Jump to content

adkfinn's 5th gen 20yr refresh


adkfinn

Recommended Posts

  • Member Contributer

Last hoses to replace are the TB to airbox hoses, which was a quick measure/cut/replace. Out with the old (these were some of the most worn/worst condition btw):

 

20180603_140113.jpg?dl=0

 

In with the new:

 

20180603_140346.jpg?dl=0

 

Time to get the airbox back on the bike.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 148
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Member Contributer

After I had the airbox installed I decided it was time to complete the Coil Over Plug mod. I had read the large thread on the subject previously and done my parts shopping already and had the coils and plugs waiting to go on:

20180525_155840.jpg?dl=0

 

The coils I sourced are just about the perfect height for this application and they have the 'over the hole' seal that I was after. The electrical plugs were from the 08-16 CBR1000RR, I picked up the harness assembly on fleabay for $7, then just unwrapped the wiring and clipped the longest lengths I could to reuse for this mod. The coils came from fleabay as well, and list as 06-07 GSXR600/GSXR750 coils, cost - $25 for the set. Here is the actual Denso part number (and a nice partial shot of one of Mello Dude's @mello dude pair block off plates):

 

20180603_183931_001.jpg?dl=0

 

I didn't take any progress pics of this work, but I matched up the wiring colors (yes, they match the factory wiring on the 5th gen VFR), stripped and joined (dont forget the heat shrink first!), then soldered. After solder, I coated the joints with Ox-gard, positioned the heat shrink, used a heat gun to shrink it, then taped the entire length from the factory wrap all the way down to the new plug end. My finished product looks like this:

 

20180603_183914_001.jpg?dl=0

 

This was my stopping point for the evening. Next up, I plan on installing my Super FH020AA Kit from Roadstercycle.com, fitting a speedo-healer, then wiring in a voltmeter and USB charging outlet. After that I'll be cleaning the front and rear of the engine, reinstalling the headers, and fitting the new end can. I have a lot more to do, but the progress feels good and I am getting closer to firing her up, which is exciting. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
2 hours ago, adkfinn said:

Last hoses to replace are the TB to airbox hoses, which was a quick measure/cut/replace. Out with the old (these were some of the most worn/worst condition btw):

 

20180603_140113.jpg?dl=0

 

In with the new:

 

20180603_140346.jpg?dl=0

 

Time to get the airbox back on the bike.

 

 

How did these two hoses look after the 90" bend they need to have?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
1 hour ago, Duc2V4 said:

How did these two hoses look after the 90" bend they need to have?

 

I tested it off the rack and on and they looked ok. I pushed them out to the side a bit (away from center/straight down) to give them a little more room to easily get over the throttle linkage bar that runs underneath also. They don't come out/down from the air box straight, they end up coming out at an angle less than 90 degrees from the nipple, but didn't seem to collapse. I will double check tonight for any collapsing now that they've had some time mounted. The throttle felt fine yesterday after I had everything mounted, opened smooth and had a snappy return still, but I will double check that also. Here is a crappy drawing to try to illustrate the positioning:

TB%20crappy%20pic.png?dl=0

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Thanks for the kind words gents, I appreciate the encouragement. 

 

@Duc2V4 - Your suspicion is confirmed, the airbox-tb lines need to be swapped back to factory rubber. Not because the 8mm silicone lines can't make the turn or that they start to collapse, but that they do interfere with the throttle linkage bar that runs from cylinder #2 and #4 to #1 and #3. It isn't terrible, but you can feel it on throttle return. So, I will be pulling the airbox and re-installing the articulated factory hoses. They are now cleaned up and ready to go back into service.

 

While I was messing around I figured I might as well plug in and route the speedo healer I picked up. I am replacing my factory rear 43 tooth sprocket with a 45 tooth, and the speedo wasn't very accurate to begin with. I ordered this unit along with my new chain and sprockets from sprocketcenter.com, cost $65. 

