The ‘newest’ bike I’ve had for ages. Microfibre cloth and a quick t-cut should bring it up lovely. 
It’ll sit for a few months before I start on it as there’s a few other bits and bobs to sort first. But a new project, I like a project.
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Oily rag not good enough these days? Ok perhaps wire wool n oil then!
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This rebuild I’m going to enjoy.
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Can’t wait to follow this rebuild.
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You like a project that’s a challenge!
Nice one, Iron.
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Careful you don’t spoil that patina. 
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This is how it was ‘discovered’. It’s been left in a greenhouse/leanto since 1984. Considering it’s a 1980 bike I wonder why it’s not standard - blue frame, fibreglass mudguard, ally wheels etc etc.
The lady who sold it - to the dealer I bought it from - said that the man who was working on it became unwell and couldn’t work on it any longer. It had remained in the lean-to since then. The last MOT is dated 1983 - which, I assume, was it’s first and only. The mileage recorded on the MOT was 13,438, the speedo reads 13,514 - so it didn’t get much mileage until it was dismantled. Obviously not for the first time. There were no previous owners. It came with a Haynes manual, an owners manual and the original keys.
There’s the original back footrest in the toolbox. The wiring is still labelled up so that’ll help
It arrived with several boxes of bits. The rear brake drum obviously doesn’t belong so it may be that there were other bikes that were long since gone. The engine seems to be complete as I’ve had a look through it all. Most of the rust and tins of old nails and screws have been disposed of.
If you look closely you can see that the crank is in a bit of a state. For some reason only one conrod had been removed. One journal is bolloxed the other is near perfect. Looks like that’s when he didn’t feel too good. Sad…
It’ll sit for a while but I’ll try to make it better for him…thankyou, welcome…over
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It’s obviously got an interesting history. I always like to find those things out as in your case that’s so unusual
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Have stripped most of the rust so I can leave alone till it’s time comes
I think I’ll splash out for a new rectifier/regulator
Engine cases and covers seem ok but will inspect once the rebuild starts as I’ve no idea why it was coming apart yet
Engine internals left in a bucket of rusteze for a few days
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Have tried to clean up crankshaft but it may be lost due to exposure. Maybe this is what he was going for - the sludge trap is pretty full. Just shows you how quick these can fill. Maybe there wasn’t a lot of servicing. Not done a lot of miles 13.5k and sludge trap about 3/4 full.
But the gearbox internals are perfect
Why would the frame be the 'orrible matt blue colour? Is in pretty good nick overall but some areas of rust will need some sorting out. Looks like a wet rag was draped across it for years. But as it’s in the dry it should be fine for now
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Only about 4 months later. It’s been sat in the corner awaiting the queue.
Note: I’ve not added to the original message as it doesn’t allow for a bit of a chat with others (who may be interested) as the build progresses.
Any old end up…
Winter is coming and the geese are getting fat, so I had to lift/steer it into view for a bit of a dismantle and inspection before I even think what to do.
Another note: see those two little lugs sticking up on the top of the sub-frame. They are not on the older T140 frames. I guess they hold the seat in line. They will figure much in this episode 
Someone had borrowed/nicked the original bars for something or other so I stuck the drag bars on to help with the manhandling, they didn’t help much as it’s a bit ‘stiff’.
The erm…engine has been sat on the bench getting not better so that’s to do as well. I’ve boxes of engine parts under the bench but at the moment I’m thinking about binning the Mk2 carbs and putting on a 140V head and Amals
The rims are Akront high shouldered ones so I’ll see if I can save them and get some new stainless spokes
This is normally where all the rusty bits are but it’s not looking bad at all. This part must’ve been under cover. It’s a bit confusing about the colour, there’s no evidence of any other colour on the frame. It’s even this grey/blue colour under the hoses where I’ve pulled them off and under the black tape. Strange, it must’ve been running this colour.
First off, turn it all upside down to get at bits easier
The kick stand looks really good and tight. These are sometimes loose and waggle about as people used to start them while they were sitting on the sidestand which wore the lug away.
The rusty nuts and bolts soon submit when you get the big fuck off kit out.
The swing arm surrendered with just the big spanner - must’ve been scared from what happened with the kick stand
Swing arm, caliper and brace off. Sometimes the spindle is a real bugger to get out but a little gentle persuasion with a hammer convinced it to slide right out.
