AB-Oz Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I too had a bad experience with the VHT stuff just flaking away after I did all the right things. Hope your experience is better than mine. Ended up sending my pipes off to Jet-Hot to do them peroperly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 I would have loved to get them ceramic coated but there are only 2 places that do it in Victoria which are a fair way out and I can kiss them goodbye for a month while they get done aswell. See how this VHT pans out lol... I'm holding out hope for the group buy but don't see it happening especially if Delkevic get involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-Oz Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I had mine done by jet-hot in Victoria, 2 week turnaround. That was over 5 years ago, got the Sterline finish, they still look great today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 I had mine done by jet-hot in Victoria, 2 week turnaround. That was over 5 years ago, got the Sterline finish, they still look great today. yeah i expected about 2 weeks turn around, except i can only get down there on weekends so it would be 3-4 weeks overall :( Anyway all done now. Anyhooo started curing the paint today after reading the newer instructions which say it should be done sooner rather than later. Did 15 minutes at 130c and 30 min at 340c so far with a temperature controlled heat gun and working my way around the pipes as needed. Blanking plates and speedo healer arrived today and I finished polishing the wheels and putting ceramic sealant on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Terry Posted September 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted September 8, 2014 I installed some similar blanking plates a month or so ago, and all went well except I ended up with a leak at first. If you'll forgive me for teaching you to suck eggs, here's what I (finally) did. Unbolt the stock pair valve covers and pull all the hose, solenoid and other unneeded stuff off. From memory the electrical connector hides behind the left fairing. Plug the airbox port with a vacuum cap or similar. Pick the reed valves out of the heads. Remove the small phillips head screw and take the reed and retaining plate off, then re-install the valve body and seals and fit the blanking plates. I initially re-installed with the reeds in place, but the flat blanking plates interfered with the reed screw head and prevented a good seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 Well I got to work installing the HEL braided line kit, it hasn't been all smooth sailing though. Documentation was pathetic with the kit, not labeling the lines etc etc... I managed to get the rear done completely, I used my new banjo to hose fitting adapter to connect my vacuum bleeder directly to the PCV and pull a bottle of fluid through the system to clean out the metal lines and PCV. Did a great job! Moving to the front, I got most of the kit done, one of the lines was completely out of whack, HEL's crappy documentation does not mention you can actually rotate the banjo fittings if needed... There is one issue I couldn't resolve however, one of the new lines with the block that connects to the existing solid OEM line over the front fender does not match the OEM specs for depth and you end up with 1 pipe flange being longer than the other as it doesn't sit as far in, this is not good since both flanges need to be the exact same length since they bolt together... No idea how I am going to get around this without getting a replacement line shipped assuming they will even do anything about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 Today's job was the PAIR valves and spark plugs.. Ended up doing the the blanking plates without removing the airbox or anything, wasn't too bad to get done and I ended up leaving the screw in place along with the plates by just filing down the screw a mm or 2 and it sits flush with the nut now. I did a test fit first to make sure the plates were getting a good seat on the gaskets. For anyone who is wondering I just got plates from a CBR1000RR kit but I had to make my own plug for the airbox (19mm chair leg foot). After I finished the blanking plates, I moved on to the spark plugs, quite a job on the VFR compared to most bikes, can just imagine what its like to do with the front end still on the bike. The spark plugs look original except for 1 which has a different model number, not liking the oil on the threads but cant really make any judgement on them given the age. The plugs were very loose, only barely snug, I torqued the new ones to 12nm per the SM. Also looks like there has been some blow by near the insulators. Finally I also cleaned up the spade connectors for the ignition coils, some were slightly corroded so I cleaned them up with Deoxit and put applied Deoxit gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Progressssssss! Finally got the suspension back from Promecha, everything is rebuilt. New springs in the front, revalved with mods for anti dive / anti squat. Was not happy that he didn't replace the fork dust seals as they were split near the top so had to do that before I could put them back on... Anyway forks are back on, set height to 45mm to fork caps for the time being. Rebuilt the front right brake caliper and reinstalled. Waiting on the last of the brake parts to arrive so I can finish rebuilding the master cylinders and put the other calipers back on. Was not happy with the HEL brake line kit, the over fender pipes were not the same length and wouldn't line up, ended up having to turn down the mounting bolts on each side to make up for the difference in length to allow the blocks to be offset from each other. Contacted them about this and they rekon its never been an issue before? I personally think they made the blocks to the wrong dimensions or recessed the flange too far. Hoping there are no leaks when I fill the system as its hard to get a feel for when they are tight. Also put some Permatex thread sealant on the new bleed valves to see it helps with the bleeding