Success! All the fluids stay where they should!

[Troyskie]

Well, after learning from the forum, forum members, YGSM, Haynes and various mechanics I can now say I've learnt how to maintain my bikes AND have them keep all the fluids where they should be.

Moving from being a rider who takes my bike in to be serviced to doing a frame up rebuild, splitting cases etc. was, in retrospect, a bigger project than I should have taken on. I should have started with a lawn mower.

Things that caused me to lose the will to live and walk away multiple times each:
1, Airbox.
2, F!@#ing leaky, gushing carbies (tap tap, ride off gutter).
3, Learning about hydraulics and master sight glasses that leak.
4, PO electrical shenanigans.
5, Intermittent bad electrical earth on gauges (my fault as usual).
6, Oil leaks where there shouldn't be (how could I have missed torqueing top case bolt #29?).
7, Fairing/plastic cracks, more, and more, and more, and more......
8, Fairing plastic repair.
9, Paint (I'm just shit at that).
10, Removing old tank liners.
11, Not really knowing what I'm doing, so having to do it 5 times before I get it right.

All of the above are because I am a boofhead (except the PO electrical butchery), and not because the FJ is in any way hard to work on. I even have a snazzy method for the airbox now. As for paint, small parts, fine. Bigger bits I'll pay someone to do.

Interestingly the motor was pretty straight forward. Yes many mistakes, skinned knuckles, swearing and occasional use of a hammer, but overall not too bad except for getting the barrels over the rings without ring compressors.

My final task is to remove another tank liner that I screwed up after trying a quick fix to a freshly painted tank that had been 'professionally' repaired, and then have the tank and some other bits painted (by others).

After that, just riding and posting inane things like this on the forum  .

Did I get satisfaction from doing the full resto rebuild myself, yep, but not enough to do it again very soon.

Troyskie

[krusty]

Congratulations.
My problem of recently replacing my 1100's fairing and forgetting to reconnect the electrical connections, pales into insignificance (still have to remedy that one due to walking away muttering).

[FJmonkey]

Sounds like you did all the right things. I worked for a company for many years that had French Canadian management. One of my favorite expressions (that I can post on this forum) is "going to bed less stupid than when I woke up". Good on ya Troy.   

[red]

Troyskie,

Dang!  That's a big list! 

. . . 'WAY to go!

.

[Old Rider]

Great stuff and again Conratulation with your fantastic complete rebulid .Your video should be nominated for Oscar   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WM6FBA7Q-8
Your aussie 1100 and 1200 treads in project writeup is also great reading.

[ribbert]

This is certainly an achievement worth breaking radio silence to acknowledge.

Troy, your journey from novice to case splitter to bike builder was a ripper. On many an occasion it could have been, with reasonable grounds for doing so, pushed to the back of the garage and forgotten, but you kept at it.
I have seen the finished product in the flesh and it's a credit to you, the fact that just about every job was a first for you, even more so.




For some of the newer members that may not realise it, that is Troy and the bike in question.


The thrill of turning this (above) into a near showroom bike and the satisfaction of cruising down the road listening to the engine you built purring away, it never wears off.

Well done.

Noel

[andyoutandabout]

Certainly worth the effort, if it was just for the photo alone.
Few will parallel such an achievement.
Now you've something that will pay you back mile after mile.
Rejoice

[Pat Conlon]

  You have set the bench mark for the definition of a rebuild vs refreshing a FJ.

Well done sir!

[gumby302ho]

 Great work, love that picture. I have ripped inside of motors and done re-bores and cam changes and all the other fun stuff that helps us rip down the road but I have yet to open up an in-line 4 cylinder. My hat comes off to you Sir.

[Troyskie]

Thanks very much everyone!

All the very kind words have put a little spring in my step and twist in my throttle  .

As I said, I'm now in riding mode. It is still a tad chilly as it is winter here, but the bike is humming along beautifully.

Interestingly I had the opportunity to take both the red/silver US import, and the rebuilt ambo for comparison rides one after the other, multiple times, both nicely warmed up and ridden consecutively.

The red/silver is genuine stock (about 35K miles on the ODO, one loving owner and superb mechanic). 2nd gear was done, probably a warranty repair, and I've jetted and tuned to match the ambo.
The ambo has new gear clusters, shift detent upgrade, wiseco 1st oversize pistons, RPM valves and springs, new RPM carbies, new drive, starter and cam chains, upgraded sprag clutch, gold emulators, upgraded rear shock, timing advance, braided lines, new clutch, ALL bearings replaced and some other bits I can't recall right now.

Both have 16" stock wheels, Sport Demon tyres and identical pressures.

Massive difference between them. All the upgrades make a huge difference when you swap from one to the other. The red/silver stock rocket feels clunky in the gears and soft or more 'cruisy' on the suspension. The ambo is very close to a XJR in smoothness, shift, response and the suspension upgrades really make it feel like chalk and cheese between the two.

So, super duper support for the files section here. The above mods (except for splitting cases shenanigans) are in the 'easy and cheap to do' level, even for a novice like me. They really improve the bike and bring it in to the modern performance level.

If I were to start all over again?
The most basic I'd do for a daily ride is:
Petcock replacement regardless.
Braided lines and kits through all parts and replace/refurb the clutch slave.
Leave the cases alone unless 2nd gear is an issue.
Check compression and do a top end refresh with new pistons, rings, valves, springs etc.
Advance timing.
Deep clean the carbies and replace EVERYTHING, including choke plungers.
Keep the airbox (yeah, I know, but I have my snazzy trick now:) ).
Put emulators in the forks, upgrade the rear shock.
New tyres/chain & wheel bearings.
Steering head bearings, perhaps swingarm bearings.
Lose the will to live chasing electrical gremlins.

All up, even if you include new carbies, the above would be about 2.5-3K Aussie, not including any cosmetics, paint or muffler/exhaust mods. A reasonable FJ will likely be around 2-3K depending on your luck (NOT MINE!!!!! ).

Troyskie

[wco56]

This is certainly an achievement worth breaking radio silence to acknowledge.

Troy, your journey from novice to case splitter to bike builder was a ripper. On many an occasion it could have been, with reasonable grounds for doing so, pushed to the back of the garage and forgotten, but you kept at it.
I have seen the finished product in the flesh and it's a credit to you, the fact that just about every job was a first for you, even more so.




For some of the newer members that may not realise it, that is Troy and the bike in question.


The thrill of turning this (above) into a near showroom bike and the satisfaction of cruising down the road listening to the engine you built purring away, it never wears off.

Well done.

Noel