I thought I had a struggle matching up OEM bearing numbers to FAG equivalent replacements…bugger different tolerances of fit… 
top work.
Thanks @Dawsy and @PatW and everyone else who knows me…ahem…
Continuing with the, so far, okish dismantling without finding too many real show stoppers 
Pair of Mk2 carbs. I may or may not use these on this build so no need for them just yet
Jugs will be brand spanking along with pistons rings etc so that can go back in the box with the carbs.
I will polish up the casings and change bearings, put new triumph patent plate on etc so no need for them yet.
Note there’s a switch for a neutral light. Good grief! Spect I’ll be ditching that, whatever next…
Dismantled rocker boxes. Full of cobwebs and rust. Covers will go to blasters. Looks like the rockers will clean up ok but will probably need new spindles etc
Another new fangled bit to meet the Sherman emmission standards. A breather that probably went back into the airbox. Serves them right that HDs are having trouble with EU standards now.
Cylinder head apart. Again evidence of non servicing as a couple of the valves were quite loose in the guides. All of the valves are pitted from the adjusters meaning it had been running hot, maybe too little oil. These oil in frame bikes need to be kept topped up to keep the oil cool.
All the bits and bobs ready for vapour blasting. I’ll contact him next week to see when they can be fitted in.
All other bits all bagged up and labelled in plastic zip up bags and other bits ready for either blasting and powdercoat or me to prepare and paint - along with the frame - but that’s work for later
And, lastly, all the scrap so far (unless I decide to do up and reuse on something).
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Brilliant “How to”, thanks for sharing.
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Be nice to re-build that lockheed.
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Yeah, I tried to get the pistons out but can’t. Used compressed air, bearing puller and levers but no joy. If I had a tap big enough I’d try to thread the piston and pull it like that.
It’s badly pitted inside where it’s been waterlogged next to the pads so I’ve given up on it. Ebay will have ‘preloved’ ones or I may have a go at cutting new brackets to fit on the sliders and fit a different make with bigger diameter discs.
But, yeah, I agree a shame as I’ve normally been able to rebuild them. I suppose I could try to drill or cut the pistons…
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I’d try sticking it in a bucket of diesel for a couple of weeks, then into a bag in the freezer for half a day, then drill the pistons and get a slide hammer on it. You’ve probably get plenty of your own ideas.
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Onto the frame. Can’t decide on paint or powdercoat. If it goes for powdercoat then any filling will need to be done after the sandblasting. It’ll need to be high temperature filler otherwise it falls out while it’s in the oven. You can see there’s some work to be done where it was left for years in the wet.
These later 750s are Oil in Frame. That is, there’s no oil tank but still a dry sump engine, BSA (BSA owned Triumph) came up with the idea to store the oil in the larger diameter backbone.
These were called P39 frames and were to be the saving of the Bonneville and single carbed Tigers in 1971.
Staff were taken on, machines were set up, the workforce were trained. And nothing happened as the Triumph frame builders waited for the design drawings to arrive from BSA. They waited for 3 months. Engines were built and were stored all over the factory awaiting the frame design. At last, the drawings arrived. Hooray…
The welders couldn’t get the frames to hold the oil as the traditional welding couldn’t apply enough heat. So the experienced welders moved to MIG welding to show how it would work. So all the equipment was changed over to MIG. Hooray…
At last, the first frames came off the production line but the engines wouldn’t fit. The engines were too tall to fit into the frames. So the engineers at Triumph changed the engine components to ensure they would be compatible. So all the already built engines had to be rebuilt.
BSA boffins eh? Sorry I digress
The engine numbers match the frame numbers on these bikes. Non matching numbered bikes are not as popular with buyers who like these machines to be absolutely correct. The first two letters give the date of manufacture - in this case November 1980. Cor, 42 years old and I’m the second owner.
This is the workshop manual’s checking areas for cracks
Looks ok to me
Measured everything from all angles and made sure swingarm pivot holes and shock absorber holes all line up. It all looks pretty straight.
This is the headstock with the race still in. The marks can be seen where it’s been sat for ages in one position. The race and abutment ring knock out with a punch and medium hammer
Turned the frame over and bashed the top ones out. The races come with the new headstock bearings but new abutment rings will need to be ordered.
Some of the rusted in fiddly bits had to come off with a hacksaw and vigorous bashing with large things. My left thumb is double jointed from getting too carried away some years ago with this spirited removal of rusty things. So be careful and concentrate…
While moving the frame around, bashing it, turning it upside down and every which way, sand kept falling out of the bottom tubes through the engine mounts. 
I can only think this is from earlier sand blasting? I dunno, but it’s out now.
The purists wont like this but here’s all the bits I didn’t want all cut off. Ready for me to grind off the sharp bits and sort the rust out.
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Vapour Blasting will be next week now (all full this week) and frame blasting chaps said to take it in tomorrow. So a few jobs on the frame beforehand cleaning up where tabs and brackets have been cut off.
Before doing any grinding make sure other stuff is covered or they’ll get a black film all over
Did a bit more double nutting to get the oil plate studs out
Thought I’d sheared the first one but no, they were all like this and the holes were clear - phew!
One of these is well handy for those hard to reach bits where the grinder just won’t go. It’s eats the sanding belts grinding down old welds though.
