC now and randomly stumbled on this old ty250a that i just had to buy....though its a lot more work than a modern bike that's for sure! esp for a novice mechanic like myself, its an enjoyable project. do you know of they ever make a haynes/clymer for the A model? ive never seen one online, only the B model.....thanks for all your help

Thank you so much for replies, esp -oni nou- for such a detailed, concise and thorough explanation. really appreciated! I spent the last hour or two googling and quickly realized the wealth of knowledge already there -going back decades- with regards this topic. apologies for regurgitating an already discussed issue, but thoroughly grateful for current help! @lineaway, yeah it all looks hooked up and turns but ive been reading its much better to get a new single cable anyway so think i might go down that route. is there any harm on just leaving it as it is (and starting to use premix) or should i remove it altogether? -and if so i understand i need to take the right side clutch cover off. is this something a novice could attempt or is it easy to mess up...many thanks always and i hope to get my training wheels off soon and get this baby on the road! best vibes!

Dear highly esteemed and revered trials friends, Thank you so very much for all advice given thus far, it is testimony to the positivity of the internet. Few questions for your delectation and perusal with regards the oil pump if any one is kind enough, i am a beginner so i hope you can be patient with me!.... I think its safe to assume this oil pump is not working. Is there any benefit to getting it operational again or is it totally best to go the pre-mix route- and what is the premix ratio- is it 32/1? Like i say im a bit of a greenhorn with the mechanics but getting more confident as i work through the bike. its kind of spiritual as i slowly get the bike back to nice condition, i feel like i am restoring myself too. (we're both '74) Were the original oil pumps that lamentable that everybody went pre-mix? - and trying to get my head round the engine...i can see the two pipes that have been blocked off obviously connect, but where does the oil dripper ring thing go that's hanging down...is that supposed to go inside the engine somewhere? also, am happy to donate to the site but cant see any links? Many many thanks and best regards from NYC, johnny

Thank you so much!! what a wealth of kindness and knowledge here it is my hope to be using it as a trials bike but only vtg/novice clubman class at this stage... ive just been trying to make it look nice and get it ready for its road inspection/MOT.....

hello esteemed and revered trials friends, i really hope i'm not outstaying my welcome here and asking too many questions but was wondering if one of you super knowlegable vtg TY trialers would be able to offer me some advice on how to tell if i would need new rear shocks? ive heard/read the ty250a can be greatly improved by new shocks, but are the ones i have on the bike ok?- or is it a given that they are 43 years old they should be replaced esp if i will use the bike on the road? pls see pic as hopefully that is a better indicator of condition. they seem to be ok but i am no expert. also (sorry!), with regards the front suspension, when i brake and the forks compress i can hear metal banging on metal. does that mean i need new springs in the front forks or just an oil change? with many many thanks from a novice and very best regards from NYC.

im afraid i dont know what the standard versus trail footpegs would be... here is a pic of the pegs for you and maybe you can let me know!.. is that 'long trail' seat standard from back in the day or something that was added afterwards? many thanks for everything, im learning so much here

just wanted to let you know, that armed with the wiring diagram and a circuit tester i figured it all out! lights all working perfectly now. feeling more confident with each job

wow! thank you so much for all your awesome help and kind advice. learning so much everyday and most grateful. at your suggestion i will keep it at 12/53. i only want to potter around the back streets of brooklyn where the average street speed is 25-35mph getting to some off road places i know to practice trials. i have no intention of going on the expressway! it would seem 4th and 5th have enough go. i like your shakespeare quote too. Thanks again and best vibes, johnny

hello friends, sorry to be a nuisance but was hoping if someone would confirm that the original gearing on a '74 ty250A is 14/53....i often see it said 13/53 was the original gearing? the bike has 12/53 on it now. my question is, if i put a 14 on the front how many link chain would i need..is it 110 or 114? would the bike then suck at trials tho? seeing as im going through the hassle of getting it road legal be good to keep up with traffic! many many thanks from an mechanically ignorant green horn in NYC!