20180604_195048.jpg?dl=0

 

As you can see, it is a tiny little bastard. Installation is a simple in-line plug (don't forget to clean and grease these connections) between the bike and the sensor, as so:

20180604_195012.jpg?dl=0

 

I decided for now I would route the little control board back towards the under-seat area for easy access later when I need to set it up. You can see the little green board hangning out in the picture below. Which leads me into the next job, replacing the regulator/rectifier. This was one of the issues that I discovered when I began testing my bike's systems after purchase. My bike had no symptoms, seemed to run and charge just fine. But as I began swapping other parts (LiPo battery, LED switchback indicators, LED taillight) I decided I should dig in and make sure everything was up to snuff. What I found was that the system had acceptable voltage at idle (I can't remember the exact figures... a shade under 13V?), but they didn't climb and were actually dropping a bit at revs. I used 'the drill' - http://vfrworld.com/threads/how-to-fix-common-regulator-stator-failures.39277/ to ascertain that my stator is testing fine, but my regulator is on the way out. Here is the current regulator/rectifier, it is the updated Honda part, #SH689DA, which was the factory upgrade/replacement for the original regulator/rectifier issues. 20180604_195227.jpg?dl=0

 

My connections don't look too bad, the stator end plug is a little discolored but the terminals look fine and the plug end has no deformation/etc. I had cleaned and lubed all these connections when I took ownership last fall as an initial inspection and investigative measure:

20180604_203842.jpg?dl=0

 

So long sucka!, goodbye old parts (regulator free to a good home if anyone wants it I guess?):

20180604_204001.jpg?dl=0

 

On deck - a Super Mosfet kit from Jack at Roadstercycle. I opted for the 'FH' r/r and not the newer 'SH' (not sure why at this point, cheapness recommends it?). I didn't like the original orientation of the r/r for this part. The plugs of the new mosfet unit mean either a real tight turn for the wires or interference with the side plate. Also, it seems that heat would rise more easily if the cooling fins were vertical and not horizontal no? I mocked it up rotated 90 degrees (roughly), drilled two new holes in the mounting plate on the subframe and voila:

20180604_211407.jpg?dl=0

 

I re-used the factory mounting bolts (which had to be cut down 3/8" or so since the mosfet unit is thinner at the mounting points, they worked a treat after a quick run through a die to clean the cut threads up) and the aluminum backing plate (it fit without modification). Next up was wiring. Jack's videos cover everything you need to know, I'd refer to his site if you have any questions ( http://roadstercycle.com/Roadstercycle.com Videos.htm ). I tried to take a few more progress pics this time around, since I didn't 'show my work' on the coil mod. That said, I'm no pro at soldering but I felt comfortable with the small amount required for this job. Once I had the r/r mounted, I just began working my way backwards to the connection points. The first bits were soldering the plug terminals on:

20180604_215147.jpg?dl=0

 

20180604_220026.jpg?dl=0

 

Then it was on to the bike for connection to the stator wires. I always have that moment of uncertainty right before I chop into the factory wiring or make any changes that aren't exactly easy to undo. So, double checked, deep breath taken I then snipped off the factory stator plug and stripped everything to ready it for joining. After that it was just a matter of soldering them up one at a time, ox-gard, heatshrink, then taping it all up:

20180604_221210.jpg?dl=0

 

20180604_221455.jpg?dl=0

 

20180604_223136.jpg?dl=0

 

20180604_223558.jpg?dl=0

 

20180604_224725.jpg?dl=0

 

This is as far as I gotten. I have yet to decide how I am going to run the red/black wires to the battery. It looks pretty tidy as is, I just need to settle on something. In general this isn't terribly complicated work, but I do find it pretty time consuming. I enjoy it and don't rush it, especially when you have to make decisions that require more than plug and play solutions. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Years ago, when doing the supercharger-related mods on my  US-based Y2k, I discovered one of the very few things that you can buy cheaper in the UK than in the USA: silicone hoses.  Places like ASH have all kinds and colors.  Including 8mm pre-formed 90-degree elbows.  Are those not available in the 'States at all?  Maybe they just don't do them in purple!

 

Mods lookin' good, btw!

 

Ciao,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
On 6/5/2018 at 2:59 PM, JZH said:

Years ago, when doing the supercharger-related mods on my  US-based Y2k, I discovered one of the very few things that you can buy cheaper in the UK than in the USA: silicone hoses.  Places like ASH have all kinds and colors.  Including 8mm pre-formed 90-degree elbows.  Are those not available in the 'States at all?  Maybe they just don't do them in purple!

 

Mods lookin' good, btw!

