FJ1346 from ashes to... Well, we'll see...

[skymasteres]

Oh, a lightened/balanced crank on an FJ is definitely not an innovation. I assume you surely have, but you have gone through the FJracer site, right? He lightens/balances the crank as well. That machine is a BEAST. And his wear reports indicated really good things when he reported, almost no wear at all (riding really hard, taking it apart just to refresh it post-season).

Do you mean this great piece of pioneering? http://www.fjracer.com/#/build-fj-racer/4520260452

Yeah, I read that long before I even had an FJ.  (Truth be told that's where I got the idea for the axillary tank
I'm going to build for it) I even spent quite a bit of time investigating his frame modification that changed the
suspension geometry. I gave up because finding someone that could even do the work seemed impossible.
And I didn't want to risk messing with it myself and buggering up a perfectly good frame. 

I wonder if he's still racing it. He'd be a perfect candidate for the new RPM rear shock. 
(The fork valves might be a hard sell seeing as he's already switched over to USD's)


This project has certainly been good for gaining some perspective. My obsession has grown to the point of
being so heinously overboard that I am taking action. I guess the affliction started out as a going broke "saving"
money kind of thing. I'd find a great deal on a bike that needed a little work, get it, fix it, ride it for a while,
break it, then move on to the next one...



At this point I'm just going to get the FJ back up, then the VF700FII, then the V65 Magna, then the VF500, then
the Rebel 450, then the Rebel 250, then the other VF500, then the V45 Magna.  I figure once I sell them all off I'll
have covered the repair costs for this engine and be able to finish my private pilot's license.

[JMR]

After working on that Magna you will probably commit suicide and not have to worry about rebuilding engines etc.

[RichBaker]

[Line boring and crankshaft grinding used to be standard practice on an engine rebuild of the family car. This was such a common practice a range of undersize bearings were always available  from the manufacturer or after market manufacturers. This was because bottom ends wore out with oil pressure barely registering hot and you could hear them banging around at fairly modest mileages.
Noel

Line-boring is done by taking material off the main caps where they mate to the block, then boring the bearing holes to the original size, using a boring bar, so the bearing bores are aligned. This is done because blocks warp and the bores are no longer aligned. Undersize bearings are made so the crankshaft journals can be be cut undersize to clean the journals up for a rebuild......

[ribbert]

[Line boring and crankshaft grinding used to be standard practice on an engine rebuild of the family car. This was such a common practice a range of undersize bearings were always available  from the manufacturer or after market manufacturers. This was because bottom ends wore out with oil pressure barely registering hot and you could hear them banging around at fairly modest mileages.
Noel

Line-boring is done by taking material off the main caps where they mate to the block, then boring the bearing holes to the original size, using a boring bar, so the bearing bores are aligned. This is done because blocks warp and the bores are no longer aligned. Undersize bearings are made so the crankshaft journals can be be cut undersize to clean the journals up for a rebuild......

I guess I should have made that distinction in my post.

[ribbert]

Mike, there was not a hint of "I told you so" intended in my post, unless you were predisposed to taking it that way. I was merely making a light hearted observation of the different reaction by mostly other people, not just you, to the same suggestion, but from a different source. If anything, that is having a go at myself.

You say you don't like the way I present information on the forum. That's unfortunate, but the sentiment has always been the same, passing information that I think will help, shame about my people skills!

I am genuinely pleased that you will be back riding soon and still able to pursue your project. It is the best possible outcome (other than the original engine not blowing up)

BTW, I did not say you ignored me, I said someone else suggested it.

Not a credibility issue. Just a personably one.   And in spite of all of my personal feelings about your manner
of address on this forum, I haven't "ignored you". (Though it's been tempting...) I get that you have all kinds
of practical experience. It's just not the same sort of thing I'm trying to do here. I'm not trying to have a
downrated engine putting out 75% of its original power so it'll last forever. I'm trying to get 50% more power
out of the thing while keeping the original service life or even improving on it slightly. I know that's a lofty goal
and, with all of the practical constraints of building on a budget, may be impossible.

Did you not read my post the other day. My most recent engine build achieved 100% power increase, improved longevity and reliability and involved far more pioneering work than has ever gone into an FJ engine.

Anyway, you have made it clear you don't particularly appreciate info from me, so, much to your's and probably other's relief, I will not comment on this thread again.

