Well, my motor now being in good order and the chain-cleaning thread having inspired me to do a proper clean-and-adjust of my chain this afternoon, I've turned my attention to the rest of the bike.
Much as I'd love to go all-out with all the trick bits you modifiers are talking about, I'm still unemployed and cash is still tight, so I've gotta do all this as cheaply as possible.
I'd intended to start with the fork seals, then do the brakes, then the tires. But as I thought about it, I realized that doing it piecemeal like that would amount to a lot of extra bolting and unbolting. So I determined that the best course of action would be to just do it all at once.
I've ordered new front caliper seals and a master cylinder rebuild kit from Zanotti ($35 cheaper than my local Yamaha dealer). My current front brake pads are only about half gone, so they're good for a while. I don't use the back brake much at all, except to hold the bike at a red light on a hill, and to tighten my line if a corner turns out to be a bit tighter than expected. ;) So they're a lower priority for the time being.
Braided stainless lines are actually cheaper than the OEM parts, and I've got a couple of local suppliers to talk to.
Because it still has about half its tread left I was gonna keep the 10-year-old 591 on the front and just make do with a new back tire, but safety (and better fun) won out and I decided it had to go.
So I just ordered a pair of Pirelli Sport Demons from the Motorcycle Superstore - only $228 the pair, including (free for August only) shipping. I'd thought about the Avons, but in my current condition the $50+ price difference was enough to sway me. And while I've been a Dunlop guy since 391 days, the D205s have a tread pattern that looks like it emphasizes the 'touring' end of sport-touring more than the 'sport' end. Not my riding style!
So the week after all the parts arrive should be a lotta fun!
Ever onward and upward!
Cheers,
threejagsteve
Let us qnow how you get on with the braided stainless lines- I think that is my next upgrade after the current work.
Steve, if you do use Orme, it is best to take your old lines with you. They use the old lines as templates, including the correct ends & rotation of the fittings on the lines. trust me, it's easier than having to go back again.
Quote from: threejagsteve on August 17, 2009, 02:51:15 AM
So I just ordered a pair of Pirelli Sport Demons from the Motorcycle Superstore - only $228 the pair, including (free for August only) shipping. I'd thought about the Avons, but in my current condition the $50+ price difference was enough to sway me. And while I've been a Dunlop guy since 391 days, the D205s have a tread pattern that looks like it emphasizes the 'touring' end of sport-touring more than the 'sport' end. Not my riding style!
Well, I guess that just goes to show you that you can't judge a tire by its tread pattern. The D205s have given me and many others exceptional performance and wear for many years. They've never given me a problem and I don't recall anyone ever complaining about them (except for maybe George, but I'm not sure he ever tried D205s, I think he didn't like the Avons). Anyway, if you aren't happy with the Pirellis then try the Dunlops next.
From another thread: The D205 is no longer in production, but continues to be in Dunlop's line up. They aren't making anymore 205s, but there appears to be quite a bit of stock left. The 150/80-16 rear wheel size was used on the original Concours forever so we're competing with them for the remaining tires (and there's a heck of a lot more of them than us).
DavidR.
Thanks, Ed; yes, I'd figured on that.
And David, thanks also for sharing your experience. But while the D205 may be the exception that proves the rule, I think most would agree that the ratio of grooves to tread is usually a good indication of the stickiness of the tire: fewer grooves = a stickier tire = lower mileage expectancy. I may regret the decision when I'm again looking for tires 3-4K mi. down the road, but if I can't afford the 17" rear wheel swap by then, I'll likely be selling the bike for food. ;) (Actually, one of the Jags will probably be the first to go... :P )
Cheers,
threejagsteve
What parts do you need for the swap?
Randy T
Indy
Hello, Randy,
For the 17" rear, the answer would have to be "all of 'em" ;) And since I've got a new 16" rear tire already on the way, I guess it'll be a little while at least before I start down that road.
But if you have a 3.5 x 17 front, I would be interested in putting the new front tire on the wider rim. I have a '91, so I gather that all I'd need would be the rim itself.
Thanks,
threejagsteve
Steve, correct. the 87-88 Genesis front wheel is a direct swap.......When I did mine, I replaced bearings, cleaned it, give it a lick of paint from a rattle can, mounted a new tyre and new brake rotors and bolted it straight on......no other parts needed.
