A long, long project.

[fredintoon]

It's a long road, but I'm getting there, ever so slowly. I mocked up an exhaust to get the angles right, tomorrow I'll get the local muffler shop to replicate the top and bottom angles then weld them together. Looking at it now, it doesn't look too back with the squared bends. Bet you can't spot the tiny LED rear indicators! Very unobtrusive. Still a way to go: Mudguards, battery box, air filter, electrics, exhaust, upper engine mounts.

Hi toglhot,
beautiful work until you got to the exhaust. My boss used to refer to his ma-in-law as "Old double-ugly"
Just like those pipes.
Use at least 3-segment joins at the corners or find 90º & 180º curve tubing kits on the net..

 

[fredintoon]

- - - Bet you can't spot the tiny LED rear indicators! Very unobtrusive. - - -

Hi togihot,
while tiny LED rear indicators are very unobtrusive they'd better flash bright enough
for a distracted driving soccer mom to see them before you go under her SUV, eh?

 

[Bewarethemoon]

Picked up the exhausts yesterday, unfortunately, not a good job: Angles were out, left and right sides slightly different. Annoying considering it took him four weeks to bend them up. So, on to the bandsaw, cut the pipes into three pieces and welded them back together. Not much I can do about the angle not following the downtube angle, but I cut and welded the lower tube so it followed the ground, didn't like it so cut and welded again with just a slight upsweep. Lower section on the right is only tacked, should be able to finish them off tomorrow, then finish off the brackets, form the ally clamps and polish them up. Happy with the outcome.

That’s very frustrating Toglhot, well done for rectifying the situation!

I’m thoroughly enjoying following your progress, you build’s looking so good and I can’t wait to see more!

Daniel.

 

[Mailman]

Pipes came out really nice!

 

[Mailman]

What is the black finish on your pipes? Is it a high temp spray paint?

 

[Bewarethemoon]

I’m bloody loving this build!

The engine’s looking awesome, I love the black barrels & crank cases!

Daniel.

 

[fredintoon]

I’m bloody loving this build!
The engine’s looking awesome, I love the black barrels & crank cases!
Daniel.

Hi Daniel,
yeah, black is the new aluminum.
When we were teenagers us old farts used to paint our cast iron heads and barrels with aluminum paint
so that folks would think we rode aluminum-engined race-bikes.

 

[Bewarethemoon]

Hi Daniel,
yeah, black is the new aluminum.
When we were teenagers us old farts used to paint our cast iron heads and barrels with aluminum paint
so that folks would think we rode aluminum-engined race-bikes.

I like that Fredintoon!

I’m going to have my head & barrels coated in a heat dissipating ceramic coating which is conveniently black!

 

[bosco659]

Looks fantastic! Great job on the pipes. I’m guessing they were mandrel bent.

 

[fredintoon]

I like that Fredintoon!
I’m going to have my head & barrels coated in a heat dissipating ceramic coating which is conveniently black!

hi Daniel,
my '84 XS650 Heritage special left the factory with it's engine blacked out but with the head & barrel fins edges polished back to bare aluminum,
presumably to let folks know they weren't cast iron. Even today the head has only faded to a dark grey and the barrels are still black.

 

[Bewarethemoon]

hi Daniel,
my '84 XS650 Heritage special left the factory with it's engine blacked out but with the head & barrel fins edges polished back to bare aluminum,
presumably to let folks know they weren't cast iron. Even today the head has only faded to a dark grey and the barrels are still black.

That’s exactly what I want to replicate, I love that look!

 

[fredintoon]

In lieu of a single point cam, which aren't available anymore, I tried my hand at making one on my lathe. I don't have a mill, so I used a vertical slide on the cross slide with a endmill in the chuck. Unfortunately, I cut the keyway in the wrong place. Tried it out today with the key removed and the cam just bolted in place. It worked well with static timing, lines on the rotor lining up spot on. Next job is to get the keyway right, might be easier to cut the keyway first and then machine the two ramps. Of course only timing with a light will show up any discrepancies, but statically the ramps are exactly 180 degrees apart with exactly the same lift. Yes I know you can buy electronic ignitions, but where's the fun in that, anyone can do that! The good news is, I've bought a mill, should be here in the next week or so, that'll make things a lot easier.

Hi toglhot,
simpler yet to cut another keyway?

 

[Rasputin]

Astounds me why Yamaha didn’t do that initially. Even my 1967 CD175 has that system. Could you utilise a cam from on of those engines?
Happy new Milling machine.

 

[Rasputin]

Great job, looks very neat.

 

[bosco659]

Here's a tip for those doing the PMA conversion. As you probably know the keyway in the rotor is 5mm, whereas the keyway in the crank is 4mm. To marry them together you have to reduce the section of the 5mm woodruff key that fits into the crank keyway down to 4mm. 5mm woodruff keys have a different diameter than 4mm woodruff keys, so, the woodruff key doesn't reach the bottom of the crank keyway. To fix I turned some stock down the 13mm, the diameter of the crank keyway, then cut it in half, I then milled the the key to a depth of 5.12 mm, then milled .5mm off either side of the key that fits into the crank, leaving a 5mm section of key sitting proud of the crank to locate the key in the rotor. To help with assembly (key always seems to drop out when trying to locate the rotor), I milled the key a little larger than 4mm so it wouldn't fall out when fixing the rotor in place. I did file a key originally, but the finish wasn't up to scratch so I decided to use the mill. Difficult to set up, but worth it in the end.

Very nice work. Wonder why the rotor wasn’t machined with a 4mm key way?

 

[Jim]

Nice!!

 

[bosco659]

Looking great!

 

[Jim]

Nicely done!

 

[fredintoon]

i thought some might be interested in the making of a couple of ally headlight brackets. i started with two strips of 3mm ally, 50mm x 230mm. worked out PI for 34mm fork legs and did two 90 degree bends Pi apart. I used a bit of angle iron with the edge radiused for the bends as this aluminium fractures if bent to acutely. I then bent the ally around a 34mm dolly, bringing the 90 degree bends together with a 3mm gap between when clamped tight. Of course I had to stuff it all up when I shaped it, didn't I, made two right handers instead of a right and a left. The joys of getting old. Oh well, soon as I make a lefty I'll shape, drill and polish Some polishing was done beforehand for the areas I won't be able to get to after bending.. I'll post pics of the completed brackets when finished.

Hi toglhot,
most commercially available aluminium ain't the pure metal and ain't annealed either.
Anneal by heating until the back end of a wooden match leaves a scorch mark on it.
It'll stay soft if it's quenched or if it's left to air cool.
Note that some alloys will stay annealed but others will re-harden after a few hours.

 

[bosco659]

Looks absolutely amazing! I certainly hope you do get it completed. I’ve followed this post in anticipation of seeing the finished product. Well done and all the best to you this year!