what did you wrench on today??

[rfkac]

It was that exact diagram I used when I built a set for my 79 bike - it worked fine, but the crank was knackered, so the ignition hasn't had a proper road test in the four years or so since I made it.

Those cranks...
The 2006 Katana I have weeps oil from the crank at the pickup side.
I believe the oil was saturating the pickups, thus no spark.
I fabricated a cover plate, and installed a points plate from a 1977 GS750.
I use the points to trigger the HEI's for spark.
Quicker than a 2005 Katana I had. I guess I'm getting more spark advance.
Pic of 2006 Katana with points (LOL!):

 

[Guest]

Originally, just the left cylinder was getting no spark with the stock ignitor, so I set it up using the HEI only for that cylinder.
Was running OK for a little while, then the right cylinder would seem to fire when it wanted to.
I had spark, so I kept cleaning and messing with the carb.
I should have noticed that the spark was weak for the right cylinder(orange spark), so set up HEI for that cylinder too.
What a difference.
Installed it just like the diagram. Stock pickups and coils.
Need to make sure all the grounds are good.

Thanks for the details, much appreciated!

 

[tas850g]

I Installed new fork seals because the right one was leaking. While I was in there I upgraded the springs with 1.1 sonics and 10wt oil. It’s nice having 99% of the correct tools. Definitely made the job easier. Read many posts here to make the job and decisions easier.

 

[Steve]

While I was in there I upgraded the springs with 1.1 sonics and 10wt oil.

Have you ridden it yet? I will be interested in what you think. If it's the bike in your avatar, there is no fairing on the front, and your gravitational attraction is a bit less than mine. Just wondering if the 1.1 springs might be too much. It feels great on my bike (also using 10w oil).

.

 

[gustovh]

Made a set of arms for Emil of the Seattle Knights about 18 years ago. It was time for a rebuild.

V

 

[dorkburger]

Vince, that is some impressive tin work. Nice job.

Add- Just looked up Seattle Knights. Your work is used in shows / exhibitions?

 

[Redman]

Made a set of arms for Emil of the Seattle Knights about 18 years ago. It was time for a rebuild.
.
.
.
V

[h=2]Sir Emil the Black
[/h]

Perpetual living evidence of old age and treachery, Emil lives for combat. Explosive, temperamental, and proud a combination that would have speeded a less skilled knight to an early grave, these attributes have melded Emil into something more akin to a force of nature than a mortal man.
?
​

https://www.seattleknights.com/knights-pictures-page.html
?
?
?

 

[gustovh]

Yes I have several pieces used by the knights that I have made them over the years, and a suit or two as well.

V

Vince, that is some impressive tin work. Nice job.

Add- Just looked up Seattle Knights. Your work is used in shows / exhibitions?

 

[Grimly]

Got the AFR gauge installed in a temporary fashion today. Just a quick and dirty lash-up that can be removed in two minutes.
I'll make a better enclosure for it; as the one I made, while it does the job just looks totally trashy.

It's not showing mega-lean, that's just it running through its setup routine. Earlier on I warmed the bike up and got some figures from it at least while sitting in the workshop unloaded. It's sitting at 13.1 at any steady rev state up to 3K. Interesting to see the SU enrichment process working when I open the throttle.

 

[GregT]

Pulled out a tank I've had for several years and started to take it back to bare metal. It's an original Frepin tank - a locally made aftermarket frame kit for TZ Yamahas. It has visible damage hence taking it back to bare metal - aluminium in this case.
Paint off and a skim of bondo appears...Start taking the bondo off and some impressive dents start appearing....
I'd thought I was pretty good at covering up damage with filler but this is another level. I should have realised that the final crash that wrote the bike off probably wasn't it's first, LOL. Typical 70's racebike. Fill it. paint it and race it. I was told the bike it came off broke in half...
I want to use the tank on a new build so I'll carry on cleaning it off. Aluminium dent repair is much more common now and more practical too.
I'll post a pic when it's bare but this is what a Frepin looked like.

 

[Carter Turk]

Bought a 1150 motor today and dragged into the garage on cardboard from a foreign country.
Got held up in customs for a moment with an orange ticket, then sent on my way.

 

[Grimly]

Damned tacho drive oil seal has gone again.
Luckily M&P are selling complete knock-off units for a pittance, which pretty much equals the cost of the seal and o-ring on their own.
https://www.mandp.co.uk/products/suzuki-gs-gsx-late-70s-early-80s-tacho-drive-unit-467999-678288

 

[fastbysuzuki]

Damned tacho drive oil seal has gone again.
Luckily M&P are selling complete knock-off units for a pittance, which pretty much equals the cost of the seal and o-ring on their own.
https://www.mandp.co.uk/products/suzuki-gs-gsx-late-70s-early-80s-tacho-drive-unit-467999-678288

cheers that's a good price

 

[Grimly]

cheers that's a good price

I'll be ordering one tomorrow night, but in the meantime I'll either remove the original and plug it, or hope that one of the other engines has one that's not leaky, and will last for a week or so.

