T500M rebuild. Silly question.

[rider]

Hi, I had a T500M in 1977, have had 20 odd bikes since, but always had a soft spot for it and finally got another, in nice original condition, but decided to do a full rebuild. Powdercoated frame, crank rebuild, rebore etc etc.
Took lots of picture, bagged and labelled everything, all has gone really well and nearing the end of the build......something as silly as the oil tank fixing has me stumped!! The top 2 fixing points are easy, to the frame...... but what happens with the bottom 2. It was obviously so simple that I took no photos.
Anyone shed some light for me?
Thanks.
Sorry, couldn't attach photo, says file too big, and my knowledge too small to fix!

[akendall1966]

You mention 4 mounting points, but unless 77 is different I think there are only 3, 2 at the top and one at the bottom. The bottom one attaching to the battery box when fitted.

[rider]

I meant 75. Fat fingers.
There are 2 threaded fixings at the top and 2 at the bottom on the back of the oil tank.
It's the original tank and battery box. Is there a bracket that goes between the 1 hole in the battery box and 2 lower ones in the tank.
I can't find any photos to help.

[rider]

There it is.

[akendall1966]

OK - I learned something, I thought they were all the same mine is like below. I would guess something to do with the later rectangular air box having an extra mounting point. the Earlier 'D' shaped one is mounted to the frame and battery box only. Lower oil tank mount on the 3 point versions attached to the battery box only.

[rider]

The parts lists and diagrams I've seen only show fixings to suit tanks the same as yours.

[akendall1966]

What air-box do you have rectangular or D shaped?

[rider]

I've got the same as this.

[akendall1966]

Sorry - don't have the experience of the later model to help further.

[rider]

Thanks for your help. At least a couple of things have been ruled out!!

[ConnerVT]

Both of the mounts on the bottom/back of the oil tank are for the battery box. You only use one of them.

In 1973, they extended the carb to cylinder intake length. Pushed the carbs rearward, which pushed everything else rearward - (new style) airbox, and battery box.

To accommodate this, they needed to do a bunch of things - Cut out part of the oil pump cover; Notch in the air filter boot (for tach cable clearance); Added a second cross member to the frame for mounting top of battery box; and added that second bolt hole to the oil tank for the back of the battery box to mount.

Instead of just moving it, they made provision to mount the tank on either an early or late model T500, otherwise they would need to stock two styles of tanks as replacement parts.

[rider]

Great, thanks for that. What also threw me is that now I can see that the fixing point on the battery box is bent up, so it's inside the box, not hanging under and lining up with one of the points on the oil tank.
Thanks again.