Just wondering. I know that the valve clearances need checking, along with regreasing the headstock and swing arm bearings but the Haynes manual also seems to suggest that the filter should be changed. Any body bothered to do this?
How much are they Steve. Seeing as the petrol tank is removed plus other bits and pieces to complete the service it may well be worth renewing. Or is it your Yorkshire heritage kicking in wanting to save a few bob
Hi Steve, as I'm sure you know, the fuel filter is within the tank adjacent to the pump. So to change the filter you need to remove the tank and disconnect the fuel lines. The connectors used to be made from plastic and would over, over time, get brittle (grrrr) the newer ones are metal and more reliable. Then to remove the pump/filter assy you need to unscrew the 5 or 6 allen screws and the large gasket (might be useful to have a spare in stock??). Once the tank is disconnected it can be quite heavy to manipulate safely, so if it's possible try to run down the amount of fuel to a minimum, before tackling this. Good luck mate, Dave
I changed mine at about 13,000, but only because I was having the tank resprayed, Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered. I'm guessing the dealers never do it at 12,000. I got a quality aftermarket filter, can't remember the name but they were recommended all over the net and were a fraction of the price of the Triumph part. If you have the tank off it is quite easy to do, slightly fiddly getting the fuel pump assembly out.
Thanks lads. I need a new alternator cover gasket for when I check the valve clearances so will order the new filter and new gasket for the tank aswell. The cheaper aftermarket online version sounds good - (Yorkshire heritage kicking in there Dave!)
You can get a Mahle fuel filter on Ebay for £16.99 or pay £41.99 from World of Triumph. You don't need to be from Yorkshire to avoid that one!
I changed my fuel filter on my America , at 90,000 odd klms ! It wasn't really worth it. I broke it apart and it was reasonably clean and clear inside. So unless you suspected one of your local service stations had dodgy fuel
You remove the alternator cover (and plugs) so you can turn the engine easily to position the cam lobes correctly with a 10mm hex key on the alternator rotor bolt.
Hi Steve, when I had the cams checked the person who did the checking for me just took out the plugs and turned the engine over with it in gear via the back wheel, It was Muddy Sump who did the work for me.
Yeah I thought that would be how you could do it, but just following good old Haynes manual! Probably will try turning back wheel with it gear on the centre stand. Just assumed that turning it by the rotor bolt might be more accurate.
Accuracy is not too much of an issue as you are measuring clearance on the long heel of the cam not the toe when it is in contact! Do it in first gear to minimise cam rotation...
When I did valve clearance check at 12,000 I also just removed cam cover and turned back wheel with gear. It's worth it to have a spare gasket for the cam cover, although mine was in really good shape, and I ended up reusing it. No oil leaks to report.
Well I did it when I had the tank off to fit the heated grips yesterday (Oxford heated grips - another thread). Used the centre stand and rotated the back wheel in gear as suggested - that works well enough to make the job easy. (and saves you money by not having the dealer do it for you). Here are some pictures, which show how easy it is and might help if anyone fancies giving it a go but wasn't too sure. Remove the seat and the two bolts holding the tank on. You need to lift the tank up and lean it against yourself as you stand on the RH side of the bike so you can access the electrical connection, fuel hose and breather pipe underneath. This is why it pays to have the tank empty - its bloody heavy when full! Disconnect this connection. Pull off this breather hose. Push the orange collar down on the fuel hose connector and squeeze both sides in until it pops off. Remove the four cam cover bolts with (they are Torx head bolts). Remove spark plugs. You need to unbolt this to enable the cover to be removed. This is what's under there from the LH side of the bike. The cam lobe on the exhaust valve is pointing straight up, the other is the inlet valve. Checking the exhaust valve from the RH side - cam lobe should be at the position shown (about 11.00 o'clock). The exhaust clearance should be between 0.25 - 0.30. Mine was spot on at 0.26. (the inlet clearance is 0.15 - 0.20). Job done . Mine were well within tolerances at 14000 miles - will check again at 24000 but I still don't think they will need adjusting then.
Very useful to post the pictures, thanks for that. Reassures me that I done it right as well! Did you replace the cam cover seal and the bolt gaskets, or left the original ones?
Regarding the fuel filter,I’m going to fit an easily accessible inline filter together with a quick release pipe connector. That way,the tank can come off easily for any future maintenance.