Good Luck with FJ 2.0 and 2.5

Noel

[fj11.5]

don't bugger off too far noel, I'll need help with my own build if or when it happens 

[skymasteres]

Noel,

Far be it from me to "chase you off". That would be the only tragedy that could happen here on the forum, If I let my personal pride and feelings chase someone away from something they enjoy. 

I guess the big thing is that I am so wrapped up in this project emotionally that when people make comments that aren't quantifiable I tend to take it personally. (Like the difference between saying "I think your coatings may have eaten up too much of your bearing clearance." Vs. "I think the coatings were the cause of the failure.")

I guess I just need to grow a thicker skin. Keep posting man. I still get something out of it. (Even if it's that some people can succeed where I have failed.) 

[rktmanfj]

Noel,

Far be it from me to "chase you off". That would be the only tragedy that could happen here on the forum, If I let my personal pride and feelings chase someone away from something they enjoy. 

I guess the big thing is that I am so wrapped up in this project emotionally that when people make comments that aren't quantifiable I tend to take it personally. (Like the difference between saying "I think your coatings may have eaten up too much of your bearing clearance." Vs. "I think the coatings were the cause of the failure.")

I guess I just need to grow a thicker skin. Keep posting man. I still get something out of it. (Even if it's that some people can succeed where I have failed.) 

Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.
-Oliver Goldsmith

[FJ_Hooligan]

Well, I disagree with it being "fitting" at all. Especially with how much time I spent aganozing over making sure that I had the bottom end of this thing PERFECT. I mean, I checked, rechecked, and checked again all of the torque on ALL of the connecting rod and main bolts when I put the bottom end together the second time. I was soooo paranoid about making sure that I wouldn't have a bottom end problem that I spent the extra time to make sure it was right. When I had a connecting rod that was a little "sticky" it removed it, re-burnished the coating, re-lubed it, and put it back in to make sure everything was right. The bottom end of this engine was something I didn't want to have to go back into again... Ever.

I'll admit that I am waaaaay behind in catching up with this thread; however, I cringed when I read the bolded statement above.  If the something felt ~sticky~ and burnishing the coating ~fixed~ it, then I would think it might have been a clearance problem.  Too little clearance would not allow enough oil film to support the rod/crank loads.  Metal to metal contact could have caused the rod to seize and snap. 

If the bearing surfaces are not scored and look okay, then I'm off base.  But, I've seen more than my share of engine failures and most of them were due to catastrophic part failure or oil/bearing failure.

[JMR]

I just fitted a complete R6 charging system to my 1975 CB750F....on paper that bike is worth about 300.00 and the mod alone was 600.00. That engine is 1000cc and has at least 6,000.00 in it with labor and parts. And than there is the JMC swingarm, Sun rims, Hyperpro shocks etc etc. And the thousands of hours into it after the multiple engine combinations etc. It depends on how much sentimental value exists and I've owned that bike 37 years.

Finally got a chance to post some pics...

"The Million Dollar CB"

[JMR]

I just fitted a complete R6 charging system to my 1975 CB750F....on paper that bike is worth about 300.00 and the mod alone was 600.00. That engine is 1000cc and has at least 6,000.00 in it with labor and parts. And than there is the JMC swingarm, Sun rims, Hyperpro shocks etc etc. And the thousands of hours into it after the multiple engine combinations etc. It depends on how much sentimental value exists and I've owned that bike 37 years.

Finally got a chance to post some pics...

"The Million Dollar CB"

Oh yeah.....FJ turnsignals.

[skymasteres]

I think that the steering damper is a particularly nice touch.

[rktmanfj]

I just fitted a complete R6 charging system to my 1975 CB750F....on paper that bike is worth about 300.00 and the mod alone was 600.00. That engine is 1000cc and has at least 6,000.00 in it with labor and parts. And than there is the JMC swingarm, Sun rims, Hyperpro shocks etc etc. And the thousands of hours into it after the multiple engine combinations etc. It depends on how much sentimental value exists and I've owned that bike 37 years.

Finally got a chance to post some pics...

Very nice...   

[JMR]

 Thanks very much. It represents my adult life. I have been broke as shit...needed money college etc etc etc but the thought of selling it never entered my mind. My FJ is pretty nice too.

[fj1289]

JMR - great bike!  I like the understated look of it all - a lot of the mods are performance and function based and hidden from those not in the know. Bet it surprises riders of much more modern bikes!

Kookaloo .... from another mother (Honda)

Chris W