process at all keeping the threads airtight. Also dug out the mystery ground block in the wiring loom and cleaned it up with Deoxit. It was perfect in there anyway, but I am running around the bike doing bits and bobs regardless to hopefully keep electrical gremlins at bay. For anyone who doesn't know Deoxit, its amazing stuff! Ended up getting HP Coatings to ceramic coat my headers in a decent time frame and already have them back, the VHT was actually curing quite nicely, the trick was to slowly heat it up in stages. Problem was the collars move around on the pipes and scratch it off, chip it while you are trying to cure it. Exhaust reinstall is on hold till next week as I noticed the dust seals in my rear dog bone are shot so I want to change those while I put some new grease in the needle rollers. I was going to attempt regreasing the rear axle but it might be a job for next winter, nuts wouldn't budge even with my breaker bar and wood jammed in the wheel studs to hold it. Need to borrow an impact gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted September 27, 2014 Author Share Posted September 27, 2014 Shes getting very close! Spent all of today working on it, replaced dust seals on the dog bone and linkages for the rear suspension / repacked with new grease. Refitted rebuilt shock, fitted exhaust back on and also fitted the speedo healer. Also installed the fan for the rectifier and wired it into the loom, will connect up the voltage alarm later when I can work out the ranges I need. All I am waiting on is the rebuilt kits for the rear master and clutch / front masters. I wasn't really happy with the alignment of the downpipes on the back, they don't seem to be seated fully into the pipes but I just cant get any more out of them, the header bolts are torqued and I tried getting a bit more by jacking it up so hopefully it seals fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 Installed the chain and rebuilt clutch slave today, was toying with the chain tension and left it at 110 links for now, I can drop it to 108 and move the rear wheel in closer aswell. I have a spare master link in case I change in the future once I see what the handling is like. I was blown away at how much force it took to rivet this chain on, says with the Motion Pro tool that you should only need light force... yeah lol how about 2 breaker bars, I was worried I was going to snap the tool. The leverage made it so much easier though. DID Specification - 0.224" (5.68mm) - 0.236" (5.99mm) I ended up with 5.81mm and 5.88mm for the rivet diameters :) Here is a handly link if anyone needs it in future with details from DID on rivet diameters for all chains: http://www.didchain.com/PDF/DID_2012usa_final.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 So the bike is out on the road! First fire up and test ride yesterday, everything went great, bled the brakes with a friend and 3 bottles of fluid later all seems ok. Changed out the oil / filter and threw in the BMC air filter, for some reason the BMC airfilter seemed to be installed backwards in the plastic plate, as it was hitting the PCV moulding on the lower part of the airbox and wouldnt seat. When i reversed it so the thicker part was facing down, the lid went on ok... Also a quick note, completely disappointed with the HEL brake line kit, everyone should be very careful with fitment, the high end price is simply not justified in my opinion, there are no instructions or labeling of hoses (I didn't have an issue but a beginner definitely would. The banjo bolts had large metal burrs in them still which I had to drill out and the front end fitment issues required custom bolts. Very disappointing kit and anyone who is installing one should go through every single bolt and check for metal burrs. Here's a quick vid of my test ride :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr5I4_PY7c4 Started polishing the fuel tank now, started off with a clay bar and wet sand in a couple of spots, working through my polishes at the moment and will finish off with ceramic sealant and some tank pads :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raoufhakam Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 aghhhh, i really hate you now, everytime i do something to my bike and feel proud of it, and then i look at yours .... making me feel like my VFR is a piece of shit compared to that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 You have winter in Nova Scotia, so get cracking man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 aghhhh, i really hate you now, everytime i do something to my bike and feel proud of it, and then i look at yours .... making me feel like my VFR is a piece of shit compared to that! You just need to adopt the OCD way of life :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rovari Posted October 6, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 6, 2014 Hi Oakman, I have really enjoyed your post's and thank you for sharing. I am in the early stages of the same journey. I found a 99 VFR800 that was under a BBQ cover for ten years and it needs the same TLC. It only has 10,000 KM on it and has lots of potential. I will be posting pics soon with the challenges i have had. I have started at the front end. Removed the forks and clipers and will be sending the rotors in for resurfacing. A couple of questions for you if you don't mind: - What size were the sockets you used for the bearing races on the triple tree? I have purchased the "All Balls" kit for the steering stem. - Where did you get the silver paint for your forks? I have purchased two cans of aluminum paint and neither of them are a close match. - What did you use to get the bearing on the steering stem? Appreciate any insight. Rovari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Hi Oakman, I have really enjoyed your post's and thank you for sharing. I am in the early stages of the same journey. I found a 99 VFR800 that was under a BBQ cover for ten years and it needs the same TLC. It only has 10,000 KM on it and has lots of potential. I will be posting pics soon with the challenges i have had. I