'53 Triumph 6T Thunderbird 650 chopper restoration

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

Reaching back to 2007 for this chopper restoration project I did for a good friend who passed away last year. Sadly, he only got to ride it a couple of times.

4/2/07 starting date

Just got the go-ahead from Freddy to do a total restoration and customization (read: lots of chrome & custom paint), on this scruffy old '53 6T.

We're going to re-do the bodywork for sure, and go with a nice solo saddle and forward controls, more of a standard hub in the rear with a bit narrower rear tire as you'd expect on a vintage chopper. Maybe even looking for a springer or girder front end.

Total overhaul on the engine and especially the tranny that was run without lube for some time - crunch crunch...

Details & more pix to follow!

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/3/07

Today we did the full inventory, item by item, and he decided on the following:

Frame to be powdercoated Silver

He'd like a springer like mine, chrome; e may have to settle for spiffing up his forks, depending on final budget

* * Anyone selling a decent springer front end?

Traditional "Sporty" peanut tank & fenders will be Black Pearl with silver pinstriping, and Silver Triumph logo over a wafting British Union Jack flag in Red, White & Blue

Forward foot controls and medium rise pullback bars, chromed

Square stock forged low sissy bar / rear fender bracket, chromed

Standard 6t pipes, new, chromed with open fishtails, upswept, chrome

Spool hub & chrome rim with ribbed narrow tire up front, 5.00 rear tire on 3" rim out back, street tread, with standard drum brake, chrome or "near chrome" powdercoat

JRC vintage style modern flat-slide carb, overhauled original magneto ignition

Solo saddle with suspension spring mounting

Should be fun, pix of teardown next week.

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

Primary missing entirely, other than the empty cases-

Rear wheel (right side); that's a somewhat rare Triumph sprung hub-

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/5/07

More "before" shots-

Engine (right side) "Diamond in the rough"

Electrical gear is pretty scant-

Front wheel (right side) from a much newer conical hub bike (71?)

Steering head & forks-

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/5/07

Paughco tank, somewhat collectible, from what I understand

Tail light (cheap aftermarket unit)

Rear wheel (left side)

Magneto (missing parts)

It's pretty obvious that this poor bike has been out in the weather for a few years with covers off various engine components...

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/5/07

More pix -

Rear fender bodge

Primary side of engine

Front wheel left side

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/5/07

Still more "before" photos-

Generator (missing parts)

Primary cover (siamese inside & outside shot)

Very sad shot of the tranny with gears still jammed in place

Inside of the tranny inner cover

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/5/07

Last of the "before" shots -

Inner & outer tranny covers

Grunt inside the tranny

Tranny layshaft with broken gears and bits of gear teeth

That's it for now, disassembly is starting...

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

Teardown begun 4/5/07

Looked like mud inside the oil tank

Primary cover off after extracting the crank sprocket and clutch shaft hub

Dig the hole in the main frame downtube, for the aircleaner hose to pass through!

Primary cover cracked at main boss (inside shot)

Cracked primary cover (outer shot)

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/9/07

Tranny removed

Bucket 'O parts

Head looks pretty good, at least the valve seats aren't sunken

Piston tops in decent shape

(not sure why this picture came up like a digital patchwork?)

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/9/07

Actual piston bearing faces looked fairly worn out

Inner timing chest looked fairly clean

Hard to tell, but cylinders will clean up with minimum overbore

Magneto info (I think I found a good replacement)

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/9/07 (another long day)

Magneto auto advancer

Magneto points & missing cover

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

Bondo removal process:

Steering head, Right side

Seat/fender area

Rear frame upper mount area

Steering lug, bottom side

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

Still 4/9/07!

Steering head area, Left side

Rear frame mount, underside

Damaged bottom frame tube, Right side

About 5 pounds of Bondo material, besides what flew off in all directions when chipping...

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

4/13/07

I won a nice girder fork on e-bay! Off it goes to the chrome shop, as soon as I get it and fit it up for new steering stops.

I finally bought another arc welder & oxy/acet rig after the last ones were stolen over 10 years ago. No more waiting for welding shops to get stuff done.

This frame is going to be totally welded and ground down, no Bondo.

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

1/24/08
Yes, the project was on hold for EIGHT MONTHS!

Okay, do-over.

Ended up swapping for a girder fork, and pulled other stuff for chrome.

Frame mods are done, and I've got a new powdercoater lined up.

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

2/8/08

Shiny chrome parts back already. They seem to have "misplaced" 2 hex-head bolts from the forks, and the kickstart lever bolt.

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

2/8/08

Also picked up the frame & parts from the powdercoaters, very nice.

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

2/13/08

Got the sprung rear wheel apart (WHAT A MOTHER!)-

Spokes were trashed, had to chop them off with a bolt cutter.

Hub is going with freshly chromed rear rim, to be laced with new chrome spokes & nipples.

New front wheel & brake assembly is needing to be specified and sourced.

The box on the lower left is where the springs are contained above and below the rear axle. There is a special jig required to safely open the box to remove the springs, otherwise it can and likely will fly apart with potentially deadly force if you try to just "pop it open" with your handy spanner...

grandpaul · Mar 19, 2015

2/14/08

Yanked the sludge trap on the scruffy '68 crank-

Not too bad inside, but that sucker was jammed, had to rip it out.

Quite a layer of crud between the trap and the crank, as well.

Lots 'O crud...

'53 Triumph 6T Thunderbird 650 chopper restoration

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