Harvy
'91 FJFZ1
Quote from: threejagsteve on August 17, 2009, 07:22:16 PM
Hello, Randy,
For the 17" rear, the answer would have to be "all of 'em" ;) And since I've got a new 16" rear tire already on the way, I guess it'll be a little while at least before I start down that road.
But if you have a 3.5 x 17 front, I would be interested in putting the new front tire on the wider rim. I have a '91, so I gather that all I'd need would be the rim itself.
Thanks,
threejagsteve
The FZR front I have was sold as an '88, but it's not. :ireful:
But I do have a YZF rear sprocket carrier, etc. somewhere amongst the rubble, and maybe a complete YZF front brake setup, etc.
Randy T
Indy
OK, thanks, Randy, I'll keep that in mind. :)
Midweek Update...
I wanted to go riding this a.m., but I could see it was foggy in the near mountains. No way of knowing how deep the cloud layer was, so I decided 'Maybe tomorrow' and just waited for the UPS guy. By the time the sky cleared, it was too late - had other stuff to do in the afternoon.
The Progressive springs arrived today, with a cut-to-fit length of PVC tube for spacers. Their table says 2-1/4 in. for the '91; I'm already wondering if 2-1/2 in. might be better... Or would it overwhelm the stock damping?
The tires are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I've been also looking for wheels; '87-'88 FZR1000 for the front (of course!), and YZF600 for the back. I haven't even seen any of either that I'd want to use without repainting, but those YZF wheels do seem to come in particularly awful colors! LOL Therefore the new front tire will go on my original wheel so I can have all the parts for both wheels powdercoated at once.
Maybe I'll get 'em done to match my "manly pink stripe"!(http://i32.tinypic.com/260a6jd.jpg)
Although Zanotti may be the cheapest around, they aren't the fastest. The brake rebuild parts are still "on order" and haven't shipped yet.
And this afternoon I spoke with my friend that has the machine tools. He's busy the rest of the week, but it looks like I'll be able to stop by and make those shorter dogbones on Saturday. And that'd be a good time to cut the spacers for the springs as well; he's got the tools for me to be more precise than is possible here in our apartment.
So I guess aside from continuing to beat the bushes for wheel bargains, I'm on hold until Saturday. After the UPS guy comes tomorrow, I may as well go riding... :D
Cheers,
threejagsteve
Quote from: threejagsteve on August 20, 2009, 01:35:55 AM
Maybe I'll get 'em done to match my "manly pink stripe"![img width=57 height=38]http://i32.tinypic.com/260a6jd.jpg[/img
Cheers,
threejagsteve
Check with Henry... he may have a set already done, or know where you can get 'em. :rofl2:
Randy T
Indy
Brake rebuild parts due on Wednesday.
I'll continue here with repair topics; improvement adventures will be discussed in the Modifications area.
Well, now I'm pissed! The parts order from Zanotti arrived today.
I had asked one of their online help reps how many caliper rebuild kits I needed to do both calipers. Because of the way it looked on the fiche, I was suspicious that I might need 4 kits. But the rep told me 1 kit for each caliper, so I only ordered 2 kits.
When I opened the box, I saw that there are only 2 o-rings and 2 dust seals in each kit - in other words, you do need 4 kits to redo both 4-pot calipers, so now I have to order 2 more kits and pay additional shipping charges (and probably wait another 9 days)!
I'm tempted to complain, but I can't see what good it'd do - they're not likely to give me free shipping on the second order. :mad:
Quote from: threejagsteve on August 26, 2009, 02:58:23 PM
Well, now I'm pissed! The parts order from Zanotti arrived today.
I had asked one of their online help reps how many caliper rebuild kits I needed to do both calipers. Because of the way it looked on the fiche, I was suspicious that I might need 4 kits. But the rep told me 1 kit for each caliper, so I only ordered 2 kits.
When I opened the box, I saw that there are only 2 o-rings and 2 dust seals in each kit - in other words, you do need 4 kits to redo both 4-pot calipers, so now I have to order 2 more kits and pay additional shipping charges (and probably wait another 9 days)!