have started at the front end. Removed the forks and clipers and will be sending the rotors in for resurfacing. A couple of questions for you if you don't mind: - What size were the sockets you used for the bearing races on the triple tree? I have purchased the "All Balls" kit for the steering stem. - Where did you get the silver paint for your forks? I have purchased two cans of aluminum paint and neither of them are a close match. - What did you use to get the bearing on the steering stem? Appreciate any insight. Rovari Congrats on finding such a low mileage VFR! One thing I have learnt with this bike and probably most bikes in general is very little work can be as bad as too much work sometimes, be sure to go over all the rubber seals etc and check for splits etc especially around bearings, linkages, brakes etc. The silver paint I used was all made by Dymark, I gave the forks a light sand, hit them with etch primer, then 3 coats of the silver metallic, it goes on great and has metal flakes in it. Bit brighter than original but I think it suits the bike great and keep in mind that the forks do discolour over time as you will find as you pull stuff off. I finished it off with 2 coats of gloss and it seems very durable. http://www.bunnings.com.au/dy-mark-350g-etch-metal-primer_p1580553 http://www.bunnings.com.au/dy-mark-revolution-325g-metallic-silver-enamel-spray-paint_p1580533 I will check the size of the sockets for you tomorrow when I get out to the shed, though I wouldn't take it as gospel as its likely to vary from brand to brand with wall thickness etc. Personally I would look at PVC pipe or similar like other people used as its probably safer. I had one of my not very smart moments when I was putting the bearing on the steering stem and just used a punch working around the inside of the bearing on the center collar. I read other people used the old race which is a much smarter idea, luckly the bearings are very strong and my punches were soft so I didn't do any damage :) Overall I am really enjoying the project, the linked braking system can go the hell but other than that I have enjoyed it! My big tip to everyone is pull that dam filter off the front left caliper, I rekon that is where most peoples problems are with sticking pistons etc. Not a spare part either from what I can tell so be very careful cleaning it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Cut a slot through the old races, deburr them, and use them to drive in the new races. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rovari Posted October 6, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 6, 2014 Thank you aokman and Veefer. I will look into the PVC pipe trick for the steering stem bearing. I can try the old race for installing the new races although they are different sizes and the older ball bearing type. Not sure how to attach pictures...thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mello dude Posted October 7, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 7, 2014 Cut a slot through the old races, deburr them, and use them to drive in the new races. Great tip - thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raoufhakam Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 You have winter in Nova Scotia, so get cracking man! winter ? what winter? oh wait, the filthy riding season with white stuff where i keep my bike in winter (my parents' garage), i barely have 3 inches on either side of the bike which makes taking the seat cowl and seat off and hook the battery tender a few hours project :D here's a pic of my old winter beater, tall windscreen, heated grips, hand guards, ... aghhh it was a slow pig but i miss it already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rovari Posted October 8, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 8, 2014 Cut a slot through the old races, deburr them, and use them to drive in the new races. Awesome!! Worked great ...thanks. I was way overthinking this one. Looked at a few local stores for sockets with same diameter ...then I was looking at buying a driver bearing race kit. Instead I took a stab at it and it took me 5 minutes to knock the old races out and 10 minutes to install the new ones with a hammer and the old races. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 You're welcome. The slot makes sure the old races don't get stuck in the hole. I used a 4" angle grinder and a thin ZipCut disc to cut through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 Fuel tank is finished finally, took about 4hrs of polishing and wet sanding to fix it up with all the deep scratches. Ran through 3 stages of Menzerna polish, finished it up with Cquartz ceramic sealant to protect the finish and provide some protection from future scratching. Also fitted a Vortex C3 gas cap :) just need to put on some tank pads now, will probably have to import them though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Texfoto Posted October 10, 2014 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2014 Aokman, Excellent thread. All the work looks great. Thanks for the heads up on the Hel lines too. Question, did you re-map or use a power commander type system to help with the fuel delivery? By the way, that video has the best sounding VFR I have ever heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aokman Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 Aokman, Excellent thread. All the work looks great. Thanks for the heads up on the Hel lines too. Question, did you re-map or use a power commander type system to help with the fuel delivery? By the way, that video has the best sounding VFR I have ever heard. No tuning yet just the PAIR delete, will see how the bike runs and try to get it on the dyno to see how the fuel ratios are. Personally I am happy to leave it as is if its safe with the air filter and exhaust as the power gains don't really justify the outlay for tuning and dyno time. I am keen to get out riding at the moment as summer is on our doorstep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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