Valve Seats

[Hammer65]

Hey everyone, this is my first post.  My father in law gave me a 79 R65 after I sold off my Ural, and I'm in the process of restoring it (it was sitting for at least 15 years).   I was reading a little about the top end (which I plan on redoing shortly) and saw that there is some discussion about valve seats and modern fuel.  Seeing as how the bike is a 79 and the fuel in the US has changed since then, is there anything I should be absolutely sure to replace/upgrade to avoid any issues?

I tried the search function on here to no avail.  Thanks ahead of time!

[Barry]

The early cast iron valve seats which your 79 will have are better than the BMW's first attempt at providing unleaded seats post 1980. It's these initial unleaded seats that have more of a bad rep because they had poor thermal conductivity which caused other problems.  My 79 with original seats shows no sign what so ever of valve recession as evidenced by careful monitoring of the valve clearances at each service. So I see no reason to change them. It may depend on mileage though so I would either inspect them or monitor the valve clearances for a few thousand miles.

[montmil]

Having sat dormant for fifteen years, there may be the potential for some rust on the seats; particularly those valves held off seat by the cam's long-sleep position.

Removing the heads is a simple chore and would provide the opportunity to inspect the entire top end. By removing the cylinders, the lifters may be withdrawn and checked. The camshaft is also visible for lobe review.

Have you discovered the Scribe of the Sierras website? Das Snowbum offers a wealth of Airhead knowledge. This forum can assist in "cooking it down" for you. Yes, Robert can be a bit wordy.

Many of the inmates here enjoy viewing photos of other asylum members bikes and projects.

[Hammer65]

Yeah I found snowbums site.  Good info on it but he rambles a lot and that yellow background...

The paintjob was hosed on the bike when I got it, so I had it redone to a green that I fancy.  I'll pull the heads and inspect the valves for rust and what not.  Surprisingly it isn't too bad in the rust department elsewhere, so I'm not too worried.  

Here's a photo of it as it stands now.

[Tony Smith]

Nice....

Definitely a 79, old style final drive and flat top Bings speak to that.

like the exhausts - any idea what they are?

It's a bit difficult to see, but it looks like someone has done a single throttle cable conversion, which is a pity in my opinion. D you have a round or square master cylinder reservoir?

And last silly question, Brembo or ATE brake?


Also, out of curiosity, does it stil have "points in a bean can" or a electronic conversion? Which one if electronic?


My 2 cents worth on your heads. If you do not know the total mileage on this heads and how long since they were last refurbished I would unhesitatingly replace at least the exhaust valves and, if I could afford it, the intakes as well.

Whilst in the general area I'd look at the cylinders and do whatever is needed. I'm told that rings for early R65s iron bores are getting hard to get - this is not a problem as R75 rings. You can of course use the soft iron rings in an iron bore, at the cost of relatively short life.

R65 lifters are pretty tough, but for an engine that has stood for a long time you should pull them out and have a look, likewise an eyeball inspection of the cam now may save time and $$s later - same for the timing chain and (at least) the crankshaft sprocket.

[georgesgiralt]

And which Triumph T3 share the shed ?

[Tony Smith]

And. just a suggestion, but put a cable tie on those side covers, they are dashed expensive.

[Hammer65]

Nice....

Definitely a 79, old style final drive and flat top Bings speak to that.

like the exhausts - any idea what they are?

It's a bit difficult to see, but it looks like someone has done a single throttle cable conversion, which is a pity in my opinion. D you have a round or square master cylinder reservoir?

And last silly question, Brembo or ATE brake?


Also, out of curiosity, does it stil have "points in a bean can" or a electronic conversion? Which one if electronic?


My 2 cents worth on your heads. If you do not know the total mileage on this heads and how long since they were last refurbished I would unhesitatingly replace at least the exhaust valves and, if I could afford it, the intakes as well.

Whilst in the general area I'd look at the cylinders and do whatever is needed. I'm told that rings for early R65s iron bores are getting hard to get - this is not a problem as R75 rings. You can of course use the soft iron rings in an iron bore, at the cost of relatively short life.

R65 lifters are pretty tough, but for an engine that has stood for a long time you should pull them out and have a look, likewise an eyeball inspection of the cam now may save time and $$s later - same for the timing chain and (at least) the crankshaft sprocket.

Tony, No idea what the exhausts are.  I'll look more into them for any markings, etc. they came with the bike, and it's probably 3rd or 4th hand to me.    It's got the dual throttle cables, might be a bad angle.  The master cylinder is off the bike right now (rebuilding it), and it's circular.  The front brake is an ATE, just rebuilt that too.  

Right now its a points in the can.  I'll probably put on the EME ignition and charging system, I need it for my city commute.

I'll definitely look into new exhaust valves and rings.  I was thinking about getting updated heads put on or at least getting them redone to nikasil (or whatever its called).

The other stuff is definitely something I need to look into.  The bike ran well when I got it after I did fluids change and new gas.  Ran even better after carbs rebuilt!.  No weird sounds as far as I can tell.  

[Hammer65]

And which Triumph T3 share the shed ?

That's my buddies 1994 Speed triple.  It's his garage, my R65 is only temporarily living in it.  He whacked a curb and blew out both tires (and fubar'd the rims) a few years ago and hasn't had a chance to get anything fixed.  The work on the R65 has inspired him to get his S together and get his triple running, so I'm helping him out with that too.  

[Hammer65]

And. just a suggestion, but put a cable tie on those side covers, they are dashed expensive.

maybe I'm goofy but I was afraid of screwing up my new paintjob with cable ties.   probably better off that than losing the entire cover on city streets here in SF.  can you post a picture of how you tied yours on?

[montmil]

And. just a suggestion, but put a cable tie on those side covers, they are dashed expensive.

maybe I'm goofy but I was afraid of screwing up my new paintjob with cable ties.   probably better off that than losing the entire cover on city streets here in SF.  can you post a picture of how you tied yours on?

Simply slip a thin zip tie through and around one of the 'vent' uprights and secure it loosely to an adjoining frame member. With your dark green paint, a black tie will not be noticeable nor will it damage anything. It's often the right side that jumps off and gets run over by following traffic. The left side may be retained by the lift handle. Cheapest replacements are sometimes available in primer for around sixty bucks each.

[montmil]

And which Triumph T3 share the shed ?

That's my buddies 1994 Speed triple.  It's his garage, my R65 is only temporarily living in it.  He whacked a curb and blew out both tires (and fubar'd the rims) a few years ago and hasn't had a chance to get anything fixed.  The work on the R65 has inspired him to get his S together and get his triple running, so I'm helping him out with that too.  

I've a 1995 triple Trophy. Hitting something hard enough to blow both tires and bend those beefy rims... Surprised there's not additional damage. Noted the drip pan below the engine and was reminded of my oldscool 1953 T100C. Always marked its spot.