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Took the frame down the powder coaters today so they can sand blast it for me. I’ve done enough sanding down of frames so thought I’d give the tedious stuff to someone else.
Postie had brought me this. So, thanks for the advice, I’ll be putting it on steel to ally studs etc on this build. It’s pretty harmful according to the gumf so I won’t be licking my fingers.
Two hours later I got a phone call to say the frame’s done. Blimey.
Jolly nice job too. A lovely finish, looks to be painted silver. The frame number hasn’t been worn away at all.
Gotta sort the subframe and battery hangers out though. I had another chat with them about filling and they said exactly the opposite to what they told me when I had a chat with them at the Calne show. The frame will need to be re-blasted before any powder coat and that will lift out any filler, even high temperature hard metal stuff.
So, welding it is then, if I want powder coat. I wish my welding skills were better. I had a look at their ‘chrome’ powder coat (it looks more like nickel plating) and needs a lacquer powder coat coat as well to protect from UV. I quite fancy doing this like that.
If my welding looks poo, like it normally does, I may have to revert back to filler and paint. We’ll see.
My local good geezer modern electronic Triumph wizard dealer had these that he ordered for me. So popped along to pick them up. Any of you who have one of those modern Hinckley Triumph electrickery bikes and are local to Bristol would be well advised to throw your service requirements in his direction. He seems to have lots of computer type things that plug into the harness and even does tyres too.
I saw a pair of my overalls as I passed the washing line. No wonder my bum still hurts, the plasters are starting to pull the skin off now and it’s still really difficult having a poo just sat on one arse cheek.
TTFN troopers…longest way up, shortest way down… 
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Spent a while sorting out the sand blasted rusty bits
Welded up the holes and the corrosion pitting on both sides of the sub frame. The underneath of the top tubes needed doing as well.
Then got the trusty grinder to the welds.
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Have you got a pigeon problem? 
Looks spot on after grinding though! 
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Welding’s not one of my best skills, but I’m not bad at sanding
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Rims, hubs, casings, rockers etc are all at the vapour blaster. They looked pretty bad, especially the rims, so I asked him if they’d come out ok enough to use. He replied “well, they won’t be any worse”. 
Should be back next week so we’ll see.
In the mean time I thought I’d get on with tarting up the alloy covers. First is to get the worn out triangular Patent Badge off. These can be a bit of an arse, first prise off the plate leaving the weenie hammer in screws in place.
Using some side cutters turn the rivets anti clockwise like undoing a screw trying not to snip them off.
Sorted. Now remove the other two.
And start the polishing by giving it a jolly good sanding to remove any pitting, scratches and the like
I won’t bore you with polishing as it’s very boring and time consuming. But should be nice with a nice new patent plate
same with the sliders
and give em a spit up the inside with a sort of chain mail brillo pad on a long drill. Sparkling…over
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Haven’t been doing that much other than drinking tea, cleaning, pondering style and colours. The V5 says blue and white so I’m gonna go with that.
Shiney bits done with a sort of brushed ally feeling going on.
Decided rather than to just leave the sub frame loop off, it’s to be shortened by about 3 inches and to go back on.
At as close to the original angle to act as a base for a made up seat base and cowling.
Back on and all cleaned up. Over…
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Me likey shiney
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Last week I had my Covid booster while Mr. Blast phoned to say he probably had Covid and that the parts will be a few days late getting done.
While I was at Shepton Mallet buying rusty things at the Autojumble (many thanks to Somerset VMCC) and looking at all the classic bikes for sale, Mr Postie delivered the preloved caliper.
here’s the preloved from ebay (sometimes there’s a risk with ebay stuff but this one looks ok)
and here’s the one out of the ‘bike in a box’ that also didn’t look too bad
pretty simple to take apart. Although it’s always a bugger to get the pistons out to replace rubbers etc
Add some compressed air (not much pressure is needed, this is from the airbrush compressor and can fairly easily be held onto a small o ring). Only push the piston half way out otherwise you’ll get a loud bang and a piston shooting through the window or bouncing off the wall and giving you a hell of a fright 
Pull and wangle it out the rest of the way. The other side’s piston can be clamped in the vice to pull it out.
There’s two rubber seals (top one is ribbed) and a metal dust cover that are easily prised out. If the pistons are really difficult to get out then the top metal dust cover and first rubber seal can be removed with the piston still in. It’s then a case of wrestling the piston out and can be a right arse
Both calipers dismantled and ready for clean and rebuild with new seals, pistons and bleed nipples.
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Smashing i love those calipers! A few years back I was replacing the seal on the Tuono clutch master cylinder, (leaks were common on these as the seal reacted with any and all types of hydraulic fluid), on the workmate in the living room (as you do). We’d just bought our first TV for about 15 years, fancy sony Bravia ting, sods law turned up and brand new TV was sprayed with fluid and piston. I quickly wiped the telly and cracked on. Later that evening when Mrs W whacked the box on, thin black lines started creeping up the screen, over the next few days the picture was totally obscured, I contacted Sony and they sent me a box to return the telly and delivered a brand new replacement, Mrs W still doesn’t know 
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Who’s that looking over your shoulder? 
The cat…probably