I'm tempted to complain, but I can't see what good it'd do - they're not likely to give me free shipping on the second order. :mad:
Heck yeah, I'd say something. It's one thing if you guessed wrong, but if you took the time to call and specifically asked a rep "2 or 4" and they told you wrong they should eat the shipping. If they won't tell 'em thanks for nothing and buy the other two from University motors..
Quote from: ddlewis on August 26, 2009, 03:34:43 PM
Heck yeah, I'd say something. It's one thing if you guessed wrong, but if you took the time to call and specifically asked a rep "2 or 4" and they told you wrong they should eat the shipping. If they won't tell 'em thanks for nothing and buy the other two from University motors..
Just to get the ball rolling, I placed the second order right away.
But I've also sent 'em an email, complete with dates, part numbers, and order numbers, and I think I even remembered correctly the name of the girl I chatted with... something I never would have remembered if it had been Charley or Fred or something! ;) (Apologies if there are any Charlies or Freds here... you know what I mean! :P )
Anyway, we'll see what happens, and you can be sure I'll let the group know...
In the meantime, I can get everything done BUT that second caliper.
Cheers,
threejagsteve
I had the same problem when I rebuilt the calipers on my '93. Came up 2 "kits" short.
Here's the worst part. You probably could have gotten a set of monoblocks of off eBay for less than the cost of all the stupid seal kits you end up buying.
DavidR.
Ya know, David, I thought about that before I placed the first order...
But if you buy it on eBay you don't know where it's been.
So I'd've wanted to put fresh seals in them anyway, and may've needed new pads to boot. (Front pads I have now are still 2/3-3/4 there.)
And from what I understand, I'd've also had to get a 14-mm m/c.
Since I'm already about $200 over my original budget for waking Sleeping Beauty, that upgrade can wait for another day.
But thanks for thinking of me... ;)
Cheers,
threejagsteve
Today I removed the chin scoop, and the front brake master cylinder, calipers, and lines, and set them aside.
Then I took 2 short (about 10 in.) 4 x 4s and laid them lengthwise on either side of the pipes, where the headpipes go into the collector. I then put a longer (about 18 in.) 4 x 4 crosswise just ahead of the clamps on the pipes, and jammed a 1-in.-thick piece oy styrofoam between the upper 4 x 4 and the bottoms of the pipes. Why the styrofoam? To take up a little space, to spread the load a bit, and to keep from scraping the pipes when I took off the front wheel. (The wood might be harder than the paint.)
Then I took off the front wheel, then the back wheel.
Now, I'm not about to join Cleaners Anonymous, or start posting how-to's on the Clean Your Bike thread, but after reading the advice of the clean bike crowd, I bought a 2-L jug of Simple Green. Because I was taking the wheels in to Pasadena Yamaha to have my new tires mounted and balanced ($20 each, BTW, with the wheels already off the bike) I figured I ought to clean the wheels first since I know mechanics hate having to work on grungy stuff and I didn't want him to do a sloppy job just out of spite.
So I went at the front wheel, doing my best to keep the Simple Green and the rinse water out of the bearings. After half an hour of scrubbing with an old toothbrush, it was good enough and I thought, "That wasn't so bad!"
Then I attacked the back wheel - not so easy! An hour and a half later, I had most of the 10-year-old chain lube off. I decided enough was enough when I caught myself starting on the backside of the sprocket. LOL
So now the new rubber is on the rims, and tomorrow I can start on the forks.
Oh, and all I heard from Zanotti is that my email has been forwarded to the sales dept.
Steve,
If you want parts from Zanottis, call them and ask for John Holland.
Randy T
Indy
Quote from: rktmanfj on August 27, 2009, 09:36:59 PM
Steve,
If you want parts from Zanottis, call them and ask for John Holland.
Randy T
Indy
Thanks, Randy, I'll remember that.
Quote from: threejagsteve on August 26, 2009, 08:10:17 PM
Ya know, David, I thought about that before I placed the first order...
But if you buy it on eBay you don't know where it's been.
So I'd've wanted to put fresh seals in them anyway, and may've needed new pads to boot. (Front pads I have now are still 2/3-3/4 there.)
And from what I understand, I'd've also had to get a 14-mm m/c.
