Progress has slowed down over the last couple of days as I've been catching up on life outside of the rebuild :)
There have been lots of little detail bits done though. The indicators are all installed now and looking good on their new or rechromed stems. I charged up the new battery and connected that up today. Indicators - check (but with an intermittent cutting out on the right); lighting - check (but with an intermittent cutting out on the headlight); horn - fail; lights on/off - check; starter solenoid - check; clock lighting and warning lights - check.
All the "fails" are routed through the left hand switchgear. I think that was the side that had been exposed to most of the weather while the bike was laid-up. I've opened it up and it's pretty corroded in there, so I think I'll bite the bullet and try to find a decent second hand one to replace it.
The front brake caliper and hose etc are all fitted up now - most of my pain this last couple of days has come from trying to bleed the bugger! First off, I tried the Haynes method (Tube from the nipple into a jar of fluid. Squeeze, release nipple, tighten, release lever. Repeat.) This has worked OK for me in the past but was a complete failure this time.
After a bit of internet research, I decided that "reverse bleeding" was definitely the way to go. (Apply pressure from the bottom end so you can drive the air out of the top.) While this looks fantastic in principle, I just couldn't get the fluid to flow back through the master cylinder. What I did do though was use this method to make sure that the brake line was full of fluid by pumping it upwards with a syringe, till it ran clear from the top end, then reconnecting to the master cylinder. Still, the bugger wouldn't generate any pressure.
I then decided to bleed down in sections. So I wrapped a cloth round the union between master cylinder and hose, pumped the brake, then gently cracked open the union to release any built up air there before quickly nipping it up again. I did that twice and BINGO the lever went firm. I'm assuming that there must have been an airlock at that point? Anyway, I just bled off a little remaining air from the caliper and it is now fine. Another half hour job that took half a day!
I then decided to bleed down in sections. So I wrapped a cloth round the union between master cylinder and hose, pumped the brake, then gently cracked open the union to release any built up air there before quickly nipping it up again. I did that twice and BINGO the lever went firm. I'm assuming that there must have been an airlock at that point? Anyway, I just bled off a little remaining air from the caliper and it is now fine. Another half hour job that took half a day!
I couldn't resist adding some bling next, so the silencers are on, although they'll need to be taken off again to fit the collector box seals, which I'd forgotten to order. These are pattern silencers from David Silvers and I'm very pleased with the quality, but I had to trim about 5mm off the ends (where they go into the collector) to get them to fit. Minor issue though.
Heavily into blingy bits now, I realised that I still needed to move the catches etc across from the old seat onto my new pattern one. I thought I'd finished with the wire brush attachment and black spray paint, but out it came again! Seat's looking good, though the fittings for the grab strap are a bit cheap looking. I may refurbish the existing seat at some point.
Primary drive cover removed for paint stripping and polishing. I've also taken the chance to check the clutch spring free length (fine) and adjusted the balancer shaft.
Yesterday, I collected the upper engine parts from F&J Halliwells (01695 722004) http://www.scoot.co.uk/England/Lancashire/Skelmersdale/F-%26-J-Halliwell-EBO425.html . Mark has done a lovely job and I thoroughly recommend him. A true enthusiast as well - he has a beautifully restored RD350LC in his garage, which I lusted over!
Yesterday, I collected the upper engine parts from F&J Halliwells (01695 722004) http://www.scoot.co.uk/England/Lancashire/Skelmersdale/F-%26-J-Halliwell-EBO425.html . Mark has done a lovely job and I thoroughly recommend him. A true enthusiast as well - he has a beautifully restored RD350LC in his garage, which I lusted over!
I've given the head cover a coat of paint to match the crankases. Incidentally, CarPlan silver wheel paint is an excellent colour match. I'll report back on durability..... A quick reminder of what they looked like before:
And finally, I couldn't resist another quick "before and after" of the handlebar area:
We're getting perilously close to being ready to try for a start soon - I did a list of outstanding jobs in the workshop last night and reckon there are about 10 hours of work to do. :)
I saw your bit about bleeding the brake, I always use the syringe method myself, last time I did my RS I could not get the reservoir cap screws undone so drew out all the old fluid through the bleed nipple, the loaded the syringe ( after a good clean of course) with new and pumped new fluid right in, done in no time. I did the front brake on my Ascot earlier this year. Drawing fluid down worked like a dream again ( excuse the pun) I have to do the same to my superdream sometime this year, but that's at my parents and I don't often get the time to visit them and do that and need a good day because I have nowhere to work there except the front path.
ReplyDeleteI hope you read about the winker lens, I can't understand why David does not have those on his lists, those pattern ones are much cheaper though so maybe you'll not want to bother. Just as long as you know you have the choice, regards and all, Michael.
PS I doubt you'll get stuck with anything and you could count the dream parts in stock now on the fingers of one hand, but you can find me on classicbikersclub under hondapartsman.
Thanks for your comments Michael. I can't figure out why the syringe method wouldn't work - maybe couldn't force past the airlock? My winker lenses are ok. It was the bodies that were shot! For the cost, I decided to go for the pattern ones. Sounds like they'll be ok but thanks for the info about pre 82 in case I need to play that back.
DeleteNo problem, I must admit I'm having trouble remembering when all this e-marked stuff came in, I remember sometime all the mirrors on the bikes were supposed to be changed to different ones which were e marked and had knuckle things on them which were, I think, supposed to break in the event of accident. Something like that, was early 1980's, for sure, so after the Dreams, of course not many bikes had the mirrors changed, they were just put into stock. On the brakes, I once though I had an air lock, turned out to be my nice new master cylinder set had somehow failed before I even used it. That was before I discovered the syringe method though, which always works for me, although I've found sometimes I've had to force fluid back in and force an air lock into the reservoir it might depend where the air is I guess. Michael.
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