Nine years ago (!) I wanted a motorcycle. Something inexpensive (yeah, how's that workin' for ya?), that I knew I was going to have to work on. But then I would know what went into it, right? So, I bought a '75 Xs650 for $200.00 and three bottles of booze.
I thought it had potential because it had such low miles.
I thought the engine was seized at first. It turned out to be corrosion in the generator. I used a rubber mallet to 'whack' a breaker bar on the crank bolt to get it to turn.
But it had many, many more problems. This is the horror show I found in the master cylinder.
The caliper was worse. I could not take that sucker apart. Even using the hot wrench (torch). Corrosion had welded it into one useless block, only suited for the scrap bin. I guess it had held up the side of a shed for just a little too long. Fine. Move on. Lots of cleaning later, I tried to start it. Wasn't gonna happen. It had a bad coil, and all the plumbing leaked. Oh well, I have other things I need to do. It sat, I dreamed. And a couple times, during heath emergencies, I was trying not to die. It wasn't the only thing I had to live for, but damn it, I have a motorcycle to build.
A few months ago, I was able to move it (and a '79 and '81 I picked up over the years) to a friend's shop, where he keeps/works on hot rods.
I built a motorcycle table, so I wouldn't have to work on the floor, bought an engine stand, and ordered engine stand brackets from Chop Source. They arrived early, and work perfectly! Then I started tearing into it for real. I was finally working on The Basketcase !!!
With my friend's help, we got the engine out and on the stand. I stripped the frame down to the bone, forks, wheels, swing arm off.
Next up is cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Then the engine tear-down. It'll get soda blasted, new gaskets, and all new hardware, plus a few surprises. Stay tuned for "The Basketcase" Episode II : A Phantom Motor
I thought it had potential because it had such low miles.
I thought the engine was seized at first. It turned out to be corrosion in the generator. I used a rubber mallet to 'whack' a breaker bar on the crank bolt to get it to turn.
But it had many, many more problems. This is the horror show I found in the master cylinder.
The caliper was worse. I could not take that sucker apart. Even using the hot wrench (torch). Corrosion had welded it into one useless block, only suited for the scrap bin. I guess it had held up the side of a shed for just a little too long. Fine. Move on. Lots of cleaning later, I tried to start it. Wasn't gonna happen. It had a bad coil, and all the plumbing leaked. Oh well, I have other things I need to do. It sat, I dreamed. And a couple times, during heath emergencies, I was trying not to die. It wasn't the only thing I had to live for, but damn it, I have a motorcycle to build.
A few months ago, I was able to move it (and a '79 and '81 I picked up over the years) to a friend's shop, where he keeps/works on hot rods.
I built a motorcycle table, so I wouldn't have to work on the floor, bought an engine stand, and ordered engine stand brackets from Chop Source. They arrived early, and work perfectly! Then I started tearing into it for real. I was finally working on The Basketcase !!!
With my friend's help, we got the engine out and on the stand. I stripped the frame down to the bone, forks, wheels, swing arm off.
Next up is cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Then the engine tear-down. It'll get soda blasted, new gaskets, and all new hardware, plus a few surprises. Stay tuned for "The Basketcase" Episode II : A Phantom Motor
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