Author Topic: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.  (Read 6061 times)

Offline stevestriumph

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Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« on: August 12, 2018, 05:30:50 AM »
Just fired up a 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger for the first time in years. I have no history on the engine or repairs etc. After a good tune and service the bike started right up. Rode it and everything seemed in order. Upon return home, after just a couple of miles, there was significant oil coming out of the crankcase breather. Is it advisable to flush out the lubrication system on these bikes prior to start up and if so what should one use? I was getting good oil return to the tank but I did not check the pressure. Any thoughts? Steve

Offline mini-me

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2018, 09:27:53 AM »
Probably just excess oil in the crankcase.
Don't flush it, ride it.

Its also possible the rings might be stuck or some bore wear damage.  Do a compression check.

There is no way  to check oil pressure I know of, as long as it returns that's enough; the return should be in hiccups, if it was  a steady flow, then it was excess oil.

Offline iansoady

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2018, 10:10:30 AM »
Did you drain the crankcase as well as the tank when you serviced it, and if so did much come out? If not, probably a minor case of wet sumping although this is less common with Triumph plunger pumps than Norton / BSA gear pumps.
Ian
1952 Norton ES2
1986 Honda XBR500
1958-ish Tre-Greeves

Offline mini-me

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2018, 10:29:35 AM »
Where have all these tigers escaped from lately?

Offline iansoady

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2018, 11:56:41 AM »
Maybe it's the same one passing from hand to hand?
Ian
1952 Norton ES2
1986 Honda XBR500
1958-ish Tre-Greeves

Offline mini-me

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2018, 05:08:26 PM »
you mean no one can get it going? :o

Offline stevestriumph

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2018, 06:15:30 PM »
Thanks for all the input.
 I did change all the fluids. There was very little oil in the sump.
I failed to mention in the earlier post that after the first ride the top end including the carburetor was extremely hot and I wonder if it's not oiling properly? Is there a good way to check? I can't help but think a good flushing out, maybe with Marvel Mystery Oil could help. Steve

Offline Rex

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2018, 06:37:54 PM »
I've never liked the idea of flushing things out as it can dislodge the sh*t of decades. If you want to check that oil's reaching the top end then slacken one of the rocker box oil union bolts (the two central bolts) and start 'er up.

Offline mini-me

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #8 on: August 12, 2018, 09:47:05 PM »
Quote
Marvel Mystery Oil
from the makers of snake oil I suppose?

Offline stevestriumph

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2018, 12:09:04 AM »
I'm back regarding the 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger. As was mentioned in previous post, the bike blows considerable oil out the crankcase breather. I have since put some miles on it and it runs great, but continues to blow a lot of oil, both riding and at idle. NO smoke however. I do not know what to do next. Any helpful suggestions? Good oil return to the tank and top end is getting oil as well. Steve

Offline john.k

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2018, 02:20:10 AM »
My cure (bodge) for such things is to pipe the breather into the primary case...........this eliminates the embarassing oil stains from where you park,which is socially unacceptable these days.Many twins used to breathe into the primary case ,anyway.

Offline stevestriumph

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2018, 06:02:52 AM »
What's coming out is a foamy white substance, something I would not like to put back into the engine. Thanks though.

Offline R

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2018, 07:37:11 AM »
What's coming out is a foamy white substance,

The race guys vent stuff into a catch bottle, something like a coke can or similar, suitably placed.

White foamy stuff is usually a sign of water or moisture in the oil,
and can be a sign the rings aren't seating too good, and there is a lot of combustion blow by.
A compression test can be useful here, tell you a bit about how the rings are.

If it doesn't ease off with more riding, you'd probably  want to at least check it doesn't have a stuck ring or 2,
or may be more like new pistons and a rebore. The lack of oil burning suggests the oil rings at least are still good,
so the bores may not be that bad, just reringing it may suffice.

Offline Rex

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2018, 09:47:54 AM »
Oil drops out of the breather is usually the result of poor crankcase scavenging. Triumph plunger pumps aren't known for unreliability, so a sensible step would be the good old "rubber pipe on the oil pick-up pipe and finger over the oil port" trick to see if the pickup pipe has either cracked or started to leak at it's crankcase entry point.

Offline mini-me

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Re: Start up 1969 Triumph T100 Tiger after sitting for years.
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2018, 10:07:42 AM »
Take the engine out, check/clean everything, reassemble carefully.
You know it makes sense, you'll end up faffing around a bit here a bit there and still get nowhere.
you have an internal problem such as slack bore/ stuck rings/ badly worn guides.

bite the bullet and do the job properly.
no amount of internet questions can fix your bike.