Comments, Suggestions, Threats, ETC

So I thought I would post some progress of the restoration that I am currently undertaking this winter. Lack of funds has slowed the mechanical upgrades to a crawl. But lack of funds never can slow the progress of elbow grease.

 

Polishing Hint:

Sharpen the open-end of a 19mm Socket, grinding the Outside and Inside Diameter, to make a "Cookie-cutter" Tool.

Use the Tool to Cut-out 19mm "Discs" from ScotchBrite Pads, (Med-Gray / Fine-Beige / ExtraFine - White)

Stack 7 Discs on a DREMEL Sanding Drum Bit.
Bit - Flat - External Star Lock - Disc Pads X7 - Ext. Star Lock - Flat - Screw

The External Star Locking Washers will prevent the Discs from free-wheeling.

Chuck the ScotchBrite Disc Tool into a Dremel Flex-Wand Extension.

Do Handlebar Controls, Levers, Calipers, Master Cylinder, and everything else that needs to be cleaned-up.

 

Great idea. Most of this polishing has been done with a dremel and a buffing wheel on it. I don't have a larger buffing wheel and my drill is a cordless. So the buffing wheels I have for it don't last long before I need a new charge. So I just do it all with a dremel. Does not look as good yet. But when I can get a Buffing wheel from harbor freight I can finish them off.

 

I must start buffing, those parts look awesome!

It's amazing what a little spit and polish can do to an old bike, you'll likely blind people with the shine

 

My two most favorite Polishing Ingredients are:

Nortons Finishing Polish and ZAM

ZAM on a Buffing Wheel leaves a Mirror Finish

 

Looks great so far! After I get my carb issues worked out, I'll be looking for ideas on the best methods approach to buffing and polishing my parts. Thanks for sharing!

 

Osprey - that gloss black engine paint (500*) won't stay on the header - - you will need to get it ALL off and shoot some 1,500* header paint, or severe ugliness will ensue.

(disregard if you did it right)

 

Thanks for the heads up. I was kinda shooting in the dark with the temperature tolorances. The headers are currently being sandblasted to get all the old junk and rust off. So when I get them back, will have to hit it with the higher temperature paint. I am assuming I should be able to find that at any autoparts store?

The Muffler I assume should be fine with 500* paint. Since I can get off the bike after a 2 hour ride and grab the muffler without burning myself.

If I'm wrong let me know and I can strip it and try again.

 

Honestly? Nothing that comes out of a rattle can is going to stay looking good for too awfully long.

If you really want it to look nice and STAY looking nice, get it Jet-Hot coated. That's the high-temp version of powder coating, and it actually holds up.

 

That I definately understand fitz and don't expect this to be a permenant fix. I know that if I want it to be permenant spend the money and get it done right. But for right now I just dont want a hunk of rust hanging off my bike. Eventually the plan is to either buy a new 4x2 chrome system or have this one re-stripped and plated. I don't like the black look and would rather have chrome but at this point the little money I have to spend on the bike is going into far more important things like SS Brake lines, caliper rebuilds and new pads. Flashy things like the exhaust are just getting patched untill I can afford to do it the right way. This winter's plan is to make it 100% mechanically safe. The future will be to make the bike pretty.

 

So it is not that we need another reason to do so. But here is one more. These brakes felt fine and responded normally, but with this much sludge in the caliper, I don't know how it would have held up in a panic stop. Or, worse prohibited the piston from retracting and lead to a lock up. Nasty stuff. I know from looking at them that the lines are original on my bike. That tells me that the fluid probably is too. Check your brakes if you havn't already.

 

That's the Muddy Goop that forms when Brake Fluid is contaminated with moisture.
Looking into the Caliper, ... you can see that the Caliper Seal's Channel has been contaminated with the foreign matter that forms when Brake Fluid, Moisture and Brake Dust collect and harden.

That stuff makes the Caliper Piston Bind and causes the Brakes to drag.

 

Rick,

From an outside inspection everything looked fine. As soon as I took it apart though it was apparent that the main seal is shot. Main point I was making was, just because it looks ok, don't mean it is. If I could get a good picture of the seal it would be obvious. The thing is cracked almost the whole way around. But you could not see that from inspecting the caliper before dis-assembly.

Just was another heads up to check the brakes.