'74 RD350. Yeah... I know....

[gggGary]

"Bastardo"


Bastardo, why don't you come to your senses?
You've been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get

Bastardo, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?

Bastardo, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
(Let somebody love you)
You better let somebody love you before it's too late

 

[Jim]

"Bastardo"


Bastardo, why don't you come to your senses?
You've been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get

Bastardo, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?

Bastardo, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
(Let somebody love you)
You better let somebody love you before it's too late

Still a classic by the Águilas.

 

[jpdevol]

Didn't Ronstadt also have a hit with that great RD song: "Blew By You"?

 

[arcticXS]

Stumbled upon this and thought it might give you a little inspiration…

View attachment 228088

Yamaha's answer to the Norton Commando Hi-rider
Or maybe some creative photoshop work

 

[cra-z1]

Well... a restoration is out of the question. No one's said anything yet, but a good look at the pics will tell you why.

Im saying nothing.

 

[Jim]

Since I put the baby RD motor on the shelf for now, decided to set one of the 350 cranks in the V-blocks and see what I have.
With the end rollers in the V's, I get no discernable runout at the labyrinth seal.

Side play at the little ends was slightly under a mm on one and slightly over a mm on the other. Book calls for less than 2mm. Haven't measured little end dia yet but visually they look good.

So it looks like (at least) one of the cranks is good. I'll get it cleaned up and bag it.



... and it seems that paint prep is never ending....

 

[Bumblebee]

Since I put the baby RD motor on the shelf for now, decided to set one of the 350 cranks in the V-blocks and see what I have.
With the end rollers in the V's, I get no discernable runout at the labyrinth seal.



View attachment 228158



Side play at the little ends was slightly under a mm on one and slightly over a mm on the other. Book calls for less than 2mm. Haven't measured little end dia yet but visually they look good.




View attachment 228159



So it looks like (at least) one of the cranks is good. I'll get it cleaned up and bag it.



... and it seems that paint prep is never ending....



View attachment 228160

Prep is the key to a good paint job

 

[Jim]

I was that close....

Checked side play on the big ends. Book max is 0.3mm. Both sides were right at that, depending on how you held your tongue.
There is no book spec for the little end diameters. Just says no play with the needles and wrist pin installed. I don't have new pins and needles (see what I did there... ) to stick in there to check. Went ahead and cleaned it up with wire brushes and scotchbrites, then stuck it in the stoddard tank to scrub it down. One of the outer rollers had a little "hitch" in it that I figured was just some dirt that would wash out. It didn't. In fact it got worse. Eventually got to the point where it would lock up and take some hefty twists back and forth to break it free. That's when I noticed the piece of metal pokin' out between the cheek and the bearing. I worked it around to the big end pin where I could pull it out with some needle nose. A piece of the ball cage. Crap.

Sprayed some oil on it, bagged it and put it on the shelf for now. Here's hoping the other crank is good.
Worst case, all the parts are available to rebuild the crank with the exception of the labyrinth seal. We're lookin' at about 200-250 bucks, depending on how lucky I get with OEM bits on Ebay. Guess I better start hunting some scrap to make press plates out of.

 

[Mailman]

Well that’s a bummer.

 

[Signal]

Good to find it now .

Labyrith seal available from PJME in the UK. They are specialist rebuilders and sell good quality parts.
https://www.pjme.co.uk/acatalog/Yamaha_RD350.html
The seal is on page 2.
They also have options to upgrade the big end bearing on the rod kits.

If you need pistons RZ pistons fit but you need to cut off a tang on the skirt you also need RD little end bearings.
They have a standard shipping charge on web sales . Ask them to refund the extra above actual cost, they did this for me. If you don't ask they wont do it.

 

[Jim]

Bookmarked. Thanks Signal!

 

[Jim]

Good to find it now .

Labyrith seal available from PJME in the UK. They are specialist rebuilders and sell good quality parts.
https://www.pjme.co.uk/acatalog/Yamaha_RD350.html
The seal is on page 2.
They also have options to upgrade the big end bearing on the rod kits.

If you need pistons RZ pistons fit but you need to cut off a tang on the skirt you also need RD little end bearings.
They have a standard shipping charge on web sales . Ask them to refund the extra above actual cost, they did this for me. If you don't ask they wont do it.

Just looked around at your link Signal... damn!!
They have a con rod kit (rod, big end pin and both needles) for 50 quid. Partzilla wants 53 bucks for just the con rod. If I built a "kit" from Partzilla, I'd be well over 100 quid per side. Throw in shipping and I'm still well ahead of the game.

Thanks again!!

 

[arcticXS]

Just looked around at your link Signal... damn!!
They have a con rod kit (rod, big end pin and both needles) for 50 quid. Partzilla wants 53 bucks for just the con rod. If I built a "kit" from Partzilla, I'd be well over 100 quid per side. Throw in shipping and I'm still well ahead of the game.

Thanks again!!

PJME also have very reasonable prices for the actual rebuilding work. Maybe it is not worth the hassle to make press plates etc?

 

[Jim]

When you add in shipping both ways, it'll get pretty spendy.
'Cides... I do love a challenge.
Haven't found it yet but I think I have just the steel sheet I need.

 

[Jim]

It's the small victories....

Bike came with 3 carbs, one painted black and the other two unpainted. Everything rusted, corroded... seized. The pair have been soaking in carb cleaner off and on (alternating) since I got the bike. Decided to tackle 'em and see if they're salvageable.
Used a pair of safety wire pliers to remove the bowl screws. They're small enough to tackle the job and have incredible mechanical advantage.

Did the same to the main jets. That allowed me to use a punch to drive the emulsion tubes into the slides and drive both out.

Tapping back and forth, I managed to drive the float pivot pins out without breaking the towers. All the brass came out... obstinately, but eventually gave up... all destroyed of course, but more importantly, the bodies stayed intact.
They're back to soaking for a few days to hopefully remove a little more crud and corrosion, then it's on to bead blasting. Provided they still look good, I'll start ordering bits and pieces of brass here and there. Nothing like a fresh new canvas to paint on.

 

[jpdevol]

If ya want them black, I know this guy that does Cerakote

 

[Bumblebee]

If ya want them black, I know this guy that does Cerakote

Oven roasted cerakote?

 

[Jim]

If ya want them black, I know this guy that does Cerakote

Pulled the one soaking out after a few hrs. Figured that after weeks of soaking... that's good enough.
Flushed and dried with shop air and into the blaster. Then blow dry, WD-40, blow dry, soap and water, then blow dry... phew... All passages run clear, no show stopper pitting... I'm happy. Took a stainless wire brush to it and.... I think it's a keeper.

 

[WideAWAKE]

Very nicely done!

 

[Signal]

That is a fantastic result.