The NON-Urgent Rebuild... :-)

[Trev]

I believe I will post a build diary, allowing the members of this forum to gain enjoyment from the trials and tribulations of trying to sort out some previous jokers enthusiasts attempts at maintenance and repair. This may or may not help keep me sane. (To late...)
The bike in question is a rather sorry '80 UK Special. My mission: Get the poor thing safely through an MOT before winter sets in. Worry about cosmetics over the winter.

Hmmm. It looks better in the photos.

Thanks to everyone who helped on my previous post question.

 

[Trev]

So, it needed a new front tyre for the tubeless rim. No problemo, except some supply issues for the size and manufacturer I want post COVID/BREXIT etc. Have old tyre taken off.
Ah, the rim is generously gouged with lever marks and corrosion... Tap high spots down with toffee hammer, multiple coats of ally primer and sanding, alkyd gloss paint.
What was the time scale again? At least it should hold pressure now.

 

[Trev]

Examine font forks. All mudguard threads damaged. One sheared bolt drilled out horribly off-center and... oh golly gosh, right out the other side! Order new stanchions, seals and progressive springs. Tap up a good friend with access to a mill and get the off-center hole corrected to helicoil size. Helicoil all four threads with 2D inserts. I'll worry about the 'liddle hole later.
Remove old seals. Why did I take so much care to not damage the sliders lip, the previous operator didn't.
Rebuild the legs. WARNING: New fork legs can be coated with dried coolant and grinding dust down the inside bore. Clean, clean again, and just to be sure clean again.
Have the majority of Silkolenes finest spill out of the just filled fork leg into your crotch.
Treat self to Beer.

 

[Trev]

Remove rusty tubes allegedly an exhaust. All four studs come out of head... There all different lengths? No, some were not put into the head to the full depth. I'm guessing from the residue they never cleaned old gunk out before attempting replacement. Spend a long time with wire bottle brushes and GT85 to clean out threads. Make thread chaser because one has pulled and distorted the thread where it was not fully home. Success!
I don't like bare steel exhaust studs, and zinc is a bit iffy. Can I get stainless quickly? What do you think. Loosing patience, push buy it now for titanium 'cos mor is Mor!
Trial fit Heiden pipes.

 

[kshansen]

Might want to take the bubble wrap off those pipes before you fire it up

 

[kshansen]

So, it needed a new front tyre for the tubeless rim. No problemo, except some supply issues for the size and manufacturer I want post COVID/BREXIT etc. Have old tyre taken off.
Ah, the rim is generously gouged with lever marks and corrosion... Tap high spots down with toffee hammer, multiple coats of ally primer and sanding, alkyd gloss paint.
What was the time scale again? At least it should hold pressure now.

What did they use to change tines in the past, an air chisel? Or a screwdriver and a BFH (Big f---ing hammer)?

 

[Raymond]

You've taken on a big task, Trev. Rapid progress - I expect you're feeding us the time-lapse edited highlights? Good luck with getting ready before winter.

 

[Trev]

Hi guys, Yeah, this is a condensed bunch from Jul 17th onward. (First post question, first spanner turned in anger.)
Honest, the bubble wrap is only on for the trial fit and to stop moisture entering via the exhaust port while I'm faffing around.
I've had the misfortune to see the type of damage to the wheel before. It's normally short cheap tyre levers (or possibly crowbar, 'cos why not?) and no experience with even steel rims. Years since I did a bit of tyre fitting, but I wouldn't attempt an alloy wheel, car or bike, without some very specific tyre levers about three foot long. (something like https://www.motamec.com/motamec-alloy-wheel-tyre-lever-manual-tire-bar-for-aluminium-wheels.html)
<Austrian accent on> I'll be back <Austrian accent off>, more bits to prep and parts to order.

