What did you wrench on today?

gggGary said:

Yeah I am very fortunate to live next to Devils Lake the midwest climbing mecca. Was an awesome day yesterday, couldn't have had better weather, rock, and friends to climb with. Gettin old so it's not how hard I climb anymore but that I get out there at all.
Wife at the crag.

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That's what it's about. Just getting out there.

My lawn tractor. It only runs on 1/2 choke. This old tractor gives me nothing but trouble. Have to tinker it as much as mow the lawn.
Said screw it and bought a new one.
Lowes had one of there $1199 tractors for $959. They had it marked down because it had a bad axle replaced. Works much better. I get on, it starts and cuts great. No effing around.
I get more time to ride.
Just finished putting new tires, chain and sprockets, braided steel brake lines on the 650 yesterday.

NOTHING!! I rode today!!

Well, I worked on my sisters' 600 shadow. Went over to see her and saw the bald front tire, at 15 psi, and decided that needed replacement. Then , noticed the practically dry chain flopping around. Fixed that... Changed the oil and filter, etc. Then took it for a ride. Wow, what a boring POS. Sad, actually. Runs like an electric motor, absolutely no soul at all. Too bad, could look cool if you chopped off 100 lbs of shit. Fat 180 tire on the back is stock! Don't think I could talk her into that though. Jumped on my XS and all was right with the world, (my strange world), again.

Cleaned some more on the 81. I pulled the carbs a second time. After the first overhaul the bike started right up, idled and ran under power fine but the right cylinder was misfiring just off idle with no load. Carbs are synched and my eyeball pre/synch was spot on, even though I wanted to, there was no need to tweak the balance screw the slightest bit. Got late before I got through so the test ride is tomorrow.

Well... yesterday, actually. At the moment, I'm at work, trapped in my cube and doing what I hate.

But yesterday, I buttoned up the wire looming/routing on my new reg/rec installation. Still need to make a few little tweaks in the routing but it's basically done. I might also make a little plastic enclosure for my main fuse; at the moment it's neatly zip tied but I might fashion a little encasement for it that will attach firmly to the space where the old rectifier was.

After all is said and done, I hope a failed rectifier was indeed the reason why I blew the main fuse and lost all power a couple weeks ago, but it sure seems a near-certainty.

Well my Roadster is running like @#$% so I pulled the carbs again double checked cleanliness, blew out with compressed air, installed XSjohns needles, set the floats, put her back together no improvement. Checked the timing - OK. Reached in the carb throats and flipped the slides up left free and drops slightly damped by the diaphram - OK, right slides up freely and drops like a stone no damping. Ordered a replacement diaphram will install tomorrow. Should solve the problem. I have everything crossed for luck!

As in the old Mission Impossible serial...

"Good luck, Jim."

Messed w/ my project yesterday. Was trying to decide which front brake MC to use. Stock (ugly and missing brake wires) Mikes (might work ok and is pretty "sleek", bought several years ago and never much used...piston seems stuck) or this Suzuki one off, I think a GS. Or is it a Kaw one? I forget...but its neat looking, though cobby. Just a regular round reservoir with screw-on cap. I like it best I think, and the brake switch wires are intact. Only weirdness is it uses a fine-thread banjo bolt. I have one, so I guess its no biggie. Found among my parts a brake line of approx correct length - no clue what it is from...has all these brackets and springs and rubber things all over it. Was gonna use it just for mock-up, but really I think it's too offensive looking. Trying to think what the darn thing could have come from! Orig XS front line was, of course a 2 piece deal. hmmm...

Ordered a generic "throttle" for 7/8 bars. Twist grip plus a housing for the cable(s). Said to work with 2 cable or one cable type. So I guess that's a kind of commitment to not use the stock bar switch housings, and just go minimal as possible. Tonight I will order a brake line.

worked on 24 cold cans of busch beer while floating in the pool it was 98 here with 107 heat index damn virginia isnt suppose to be this dang hot yet

After some hours on this LEXUS RX300 rear main seal, just went home and waxed my gas tank.

Tech7 said:

After some hours on this LEXUS RX300 rear main seal, just went home and waxed my gas tank.

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That Lexus don' look like no fun at all.

test drove the 81 Special no joy RH side was STILL not participating in idling.
So off they came again. Tell you what, I am getting REAL good at stock aircleaner assembly. Third time was the charm, I had missed that the bottom of the pilot jet is SUPPOSED to have a hole in it, not be plugged solid.
Unfortunately after a satisfying test ride it appears I have a bad head gasket oil leak.

gggGary,

Are you saying the black rubber button should be ommitted on the right carb BS34's?

- all good jets need an orifice

- BS34's have a closed circuit pilot jet...the pilot jet feeds through the main jet via a hole under the rubber plug, above the main jet, below the pilot...no orifice-no pilot...no rubber-no play

Yes they need the rubber plug. That is a busy little jet It picks up fuel from the outside of the main jet emulsion tube air from an orifice located at the mouth of the carb, it mixes and meters those two and sends it to the idle air screw. When I said the bottom of the pilot jet it is the end that is facing away from the screw driver slot. When installed in the carb it would actually be at the top. It is a very fine hole. uh: I've been there enough times I should have known it is an orifice but it was so convincingly sealed I missed it! Now to find out exactly where the oil leak is from. While I was dep in the carb it is worth noting that the pick up for the choke circuit in the float bowl also contains a very small easily plugged orifice. (found that one plugged the first time) I also tor down a set of brass float BS34's yesterday just for the fun of it. Good shape for carbs that were filled with what looked like syrup. I am pretty sure the bike they came off of is coming apart for parts.