Winter Homework build

[confish86]

a good fix might be to install a set of exhaust manifold heat shields, which are chrome

i think he`s talking about mufflers (look at post 18 & you will sure see the colors)

[CYBORG]

opps. i need to pay closer attention.

[Fred Camper]

The mufflers do look cool that way. Ceramic coating is one option but I like them with the custom blu hue.

[confish86]

opps. i need to pay closer attention.

Since your paying, that will be $22.50 please

[groupus]

hey now, I take commissions if anyone is paying up here . I decided I'd try cleaning the mufflers up some; couldn't hurt. After several attempts with various methods, it came down to good ol' fashion sanding and polishing. But after I got it sanded, I figured I'd paint it since I had it this far, have the high heat paint, and most of the bike is black anyway. Its alright, a few drips and a bug landed on it since, you know, its winter . I also painted and refreshed the starter. It needed a new terminal bolt, so I made one with a standard 8mm bolt sandwiched with neopreme washers and a rubber grommet to insulate it from the starter body. I had to solder on a new ring terminal to the inner windings. We'll see if this works, if not I'll take it to a shop or buy another one. Confish, I think my friend suggested that same shop before.The amish do good work for cheap.

The title should be here about Monday, and I added it to my insurance, which cost $0 more . Thats awesome. I also ordered two 25w load resistors and the bicycle speedo. Other than that and painting the other exhaust, its all but done.

[nakedall]

When I first met my wife I had a 76 triumph in the kitchen all apart. I was cleaning the engine pieces in the dishwasher.(works great!) She came in and looked at the kitchen and said I guess there is not a another girl living here! I finished the bike and then a few months later she move in. Her first order was get rid of that dishwasher! Good thing she didn't know I used the oven for heating the cases to get the bearing out and in .

[KYpondman]

Nakedall, neat avatar! ROFLMAO!
Claude

[groupus]

Bah! I buggered up the splines on the starter's output shaft so I just ordered a new (used) one. $50 for the piece of mind is worth it rather than trusting my hack job.

Anyways, I put the side covers back on and took some photos as this thing nears completion. There are a lot of little things that i'm not satisfied with, but it will still be a good looking bike from about 5 ft. The "black" paint turned out to be more of a brownish, there are drips and errors, but i'm ok with it. My OCD side will just have to deal with it.

[Roady]

No plate required for a test ride.

"But officer, I was just going around the block!"

"You're 26 miles from your home."

"It's a big block."

[groupus]

got the title and tag sorted out today. now i have a plate and I officially own it! its registered and insured too, so now all I need is an inspection. oh, and that starter.

[groupus]

Good and bad news; I got the starter in and the bike reassembled and running. Took it for a test ride, got it on the highway a little too and all was running well until... it just died. or more accurately, it loses power dramatically when hot and then dies out. I thought it over heated at first because it was hot and low on coolant but it still does it with coolant topped off. Once it died, it did not want to run again until everything cooled off. it almost feels like it is running on one cylinder and has no power to move itself. By the time my friend showed up to jump me, it had cooled down and was able to restart and run roughly enough to get me a mile or so before I encountered a slight hill that it was unable to get up. repeated the same process twice today, each time it went a shorter distance before dying. I think that that is a very important detail which may indicate that this is an electrical issue of some kind. some 35 year old electrical component is on its way out and works less and less each time. I should also note that the idle speed will wonder from very high to super low and chugging, back to high again repeatedly.

First and foremost in diagnosing the problem is that fact that the battery is shot. I got it charged but it needs replaced. I bought a new one, filled it with acid and it is trickle charging til tomorrow.

Here is what could potentially be wrong. this is all guess work for me, so anyone with experience please help me remove/add items to the list:
fuel pump diaphragm (probably not though)
points (they look fine but idk)
regulator/rectifier (i'm not sure what the symptoms would be if one of these was out)
valve lash and timing (also unlikely)
ballast resistor (will test when I get the new battery)
battery (obviously yes, but i don't know that it would cause these issues)
coils (will be testing that tonight, hot and cold, these are my main suspect)
plug caps
condenser (also highly suspect)

here is what it is definitely not:
carbs (I just rebuilt them)
fuel starvation (full tank, fresh filter, full bowls)
stator (it tested fine)

Edit:
well at the risk of this being the shortest help post ever, its the coils. The 1, 2 cylinder coil tested a bit high at 14,650 Ohms instead of the 14,250 that it should be, but the other coil was a complete open circuit. Its casing has a visible crack around the bottom edge, which can be seen in this picture. The primary resistances were 6 Ohm for the 1, 2 coil and 2Ohm for the 3,4 coil. Also, can anyone tell me what is the black tube wired parallel to my ballast resistor in the photo?

I'm not about to renege my cry for help yet. What is a good, inexpensive replacement for the coils. I could get Dyna over the stock replacement, but I don't necessarily need that much more power for the money. I am sticking with the stock points for now. What are other cheap options?
Also, how would I test the condenser?

[Hegel]

very impressive. the pictures above remind me of a vincent black shadow.

[groupus]

Look what showed up in the mail today! I got my Dyna coils off of ebay; someone had them listed and coils from a '75 wing for $55. I'm not sure that the lister knew what he had. I wasn't going to get used coils, but I couldn't pass up this deal. They test fine and I wired then up to the original wiring plug. Tomorrow we'll see if everything works as it should. Unfortunately, I also now need the little chrome caps that screw onto the top of spark plugs. I was able to scrounge up two; its just one of those things you don't hang onto

[Oldewing]

SCORE

Dyna's and wires for 55, now that's a deal

[confish86]

I'll check when I get home tonite, i'm sure I have a couple of caps laying around