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The spacers and bushes don’t look too bad but they’ll probably get replaced along with the brass bushes and grease nipples
The caliper looks to have been painted at some point? These will probably rebuild ok as they are cast iron and a wipe over with some t-cut should sort them
Wheels off. Note the weenie speedo drive, not seen those before but I’ve not rebuilt such a modern bike
The tyres are a bit passed it though. The cracks have some strange sort of moss growing in them
Maybe the shocks need replacing
Just thought I’d have a look at whether there’s any oil in the forks. I’ve had some (remember that Amen framed chop from the US?) that had rusted the sliders to the stanchions. I used a 14lb sledge to get them to part.
They are not progressive springs, they’d have a tighter coil at the bottom, so I’ll need new
Here’s one of those palm ratchets. Well easy to press down on the springs while threading in the fork tops.
These used to be chrome? painted white?
Bugger, one of the clock bolts has sheared. This is another change to these later models as they had a ally sort of double cup holder for the twin clocks. So I’ll probably just cut that mount off.
Double bugger. This’ll be a bit more difficult. A sheared stud in the bottom of the slider. These hold the front wheel spindle so will need to be sorted.
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This is why the steering head was a bit stiff
Eeeeek
And that’s it for now
Or so I thought. Remember those two sticky up things on the sub frame?
Well, as I lifted it to put it back in the corner and struggling to get it up tight I fell on it. We both ended up in a heap on the floor.
I’d landed on my arse on the two studs with my full weight (which is considerable). The two studs ripped two holes through my overalls, my knickers and into my right arse cheek. Fuckin 'ell… that bloody stung a bit.
Now I’ve got two plasters (stuck on my bum by the Admin Staff after making sure no cloth was in the holes…Fuckin 'ell…that stung a bit - twice…as I couldn’t see where to stick them) on my right bum cheek just where I sit. So I’ve had to stand up a few times while typing this.
It’s no laughing matter you bastards
It’ll be sore in the morning…over
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I’d have chucked the whole bloody thing in a skip so full respect to you, as always.
Glad your phone ran out of space before you fell on those stud things. 
My mum always said bikes were dangerous .At least you can genuinely tell people this rebuild was a pain in the arse. 
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Hope the admin staff stuck plasters on the correct holes when you were bent over…
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I was quite pleased the surgery (digging in the holes about an inch with tweezers) went so well as she was laughing so much.
If the holes were any deeper she said the frame would’ve been stuck to me. Imagine that at A&E - “some bloke walked in today with a full sized Triumph motorcycle pinned to him.” Now that’s what I call a badge.
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The first Triumph/human cyborg.
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Carrying on and on…
I seem to be taking photos at every stage of dismantling. I keep them all so that I remember what I’ve done but also to pass on to the next owner if they’d like them.
I’ve had a few books on rebuilding these machines but they’ve always fallen short on how to do stuff. They’d say “remove wheels and bearings” without actually showing how it’s done so I’ve started to include the details for those that may be interested in rebuilding one of the older Triumphs.
If the photo diary is going on too much and it’s getting too lengthy and boring let me know and I’ll start trimming the content down.
Just sayin (asking)…
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Cough, cough…ahem,
Take the top nut and springs out of the forks and watch the slimey oil run out. Then to take the slider off of the stanchion the damper arrangement needs to come out.
The damper is held at the bottom of the slider by an allen bolt sealed with a dowty washer. A dowty washer looks like a normal washer but has a ring of rubber in the centre hole. This seals the joint and keeps the oil in the forks where it belongs. But they can seal the bolt in too when the time comes to get them out. Usually the allen bolt will just turn and not actually undo so the damper has to be held.
So a suitable socket needs to be inserted on a few lengths of extension to hold the top nut on the damper.
The allen bolt can then be undone
And the whole lot can be pulled away from the slider
Here’s the dowty washer
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That’s the slider off, so now the damper needs to come out so it can be inspected, serviced, binned etc
The damper is held in by the large nut on the bottom of the stanchions. Normally these can be removed by using a large adjustable spanner but this one was being a git.
So the big guns came out. Push the damper back up the stanchion so a large socket can go on the nut and brrrrrrt…it’s off, hooray
Here’s the damper arrangement complete with springs etc. All looks not bad but will probably leave it in some rusteze and replace all the oil seal o rings. These are quite expensive as a unit so good that it might be saved.
Then to get the stanchion out of the bottom yoke. This is rusted in solid but is not as bad as I’ve had them. As the stanchion is toast I’ve clamped it up tight into the vice as I don’t want it moving.
Clean off the rust with a rotating wire brush, it’s surprising how surface flakey rust will hold something. Wedge a suitably sized tool into the tightening split in the bottom of the yoke and force the split open with a few good wallops of the hammer.
That allows the yoke to move on the stanchion
And can be eased off with more clouts with the large rubber mallet
There’s the whole fork in the tray. Now just do the second one, blimey more hammering 
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