Saturday, January 29, 2005
Second carb
Another session of little jobs. Importantly I've finished cleaning the 2nd carb. One of the inlet manifolds was lacking its 'heatshield' but luckily I had one on a spare carb. I did wonder if there was a problem with the float as the pin fell out. On examination I realised that it doesn't need to be held in place as it is stopped from moving by the float bowl.
I also cleaned the bits of chain guard/guide and selected stainless screws for it. I took the opportunity to trial-fit the pieces so that I could attach the bracket onto the swing arm. It can't really stay in place as it obstructs fitting the chain. Now I know I've all the bits I need and that they are clean. One day I'll have to decide how little of the assembly is really needed as it seems to accumulate a lot of dirt in its multitude or corners.
(0) comments
Another session of little jobs. Importantly I've finished cleaning the 2nd carb. One of the inlet manifolds was lacking its 'heatshield' but luckily I had one on a spare carb. I did wonder if there was a problem with the float as the pin fell out. On examination I realised that it doesn't need to be held in place as it is stopped from moving by the float bowl.
I also cleaned the bits of chain guard/guide and selected stainless screws for it. I took the opportunity to trial-fit the pieces so that I could attach the bracket onto the swing arm. It can't really stay in place as it obstructs fitting the chain. Now I know I've all the bits I need and that they are clean. One day I'll have to decide how little of the assembly is really needed as it seems to accumulate a lot of dirt in its multitude or corners.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Rear wheel
Another 90 minutes and I've refitted the rear hub & wheel, the handlebars & disc brake and the gearshift grease nipple. Ok, only little jobs but they needed doing. The rear hub and spokes needed a bit of a clean again as did the brake torque arm. The latter has a lot of corners and wasn't cleaned very well after the bike's last trip.
The bars were left connected to, and above, the brake caliper so as to keep the brake system free of air bubbles. It just bolted on at both ends. The forks still clunk. The more I mess with them, the more I'm sure they have too much preload and are topping out.
The grease nipple on the shift tube (it carries the nlinkage from the left to right side of the bike) took a spot longer than anticipated. The thread had a little powder coating in it and so needed a quick turn with an M6 tap. Also I thin found it needed to be spaced with a washer to stop it obstructing the fitting of the gear linkage. I can't see me ever filling the tube with grease so I was tempted to fit a small bolt to seal the hole. I suppose this looks more orginal! Just to be safe, I added a drop of blue Loctite to the threads.
Although the last few nights have just been just little jobs I now have a rolling chassis with a stand so I can move it around as required.
(0) comments
Another 90 minutes and I've refitted the rear hub & wheel, the handlebars & disc brake and the gearshift grease nipple. Ok, only little jobs but they needed doing. The rear hub and spokes needed a bit of a clean again as did the brake torque arm. The latter has a lot of corners and wasn't cleaned very well after the bike's last trip.
The bars were left connected to, and above, the brake caliper so as to keep the brake system free of air bubbles. It just bolted on at both ends. The forks still clunk. The more I mess with them, the more I'm sure they have too much preload and are topping out.
The grease nipple on the shift tube (it carries the nlinkage from the left to right side of the bike) took a spot longer than anticipated. The thread had a little powder coating in it and so needed a quick turn with an M6 tap. Also I thin found it needed to be spaced with a washer to stop it obstructing the fitting of the gear linkage. I can't see me ever filling the tube with grease so I was tempted to fit a small bolt to seal the hole. I suppose this looks more orginal! Just to be safe, I added a drop of blue Loctite to the threads.
Although the last few nights have just been just little jobs I now have a rolling chassis with a stand so I can move it around as required.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Front wheel
I've only spent just over an hour today but managed to refit the forks, front wheel and the rear monoshock. I'd really like to have a rolling chassis in the next few days as that will make me feel that real progress is being made. It certainly is easier to be coming back to these jobs for the second time. Now I know that it can be done and that I have got the right size socket to fit. I've discovered that I don't have all the stainless fastners I needed despite ordering from the parts diagrams. So far the originals of the ones I don't have are OK so not a problem, more a minor annoyance.
(0) comments
I've only spent just over an hour today but managed to refit the forks, front wheel and the rear monoshock. I'd really like to have a rolling chassis in the next few days as that will make me feel that real progress is being made. It certainly is easier to be coming back to these jobs for the second time. Now I know that it can be done and that I have got the right size socket to fit. I've discovered that I don't have all the stainless fastners I needed despite ordering from the parts diagrams. So far the originals of the ones I don't have are OK so not a problem, more a minor annoyance.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Centre stand
The hardest part of fitting the centre stand is attaching the return spring. It's quite strong and my previous attempts at pulling at had failed. I had managed to get it on by not bolting on the stand and then using that as a puller by pivoting it against the frame. However now it's been coated that was not possible.
I managed to stretch it on my vice and packed it with washers. There were a few false starts when the packing was inadequate and I ended up with a banana spring, but in the end I got it long enough to fit.
Now the frame is ready to transfer to a box and start to fit front and rear suspension.
At last I feel that I will get it rebuilt.
(0) comments
The hardest part of fitting the centre stand is attaching the return spring. It's quite strong and my previous attempts at pulling at had failed. I had managed to get it on by not bolting on the stand and then using that as a puller by pivoting it against the frame. However now it's been coated that was not possible.
I managed to stretch it on my vice and packed it with washers. There were a few false starts when the packing was inadequate and I ended up with a banana spring, but in the end I got it long enough to fit.