 

Ciao,

 

I honestly hadn't thought about elbows or assembling any of these lengths. I checked out the ASH stuff and see they do offer 90 degree bends in 8mm, but they are short and I'd have to use a hard joint to attach additional length. I try to KISS principle most things if possible and the prospect of joints sounds like more places for the seal to fail and lose vacuum. My factory hoses for this spot cleaned up well are pretty pliable still with no cracks, for now I am going to pop them back on. If I could get once piece silicone hoses with preformed bends at the end I would be interested. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great thread!

 

I'm about to start - over a lengthy period - doing similar work on a spare Y2K motor I have in the garage, for eventual installation in my '99. Already have similar (S3 silicon coolant hoses/iridium plugs...

 

One question - if anyone knows - if I do all the work to that Y2K engine, including the injection set up, is that a straight bolt in to a '99? I.e. is there anything I need to add/delete to retain the manual fast idle functionality/delete the Y2K fast idle stuff from the equation?

 

One other question - probably blindingly obvious to everyone bar me - in respect of the throttle bodies, one thing which would slow me down in doing the hose replacement would be losing track of which one went where...how did you solve that issue?  On second thoughts, I just re-read the first part of the throttle body resurrection...I think I should be able to work it out with the provided info. and the partzilla diagram...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

The 2000/2001 engines have modified cooling connection to feed the fast idle wax unit. That is the only real difference. So beast advice would be either do the work on the 99 throttle bodies, or remove the WAX unit & replace with the manual choke system from the 99. I'm heading that way as my wax unit always shuts off before the bike is at full temperature & I have a period between 45-60C where if you let the revs drop it will often stall. Never happens above or below those indicated temperatures, so a manual choke would avoid the issue.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Update time - 

 

Got the R/R all buttoned up and wired to the battery, you can see where I located the circuit breaker in this pic:

20180606_113544.jpg?dl=0

 

Next up was a scrubbing party. There was a pic of the rear of the engine and swingarm earlier in the thread, but just so we can get a nice before and after here it is again:

20180520_113107.jpg?dl=0

 

And here it is after a gratuitous amount of degreaser and scrubbing:

20180606_174724.jpg?dl=0

 

In between looked like this with lots of plastic and brass bristle brushes:

20180606_141627.jpg?dl=0

 

20180606_141619.jpg?dl=0

 

It cleaned up pretty well. There was lots of tar and gravel, I think most of it was what we call 'cold patch' around these parts, that was really stuck on and had piled up on top of the rear of the engine and front of the swingarm. I used a variety of cleaners including a foaming degreaser, aviation Simple Green, and spray on over cleaner. The CRC Heavy Duty foaming degreaser has been my favorite product during this process. It works reasonably well while being safe and easy on plastic and rubber, it doesn't require rinsing (I have been rinsing it with a spray bottle anyway), and the stink isn't too bad. The oven cleaner I used is almost too strong, it is clear that it would eat into lesser metals if you left if on too long, yikes, makes me even less comfortable getting it on paint/rubber/plastic. It may work for heavy duty parts cleaning in select circumstances, but it won't become part of my regular tool kit. I had read that the aviation Simple Green was impressive and a big upgrade in strength to the regular stuff, but I just don't see it. It works about the same, which isn't to say it is bad, but it doesn't dissolve cut through grease like the heavy duty spray stuff does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Next up  - new fuel filter. I think that 26k mi is a solid service life for a part like this and that a new filter was prudent. I know most folks don't replace this part, especially since it is in the tank and not readily accessible like in-line filters on older bikes, but I figured I'd knock it out as a part of my 'address all the deferred maintenance' plan. So, grab some soft towels and flip that tank over. I had drained almost all the gas prior to removing the tank from the bike already, so here we go:

20180606_220131.jpg?dl=0

 

Back off the six nuts and pull the assembly. I used a small impact for this because it was easier than trying to wrestle the tank and break them loose at the same time. I am a one man show, but if you had a helper this would be easier to do without an impact. Anyhow, new parts - a new Honda fuel filter and gasket since I assumed the old one would be hardened after 20 years of heat and gas exposure. 

