Question for those familiar with Triumph 3TA/3TA 21.

[Cato]

The 3TA on the ramp for clutch work and oil leak seems an odd fish. The engine code and obvious appearance make it a 1958 unit engine, but it has a 4 spring pre-unit clutch. The rally odd thing though is the primary tensioner.

Is this some sort of home brew conversion? Or just something Triumph tried that I'm not familiar with?

 

[Seadog]

That looks decidedly home brewed.
I've never come across anything like it.

 

[Cato]

That looks decidedly home brewed.
I've never come across anything like it.

Same here, and I've never heard of a 'modification' like that either. I like to check though as the list of things I don't know or have never heard of is considerably longer than the stuff I do/have.

 

[JEZGUZ]

That is not factory, the tensioner on the one I had was the usual bendy guide with a screw up the middle, I'll hunt out my manual and see what it's supposed to be.

 

[Cato]

That is not factory, the tensioner on the one I had was the usual bendy guide with a screw up the middle, I'll hunt out my manual and see what it's supposed to be.

Yeah the blade guide is the only tensioner I've seen fitted.

 

[JEZGUZ]

Just did a google and it says the early (57/58) engines did not have a tensioner fitted. The first tensioners were adjusted with the chaincase off, the later ones were adjusted via a plug in the bottom of the case.

 

[Seadog]

Just did a google and it says the early (57/58) engines did not have a tensioner fitted. The first tensioners were adjusted with the chaincase off, the later ones were adjusted via a plug in the bottom of the case.

Correct

 

[Cato]

Just did a google and it says the early (57/58) engines did not have a tensioner fitted. The first tensioners were adjusted with the chaincase off, the later ones were adjusted via a plug in the bottom of the case.

I guess then that someone's added one at some point.

 

[frank horton]

wern't oil leaks standard from the factory....lol....

 

[colnerov]

If there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it. Doesn't only apply to bikes.

 

[oldbikedavey]

The 3TA on the ramp for clutch work and oil leak seems an odd fish. The engine code and obvious appearance make it a 1958 unit engine, but it has a 4 spring pre-unit clutch. The rally odd thing though is the primary tensioner.

Is this some sort of home brew conversion? Or just something Triumph tried that I'm not familiar with?

View attachment 531583

No way is that a factory item.
Cute, ambitious, and hopeful, but not factory.....