Replacing an 85 FJ1100 one part at a time.

[fj316]

After picking on the bike all on my lonesome since the asphalt started showing I finally got in a good session of making my bike sleeker and safer and it's getting close to being so mechanically ok that I might dare do more extensive bodywork than black gaffa.

The crankcase cover had a drip constantly and armed with a gasket from victordrummond.net removed the cover and took a peek at what the PO had going on.

But not before draining some pretty rancid oil:



Surprise surprise!

There was no gasket and not even any sealant around the cover, at this point the surface has only been wiped with a cloth:



Aaaah, nothing like an extra pair of hands.



Aaaand done:



Next there was the regulator mod with a cargo adjustable mod and pdfs and docs from the file section on my smartphone.  



Apart from a few blade connector snafus it was finally in place in a somewhat suitable resting place.



And it's always a good idea to clean up the spaghetti:



So happy!



To the left of the bike is a chain adjustment plate that was replaced so the very slack chain could be tightened.

Went from mineral to synthetic 10w-40 and apart from a perceived louder valve ticking the clutch and gearing operates as should with no skipping in second and no deteriorated gearing. It acts up sometimes anyways popping in neutral and not gering properly. But that is more likely due to the gearing pedal which is pretty weathered.


Found that one side of a couple of calipers had seized up so the next urgent case of business is to remove the calipers and work them over in the next couple of days. In other words no kookaloo before the brakepads are new.

Also stumbled over a coffin style gasket with free shipping from Rockys Wheels & Deals so when that arrives I can finally replace the nastiest clutch soup you could ever imagine. And saved some budget money from a new clutch master which can be spent on the further endless work to keep the ol' gal in shape during the riding season.

An oil change on the forks needs to be done sometime soon too, would it be advisable to try to go for the anti dive disable mod at the same time? Since I don't have a suitable place to work on it and it's my primary means of transport I want as little downtime as possible and I'm mostly at the mercy of anyone who's garage space I can scavange.  

[fintip]

From what I understand, the anti-dive isn't making things any worse, it just isn't helping anything. I wouldn't waste the time and effort if you're on a budget. If you decide to do the cartridge mod, on the other hand...

[fj316]

The budget is getting hit from all sides so a simple set of new oil seals for the fork for the time being then.

Unavoidable downtime came during the clutch overhaul the last couple of days though.

The master is now original refurbished but after changing the clutch fiber plates and removing the wire I took a look at the slave. It looked like it had been bathing in s**t since the bike came of the assembly line and did NOT like to be cleaned. So a replacement from RPM which cost me half what they want locally is on its way.

So when that and an EBC clutch spring is installed it's back to kookaloo city with working and overhauled brakes which was done a couple of weeks ago.

Gogogo priority shipping!

Time to get out the polish and matte paint while I wait. 

[fj316]

Headway is being made but between the shifty weather and the desire to ride it's not going quite as fast as intended and planned. But here's a little update:

The slave arrived a while ago from Randy at RPM and it was a doozy. I mentioned it in my "halp clutch!" thread but it bears repeating here. For way under half the price of the local dealership I got a fresh pristine replacement that has worked flawlessly since install and initial bleed. And when looking at what it replaced it's no wonder I've been cruising with a grin on my chin:

Gritty and pitty old slave which also had a ruined bore:

Note to self and others: rotating picture + is ccw and - is cw. Any mods want to give that pic a 180?

EBC spring is installed behind the old OEM and after a bit of riding the clutch pull has gone from HNNNG! to just being good and firm making for very tight and flawless shifting. Some slips into neutral might be due to the oil and/or the splined lever being worn. Both are scheduled to be replaced soon.

I've had to put off the friction disc replacement until I can get the sprockets and chain replaced since it makes a dampened clunking noise due to some uneducated adjustment of the chain and a couple of rides with a passenger which aparently stretched it. So until that is replaced I don't want to push my luck with a fresh optimal clutch out of fear that the chain might break and cause me grief and engine casing damage.

Thankfully I got my hand on a rivet/breaking tool for free that had a broken push-pin which I'm getting someone to machine a replacement for during this week. So with a new set of sprockets and a fresh chain on hand I'm waiting out the rain to toss out the worn parts and get some peace of mind during acceleration. 

I also have in mind to replace the throttle cable since the plastic bends which connect to the handlebars are broken. Going for the type with metal bends but I'm unsure if the frankenfairing the bike has is sitting too high so that when turning to the max it touches the fairing and might cause problems no matter what type cable is mounted. Some detective work is needed in that regard.

Hoping that I'll find the safe kookaloo before winter hits and will update more as I make progress.

[VaughanCustoms]

Looks like a lot of mechanical work you got ahead of you on this bike. I got a bike that was in decent mechanical other than carbs and a rear brake but needed to be cleaned up. Did you paint this bike yourself or was it done by the PO? It is pretty wild looking and kind of cool.

[fj316]

The bike was painted by a guy in the motorcycle club of the PO with a pretty special technique and yeah it's pretty wild looking. Thanks. 

The rear tire had a puncture a week ago so it just keeps needing love. But now the sprockets are replaced and in a couple of days I'll have a new tire fitted so I'll get back to riding her again hopefully to the end of this season when I can dismantle and go over all the things that aren't acute or a hazard for riding.

I found out the other day that the bike was first registered on the exact date of my 8th birthday. Reasons to keep it until the end of days just keep piling on.   

[JPaganel]

One part at a time, you say...

One Piece At A Time - Johnny Cash

[fj316]

Aaah The Man in Black. Truly an inspiration. =D

Sometimes many parts at a time too. Finally got the last leg of the work done yesterday. It's hard to take pictures with grime and oil soaked hands but here's one just before the finish:



Nothing like using a sunny day to make your baby a-ok.

I even got the rivet chain on and could toss the old stretched masterlink one.



So now the clutch is fantastic thanks to the helpful tips and the lesson that sometimes OEM > all.

Sprockets went on ok, as did the rear caliper that was done over one more time. And even though the carbs could use an overhaul since it idles and cruises a tad bit uneven before it gets nice and warmed up it still has plenty of kookaloo to last me until it can all be pried apart.

And for the remainder of the season only tidbits and cosmetics remain. Would it be safe to blast some of the dirt with a high pressure washer or will/might that screw with electrics and bearings etc?

There is also still the dilemma of the throttle wire and the fact that the dash lights think they're at a rave and blink on and off at their own leisure. Doesn't matter during daytime but riding at night it's a minor annoyance. But I don't want to take off the front fairing and stare at the sealed rear of the speedo casing just yet.

First some riding and to try to get some pic of the complete bike in the sunset or something similarly gaudy. 

[rktmanfj]

And for the remainder of the season only tidbits and cosmetics remain. Would it be safe to blast some of the dirt with a high pressure washer or will/might that screw with electrics and bearings etc?

Only if you're very careful... otherwise the water will find it's way into electrics, wheel bearings, etc, even past the o-rings on that pretty new chain.

[fj316]

I'll just give it a light whiff of the spray then and see if I can get a place to go low pressure and a brush for the more sensitive areas.


A sunset pose with the right amount of photo grain so it looks presentable.



Changing back to synthetic 10w-40 drastically improved the gearing and I can now hit neutral at a stand still even with the engine running. Which is very practical for long red light waits while I still have the original clutch master.

For the next spout of rain hower I'll reattach the mufflers with some paste since they seem to rattle a smidgeon during some RPM sweetspots. And mabye purchase a more practical padlock than the monstrosity wrapped in gaffa soiling up the rear.