Yeah, you got a point, but the oldest set of monoblocks are about 15 years newer than what you're working with. Besides, the squids usually wad 'em up well before anything has time to deteriorate.
All the calipers I've bought, I pulled them apart to inspect the seals and clean them up. They all looked fine (so far!). But you're right, everything on eBay is a risk.
The 14mm master cylinder is "desireable" but not "required" IMO.
DavidR.
Agreed David, I've been using 2003 R1 gold monoblocks and braided s/s lines for 3 years now with OEM master......... It is not necessary to change to a 14mm m/c in my opinion. I used 2 individual lines from the m/c and ditched the splitter......used the splitter banjo bolt in the m/c......new washers all round and a new rubber in the top of the m/c............all good.
Harvy
Still basically dead in the water waiting on parts, this morning I must have been channelling the Clean Bike Club.
My fork bushings are due to arrive tomorrow, which means I'll be able to start on the fork. So I thought to myself, "I've got all that Simple Green; why don't I go down and clean the sliders so they'll be nicer to work on?" So I gathered up the SG, an old toothbrush, and an old towel, and went downstairs, got out the garden hose, and cleaned them up a bit. Not too bad!
Then I made my big mistake. The back wheel is still off since I wanted to wait to put it back on until the fork was done for extra bike-tilting clearance. I looked at the inside of the swingarm and the 34K mi. of old chain lube and road grime in there, and I thought, "There's more than one way to reduce unsprung weight!"
Since I already had the garden hose out and the SG and my toothbrush, I dove right in. Two hours later, I have the cleanest 18-year-old swingarm in town. But I drew the line at starting on the inside of the chain guard!
Now, don't worry; I'm not applying to join the Clean Bike Club, and I won't be entering their annual "Shine-n-Show" where the motto is, "We wish we could ride 'em, but then they might get dirty!" :rofl:
But I have to admit, it does look a lot better.
As I posted in the Parts Wanted section, I'm hoping to find a good used fork brace. However, always mindful of George's oft-repeated and sage advice, I'm getting what I've already got working properly before buying upgrades. So late yesterday the new OEM fork bushings arrived, and this morning I gathered up all my bits and pieces and went down to start on the forks.
I had my 10-mm (not 12!) allen, the brass union I found, about 2 ft. of 1/2" drive extension, and most of the components for David Raforth's fork seal driver tool (I say 'most of' because I didn't think the end cap was really necessary - I just used the 2-in tube like a slide hammer! ;) )
I'll spare you most of the blow-by-blow, but here's something I bet most of you don't know (and I found out the hard way): FJs (at least '91s and probably later, and also likely earlier) have an inside taper on the stanchion tubes. As I'd previously posted on another thread, I found a brass 3/4" female to 3/4" male plumbing union that has a hex size of 1-1/16, which is only negligibly smaller than the needed 27 mm. The female end (the ~27 mm end) had a chamfer that I'd ground flat, and I'd cut off about half the threads on the male end so it'd fit in the socket better.
I'd previously checked that the 1-1/16" socket would fit in the tube (or so I thought). It DOES fit nicely in the top of the tube, but when I was actually going to use it, I found that it stops about 2/3 of the way down! At first I thought it was just dirt or crud, so I cleaned the inside of the tube and tried again. No dice. Finally I figured out that the inside of the tube was tapered, and although that 1-1/16" socket fit fine in the top, it wouldn't go down far enough to do me any good! So I wound up grinding down the inside end of the female side of the brass union so it'd fit in a 1-in. socket (which would go all the way down), and then it all worked fine. The bushings and seals went on with no problem, and the seal driver worked as advertised. I got the first leg finished, and started on the second.
On the second leg, the nylon bushing that the damper rod fits into came out when I took the slider apart for cleaning. On the first leg, it had stayed in position. I spent about a half an hour trying to get it back in its hole, to no avail. Then my wife got home from work, and it was time to quit for the day. I've got some ideas to try for that nylon bushing tomorrow, but if anybody has any handy tips on how to easily get it back in there, I'd be glad to hear (or read) 'em!
Enough for one day!
Cheers,
threejagsteve
If anyone is wondering why I was having a problem, it was because I had put in the stanchion tube, seal, bushing, etc. before I slid in the damper rod.
No problem, you say?
