The dreaded Sludge Trap

[Torch]

This is a sample of a full sludge trap that grenaded a perfectly good motor...

[billybiltit]

oh man,sorry to hear about that.so the sludge trap is actually in the rod pin?how does crap get in there?does the oil pass through this pin to oil it.i have always wondered about the sludge trap but don't know anything,i have a 1968 t120r that i am slowly bringing back to road worthyness.

leon holmes

[KT]

yeppers oils the rod bearings in the bottom end here ya go this will show ya



I hear all the time that the trap is one of the most over looked things on a triumph rebuild people do the top end and shit but never break the crank down ..

[Guest]

Wow! That didn't look so full!

[Torch]

Wow! That didn't look so full!

Yes it was only 1/2 full but that was the half that had the oil passages in it.
the second pic of the screwdriver was after i gouged out a bunch of sludge,
The sludge trap is a centrifugal filter located in the center of the crank shaft as it spins all the dirt will stick to the outside of the tube, in this case the dirt was enough to cover both of the oil passage holes. when that happens the left hand rod gets no more oil, it heats up and breaks in half and then most of the time it destroys the cases, as did this one.
I will try and post a pic of the cases for you guys to see.
this bike was an all original 1965 TR6 SC. and we got it running for the owner and advised him that it was a well used motor and he would be well advised to split the cases and clean everything up, he opted to ride it for a while and took it home the next day he called and said the engine exploded.
Even being the asshole I am, I could not say " I told you so" to this poor guy.

[Guest]

Even being the asshole I am, I could not say " I told you so" to this poor guy.

MAYBE YOU SHOULD. Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to sue someone for not telling them something needs to be done. Ya, I know you told him, but that's the way it plays out in court.

Always cover your ass.

[Torch]

MAYBE YOU SHOULD. Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to sue someone for not telling them something needs to be done. Ya, I know you told him, but that's the way it plays out in court.

Always cover your ass.

Yes, The customer was informed about the sludge trap and we are currently building him another motor, we have B.A.R. leagal invoices with that recommendation noted on there, we also have two other examples of engine damage that we showed him before his engine blew.

[ClassicCycles]

Yup....We always recommend a motor rebuild for anything that's been sitting as long as this motor had, luckily when it blew we were not the ones riding it ... Anyways, we are working with the customer to ensure a fair priced rebuild and helped locate cases to replace the blown up ones.

Andy

[Guest]

He should try to keep or repair the cases, a TR6SC is a valuable motorcycle, but only with matching numbers.

[Torch]

He should try to keep or repair the cases, a TR6SC is a valuable motorcycle, but only with matching numbers.

I have given some thought to re-adjusting the numbers on the new cases to appear as a sympathetic imprersonation of the SC numbers, for show purposes only...of course!
Besides there is a 6 square inch chunk if case that is missing on the orig. cases.

[Guest]

we also have two other examples of engine damage that we showed him before his engine blew.

I remember seeing one of em last time I was at the shop. Big hole! Ouch!

[Torch]

here is the picture of the cases. I really don't think I can fix this...

[TroyFab]

Yikes!

Looks like something from Iraq.

[KT]

WoW I guess that did blow that is pretty much pop cans now ...I have fixed unit cases in the back were the gear box blew and tore small hole but no way have seen any like that

[Choppedtriumphs]

here is the picture of the cases. I really don't think i can fix this...

ouch !!