 

[Trev]

Had noted the clutch lever was a bit droopy when I dismounted it from the bars...
Both the lever and the housing were a little worse for wear. Dug around in the shed for the 20 year old old bits I had no use for and really should have given away at some point.
TIP: If you find your adjuster lock nut won't stay locked, check the mating surface. It should be flat and square to the thread. The thread goes through at a slight angle to the casting. The replacement was not damaged, but they don't tend to check for square and de-bur them very well at the factory sometimes. Dressed this one true.
Camera lens distortion has caused both levers to look suspect. The left one is straight... Honest!

 

[Trev]

Brake caliper piston has seen some tender luvin' at some point and the caliper got caught in the frenzy.
Soaked the piston with GT85 overnight, filled up the caliper with low melting point grease and plugged it before heating it up slowly till the melted grease forced its way past the bolt.
Next night I rigged up the master cylinder with ATF fluid and pumped it out. Stripped the master cylinder and de-greased the lot. Dressed the sharp edges from the damage to the caliper. Both bores were fine after a tickle with wooden dowel and chrome polish. Wash out again.
Quick slap of paint and it's all ready for the seal kits.

 

[Trev]

New shiny bits! Trial run for the silencers to make a bracket template out of card.

 

[Raymond]

Brake caliper piston has seen some tender luvin' at some point and the caliper got caught in the frenzy.

Coo - failed attempt to use Mole grips or worse to pull out the piston? I fink in the USA they call Mole grips a vise wrench?

Well done getting it out without further damage.

 

[Trev]

Hi Raymond.
My inspector Clouseau skills suggest it may have been the same crowbar they used for the tyre change... You can see the damage to the caliper casting where they used portions of it as the fulcrum.

 

[Raymond]

Hope PO didn't get too far into the engine . . .

 

[Jan_P]

Speaking of engine ..Does it turn and appears to have compression .Anything known about the mileage . It can affect the MOT plan before winter.
Any electrics working ?

 

[Trev]

I'm holding off looking at the engine. It does feel to have good compression. (not measured it yet) If I stay on schedule and find a problem with the engine it's a possibility I've already considered and I'll shrug and worry about it at that point. Oil was drained out and it looked unused. I'm not actually classing that as a good sign...
Mileage? I wouldn't put much faith in the clock but I remember thinking when I did look it's not ridiculously high.
Plan is the engine is the last thing I'll look at, drop the sump off and inspect both filters. Check cam chain adjuster setting, tappets, points, advance unit and static timing etc.
Carbs were removed from engine and seem in good overall condition with good diaphragms. They'll be stripped, cleaned and jetting checked for when I need them to try running the engine. I'm expecting to find something weird jetting wise looking at that tuba that was bolted on as the exhaust.
If it runs, great, and I'll treat it as 'running in'. If not I'll deal with that over winter.
I'm not worried about the electrics. Used to work as an electronic repair tech and I've rewired friends bikes when they come unstuck.

 

[Trev]

Just a quick post before visiting the night garden...
I'm getting the feeling I'm not meant to succeed here. Opening the master cylinder kit was a tad disheartening. But new shiny bits in the caliper helps offset that.
Used the old spring which only had the slightest spot of rust.
'Gnight all...

 

[Adamc]

Just a quick post before visiting the night garden...
I'm getting the feeling I'm not meant to succeed here. Opening the master cylinder kit was a tad disheartening. But new shiny bits in the caliper helps offset that.
Used the old spring which only had the slightest spot of rust.
'Gnight all...

Nice work Trev, I’m enjoying this one.

 

[Trev]

Quite a lot of distractions, and the weather is not being helpful, but...
I've learnt a new trick. By turning my front caliper hanger from it's front face to it's back face I can magically change the two 10mm threaded holes from 1.50 to 1.25 pitch! Now I've just got to figure out a practical application for this amazing ability... Ah, no, bugger, it's the PO forcing coarse pitch bolts half way through the hanger. Poop.

On a more interesting note, anybody had a throttle cable nipple disintegrate in your fingers? I'd spent time working oil through the cable and all was going well until I went to put it back in the housing and it started fragmenting. Can't recall having seen that one before.

Stay dry.

 

[jpdevol]

You gonna repair the caliper mount with a Heli-coil, Time-sert or such?

The cable: Looks like time to replace