Well, if the nylon bushing has come out and you try to slide it in on the end of the damper rod (like I did) since that's where it winds up anyway and it DOES go through the hole in the bottom of the stanchion tube, you've made a BIG MISTAKE! :dash2:
You have to put that bushing down inside the slider before you put the stanchion tube in, and let it feed up through the hole in the bottom of the stanchion tube, then slide the damper rod down inside it.
Once I took the stanchion tube back out and put the nylon bushing in first, it was about 10 min. to get it all back together.
The Long Thrash, Day 14:
Lost 3 days due to the long weekend; the FJ may be my main project right now, but sometimes other stuff (like laundry, grocery shopping, and not completely ignoring the wife ;) ) must take precedence.
Today I realized it has been two weeks since the last time I rode her. (http://i28.tinypic.com/2utnomw.gif)
Stuff accomplished so far:
New fork seals & bushings installed, forks reassembled with Progressive (brand) springs, filled with Dextron III ATF (15 wt.) and back on the bike 1/4 in. higher in the triple tree.
New tires (Pirelli Sport Demons) mounted and balanced and back on the bike.
Oil (Motul) & filter changed.
New rear brake pads installed.
Lots of cleaning.
Today the front calipers were (mostly) cleaned and disassembled. Had a swell time getting out the pistons (there's gotta be a better way - I'm thinking before next time I'll find a couple of rubber expansion plugs to put in the first two pots while using the compressed air on the second two...)
Tomorrow I'll finish cleaning the calipers and reassemble with new seals. Should also have time to start on the master cylinder; with luck (and an earlier start) I might even get the m/c back together.
Plan for Thursday: Finish the m/c (if necessary); put all the front brake components back on the bike with new s/s lines, fill and bleed the system.
Plan for Friday: Check the brake bleeding, try to see if I've forgotten anything, and go for a ride!
Just an FYI, Gary McCoy at Mondak Motorsports has the best service and best prices you'll find on parts:
MonDak Motorsports
Cost +20%; Email Gary: garymccoy@mondakmotorsports.com. Located in Sidney, MT. 866-433-6635
http://www.mondakmotorsports.com (http://www.mondakmotorsports.com)
Quote from: FJ Flyer on September 09, 2009, 05:56:23 AM
Just an FYI, Gary McCoy at Mondak Motorsports has the best service and best prices you'll find on parts:
MonDak Motorsports
Cost +20%; Email Gary: garymccoy@mondakmotorsports.com. Located in Sidney, MT. 866-433-6635
http://www.mondakmotorsports.com (http://www.mondakmotorsports.com)
Thanks, Chris, I'll definitely remember that, as I was wanting to find a new source the next time I need something from Yamaha.
Now would be a good time to report that, although I did receive the second pair of caliper seals from Zanotti late last week, they did NOT honor my request for free shipping to mitigate their mistake. And they sent them USPS First Class, which probably cost them about $2, while they charged me $8 for shipping. Maybe if I'd complained
before placing the order they would have been more accommodating, but that's still pretty poor customer relations if you ask me. I'd rather give my business to someone else.
Well, it turned out when I went to clean the insides of the calipers that my ham-fisted friend whose air compressor I was using yesterday (he insisted on "helping") managed to bugger up the seal lands in one of the bores.
It might be OK, but I wouldn't trust it not to leak just when I'm coming up on a 100-ft. cliff at 60 mph.
Rather than buying another stock caliper, it looks like I'll be looking for an upgrade (and another delay). :(
Quote from: FJ Flyer on September 09, 2009, 05:56:23 AM
Just an FYI, Gary McCoy at Mondak Motorsports has the best service and best prices you'll find on parts:
MonDak Motorsports
Cost +20%; Email Gary: garymccoy@mondakmotorsports.com. Located in Sidney, MT. 866-433-6635
http://www.mondakmotorsports.com (http://www.mondakmotorsports.com)
AND, He doesn't charge an arm and a leg for shipping....Priority Mail at face value! :drinks:
Just don't get in a hurry. I quit using Gary for my parts and went with a slightly more expensive guy since I can't remember to place my ordders 2-3 weeks before I need the parts. My new guy usually takes less than 3 days.
It only took him a week to get me my fork parts 2 weeks ago....