 

[rfkac]

Took out a leaking clutch pushrod seal on my '81 GS450.
Was tough to come out; thought it might be the flanged type (wasn't).
Drilled a hole, tapped in a screw; came out nice and easy.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Pulled out a tank I've had for several years and started to take it back to bare metal. It's an original Frepin tank - a locally made aftermarket frame kit for TZ Yamahas. It has visible damage hence taking it back to bare metal - aluminium in this case.
Paint off and a skim of bondo appears...Start taking the bondo off and some impressive dents start appearing....
I'd thought I was pretty good at covering up damage with filler but this is another level. I should have realised that the final crash that wrote the bike off probably wasn't it's first, LOL. Typical 70's racebike. Fill it. paint it and race it. I was told the bike it came off broke in half...
I want to use the tank on a new build so I'll carry on cleaning it off. Aluminium dent repair is much more common now and more practical too.
I'll post a pic when it's bare but this is what a Frepin looked like.

Very cool race bike, 125cc? I read in the corner that's a 250cc, but I only see 1 cylinder.
Keep us updated on your build.

 

[ddaniels]

Working to replace my cam chain guides after installing the tensioner incorrectly on the FZ1. Need to clean out a bunch of black ground up plastic. Sheesh! I guess I'll adjust the valves while I'm in there. Shim under bucket so the cams have to come out. Stupid design.

 

[Grimly]

Checked and re-torqued the cylinder head. Each bolt took about an eighth of a turn, but I'm suspicious of the accuracy of the wrench I was using so maybe the first wrench was under-torqueing them or this one slightly over-torqueing. The one I used today is the same one I've had no trouble with for years, so tend to trust it more, but for these bolts it's fairly close to the bottom end of its range, so meh...
Also found the cam cover bolts were all a bit slack, again.
Probably just as well the rev counter drive leaked, as it prompted me to do the above checks anyway.
Replacement tacho drive not arrived yet, so I gutted the old one and filled it with hi-temp silicone last week - at least it's remained dry.
Now toying with the idea of an electronic tacho and get rid of the weak spot altogether. I reckon I've replaced about 10 tacho cables over the years between the two bikes.

Just keeping my fingers crossed this third head torque isn't a sign of impending doom - as I recall Nessism's difficulty with the Athena base gasket. Careful examination revealed the base gasket isn't, as yet, creeping, nor should it, as it's an OEM one. The other thing is the head gasket - the engine set was an NE one, and I hope their gasket is decent. However, Brendan used exactly that set and has had no trouble in the last couple of years, and more.

I'll start the bugger up tomorrow and do a cylinder compression check, just for peace of mind.

 

[gustovh]

Worked another project, just needs a couple buckles now.

V

 

[Grimly]

Checked and re-torqued the cylinder head. Each bolt took about an eighth of a turn, but I'm suspicious of the accuracy of the wrench I was using so maybe the first wrench was under-torqueing them or this one slightly over-torqueing. The one I used today is the same one I've had no trouble with for years, so tend to trust it more, but for these bolts it's fairly close to the bottom end of its range, so meh...
Also found the cam cover bolts were all a bit slack, again.
Probably just as well the rev counter drive leaked, as it prompted me to do the above checks anyway.
Replacement tacho drive not arrived yet, so I gutted the old one and filled it with hi-temp silicone last week - at least it's remained dry.
Now toying with the idea of an electronic tacho and get rid of the weak spot altogether. I reckon I've replaced about 10 tacho cables over the years between the two bikes.

Just keeping my fingers crossed this third head torque isn't a sign of impending doom - as I recall Nessism's difficulty with the Athena base gasket. Careful examination revealed the base gasket isn't, as yet, creeping, nor should it, as it's an OEM one. The other thing is the head gasket - the engine set was an NE one, and I hope their gasket is decent. However, Brendan used exactly that set and has had no trouble in the last couple of years, and more.

I'll start the bugger up tomorrow and do a cylinder compression check, just for peace of mind.

Well, kind of up and down again.
The re-torque upset something and several drips of oil appeared at the front bottom fin of the barrels. Oddly, didn't seem to be coming from the base gasket, and my suspicion was on the cam chain tensioner, which might have been leaking and running forward.
I un-torqued the head nuts and left it for 24 hours to relax, then re-torqued today, doing it in three stages - 10, 20 and 27 ft/lbs.
Started it up and the little leak seems to have gone.
Only to be replaced by a much healther leak - now from the blasted copper washers under the domed head nuts on the right side.
Disturbing them wasn't such a good move. I left the workshop before I got into a bad mood. Tomorrow I'll pull them off, anneal them and smear them with Hylomar before fitting, and hope that's it.

ps. the compression figures are excellent, btw. All of them within a gnat's hair of 150.