what did you wrench on today??

[Texas Don]

Cleaned the shop yesterday. Getting ready for family to visit today. They will be here all week so I will be spending plenty of time in the shop. I hate my job too but I've been doing it for 32+ years and yes, I'm thankful that I have a job still. That part about having the house paid for is applicable here so I'm comforted by that. Actually, everything is paid off. But my wife is terminal with breast cancer, so I'm going to be working as long as it takes to provide her with health coverage and keep her comfy. I like working on the bikes more than riding actually. It's the only therapy that I've found that lets me keep my head on straight. I've never cared for booze and I quit smoking over 20 years ago. But bikes? I love working on them.
Don

 

[bonanzadave]

I'm going to be working as long as it takes to provide her with health coverage and keep her comfy.

Don,

I salute your positive attitude. Im traveling that road although my wife's BC is in remission. Its been a long couple years with multiple surgery's plus shes been outa work for a year. I wish you and your family all the best.

Back to wrenching....Im gonna grease up the snowblower...

 

[Steve314159]

Bolt extraction to TheMess

Bolt extraction to TheMess

TheMess,

Don't use easy-outs or screw extractors. Left hand drill bits are nice but not required. Here's what you need to do: Get a small, good quality drill bit, maybe 3/32 or so and drill a hole down the center of the old bolt. The trick is to figure out exactly where the center is and which way is straight. Drill down to the depth you already know because you removed some bolts successfully. Carefully increase the size of the drill bit, making the hole a little bigger each time, until you get to the point that you might be or are removing aluminum. At this point I used pliers, picks, sharp objects to remove most of the old bolt. Then I used a tap and cutting oil and more tweezer type tools to get the old bolt out. The only problem I had was going too quickly on the third or fourth one and drilling way off center. Good Luck.

 

[Steve]

Tonight's fun was starting to dismantle the carbs and endeavour to work out what shims I needed... I think I have an idea now.

Also discovered my micrometer is imperial, but has metric instructions, which explains so much weirdness with it...

That should be easy, if you still have the spreadsheet I sent you back in April, 2010.

If not, let me know, I'll send you another.

And, ... my spreasheet does not care whether you use Imperial or metric measurements.

.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

TheMess,

Don't use easy-outs or screw extractors. Left hand drill bits are nice but not required. Here's what you need to do: Get a small, good quality drill bit, maybe 3/32 or so and drill a hole down the center of the old bolt. The trick is to figure out exactly where the center is and which way is straight. Drill down to the depth you already know because you removed some bolts successfully. Carefully increase the size of the drill bit, making the hole a little bigger each time, until you get to the point that you might be or are removing aluminum. At this point I used pliers, picks, sharp objects to remove most of the old bolt. Then I used a tap and cutting oil and more tweezer type tools to get the old bolt out. The only problem I had was going too quickly on the third or fourth one and drilling way off center. Good Luck.

If you got this route, center punch the broken bolt first to keep the drill bit from "walking". If you have a Dremel , use the smallest ball nosed burr that came with it to divot the center of the broken bolt.
The only way you get good at this is by breaking too many bolts!

 

[cowboyup3371]

About the only thing I was able to wrench on today as the sitting waiting for DMV to give me a new title and tag on my horse trailer...Yea, it's finally legal again :dancing:

 

[mike-s]

All i did today was take the head studs off the 250 as well as the pistons in anticipation of their replacement. The new studs are still at the shop as I've not had a chance to go get them and the new barrel/pistons are still somewhere in between Wisconsin and Sydney, Australia (where i am).

It's not a lot, but it's satisfying doing it. Am also glad i still have some Loctite freeze & release from the last set of studs i removed. This stuff basically works by the lubricant inside the can taking the chill from the propellant expansion (about -10'F/-43'C) and transferring it to the nut/bolt your trying to loosen. Does a fantastic job & gave me a nice little edge with undoing the snapped stud (i couldn't use the two nuts locked against each other technique to remove it & had to use that to loosen it enough for the vice-grips to be able to be brought out).

 

[Guest]

That should be easy, if you still have the spreadsheet I sent you back in April, 2010.

If not, let me know, I'll send you another.

And, ... my spreasheet does not care whether you use Imperial or metric measurements.

.

All good now thanks Steve! My lack of a baseline is the problem at the moment, so this work now with the rebuild is setting my baseline.

Got the third valve sorted tonight, but I'm going to need one or two sizes smaller for the last one, so more shims required... sheeesh.

Continued dismantling the carbs tonight too.

 

[Baatfam]

Got the K1100's forks back together last night...there is a bit of trickyness compared to the GS forks...
But back on the bike today...still need to go pick up some oil...

