85 FJ1100 refurbishment/custom

[FJ_Hooligan]

I thought I read somewhere that red anodize will fade to pink over time?

[X-Ray]

Wow, perfect timing. I'm considering doing my wheels before March next year, and I'm looking at the rough cast spokes on the wheels thinking, "what do you do with that?" You can't put nice shiny Metalcast over rough cast wheels, they have to be baby bum smooth. I'm looking at one of the Metalcast blue colours for mine, make sure you use the Metalcast basecoat as well as the adhesion spray they make. I've been researching this Duplicolor procedure for ages, seems to be the right way to do it. The results can be stunning.

Our local powder coater/anodizer does a pretty spectacular job on bike wheels, around $140.00 per rim, still tossing up the best way to go. (dollars vs time/effort!) Can't wait to see your wheels finished, 

[Joe Sull]

I sat down and made a bunch of sanding implements and with the advice of a board member, I started using Velcro to fasten my sandpaper to the bit. It works great and the sponginess of it takes the place of the neoprene pad I was using. I made a dozen little discs and can change them out as I go without stopping to glue them individually.
 

The front wheel is more difficult than the back and I've worked it 12 hours so far. I've removed the raised cast lettering and the casting marks which were on the side you see. My angle grinder with a 120 sanding disc., Cut half the dia off with scissors and no backing disc, Made quick work of that.


The rear has 9 hour of work. I'll be removing all the lettering on this rim also. I'll be removing the wheel weights and getting under those too.


I'm still trying to visualize how I want the wheels to come out.
I have an Idea of how much I'm willing to polish. I don't want to put to much more time into it. So the directions on the metalcast can say's "shiny metal surface".
For the last two weeks or so, I've been looking on the web to get an answer my question.  How shiny the bare metal has to be. I could not find it till tonight when I stumbled on to a kids post. He made a captain America shield and the post told me the answer.  100 grid. I've got it down to 220 now.



Life is good!

[Joe Sull]

The carbs under control now. You guys probably breeze through this. I got 12 hours easy disassembling and cleaning.


The main jet are 110's and the pilot's are 37.5. I've been reading about stepping up sizes according to modifications. I still
don't have a good handle on it. I got aftermarket cans= 1 sizes. I'll have unipods= 2 sizes =3 sizes minus 1 size= 2 sizes.
So I go to 115 main jet?
I got up 1 pilot jet size for 3 main sizes. so I go up to 40?
Still a little lost.

I had a good crack in my fairing and tried my welding skills. A buddy gave me one of the old lead melters that they used on bodywork
back in the day and it worked pretty good. I melted in some abs that I had from a old aquarium filter housing. I got it from both sides.
I got to clean up the hole. You guy have a cigarette lighter in yours? I want to get it working again for a charging output.
After I welded. It sank a little. Maybe if I heat up the area a little more and make sure it stays straight as it cools.


After I hit it with the sander. I could try some jw weld or just sand it a little and see what it looks like.


I'm running out of the bigger things to do on this project. It will be a happy day when I turn the corner and start putting it back together.
I still got tons of little things though like re taping all the harnesses with red electrical tape and redoing all the shrink wrap tubing in red..

[jscgdunn]

The carbs under control now. You guys probably breeze through this. I got 12 hours easy disassembling and cleaning.


The main jet are 110's and the pilot's are 37.5. I've been reading about stepping up sizes according to modifications. I still
don't have a good handle on it. I got aftermarket cans= 1 sizes. I'll have unipods= 2 sizes =3 sizes minus 1 size= 2 sizes.
So I go to 115 main jet?
I got up 1 pilot jet size for 3 main sizes. so I go up to 40?
Still a little lost.

I had a good crack in my fairing and tried my welding skills. A buddy gave me one of the old lead melters that they used on bodywork
back in the day and it worked pretty good. I melted in some abs that I had from a old aquarium filter housing. I got it from both sides.
I got to clean up the hole. You guy have a cigarette lighter in yours? I want to get it working again for a charging output.
After I welded. It sank a little. Maybe if I heat up the area a little more and make sure it stays straight as it cools.


After I hit it with the sander. I could try some jw weld or just sand it a little and see what it looks like.


