classic motorcycle forum

If you have to apply pein hammer, cement, paste or silicone to prevent the exhaust at the head from leaking, then it's a poor design in my view.

Hence my comment that Triumphs are temperamental beasts. When sorted they are fine enough, but my gearbox is still rubbish.....

Ramwing

I have a 66 T120 which has the threaded exhaust pipe adapter in the head - E5914 - that Rex possibly alludes to. Exhaust fits over that and the finned clip clamps down over it.  It seems the comparable US versions had no flared end at the head of the exhaust and no finned clip - so seems like a push fit inside the head. I think later Bonnies also adopted this push fit, though why you should have a finned clip if that were the case is indeed a little odd. I would agree that sealing may well be an issue. One for a specific forum perhaps? 

Many 30 something wimmin are all to keen to interpret simple explanation or advice as being told what to do. Invariably it is not the man being patronizing, rather the woman being deliberately over-sensitive using any excuse to take offence in order to denigrate the man. To me, it is a deeply abhorrent trait and is one of many reasons why I simply avoid such folk in these psychologically disturbed times.   

Gents

Velocete Viper drips oil both sides after a run. As mentioned before, suspect No1 is the chaincase, but I am not entirely convinced it is the culprit. Suspect no2 is the crankcase breathing set up. I seem to recall there is a breather hole in the crank axle, but that's about it. If that cannot cope, then I fear pressure builds up in the crankacase and escapes through any available orifice, taking oil with it, and thus dripping as witnessed. One mod. is to drill a hole through timing chest and crank housing and fit a threaded vent spigot. This all makes sense, but clearly involves an engine strip. Any recommendations I could do in the meanwhile would be gratefully received.   

Leon

It is far more than the death of expertise. It is the death of rational, evidence-based thinking and a prevalence to melodramatic knee-jerk reaction based on nothing but the (a)moral inclinations of the individual. We have become a country of emotional incontinents. The British stiff upper lip has gone forever.     

I think you are masking the root cause of the problem by fiddling with the air lever and throttle, and observing air temperature. You need to be far more methodical in your approach. A 500 SV BSA is a pretty numb thing, not too disimilar to my VB600, and there are not an awful lot of variables which would give you the problems seen. If it was running fine last time around, then my bet is still on muck in the carb - so clean it out. After that, think of things which have happened since which could possibly affect the running of the bike. Therefore - clean the points, consider introducing fresh petrol, and fix any air leaks which could have developed since - particularly at carb intake flange - as a lean mix will make the bike run hot. Failing that, then do as Leon suggests. Points gap, tappets, timing etc.     

I mentioned cleaning out the carb as I encountered similar after a couple of my bikes had been laid up. The first instance was when I filled up the VB600 for the first time after winter lay up. Almost as soon as I left the filling station, the bike died and would not re-start. Fortunately I was not far from the house, so after an hour or so pushing the thing back into the garage, I stripped and cleaned the carb, replaced it, and it started first kick. It has been fine ever since. The second instance was again post lay up when the MSS just would not idle at all well. I blew out the pilot air passage and that seemed to cure it.

In both instances, I think a bit of crud from the tank had become dislodged over Winter, found its way into the carb, and messed things up. For sure it does not take much.