 

[Guest]

TheMess,

Don't use easy-outs or screw extractors. Left hand drill bits are nice but not required. Here's what you need to do: Get a small, good quality drill bit, maybe 3/32 or so and drill a hole down the center of the old bolt. The trick is to figure out exactly where the center is and which way is straight. Drill down to the depth you already know because you removed some bolts successfully. Carefully increase the size of the drill bit, making the hole a little bigger each time, until you get to the point that you might be or are removing aluminum. At this point I used pliers, picks, sharp objects to remove most of the old bolt. Then I used a tap and cutting oil and more tweezer type tools to get the old bolt out. The only problem I had was going too quickly on the third or fourth one and drilling way off center. Good Luck.

The exhaust system is still on the bike, and will be until I'm ready to start drilling. The length of the stub indicates that the bolt broke competely inside the cylinder head, so using pliers is not an option. The one hopeful factor is that the broken surface is very flat and smooth, so center-punching should actually be in the center or very close. My experience with drilling bolts out is quite limited, but successful. A couple of times, when the center hole has been enlargd enough, the bolt breaks loose, from a combination of heat, vibration, and reduced tension. It this doesn't work, I'll have to pull the head and take it to a machine shop. I'd really like to avoid that.

 

[Guest]

Just finished

Just finished

Coil Modification on the 1980 GS1000. Killing time till my realgasket valve cover gasket gets here. Next is oil change.

 

[Dave8338]

Got the K1100's forks back together last night...there is a bit of trickyness compared to the GS forks...
But back on the bike today...still need to go pick up some oil...

Looking good Bob! I see Sam stopped by to give you a helping hand.

I've got to do the forks on the 850 yet this winter, as by June of this year, it needs to be on the road and ready for a 4-day road trip to northern Wisconsin and the UP. :clap:

 

[DanTheMan]

Looking good Bob! I see Sam stopped by to give you a helping hand.

I've got to do the forks on the 850 yet this winter, as by June of this year, it needs to be on the road and ready for a 4-day road trip to northern Wisconsin and the UP. :clap:

Hey Dave, I should be down in your area sometime in the next month for my St. Cloud VA visit. I'll let you know so I can deliver those pipes to you.

 

[Dave8338]

Hey Dave, I should be down in your area sometime in the next month for my St. Cloud VA visit. I'll let you know so I can deliver those pipes to you.

Hey Dan.

Please do!!

I can't wait to get the old girl up and snorting. It will be when the temps are warmer however...the more pieces / parts I have lined, the better.

 

[bonanzadave]

a 4-day road trip to northern Wisconsin and the UP. :clap:

Whats going on up there ? My Aunt & Uncle live in Gwinn, MI. Leftovers from KI Sawyer AFB.

 

[Dave8338]

Whats going on up there ? My Aunt & Uncle live in Gwinn, MI. Leftovers from KI Sawyer AFB.

Arne and I are going to escape the riggors of life for a few days. He will be riding his Honda 750/1000 (long story on his bike, but it will be breathing through a new set of 1000 lungs, on a 750 bottom end with plenty of machine work and a frame off resto mod) and I thought it would be fun to stretch the 850's legs.

Hey Dan, I need the Vetter back and Mike, send me back the rack and backrest! JK

We're going to keep it to just us, as it will be our first ride in the past 2 1/2 years and our wives are nearly pushing us out the door.

Time flys...WAY too fast!!! Thank God for good women! :clap:

 

[Guest]

Starter motor tested and in, breather cover on, and hopefully the last order of shims on their way to finish valve adjustments.



Trap for the unwary... a 450 starter motor can't be installed with the cam chain tensioner in place...

 

[DanTheMan]

Arne and I are going to escape the riggors of life for a few days. He will be riding his Honda 750/1000 (long story on his bike, but it will be breathing through a new set of 1000 lungs, on a 750 bottom end with plenty of machine work and a frame off resto mod) and I thought it would be fun to stretch the 850's legs.

Hey Dan, I need the Vetter back and Mike, send me back the rack and backrest! JK

We're going to keep it to just us, as it will be our first ride in the past 2 1/2 years and our wives are nearly pushing us out the door.

Time flys...WAY too fast!!! Thank God for good women! :clap:

Hey Dave, I can give you the damaged one, it's not too bad, just the aesthetics of it and the scratched up windshield bug me. I've even got an old rack and sissy bar of indeterminate origin I'll let you have. or would you like more than one? I've been trying to get rid of these orphan racks for a long time, I'm sure you have room in your garage......JK

 

[chuck hahn]

Cleaned off the cam cover and the head surfaces where the gasket go in preperation for the shim from Rustybronco. I installed the 2 2.85s that the two exhaust valves needed. Then i just took a nappy on the couch.

 

[DanTheMan]

No wrenching today, been cleaning snow off of my garage roof, then plowing it out of the driveway to reside in the large snowbanks I've created. Then of course, the last couple of hours I've had some lunch and spent way too much time on this computer......