aokman Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Howdy all, Glad to finally be a part of the forum as I managed to get a VFR800 finally. This one is a 1999 model with 21,000km on the clock. Little rough around the edges but thought I would share my looooong process restoring the bike :) Started stripping down the bike already to see what I am in for... Basically removing old stuff at the moment and degreasing the hell out of the bike (weight reduction ) Already cut off the old chain and started ordering parts Issues to be fixed so far: Degrease entire bike - in progress :) Chain rusted, binding in places - To be replaced with a 520 kit with DID ZVMX Clutch slave, fluid is milky colored, lever was a bit heavy - Will bleed it out and see how it goes, piston seems to move ok at the moment Rear wheel is hard to turn - no sure yet, might be rear caliper binding as the rear brake takes a lot of effort to do anything Cold start takes a few tries to start - Not sure yet, will start with new plugs Filter / Oil Change Upcoming stuff: Repaint fairings Re coat exhaust headers / replace if group buy happens Power coat wheels Delkevic stubby exhaust BMC air filter Iridium plugs SD-R levers New seat Need rear cowling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 Pass on the 520 kit. Get the highest quality 530 chain and sprockets you can find, and they'll last and last and last. Might want to remove the clutch slave cylinder, pop the piston out, and flush some brake fluid through the system with the piston out, clean and reassemble. Then, of course, bleed afterwards. Judging from the brake issue, you might have to dismantle and clean the calipers too. If you're gonna do the rear, may as well do the fronts too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rush2112 Posted August 3, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 3, 2014 Welcome to the family :) She doesn't look too bad... I'm sure it'll clean up nicely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Pass on the 520 kit. Get the highest quality 530 chain and sprockets you can find, and they'll last and last and last. Might want to remove the clutch slave cylinder, pop the piston out, and flush some brake fluid through the system with the piston out, clean and reassemble. Then, of course, bleed afterwards. Judging from the brake issue, you might have to dismantle and clean the calipers too. If you're gonna do the rear, may as well do the fronts too. Yeah definitely going to pull the slave down I think once I have it all apart, will pull down the rear brake aswell once I finish a couple other things. Not sure on the chain yet, will know by tomorrow though. I'm happy with 520 longevity as I only ride once a week and its not a commuter and it would be nice to shave a little weight off the driveline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted August 4, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 4, 2014 Welcome to the family aokman. From the low mileage I'm guessing this one has been sitting around a fair bit, so I would pick that the sliding pins in the brake callipers will be a bit seized. With these moving freely there should be little or no brake drag, unless the brake pistons are also crudded up. A bit of maintenance here (along with your new chain/sprockets will make sure you get the lowest rolling resistance and better brake feel. The rear calliper can be unbolted from it's carrier and dropped away from the disc, and the wheel/hub should now turn freely, but if not then the real wheel bearings could be damaged. I was told by a Honda mechanic that if the rear eccentric pinch bolt is over-tightened, this can distort the bearing, which then over-heats and seizes. Apparently (so he said) in the early days Honda stopped supplying the pin spanner for the eccentric so that owners had to go to their dealers for chain adjustments! If you haven't already, do yourself a favour and download the service manual, it is invaluable for torque settings and cable orientation. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/files/file/171-98-01-honda-vfr-service-manual-optimized-bookmarked/ I bought my 99 earlier this year and also spent a lot of time degreasing, but unlike yours I think my one has seen plenty of regular use in all weathers, as it had an amazing layer of dirt and grease all over. I thought the engine and valve covers were black coloured all over! But it has scrubbed up beautifully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 4, 2014 Author Share Posted August 4, 2014 Welcome to the family aokman. From the low mileage I'm guessing this one has been sitting around a fair bit, so I would pick that the sliding pins in the brake callipers will be a bit seized. With these moving freely there should be little or no brake drag, unless the brake pistons are also crudded up. A bit of maintenance here (along with your new chain/sprockets will make sure you get the lowest rolling resistance and better brake feel. The rear calliper can be unbolted from it's carrier and dropped away from the disc, and the wheel/hub should now turn freely, but if not then the real wheel bearings could be damaged. I was told by a Honda mechanic that if the rear eccentric pinch bolt is over-tightened, this can distort the bearing, which then over-heats and seizes. Apparently (so he said) in the early days Honda stopped supplying the pin spanner for the eccentric so that owners had to go to their dealers for chain adjustments! If you haven't already, do yourself a favour and download the service manual, it is invaluable for torque settings and cable orientation. http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/index.php/files/file/171-98-01-honda-vfr-service-manual-optimized-bookmarked/ I bought my 99 earlier this year and also spent a lot of time degreasing, but unlike yours I think my one has seen plenty of regular use in all weathers, as it