Now the frame is ready to transfer to a box and start to fit front and rear suspension.
At last I feel that I will get it rebuilt.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Swinging back
At last I've all the bits to replace the swingarm. I've felt unable to do anything else to the frame in case it had to go off for machining. Anyway, the swingarm has new bushes in that have been reamed to fit the pivot, I've a stainless pivot pin that has been machined twice and a set of handmade nuts, washers and shims to fit it together.
A quick check showed that the pin machining is now correct and will allow it to seat into the remade thread and that the new 'shoulder' part would fit into the frame but not interfere with the arm. There was a little bur that needed a spot of emery paper to allow it to fit the bushes (after first machining NP had checked this but this time he didn't have the bushes) but otherwise nicely finished. The thread into the frame had been loosened a little but it was still stiff in the helicoil. I suspect that the insert is not dead square. Anyway, it looked as though it would go in all the way.
I chose a pair of the shims to fit between swingarm and the frame to take up all side-to-side slack.
Then after applying plenty of LM grease it all went together. The pin took a fair bit of effort to screw home as every half turn it binds - the other half turn is fine. That shows that something is not round! The pin was screwed in until flush on the right of the frame. A turn or so later I think I could tell that the shoulder was catching the shim on the left as the shim started to turn with the pin. So I backed it off a few degrees. The locknut went on with a washer on the right and tightened up. That leaves the left...
Here the nut can't be tightened up as it will cause the pivot to bind if there is any flex in the frame. Also the pin has an additional 'drive' section with 10mm WAF flats to screw it in. I'm concerned that this might catch my legs and be dangerous. I guess these aspects are why the original pin had the nut welded on. Anyway, the plan is to remove the nut, clean up the threads and reseat it with red Loctite to hold it in place. As for the sharp end, I'll have to see if it is a problem and decide what to do then. At least I've got a working swingarm.
(0) comments
At last I've all the bits to replace the swingarm. I've felt unable to do anything else to the frame in case it had to go off for machining. Anyway, the swingarm has new bushes in that have been reamed to fit the pivot, I've a stainless pivot pin that has been machined twice and a set of handmade nuts, washers and shims to fit it together.
A quick check showed that the pin machining is now correct and will allow it to seat into the remade thread and that the new 'shoulder' part would fit into the frame but not interfere with the arm. There was a little bur that needed a spot of emery paper to allow it to fit the bushes (after first machining NP had checked this but this time he didn't have the bushes) but otherwise nicely finished. The thread into the frame had been loosened a little but it was still stiff in the helicoil. I suspect that the insert is not dead square. Anyway, it looked as though it would go in all the way.
I chose a pair of the shims to fit between swingarm and the frame to take up all side-to-side slack.
Then after applying plenty of LM grease it all went together. The pin took a fair bit of effort to screw home as every half turn it binds - the other half turn is fine. That shows that something is not round! The pin was screwed in until flush on the right of the frame. A turn or so later I think I could tell that the shoulder was catching the shim on the left as the shim started to turn with the pin. So I backed it off a few degrees. The locknut went on with a washer on the right and tightened up. That leaves the left...
Here the nut can't be tightened up as it will cause the pivot to bind if there is any flex in the frame. Also the pin has an additional 'drive' section with 10mm WAF flats to screw it in. I'm concerned that this might catch my legs and be dangerous. I guess these aspects are why the original pin had the nut welded on. Anyway, the plan is to remove the nut, clean up the threads and reseat it with red Loctite to hold it in place. As for the sharp end, I'll have to see if it is a problem and decide what to do then. At least I've got a working swingarm.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Waiting again
The swingarm parts came back from NP with a minor problem with the pivot pin. It's very hard to design and turn pieces by telephone! Anyway, I'm hoping that with a bit of modification it will all go together.
I've been doing other things (ie not Kanguro) of late but I've still had time to continue with carb cleaning. Having got the outside of the carbs presentable, so not at all shiny, I've gone onto internal cleaning. To date it's taken 90 minutes to do just one. It looks like a worthwhile job though as I've found a number of spots of alloy corrosion particles around jets and 2 damaged O-rings. I've also noted that the needles are in the 'low' setting on the X1 carbs but the 'high' on my spare carbs from an X3. I suppose I need to do a full noting of all the jets now!
(0) comments
The swingarm parts came back from NP with a minor problem with the pivot pin. It's very hard to design and turn pieces by telephone! Anyway, I'm hoping that with a bit of modification it will all go together.
I've been doing other things (ie not Kanguro) of late but I've still had time to continue with carb cleaning. Having got the outside of the carbs presentable, so not at all shiny, I've gone onto internal cleaning. To date it's taken 90 minutes to do just one. It looks like a worthwhile job though as I've found a number of spots of alloy corrosion particles around jets and 2 damaged O-rings. I've also noted that the needles are in the 'low' setting on the X1 carbs but the 'high' on my spare carbs from an X3. I suppose I need to do a full noting of all the jets now!
Monday, January 10, 2005
Carb cleaning
I'm still waiting for the swingarm parts to be remade so I'm doing little jobs such as matching new stainless bolts to the OE ones. I've also started cleaned the outside of the carbs. This is proving to be time-consuming as the grease/dirt mixture is baked on and is not coming off with paraffin.
(0) comments
I'm still waiting for the swingarm parts to be remade so I'm doing little jobs such as matching new stainless bolts to the OE ones. I've also started cleaned the outside of the carbs. This is proving to be time-consuming as the grease/dirt mixture is baked on and is not coming off with paraffin.
