1981 GS450E Rebuild

[Guest]

Cheers Mac and I'm likin' how they look a whole lot...

A Holy Hand Grenade... I like it

I haven't replied to your thread yet either, but those headlights are looking good, and the adjustability sounds like you'll be able to get them just right too.

 

[davidduarte]

I am really diggin' those gaiters Pete!
I am glad you managed to find a set that fit so well! Happy belated B-day as well!
A buddy of mine and I dropped a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream into a pint of Holy Grail Ale and called it a Holy Hand Grenade!
Keep up the great reports Pete.

Bring us the Holy Hand Grenade!

 

[Guest]

I'd much prefer you brought me a shrubbery...

 

[davidduarte]

so if she weighs the same as a duck, then she's made out of wood!

 

[Guest]

I feel if I do more than this, I will have to rename my thread... :-\\\

Perhaps I may just get a flesh wound though...

 

[Guest]

Ok... getting this thread back on track again.

Started getting my bits together ready for this weekend's work.

I'm hoping to get the wheels, drum brake housing, and headlight ears painted with the POR 15 Blackcote. Had a quick peak in the paint tin and it's getting low, but considering how much I've done two coats on so far, I *should* have enough for two coats on these bits and that should pretty much do it for that side of the painting.

My only concern right now is I seem to have misplaced one of the grommets for the headlight ears, so I'll have to have a closer look in the daylight on the weekend. Too hard tonight with a torch with a half dead battery and the only fluro in the garage that's mounted in the most useless place.

No pic's tonight but I'll try to ensure I get some happy snaps before and after the painting.

If I can get all these bits painted up on the weekend, then that means all I need to do is get the fork oil in and I can have a rolling frame again which would be awesome. The only chassis part that won't be done in that case will be the rear shocks, but they can wait for the moment as the motor will be next.

 

[Macguyver]

Sounds like you are definitely on the right track here Pete. Keep up the hard work, and remember our picture addiction!

 

[Guest]

Cheers Mac... I'm not sure pic's from Monty Python count... but if nothing else...

 

[Guest]

So I missed my Saturday of the fortnight last week, but got it yesterday instead and started on the wheels and headlight ears.

First of all, a recent before of both wheels:



Pulled out my wire wheels and got to it on the wheels but only took pic's of the front:



Once the wire wheeling was done, got sanding on the rest of the bits the wire wheels wouldn't reach:



You can see the sanded headlight ears above too, and I also sanded back the brake cover and sprocket side of the rear wheel:

 

[Guest]

Forgot the before of the brake cover:



I left the wheels sitting on the drop sheet to paint but hung up the other bits:





Then I got the first coat on:





If you look closely at the wheels you'll notice that I was rushing and running out of time and completely forgot to mask the edge of the rim I want to leave polished, so I will have to clean that up with a razor blade or something once I'm done.

Now to the part that I'm quite concerned about... when I popped the lid on the Blackcote, it seemed it hadn't sealed well after the last use as there was a thin partially cured layer on top

I already knew I was running low on paint, but I hope that doesn't mean it's also spoiled.

I'll get the second coat on today and I guess I'll have a pretty good idea then as to whether it will turn out ok or not, I really don't want to have to do it all again; at $64 for a 470mL can it ain't cheap paint!

 

[Flaming Chainsaws]

Hey Pete. Looking real nice with the new paint. I'm gonna paint my rims soon. Along with a few other parts too. Keep up the good work! And thanks for the detailed pictures. We love them!

 

[Guest]

Got the second coat done today.

On the one hand, I don't think the first coat was quite as bad as I thought it was, on the other hand I think it will still look rather cruddy once it's done. It looks like I missed some little bits, especially on the outside of the rim beside where I want it polished.

Unfortunately I didn't pick that up until I had already cleaned up the brushes and stuff and that was the last of the paint, so fixing it ain't happening right now.

Here's how the wheels are looking now:





And the headlight ears etc.:





It was a horrible day today weather wise so the camera flash kept going off and I don't know how to stop it doing that, so the black looks a little funny in the pic's.

There are a few runs around the place but generally I think they'll come up pretty well except the wheels.

So, next up is to let the paint cure, then sand or scrape off the excess paint on the wheels.

Once that's done and I get some fork oil in, I can clean up the front and rear axles and get a rolling frame happening again.

Can't wait!

 

[scottychop]

Nice work!

Nice work!

It will great when it's finished up. Can't wait to see it come together. Great job man.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Scott, I hope so! I really don't want to have to do those wheels again...

I'm keeping an eye on your thread too, a whole world away from mine that one!

 

[Macguyver]

Looking cruddy???
Looks good from here buddy!

It is a definite improvement from the way it was, and I am sure your bike loves you for it, so keep at it and I am sure the results will be well worth it.

Keep up the great work man!

 

[Guest]

Cheers Mac, I'll get some close up pic's once it's cured and you might be able to see what I'm talking about.

I may be able to get it tidied up so as noone will notice, but just see how I go.

In the meantime I'm waiting impatiently for my next time to get back to it and starting trying to get the wheels on.

On a side note, I've now got some surface rust on the lining of the rear drum brake.

Anyone know if I can just wire brush that off or should I leave it alone and normal wear and tear of the drum will clean it up?

 

[Charlie G]

On a side note, I've now got some surface rust on the lining of the rear drum brake.

Anyone know if I can just wire brush that off or should I leave it alone and normal wear and tear of the drum will clean it up?

Pete,

When I did the rear brakes on my XT-350 enduro, the local motorcycle shop sujested that I remove the surface glaze with 150 grit sandpaper, which is what I did. The brakes worked fine. I thought I'd need to have them turned?

cg

 

[Guest]

Thanks Charlie, I've got some 280 at home I used to prepare the wheels and other bits for paint, so that should do it for the linings too.

 

[Guest]

Ok, my Saturday of the fortnight came a week earlier and I had it yesterday, but I didn't get quite the full day so some things I wanted to do I couldn't quite get to, but still, progress is progress and it's all good

Pulled the painted bits down:



And took a close up of how bad I am at keeping in the lines when colouring:



Got out the 280 grit sandpaper and went to work on the extra paint. The rim's not polished yet, but still a huge difference compared to before:





So on from there...

 

[Guest]

Started putting the drum brake back together again.

Ran some 280 grit sandpaper over the brake linings to break up the glaze and put the linings back where they belong as there appears to be heaps of life left in them yet:



Flipped it over and put my polished up arm back on:



Note the arm's more than likely not in the right spot on the splines yet, I'll sort that out later when I'm getting the brake hooked up properly.

Now time to address the lovely surface rust on the drum lining:



Managed to forget to take an after pic of that, but some 280 grit sandpaper roughed it up nicely and took that layer off. Blew all the dust out with the compressor and it's all good.

I then sat the cover back on the wheel and immediately saw I'd missed a bit with my painting... check out the raw alloy that needs paint



I also popped the sprocket side on for a look see, no missed bits with paint here at least:



So next I got out the kero and cleaned up the rear axle, spacers, chain adjusters, etc. and put the rear sprocket on also (that needs replacing badly) just to get a wheel on the frame again:



And then...