I'm running out of the bigger things to do on this project. It will be a happy day when I turn the corner and start putting it back together.
I still got tons of little things though like re taping all the harnesses with red electrical tape and redoing all the shrink wrap tubing in red..

[Joe Sull]

 

Hooligan

"You COOK what you kill" (Chronicles of Riddick's Mother)

I'm watch'n you, now that you brought Chronicles of Riddick's Mother into it.

[Joe Sull]

My windscreen was in bad shape so I used the Meguiar restoration plus on it today.
I cleaned it when I got the bike but it made no difference at all. Yellowed and stained
on both sides. The kit comes with 2 little sanding blocks two different grids on each
side ranging from 1800-2400 and the polish. I've already used the kit on my cars headlights
and wasn't sure how the sanding pads would work the second time around so I started
with some 1000 grid I have for my paint job.
Here's a shot after the 1000.

Working up and down then side to side, I went thru all the kits sanding pads.

Here's a few shots after I finished sanding.



When it came to buffing, I didn't think about it but I found out that I couldn't hold the part
and buff at the same time. I guess I'm not finished buffing yet. The screen has to be bolted
to something so I can have both hands on the drill. I think that if I put the drill in my vise and
then I'll have two hands on the screen, that will work too.

Here's the screen after the partial buffing.


I made my final pass on the fairing and my front fender. Ready for paint.

[rktmanfj]

When it came to buffing, I didn't think about it but I found out that I couldn't hold the part
and buff at the same time. I guess I'm not finished buffing yet. The screen has to be bolted
to something so I can have both hands on the drill. I think that if I put the drill in my vise and
then I'll have two hands on the screen, that will work too.

Got something like one of those little Workmate tables?   

You could fasten it to that.

[Joe Sull]

I had a work table, now it's a coal forge table station thing.
I never had a use it, just rusting away in the dooryard till I
made something out of it. Good idea though! I'll just put the drill in the vise.
It works. I won't do it when it's back on the bike, with a new paint job.
Polishing compound spattering everywhere. Not good!

The temp. just made it over 32 deg. today and it's going to be warm thru
the weekend. I'll be able to pressure wash my engine. If I can get that done
I can paint it. My sons got a wood stove in his shop so that's were all these parts are
going next.
Thanks for the reply.

[Joe Sull]

I'm happy as a clam cause I got to pressure wash my engine today.
I borrowed the washer a week ago and have been waiting till the temp
got above freezing. It was 38 deg this morning. I made a sling so I could lift
the engine and bring it outside. Everybody I know went snow machining today.
Just me to get it done. I smeared the last of my paint stripper on the spots
that needed it and let that sit while I set up the washer. She came out good.





One think that I forgot to do is face off the fins I want to polish. I started to but then got
sidetracked. I still got to clean with prep so I guess I can face off those fins, blow the
shavings off and clean with the prep.  





What I was real happy with was the way the top of the head, between the fins
came out. That's were most of the paint stripper went.





and here's the bottom



There's still a few spot of black but I'm happy with it. Looks good from my house.

I took the engine, frames and exhaust to my sons shop were it will get painted.
I'm thinking of partially assembling the bike there. Frame, engine and wheels then bring it
back to my house to finish.

Happy day

[aviationfred]

Getting the windscreen buffed out looks great. 

Fred

[Joe Sull]

Thanks Fred;
I saved a tidy sum doing that. I'm glad the screen was made out of a good material in the first place. It must be a good lexan.

[Joe Sull]

4 more hours on the tank today finished the body prep.


Generator is coming along. A few more times around with sandpaper and it'll be ready for the metalcast.

[JMR]

I have to ask...do builds like this think about replacing guide seals? The rest of the engine could give OK comp and leakdown #'s but after 30 years you know those small, rubber pieces called guide seals are toast. Unless....like CB750 and Z900 guys.....soaking them in wintergreen brings them to the fountain of youth. I am just curious.

[Joe Sull]

Are you talking about these: SEAL,VALVE STEM?

My goal is a short list.
1) Tear down and repaint the bike.
2) Rebuild the carburetors.

The engine ran great except for the carbs. I won't be braking any seals on the engine this time around.