 

20180606_220738.jpg?dl=0

 

Out with the old and in with the new:

20180606_221643.jpg?dl=0

 

While I had the tank opened up I had a peek... not too shabby, nice and clean inside. If you notice in the pic below, there are some flecks of debris in that gas, I pulled this all out and discovered it is little paint chips. Not sure how they got in there, the paint isn't chipped around the hole for the pump/filter assembly. If anyone has an idea, I'd love to hear it. Have they been riding around in the tank since it left the factory? That is amusing thought. I also flushed the filter sock and pickup area with come carb cleaner while I had it apart. There was a little bit of the same paint flecks here also.

20180606_220816.jpg?dl=0

 

20180606_220751.jpg?dl=0

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

After the fuel filter replacement I decided it was time to re-mount the exhaust and get those parts off the work bench. So, with new copper donuts in hand I got her lined up, put all the nuts on finger-tight to make sure alignment and fitment was good and cranked it all down. This went off without a hitch, despite the tight workspace at the rear of the engine. I used a variety of extensions and ratchets to access and engage those four nuts. Of course, I managed to scratch up the paint on the exhaust a bit, but that seems to be par for the course with headers. The VHT Flame Proof paint needs to be heated to cure, and the shade-tree way to do that is to re-attach the exhaust and run the bike. Since I haven't done that yet, this paint seems to stay a bit soft. 

20180606_174743.jpg?dl=0

 

20180606_174755.jpg?dl=0

 

20180606_174729.jpg?dl=0

 

Please ignore that ugly ass Showa rear shock. I am not planning on devoting any time to it's appearance since I plan on replacing it soon anyway, ditto for the brake lines.

 

Edit: Question for the masses: Are there any good aftermarket replacements for the oil cooler lines? The right side is showing as NLA from Honda and the left is $100... I figure that you could run braided stainless lines in lieu of the hard lines, but I am not eager to go that route. What have others done? Mine are looking pretty skanky and I'd like remedy that. I thought about pulling them, media blasting and powder coating but it seems like a lot of work for oil lines to me. Any thoughts appreciated.

Update - it does look like you can still find the right side line from a few vendors, also priced at ~$100. What are these things made of? The material seems to be not only rare and expensive but also very prone to corrosion. 😉

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

One last fun job for the day:

20180606_113505.jpg?dl=0

 

The grips were due for replacement and I wanted to try a pair of shorty levers. The trial price of a $25 pair from fleabay seemed to be just the ticket. I will say, these levers seem to be well made and feel pretty damn nice, especially given the low cost. They did arrive assembled incorrectly, I had to swap the lever portion from left to right in order for the 'vfr' logo to be right side up, but it was an easy fix. 

 

20180606_134727.jpg?dl=0

 

20180606_134736.jpg?dl=0

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Looking good! 

 

How long do do you think before she’s ready to roll? You’re going at a good pace. My rebuild is taking significantly longer.

 

Stray 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
15 hours ago, Stray said:

Looking good! 

 

How long do do you think before she’s ready to roll? You’re going at a good pace. My rebuild is taking significantly longer.

 

Stray 

 

Thanks Stray. If I'm honest, I am trying to hammer it out so I can be rolling sooner rather than later. I am itching to ride the bike and that is a big motivator. I have been riding my CB750F a lot, so I am not bike-less, but I am enamored with the VFR... it sings the song of my people. I also need to finish this up and tackle a bunch of home projects that are piling up. Ideally - I'd like to be done in another week or so if I can devote enough time to it and there are no major hiccups in the process. That said, here's what is left for the current round of work (at least what I have planned):

 

Maintenance:

clutch - drain/disassemble/clean/replace master cylinder piston seals & diaphragm/replace slave seals/install new braided line/refill/bleed

brakes - drain/disassemble/clean/replace all three master cylinder piston seals & diaphragms/inspect caliper piston seals - replace if necessary/install new braided line/refill/bleed

drivetrain - clean front sprocket area/install new sprockets and chain

 - finish reassembly

 

Misc:

- adjust idle rpm

- perform starter valve sync

- install stompgrip and a new tank pad

- adjust sag/suspension

- ride the living bejeezus out of it?