had an amazing layer of dirt and grease all over. I thought the engine and valve covers were black coloured all over! But it has scrubbed up beautifully. Sounds about right, yes the bike has been sitting around for quite a long time after the previous owner passed away... You are right about the grease, I thought it was just my bike but my god, its like Honda used axle grease on the chain, it was thick, black and like tar. Thinking back I am pritty sure it is the caliper as it became easier to turn when the brake rotor was wet. Just getting around to it with the man other things to do aswell. Will keep everyone posted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 4, 2014 Author Share Posted August 4, 2014 Ended up caving in and going with the DID 530 ZVMX and + 2 in the rear with ultralite sprockets :) Stripped the clutch slave, gave it a clean out, piston had some light surface corrosion / discoloration at the edges but main seal is still in good order. The clutch rod boot has a tiny tear in it so Ill try and grab another one but it seems like its just a grease seal anyway. Going to pull the brake caliper off tomorrow or the day after and have a look, pretty sure its the caliper as when the rotor was wet, the wheel was easier to turn :) Also ordered a air compressor powered vacuum bleeder as I can see much fluid bleeding in my future... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Well managed to get some more work done on the bike today, removed the rear caliper and tore it down for a look. Its was definitely binding up on the rear brake lever as it took a while for the wheel to turn again. I also couldn't lock the rear wheel with the front brake lever either while trying to undo the wheel nuts so not sure if there might be issues with the proportioning system aswell or if it just needs a really good bleed. Anyway the caliper slider was a little stuck but not completely frozen, pistons were not too bad surprisingly. Pistons are in good condition and so are the bores after cleaning everything up with brake cleaner. Trying to decide if I will do the seals while its all apart, Ill hunt around tomorrow and see If i can get them in any sort of reasonable time frame I guess. Will definitely put new brake pads in. Rear rotor is still at 6mm all around so ill just give it a run around with a scourer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGregory Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 As I learned here, the back brake will only be actuated by the front brake if the front wheel is actually turning. The actuator lives on the front port side caliper. That rear caliper looks brand new! Nice work. In fact everything you are laying hands on looks brand new. I would be interested to see what you do with your header pipes. Mine look like yours and I don't care for rusty anything. Back in the day I had some aluminized. Not sure if that is an option these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted August 6, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 6, 2014 +1 on your cleaning skills!!! If you've gone that far with a strip-down, I'd go for new piston seals. Hopefully that and the fine cleaning job sort your back brake issue. The brakes on these VFR's are a plumber's nightmare, and fault finding can be a challenge. I recall reading another post that when the rear brake locks on, that you can have an issue with the secondary master cylinder on the front left calliper. Rebuilding the SMC with a new piston kit cured that. If you weren't already aware, pushing the brake pedal operates the outer pistons of the back brake, along with the centre pistons of the front brakes via a delay valve located on the frame below the fuel tank right rear. The front brake lever operates just the outer pistons of the front callipers directly and doesn't work the back brake directly, but when used, the left front calliper rotates slightly and pushes on the secondary master cylinder, and THAT applies pressure to the centre piston in the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 As I learned here, the back brake will only be actuated by the front brake if the front wheel is actually turning. The actuator lives on the front port side caliper. That rear caliper looks brand new! Nice work. In fact everything you are laying hands on looks brand new. I would be interested to see what you do with your header pipes. Mine look like yours and I don't care for rusty anything. Back in the day I had some aluminized. Not sure if that is an option these days. Glad to hear I am getting somewhere :) Header pipes we will see, was hoping the group buy would happen but atleast these dont have a cat either way. If I kept them my 2 routes would be to give them a sand and either have them ceramic coated or painted in VHT matt black to protect them :) On another note does anyone know the difference between A and AC VFR models on partzilla etc? Going to put an order in for bits :) Will just order all the seals etc for the calipers and have a look at the other brake components etc. Looks like the 3 bolts that hold the caliper together are single use which is annoying. I personally think they specify replacement because they have threadlock on them... The center piston has light scuffing on the rear so I will throw a new one in but it looks fine to throw back in still if I wanted. Hopefully there is nothing else at play, you would think Honda engineers would just give up when they realised how much extra stuff it takes to link the brakes, its such a complicated and redundant system for something that can be handled by the rider anyway. But hey, it is what it is :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 A is 49 state C is California model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 haha had a feeling thats what it meant, I will go with the 49 state parts manual though I imagine not much has changed anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted August 6, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 6, 2014 Hopefully there is nothing else at play, you would think Honda engineers would just give up when they realised how much extra stuff it takes to link the brakes, its such a complicated and redundant system for something that can be handled by the rider anyway. But hey, it is what it is :) Ha ha! Welcome to Marketing 101. You will note the 2014 model just released has none of the linked brakes, but does have ABS as an option. Given EVERY other bike out there survives quite well without VTEC, as do pre-02 VFR800's, you have to wonder how long it will be before the Honda engineers corner the Honda marketers and beat the VTEC out of them. And then the marketers ask for the gear drives to be put back in to maintain a "point of difference", and my head explodes with happiness. Or did I dream that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 Did a test fit of the Delkevic stubby high rise exhaust today, not bad as far as aftermarket goes but not really happy with the rear end alignment on an angle. Why they couldn't just take it out another cm and run it parallel is just weird... Also got a big order in at Partszilla, all new seals for all calipers, rear cowling, EBC HH brake pads all around BMC air filter etc... Forgot to get new wheel nuts but ill do it on the next order. Just doing boring stuff at the moment, cleaning up original bolts etc while I wait for parts to trickle in... Yes I need a life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Can you rotate the mid pipe to shift the muffler outwards? And Honda civic wheel nuts will fit. We had a group buy awhile back and someone got 40 or so and split them. They were black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 not by the looks of it, rotating it lifts the silencer up where it cant be clamped anymore, might be able to drag it off the oem pipe a little bit but will have to play around with it a little more tomorrow, might be possible to redrill the bracket for a new positionas the clamp is right on the edge of the muffler as is. Thanks for the wheel nut suggestion aswell, had a feeling they would be interchangeable with a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rush2112 Posted August 7, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 7, 2014 Can you rotate the mid pipe to shift the muffler outwards? And Honda civic wheel nuts will fit. We had a group buy awhile back and someone got 40 or so and split them. They were black. Acura Integra '94 nuts fit too and they are chrome if you want shiny :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Ok so I am a little bored waiting for new parts to arrive, sprockets and chain should be here next week. No word from Partzilla yet as I did order quite a bit of stuff... Anyway I decided to tear down the tail and clean everything / check electical contacts and get to know the wiring a bit better etc. The bike does have a new rectifier fitted but I am yet to find a damaged / melted connector however the battery + terminal rubber boot was melted on the edges which is quite odd. OEM battery terminals were corroded so I sanded the back to bare copper and refitted / added copper grease. Going to dig around a little more tomorrow and clean some of the grounds etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted August 9, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted August 9, 2014 Hey AOK, would it be alright if I crate my bike up and send it to you for a cleaning job??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Hey AOK, would it be alright if I crate my bike up and send it to you for a cleaning job??? Hehe its something I wish I never started sometimes... Polishing the rear cowl is doing my head in and I haven't even made it to the fuel tank etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checksix Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Wow, nice work. What are you using to clean everything? Just soap and water, or some special kind of cleaner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Wow, nice work. What are you using to clean everything? Just soap and water, or some special kind of cleaner? Normally just use a citrus cleaner and sometimes alcohol for the gummy stuff and personal consumption... Fast Glass is great for cleaning random stuff aswell, generally you just need a lot of patience and microfiber cloths and paint brushes for getting into everything :) Very tempted to get the wheels off the bike and sent off for powder coating while its sitting there, little hesitant in case I need to move it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Well I finished pulling the front calipers etc off today and....yeah full of brown gunge almost blocking the ports. Pulled the pistons and they were in good nick except for a little scuffing on 2 which should be ok to reuse (already put the order in..) Starting to think I should do the braided brake line kit after seeing the state of everything, god knows whats inside the brake lines... Lot of money though just for brake lines at $650 including the clutch Out of curiosity I ordered this banjo to hose fitting adapter and a double banjo bolt so I can try flushing the system with my vacuum pump and not pulling all the crap back into my cleaned calipers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 Toys are finally starting to trickle in! New levers, chain, sprockets, tools have arrived etc. Wheels are off the bike and getting the tyres removed tomorrow so the rims can be powder coated. Whats everyone rekon, I am torn between gloss white or gloss black :( Partzilla order has shipped aswell, once I have the new rear cowl, I can speak to the painter about getting the fairings redone :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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