Member Contributer Stray Posted September 30, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted September 30, 2017 Another update to show some plastic welding on front cowl. The delicate little tabs used to hold the cowl inner "ears" together were snapped off from overtightening. In fact just about every plastic tab/mounting point on the bike is cracked/broken. You'd think the PO would have learned how delicate the are after breaking the first one but... The threaded metal insert was lost and plastic broken. So I cut off what was left of the plastic tab and broke out the soldering iron. Softened the plastic and pressed a cut-down rivnut (that silver thing in my hand) into the soft plastic. Then I built up the area around it with an acetone + abs plastic goop I'd made earlier. Came out OK. You can see what a rivnut looks like in my hand. The bolt shows where one was mounted to the bike. You can't see that one as it is completely covered in black goop. Acetone + abs goop works great! Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 1, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 1, 2017 Today's update is about bleeding linked braking system - what a bl00dy ball-ache! Fillowed the service vice manual and used my trusty syringe to do it all. First job is to open brake master cylinder and suck out the old stuff in there. Clearly the fluid has been around since the Ark touched down on dry land. With master cylinder empty this is a good chance to wipe it down and remove all the black gunk that settles there. Then fill it to the brim with fresh Dot5.1 brake fluid. Next job is to attach a syringe and hose to the outer bleed nipple so we can suck that fresh fluid down through the system. Best to pull the plunger back a bit to create a vacuum when you crack open the nipple as you don't want air being sucked in to the calliper. With every cycle the fluid was getting cleaner-and-cleaner. Make sure the master cylinder is always topped up so you don't suck air into the system. After about 3 full syringes the fluid came through clean. Do the same on both forks. Next was to bleed the middle nipple. I have no idea what purpose the middle nipple serves but faithfully followed the manual. I couldnt believe how much brake fluid this system holds! It took about 2 hours to get it all flushed (my first time on a VFR). Then do the same on the rear calliper, which is really awkward to remove from the disk as the centre mounting bolt requires the dexterity of a Romanian pickpocket. That will explain why the previous owner never serviced it. Only the outer bolt had been removed before - the inner one was almost welded in. Pads down to the backing. Service manual says to remove the calliper from the disc, attach vacuum hose are reattach it to disc for bleeding. I had a better idea: jam a spanner between the pads to keep them apart when bleeding and raise the calliper above the master so bubbles trapped in the system can rise. The crud that came came out of it was crazy. The raised calliper idea worked beautifully and I soon had a nice solid pedal with fresh brake fluid. Same procedure was applied to the clutch but that is much simpler and was finished in minutes. Very happy that job is done as it has been weighing on my mind for some time. Stray EDIT: the rear brake pedal was a bit weak so I pumped it about 30 times, pushed it down hard and jammed a screwdriver in to keep it engaged. Left the bike on side stand like that for a week and now pedal is rick solid - job done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 6, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 6, 2017 Another update showing how to clean inside headlight and tail light housing. I didn't like how my tail light and headlight lenses were covered with a milky spooge from years of neglect and baked on road salt. Made the bike look old and tired. So I decided to clean out the muck and brighten her up a bit. That meant removing the lift clusters from the fairings. This post follows the tail light resto but same was done to headlight. First, I tried soaking it in dish soap and washing it out. But the stains refused to budge no matter how long I soaked them. So I tried a floor cleaner instead. It leaves a streak-free surface that doesn't need wiping which is great because the light unit is sealed and I cannot get a cloth in there. Rinsed out with de-ionised water to avoid water spotting (because I can't wipe it). Well that didn't work either despite multiple soakings. Getting desperate now so I tried a spectacles cloth pushed around through one of the bulb openings with a wooden spoon. Again, that didn't work. So I bust out some lense wipes with a strong cleaning solution, again pushed around with a wooden spoon. That didn't work either. Time me to break out the big guns - rubbing alcohol! I filled the light cluster with rubbing alcohol and soaked it for about 30 minutes with occasional swishing about over the bath tub. The smell was potent and I got to thinking about pouring some into my coffee but... Alcohol is great because it evaporates quickly and takes water with it, leaving a dry streak-free surface. Nevertheless I helped things dry off a bit faster with my wife's hairdryer (I'm not that brave so waited for her to leave). Unfortunately the alcohol had absolutely no effect on the white stains which meant only one thing: the light cluster would have to be split to clean the inside. Looking on the web some people had achieved this by heating the glue and prising the unit apart. Most were using ovens but I opted for a heat gun instead as it targets the glue better. First step is to unclip the plastic catches holding