 

This is what I can remember off the top of my head. The parts pile may say something different. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The oil cooler pipes may be a problem and a replacement would have to be fabricated to fit both the sump and the oil cooler. Mine were absolutely shot to pieces - they were originally chromed and it had flaked off leaving a rusty ugly mess. The crimped joints to the flexible hoses were also manky and discoloured. The solution? I scoured fleabay and got a pair from a breaker in the US, so no rust, in good condition, and cost me a fraction of a new part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
On 6/8/2018 at 1:17 PM, M1962 said:

The oil cooler pipes may be a problem and a replacement would have to be fabricated to fit both the sump and the oil cooler. Mine were absolutely shot to pieces - they were originally chromed and it had flaked off leaving a rusty ugly mess. The crimped joints to the flexible hoses were also manky and discoloured. The solution? I scoured fleabay and got a pair from a breaker in the US, so no rust, in good condition, and cost me a fraction of a new part.

 

Thanks for the info and like you, I already have my feelers out on fleabay. Mine aren't terrible yet, but they will be on the short list for future replacement. Worst case, I will cough it up for two new ones and have them powdercoated before they ever see a drop of oil. What a silly thing for Honda to cheap out on... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm really interested in your cleaning materials though. I have a spare engine that I bought for taking to bits and practicing valve clearance checks etc, and the casings are really grimy. I've used all sorts of things to try and bring it back, but no real success. It still looks rough. Some of your brand names won't be available here by the way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Thoughts and questions - Will the full oil cooler and lines from the 6th gen fit right up to the 5th Gen? This seems like it might be the way to go... snag an extra row of cooling capacity and newer/more readily available lines. Can anyone confirm? 

 

Also, I noticed that the 8th Gen oil cooler is much bigger, has anyone tried to fit that sucker? I would imagine you'd struggle to make it play nice with the cooling hose and headers without some a very custom mount or more serious work. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer
28 minutes ago, M1962 said:

I'm really interested in your cleaning materials though. I have a spare engine that I bought for taking to bits and practicing valve clearance checks etc, and the casings are really grimy. I've used all sorts of things to try and bring it back, but no real success. It still looks rough. Some of your brand names won't be available here by the way.

 

Happy to share some more details:

 

The main degreaser I am using is from CRC, it is this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/CRC-Heavy-Duty-Pro-Degreaser/821986826 . It looks like this particular flavor might be discontinued, but there appears to be an equivalent replacement (probably just re-packaged I'd guess): https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Heavy-Degreaser-Aerosol-Clear/dp/B0013J1UEM . You can see the full details here: http://www.crcindustries.com/products/heavy-duty-degreaser-19-wt-oz-03095.html ... it looks like CRC makes a whole bunch of other degreasers also, but I haven't tried them. This stuff works very well. Combined with brushing it was almost all I needed. Heavy grease came up well, baked on tar needed a brass bristle brush or a stronger chemical. Hoses clean up really well with minimal brushing. Safe on plastics/painted surfaces/rubber/etc. Nice balance of strength and risk of use. 

 

The oven cleaner (which I tried based on the reported success of others and I think what GreginDenver mentioned using): https://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Off-Heavy-Duty-Oven-Cleaner-Regular-Scent-14-5oz-Can/25162098 . This stuff is STRONG. If you use it, be very careful with it on/around painted surfaces, plastic, rubber, etc. It is the kind of stuff that perhaps a bit too strong to leave for very long on soft/lesser metals. We are talking  your rag comes up grey/metal colored when you wipe it off strong. 

 

Simple green aviation: https://simplegreen.com/industrial/products/extreme-aircraft-precision-cleaner/ but it appears they've also been playing around with the packaging on this one as well. Nice light degreaser, I mix it in a big spray bottle (50-50), safe on everything, not strong enough for heavy oil or grease. I am not sure if I would rate this as any different/better than the regular Simple Green product. 

 

Brushes - Primarily a couple of plastic bristled dish brushes, found in the household cleaning aisle, run of the mill stuff really. One softer and one firmer. I also used a couple of small metal bristled brushes. One steel and one brass. Just like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M34Q848/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . I used another spray bottle of just water to rinse as I went along. I am working in my Barn (timber floors) so I didn't use a hose to minimize the amount of water. I also went through a whole bunch of cotton rags, etc. 

 

Hopefully this will give you some ideas and a jump start in your search for cleaning materials. Best of luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Member Contributer

Great bit of work adkfinn, kudo’s. Brings back a lot of memories.........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy.