Fuel sending unit replacement

[EvilBetty]

Four screws and a plug, once you've pulled the tank...

http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/msg,32393

I bought one used off of eBay.  Is there anything else I need to replace while doing this?  Screws / Gasket / other parts?

I think I'm going to change the air and fuel filters, and maybe the spark plugs while I'm under the tank.  Anything else that should be done on a 2005 with 22,500 miles?

[Stretch]

Maybe clean your air filter while you've got the tank off.  If it's a K&N, clean it with their clean / oil kit.  If it's a Triumph paper filter, blow the dust out of it with compressed air.  But if it's not too filthy, it can probably wait until the 24,000 service.

I'm not sure about the gasket.  It may be a reusable rubber item, like the fuel pump / filter panel gasket.  I haven't fiddled with mine... perhaps another Brother can comment on that.

[2004Tiger]

If you read the history of threads on the fuel sender, you know that there is a huge controversy regarding why the fuel senders go bad, why a replacement might or might not go bad/report wrong level/etc. The hubub has died down in the last year, I guess because the bad ones have been replaced with good ones, and the latest batch of them are working better than the earlier replacements. (Or maybe some owners despair of ever getting a good one and tolerate their misbehaving unit.)

Please report back after you use yours for a while, let us know how accurate it is. I replaced my original 2 years ago with a new dealer-bought fuel sender and it is very accurate so far. My old one is hanging on a nail in my garage, maybe I'll sell it on E-bay. What did you pay for yours?

[JetdocX]

Yes, do the valve clearance check.

[EvilBetty]

Well I am wanting to do the whole 24000 mile maintenance.

I was going to do everything on the list myself, with the exception of the ECM check, throttle body balance, and valve clearance check.

Should I attempt the valve clearance check as well?  I have a service manual but is there a tried and true "how to" out here on the process?

[Mustang]

Well I am wanting to do the whole 24000 mile maintenance.

I was going to do everything on the list myself, with the exception of the ECM check, throttle body balance, and valve clearance check.

Should I attempt the valve clearance check as well?  I have a service manual but is there a tried and true "how to" out here on the process?

checking the valves is easy as long as you already have the tank off it's just a few more bolts to get the valve cover off .
once you have the cover off all you have to do to check the clearance is have the pointy end of the cam lobe pointing straight up and then on the opposite side slide a feeler gauge under the cam lobe and see what ya got .
intakes need to be .004-.006 thousandths of an inch or .10-.15 mm
exhausts need to be .006 - .008 or .15-.20 mm

[EvilBetty]

Please report back after you use yours for a while, let us know how accurate it is. I replaced my original 2 years ago with a new dealer-bought fuel sender and it is very accurate so far. My old one is hanging on a nail in my garage, maybe I'll sell it on E-bay. What did you pay for yours?

Mine is DOA.  The light sometimes is off when the bike is first fired up but then is on constant and the needle always reads empty.

I got a used one off of eBay from a 2006 Sprint ST.  The part number was the same on BikeBandit as for one for my 2005 Tiger.  I paid $19 + $9.50 shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... otohosting

[EvilBetty]

checking the valves is easy as long as you already have the tank off it's just a few more bolts to get the valve cover off .
once you have the cover off all you have to do to check the clearance is have the pointy end of the cam lobe pointing straight up and then on the opposite side slide a feeler gauge under the cam lobe and see what ya got .
intakes need to be .004-.006 thousandths of an inch or .10-.15 mm
exhausts need to be .006 - .008 or .15-.20 mm

Ok, if it needs adjustment how easy is the shimming process if I buy the $49 tool?  

It looks like I would need to remove the old shim and replace with a new one with old size + the new amount outside of tolerance?

[Stretch]

I didn't post a write-up for checking my valves because I couldn't get any of the cam cap bolts loose to install the shim removal tool.  Fortunately, none of my valves were out of spec at the time, so I didn't have to gamble with damaging the bearings and caps by heating the bolt heads.  They're supposed to be torqued to only 7 ft.-lbs., but some clown torqued them so tight that I broke two T-30 Torx bits trying to loosen them.  I finally just gave up, since I didn't really need to remove them anyway.

I didn't see the point in posting 'How To Check' without posting 'How To Change', in the event the reader has shims out of spec.  Sorry about that.

But unless the valves miraculously stay in spec out to 36,000 miles, I'll have quite a chore waiting on me.

[Mustang]

you might not have any that are out of spec , and if you have a lot you can pull the cams , but the tool does make it so it is one less thing you can screw up  :lol:

[Stretch]

Mustang came up with a handy worksheet for keeping track of valve clearances.

Click and then print it out...  http://www.geocities.com/mustanggarage/WRKSHEET.JPG

[Tom Herold]

Hit this link and download the free calculator, it'll help out a lot and can be printed. It's at the bottom of the thread.

http://www.triumphrat.net/hinckley-clas ... shims.html

I just did the valve clearances on my 2000 Sprint ST over the Thanksgiving weekend, same basic engine and same basic principle:

Pull your spark plugs to reduce the compression in the cylinders as you'll need to rotate the engine over by hand using the back tire. Might as well clean and check the gap on the plugs while you're at it.  Maybe even replace them if they're old, this would be a good time.
 
Be careful removing the cam cover, the gasket can be used again if you don't tear it.  

Once you have the cam cover off, put the bike in 5th or 6th gear, it'll make the engine easier to rotate. With one set of lobes pointed directly away from the shim, slide your feeler gauge between the shim and the lobe and record the largest clearance.  Start on one side, like the exhaust, and work your way down the cam, rotating the rear wheel to manipulate the cams into proper position.

Then do the intake side.

Using the shim clearance calculator, simply plug in your recorded numbers and it'll tell you what shim will be needed to bring the clearance back into the middle ground of the specified clearance.

When you find a tolerance too tight, remove and measure the shim with a micrometer, you'll need to know what's currently in there to properly calculate the new shim needed.  Sometimes the shim size is engraved or printed on the bucket side and is still legible, but it's a general number and not always accurate. An example is a shim printed with 2.60mm might measure out at 2.58, or 2.635. Hit it with the micrometer to get it right. Following Mustang's directions on getting the shim removal tool in-place and how to get the shim out will help you out a lot.

You might find shims needing replaced can be swapped between buckets, reducing the number you'll need to purchase. With my Sprint, I had 5 shims out of spec, 3 of them could be used to fix the problem, so I only had to purchase 2 from the local Yamaha dealer, who had what I needed in stock. The V-Max and a few others use the same shims as the triples.

Generally, you want to shoot for the middle ground on the shim tolerance.  Since the intake tolerance is between .10 - .15, the calculator will set you up for a .125 clearance. Valves on these bikes get tighter over time, so it's okay to go looser than .125 if needed, as long as you stay below the .15 limit.

Be sure to dip the shim in fresh engine oil and install it with the side with the printed or stamped size on it down in the bucket, then rotate the cam again so you can remove the tool.

Once you're finished with your shim clearance check/replacement, clean up the mating surfaces on the head and cam cover, if needed clean up the gasket too. Then apply a thin bead of RTV black where indicated in Mustang's directions and re-install your cam cover. Torque the cam bolts to their proper tightness following the service manuals torque sequence to prevent warping the cover, and then put the rest of the bike back together.

It's actually fairly easy to do the clearance check, just a bit time consuming. It took me about 5 hours from starting with removing the fairings until I had it all back together and running again. That included a quick stop for a bite to eat at the local deli after getting my new shims from the Yamaha guys.

Mustang's shim bucket tool is easy to use and very durable. You'll get the hang of it after the first set of shims and the rest will be a breeze. I own 3 triples and the tool has already paid for itself a couple of times over. The bonus is you'll save yourself even more money by doing the shim check yourself, and you'll learn a lot about your machine.

My wife's project Thunderbird needed all 12 shims replaced when I went through the engine to rebuild/restore it, that was a nightmare. The 24k valve service is the critical one according to the Triumph mechanics I've been dealing with through the years. With proper maintenance, these engines can run well up into the 100k mile range, they're very durable.

Feel free to PM, or e-mail me, if there's anything I can do to help out.

[Tom Herold]

Now back to our regularly scheduled broadcast......

You can also use a Purolator F20011 fuel filter to replace your stock Triumph one. Same size, same fittings, good all the way around.  They're a high quality unit and can be found at your local parts store for around $6.  I've been running one in the Sprint for about 6k miles.

The fuel pump gasket can be used again if you're careful when you remove it.

 When reinstalling the unit, don't over torque the little bolts, they're going into plastic threads and don't require a lot of tension to seal the fuel pump assembly to the tank.  Your service manual will have the proper torque specs.

[EvilBetty]

:shock: WOW!

Wealth of info there!  Anxious to get started!

Can the ECM check and throttle body balance be performed with the bike assembled or should I leave the tank and other parts loose to save money when I run it up to the stealer?

[Mustang]

.

, so I only had to purchase 2 from the local Yamaha dealer, who had what I needed in stock. The V-Max and a few others use the same shims as the triples.

Alot of hondas use the same shims too
and some toyota cars use the same shims
they are 25mm diameter shims pretty common .

The 24k valve service is the critical one according to the Triumph mechanics I've been dealing with through the years. With proper maintenance, these engines can run well up into the 100k mile range, they're very durable.

.

They are rugged motors but they aint bullet proof either
this ones a steamer with only 23 k on it


and my tigger #2 is a 98 which has sunk the valves into the head and has no adjustment left on the #1 cylinder , needs a valve job , it has 56k on it
. There was a rumor years ago that the 98's had a batch of bad heads
I know of 5 or 6 98's that have gone tits up on the valve train

My tigger #1 is a 95 and has only needed 3 valves adjusted 1 time each and it has 50 k on it .
The motors are strong but like any machine bad ones do exist .