the unit together. Flat screwdriver works but it just clips back closed the moment to pull it out because the glue is solid. So I grabbed a few butter knives and wedged them into the catches. This way I could heat the glue and pry at the housing without worrying the clips will be working against me. Here you can see four butter knives prying on one edge to spread the load and keep the housing from splitting. Slowly the glue began to give and I was able to pry the two halves apart. My recommendation is to apply 60% heat and 40% prying force. Too much heat and you'll deform your plastic: too much prying and you might break something. Anyway, it parted eventually and was easier than I thought it would be. Surprising how much heat and prying the plastic withstood, especially as the lenses is badly cracked from a few accidents in the past by PO. I got some fine rubbing compound (Farecla G10) and gave the transparent lenses a good scrubbing. Also cleaned the rear reflector. Couldn't believe how much filth was still in there after all the washing stages above. The microfibre cloth was really dirty. The stains had been baked in by repeated hot-cold cycles and it really took some rubbing to get them out but eventually the lenses looked brand new (aside from the cracks). In fact the cracks were now more visible as the lense is clean! I ran a flat screwdriver inside the adhesive channel to smooth it out for reassembly. This helps avoid air pockets and adhesive leak. Last step is to re-heat the butyl adhesive and press both halves back together. Some patience with the heat gun is required to ensure the adhesive is hot enough. Also, some serious heaving required to get both parts fully seated and clips re-fastened. I leaned my whole weight on the corners. No pics of that because I had to work fast and needed both hands but here's one showing how I tied the two halves tightly together to let the adhesive set. Used the wife's hairdryer cable (of course, when she was still out of the house)! Finally a close-up of the lense showing how clean it is. Without the cracks (I've not shown you those) it would look brand new. Some superglue applied to the cracks just to keep water out. Another job done! Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted October 6, 2017 Member Contributer Share Posted October 6, 2017 I like your perseverance! I've used the oven method to split headlight housings before, but not taillights. The RC36 ones seem to be glued, though. Or maybe that was just the indicators? It was a long time ago when I managed to split mine open without causing too much destruction... And good score on finding the SH847. I think it's the 'Strom from 2014-on that has it. Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 9, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 9, 2017 On 07/10/2017 at 12:37 AM, JZH said: I like your perseverance! I've used the oven method to split headlight housings before, but not taillights. The RC36 ones seem to be glued, though. Or maybe that was just the indicators? It was a long time ago when I managed to split mine open without causing too much destruction... And good score on finding the SH847. I think it's the 'Strom from 2014-on that has it. Ciao, You're spot on JZH, the 2014 - onwards VStrom has it. Apparently some snowmobiles and RVs also have it but I couldn't say. All that work on the lights and I wasn't comfortable they would remain watertight because of all the cracks. So I sanded them, buffed them and coated them with 2K clear. Hopefully that will keep them from yellowing (sanding removed the OEM protective coat) and fill in some of those scratches/cracks. Sanding a a light is nerve racking! It looks like you've destroyed it at one point. The headlight had an annoyingly tenacious sticker residue that resisted alcohol, thinner, 2K thinner, carb cleaner, acetone, vinegar, ACF50, WD40 and even sandpaper! It just laughed at everything I threw at it. In the end I just had to grind it off with coarse sandpaper (250grt) and work my way back up to 2000grt. That was a fun three hours! I damn near went through the lens to get it all off. Must have penetrated the plastic with headlight heat over the years. Anyway, here's the two lights with a fresh coat of 2K clear (adhesion promoter sprayed first). Hopefully it will cure fast and I can just mount them to the bike. Tired of messing about now. Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 9, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 9, 2017 This update is about fitting a vacuum operated automatic chain oiler. Had a 15 year old unit lying in a box and decided to fit on the 5th gen for winter. These really make chain maintenance a doddle. I like a clean look so got thinking the bottom chain guard (shark fin) would be a good mounting point. This is what the unit will look like when installed: When installed you can barely see it is there. Nozzle needs to be around 6-7 o'clock position with slash facing outwards. I wanted the feed tube to be invisible so ran it very close to the bottom chain run with a home-made plastic sheath to help it navigate tight turns and stay clear of chain slap. I measured by eye and punched holes with a hook screw. This is where it fits using original chain guard bolts. I've left it slightly unbolted to give you a better idea. Superglue helps keep the hose and guard in situ - belt and braces. This is is how the feed tube is routed on the inside. What you can't see is I applied 7 rounds of degreaser, 5 rounds of rubbing alcohol, 2 rounds of panel wipe, half a kitchen roll, 5 shop rags, sanded the spots where the glue would go and applied Loctite superglue. Should be secure for many years. Hose is clamped loosely at top to allow for swingarm movement. That swingarm went from greasy black to shiny silver...for now! Scottoiler will soon have it all caked in grease again. This is where I took the vacuum power from - cylinder 3. Instead of cutting the hose and installing a T piece, I just put an extra bit of hose on the end. You can see it is a slightly different colour. That way bike can easily be returned to stock and OEM hose remains intact. If you're wondering about the wrapping, that is silicone self-amalgamating tape. Like electrical tape on steroids for a permanent fix. The old part had cracked from heat and age so I applied some superglue to the cracks and wrapped it in the tape. Works like a charm! EDIT: This is how I mounted the chain oil reservoir (Scottoiler call it an RMV: remote metering valve). Used a heat gun to mould the battery lid to the reservoir shape and applied some adhesive neoprene foam to keep it secure. You can see the neoprene strips located on the battery lid and along the sides of the undertray. Another step closer to getting this bike winter-ready. Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 12, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 12, 2017 Bit of a ghetto (USA)/bodge (UK) update. A worn-out woman's boot... ...finds new life as a left-hand mirror mounting rubber! Funny old world, eh? Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1962 Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 Great work and really practical approach. Credit to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1962 Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 I wouldn't expect you to read all of it, but the photos show what I was up against with mine! http://vfrworld.com/threads/new-but-old.45254/page-4#post-550947 http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/Yellow99/library/?sort=2&page=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 15, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 15, 2017 On 14/10/2017 at 4:20 PM, M1962 said: I wouldn't expect you to read all of it, but the photos show what I was up against with mine! http://vfrworld.com/threads/new-but-old.45254/page-4#post-550947 http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/Yellow99/library/?sort=2&page=1 Wow - I read the wrhile thing! Youve done really well to bring your yellow '99 back to such great condition. Left you a comment on VFRW. There are 3 important differences between your rebuild and mine: 1. Intention. You intend to have a nice bike whereas I intend to abuse mine through winter and occasionally on track. Mine will be treated like an unwanted ginger step-child so I'm not too concerned about how it looks. Just need it to function safely 2. Budget: I'm rebuilding mine with leftovers from the garage and bits of old string. Deliberately trying to keep this low cost. I already have a pampered garage queen that siphons more money than an Italian diva mistress - the VFR's role is to suffer my wrath and do the donkey work (winter salt, track days and ironing) so the garage queen remains pristine 3. Starting Point: Your yellow '99 has low mileage and was in reasonable condition to begin with. My '97 has high mileage, led a hard life, been neglected and spent most of her years living by the coast (MOTs say Bournemouth) so she is as corroded as a politician's moral compass This means you and I probably have different ideas about where our rebuilds will take us. Yours is a nice bike given lots of TLC by her new owner. The results are epic - well done! Mine is a shed being held together by a modest budget and elbow grease. I wish I had your bike in my garage but I don't. You can't polish a turd and my bike will never be as good as yours. But you can roll a turd in glitter so it will be better than when she came to me. Again, congratulations on your refurb. I am very jealous of your bike! Greg Denver has also done a fantastic job on his red 5th gen (I saw your comments on his thread). I am jealous of that one too. I hope you both enjoy the fruits of your labour for many, many years. Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1962 Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Thanks for your very kind comments. I see similarities between the two projects in terms of how previous owners abused these beautiful machines. Mine was left to rot in a rainy lean-to and was probably only one more season away from being only fit for parts-raiding. As you've seen in the blog, so many fixings were scrap and had to be drilled, cut, sliced and bullied out before I could move on. Almost everything metal was rusted, furred-up, corroded and covered in shit - just like yours! Some was replaced with secondhand fleabay items and some re-furbed. It's very interesting what you say about the intentions of the projects, but I think your approach is beautifully practical, whereas I was only able to unbolt things and get people with great skill to refurb most of them for me! Mine has definitely been driven by nostalgia, having owned the bike before and then seeing how utterly neglected it had been. It never knowingly goes out in the wet and isn't on the road over winter and I guess some people would say that's a waste of bike. I don't necessarily disagree, but in years to come when they start to become scarce, the ones lovingly kept alive by people such as us will be seen as modern classics. Greg Denver's project is probably the most amazing refurb I've seen, but the guy clearly has immense skills that I can only dream of. I certainly use his as an inspiration - mine is definitely still a work in progress. What you don't see so well in the pictures is the shabby engine casing and pitted frame, so there's still much to do! I will keep watching your posts with great interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 16, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 16, 2017 M1962, we are in many respects kindred spirits. Your story has a beautiful additional twist: you've rediscovered an old flame that fell on hard times and are lovingly nurturing her back to her former glory. I've got lots of time for that sort of thing. Will keep an eye out for your posts. Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 16, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 16, 2017 M1962, we are in many respects kindred spirits. Your story has a beautiful additional twist: you've rediscovered an old flame that fell on hard times and are lovingly nurturing her back to her former glory. I've got lots of time for that sort of thing. Will keep an eye out for your posts. Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BusyLittleShop Posted October 18, 2017 Member Contributer Share Posted October 18, 2017 Fool proof way to install cams back to their correct position is to mark the gears with white paint... then make sure you don't move the crank... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1962 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 On 16 October 2017 at 9:08 PM, Stray said: M1962, we are in many respects kindred spirits. Your story has a beautiful additional twist: you've rediscovered an old flame that fell on hard times and are lovingly nurturing her back to her former glory. I've got lots of time for that sort of thing. Will keep an eye out for your posts. Stray Awwww, I'm going all moist here! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 23, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 23, 2017 On 18/10/2017 at 2:43 AM, BusyLittleShop said: Fool proof way to install cams back to their correct position is to mark the gears with white paint... then make sure you don't move the crank... BLS, forgive me if this sounds daft but don't you have to cycle the crank to do valve clearances? Wish I had thought to mark the gears before removing them. Would have made things a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreginDenver Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 2 hours ago, Stray said: BLS, forgive me if this sounds daft but don't you have to cycle the crank to do valve clearances? Wish I had thought to mark the gears before removing them. Would have made things a lot easier. yes, you do cycle the crankshaft when you're checking the valve clearances. The marks he put on the gears are for when you actually remove the camshafts to replace the shims on the valves that need to be adjusted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted October 28, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 28, 2017 SHE’S ALIVE! Took the old girl for a little blast across the country lanes - maiden voyage since the refurb. Wow! What a fantastic machine! That engine is wonderfully willing and the revs rise effortlessly to red line. She soaks up bumps and steers true. I couldn’t believe how forgiving she is. And that fantastic V4 soundtrack! She sings beautifully. Very, very pleased to finally own a VFR. Now I know what all you guys have been going on about. Should have done this years ago... There are a few minor niggles that need resolving before I can finally call this done: 1. Speedo needle is stuck 40MPH higher than true. Must open the cluster again for 4th bl00dy time 2. Rear brake bottoms out with little effect, making slow manoeuvres difficult (slow manoeuvres + front brake = picking bike up off the floor). Need to re-bleed again 3. Stock mirrors give very poor rearward visibility. Good view of my elbows! Also, the condom portion has hardened with time and keeps popping off its mounts. Time for some long-stem aftermarket items 4. Michelin Road Pilot 2 tyres have plenty of tread but rubber is about 5 years old. Baby needs a new pair of dancing shoes Other than this she is in beautiful mechanical shape. She will not be winning any beauty contests but I anticipate many years of joyful motorcycling to come. Not bad for a bike with 65K on the clock. I certainly wasn’t expecting that! Thanks also to everyone on VFRD for your advice and support. Couldn’t have done it without you. Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted November 26, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted November 26, 2017 Got the speedo sorted. Fitted an an aftermarket KPH-MPH face from Redial UK (now defunct) to match the Venoxy RPM gauge. After opening-closing-reopening the dashboard cluster 100 times I finally got the needles to rest on zero for both gauges. Trick is to install the needles at maximum and rotate then anti-clockwise until they rest against the stop. Also installed blue LED bulbs while I was in there. Note these have polarity so if they don’t light up first time just swap them round. Sorry for crappy pic. Camera flash makes it look weird. I also removed over the spring tabs on the dumbo indicators and bent them back a bit. Over time they had gotten slack and my indicators were wobbling. This is the part I’m talking about (screwdriver removing the screw that holds it). Simply pushed them flatter against the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted December 20, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 20, 2017 Thanks to info on here I’ve switched the puller fan on my 5th Gen for a pusher fan from a VTR1000. In the pic the VFR fan is below and has no halo, whereas the VTR fan does (I wonder why?). Also replaced coolant cap with one from a Yamaha R1 Big Bang 2011 model. R1 cap is brighter than the VFR cap in side-by-side pics. And it fits perfectly! Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted December 20, 2017 Author Member Contributer Share Posted December 20, 2017 Also installed 2008 CBR1000RR coil on plugs to replace OEM coils here: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted January 26, 2018 Author Member Contributer Share Posted January 26, 2018 Just finished installing an RC51 4-row oil cooler. Made a custom bracket to centralise it as original bracket would have pushed it really far to the right rad. Bent the left oil line with a blowtorch as RC51 left mount is turned outwards slightly. Full details of install and bracket here: Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted April 22, 2018 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2018 Finally got to remove the linked braking apparatus today - took hours! Just wanted to adjust gear lever but this happened... Struggling to remove OE subframe as it gets stuck on undertray and wiring. Wanted to trial fit CBR600 F4 subframe but couldn’t get the old one off. Not it sure how yet but want to keep seat lock as it matches ignition key. Drilled out our ignition from old top yoke to fit on R6 yoke. 8mm drill bit too small - needed 9mm. Then mole grips to remove remainIng stud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stray Posted April 22, 2018 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2018 Front end upgrade to ZX6R 2007 units. Kawasaki ZX6R 2007 forks rebuilt and installed in Yamaha R6 2015 yokes. Same fork distance on both models. First ZX6R forks were dismantled. Piston rod and internals washed out with thinner and diesel. Pumped many times to clear out debris in adjustment valves. R6 stem was 8mm too long so I had it pressed out in Erith, cut down by 8mm and reinstalled with Loctite. That’s a 30 tin press but only about 3 tons were needed. Stem is held in by a metal o-ring so a new channel had to be carved into the stem before reinstallation. Turns out one of the forks was bent at the top yoke position and binding the slide (at the top) when bottoming out. I decided to grind down the internal bump to free the slider. Used sandpaper at first but was not making much progress so used grinding stone on Dremel (very carefully). Protrusion marked with green sharpie. Now I can monitor progress and stay on target. You can see where the bump has been ground down. Decided to crosshatch the stanchions with scotchbrite grey pad to reduce striction as they were too smooth. Very ghetto setup with stanchion mounted onto bamboo and spun in electric drill, but it works! Have to move hand up and down at correct speed to achieve 45• crosshatch. WD40 spayed into pad throughout. Fork components reassembled. This is how the old bits came off... Lots of cleaning with thinner and diesel... Strange scratches on spring spacer from fork action. Then reassembly with new seals, inner bushings (outlets looked fine) and new Fuchs SRF 5 Oil. Also installed 1.0 springs for my weight (used Racetech online calculator fir both spring rate and oil weight). Made a seal driver from ABS tube (XJR airbox snorkel cut lengthways and milder to ZX6R tube with heat gun). Made damper rod tool with an old M10 bolt and nut. Made spring/damper rod stopper from a thin piece of ally with a groove cut in (old backing plate from VFR regulator rectifier). Proper tools old would have made the job easier and faster but I got there in the end. B&D workbench was invaluable, as was a pillow in the floor to push hard against! Stray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rush2112 Posted April 22, 2018 Member Contributer Share Posted April 22, 2018 I just read this thread and I think it is awesome how you are giving your VFR a new life. Good luck on the reconditioning! There were a couple of questions throughout the thread that I may be able to provide some insights: Regarding valve clearances, the valves usually tighten up from recession into the valve seats from millions of impacts. Older metallurgy allowed valves to stretch which also led to valve tightening but modern valves generally don’t suffer from this as much as in the past. Regarding the force of valve impacts, intake and exhaust impacts are not necessarily the same. The speed of the valve is dictated by the cam profile, the duration and lift of exhaust and intake cams are often different so the valve closing speeds can be different; in our 5th gen engines cam lift and duration are the same (8mm and 225 degrees) for intake and exhaust so this simplifies things. The valve materials are different so they have different densities and they are different sizes; therefore, the intake (29mm) and exhaust (24.5mm) valves have different mass so they have different momentum when impacting the valve seats. This is likely why you see a difference in intake and exhaust valve clearances. Quick observation on your R/R replacement. R/R use the subframe as a heat sink to help dissipate heat so they need to mount with the back of the R/R flush against the mounting plate to facilitate heat transfer. It may not be an issue since the one you are using is so oversized and may have enough cooling with the fins surface area but it is something to look out for especially on long tours. If the R/R gets too hot turn on your high beam headlights to help reduce the shunt load on the R/R. sorry for the zombie resurrection of previous topics... they were new to me tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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