I am not following a set sequence in the build and am being a bit random. I decided to swap over the stainless steel tail tidy and number plate light. I thought this would be a quick win but, as usual, there is always something to catch me out.
This time it was stripped threads in the frame brackets requiring Helicoiling and a number plate light bulb blown. The Helicoiling was quick and simple but you have to strip the number plate light apart to get at the bulbs so whilst doing this it was an opportunity to thoroughly clean all the parts before re-assembly which included replacing a very rusty backing plate.
It is proving very useful having the donor bike alongside which makes a job like fitting the correct sized wiring clips much easier.
Managed to put some more time on the project today. Stripped out the airbox and Motad exhaust for power washing.
I had one of the first Motads which was unpolished. I think they look so much better polished and, once I have got it cleaned up, will take it to our exhaust fabricator to get a quote for polishing it.
The carb has been cleaned, stripped, blown through and rebuilt with a new diaphragm and small O rings, plus a new carb float bowl gasket. The old float bowl gasket looked a bit flattened and I don't want to put everything back together just to find it leaked.
I cleaned off the diaphragm cover using some fine wet & dry on a dead flat surface to give it the best possible chance of giving a petrol tight seal on re-assembly.
I also made sure the float bowl drain screw would come out - it did! - and it's gone back in with a smear of copper grease.
I decided to fit bar risers as well as having Dakar High bars so this meant fitting new long throttle and clutch cables. Looking forward to seeing what that does for riding comfort!
Engine bolts tightened, carb, battery box, battery and airbox fitted.
Lots of fiddly bits left to do - footpegs, brake and gear levers, chain and front sprocket, panels, rear mudguard, tank etc etc etc
I need to have two working trail bikes for the A2E event this weekend so abandoned the rebuild and adopted a quick and dirty solution.
I took out the new 325 engine I had built (no chance to run it in properly) and replaced it with my old 325 engine - a known quantity that I can rely upon.
Other than a newly polished Motad, just about everything else that went on was from my old 325 - wheels, panels, tank, seat, footpegs, etc.
A cop out but at least its complete and test driven now
All MOTd now with just one advisory on bottom shock joint but am happy with just that!
I have now finished wiring it up to provide two power supplies at the handlebars - one constant live bypassing the ignition switch and one switched live. I will probably use the constant live for the SatNav/GPS.
The TTR wasn't running quite right at low revs so I suspected the usual culprit, the pilot jet, to be partially blocked. The carb hadn't been used for a while. Stripped out the carb and, yes, there was a bit of crud in the pilot. This is where I found my new favourite tool - a piece of twist tie that fits the pilot jet's hole perfectly
Whilst the carb was out I cleaned up the diaphragm cap on a flat piece of wet & dry and fitted two new small O rings which has cured a slight petrol weep at that point.
The choke was also tight so I cleaned off some deposits from the brass barrel and that is all fine now.
It is surprising how quickly you can get a carb off and on after doing it lots of times
Put back on my tank and fender bags and am just about ready for Saturday!
The engine is now pretty much finished but I think it is worth mentioning a little wrinkle regarding the oil feed lines. Those who have the patience to read my lengthy rebuild and repair threads may recall problems with occasional oil leaks from the banjo bolts on the oil feed lines. Despite annealing the copper washers I have on occasions had to tighten the banjo bolts a little more than I would have liked to get a seal. This risks stripping the thread out of the alloy cases.
I now use Dowty washers instead of copper ones and, as well as being very oil tight, they never need annealing and don't require the banjo bolts being done up murder tight. Once the bolt is tight on the washer you know you have a seal
OK - so my 325 engine is cleaned and sprayed and ready to fit back in BUT the space in the TTR is currently being taken up by a recently rebuilt 250cc standard engine that is on test for Totally TTRs so, please. someone buy it so that I can put my 325 back in
Here are some pics of the 325 engine - just need to spruce up the oil cooler now. Just for interest, I tested the capacity of the oil cooler (genuine TTR one) which proved difficult and very messy! I reckon it holds about 75cc of oil.
Looking good Brian. You and Steve in competition to finish first? My project bike's running the lanes but the paintscheme's not complete so it doesn't count
I went out for a short trail ride last week and had an embarrassing incident when I filled up with petrol before the ride. I caught my boot on the rear mudguard as I got off to go and pay which resulted in me and the TTR ending up in an unseemly heap on the garage forecourt
The following is not a step by step guide which has already been done but just some reminders along the way.
Certain parts of the job are easier if the weight is taken off the suspension so I use an old tie down for this. It can be adjusted up and down easily as required.
As is usual for me I turn a simple job into something complicated! I have had one of Steve's new shock absorbers on the shelf "just in case" for some time and, in a moment of sheer self indulgence, I decided now was the time to fit it . Absolutely nothing wrong with the existing shock but I just couldn't put up with walking past it crying out to be used|
It is possible to remove the top shock bolt from the airbox side (if it has been previously swapped around so the nut is on the RH side of the bike) by just dropping the frame side arm and dropping the airbox a tad.
To get the top link bolt out, I first remove the bolt and the tap it through using a bit of threaded bar screwed into the shaft so as not to damage the threads.
To remove the shock absorber feed it through the frame bottom end first:
I also decided to go the extra mile and strip out, clean, inspect and re-grease the link arm. To get the bolt off the frame mount I found it is possible to get a 14mm socket on it by using a "wobble" extension bar.
To be able to get the bearing bolt out, you need to lift the swing arm as high as you can.
I was lucky and all the bearings, seals and collars were in good order so just need cleaning up, re-greasing and putting back after cleaning up the frame mount and its surrounding area
Don't forget to make sure the drop link securing bolt's head fits between the ridges in the swingarm casting.
New shock fitted, linkage arm serviced and lowering link fitted.
Basically press out old sleeve, bore out barrel, press in new sleeve and bore/hone to spec. Bore crankcases to accept larger sleeve where it sticks out below barrel. It needs to be done by a GOOD machinist or the barrel will crack between the fins and weep oil.
Hang about a while, I'm hoping for progress on the 350 soon...
My job for the next few days is to swap out the 250 engine I have had on test in my TTR and replace it with its "proper" 325 engine.
All was going well until it came to get the carb off!
Yep - the rubber section that attaches to the carb came off separately with the carb leaving the aluminium stub on the head
Pretty sure that I have a good spare somewhere...............
The front sprocket nut is proving difficult to get off and will need the sprocket wedging against the frame with a socket as the usual techniques (foot on rear brake and windy gun) have failed
Not spent much time in the workshop recently but I did manage to get the 250 engine out.
I just had a look over the 325 unit that is going back in and was wiring the clutch arm back to ease installation when I realised that I have another job to do whilst the engine is out - adjust the clutch. The pointer is too far away from its mark....
Easy enough to do but enough to stop me slotting the engine back in tonight
Off with the clutch cover. I use a small electric screwdriver to speed things up
Once the cover is off, loosen the adjuster nut with a 10mm open end spanner and use a crosshead screwdriver to screw the inner bolt in or out until the pointer lines up with the casting mark when pushing against it with your thumb.
Put the cover back on and torque Allen bolts to 10Nm.
I now use Dowty washers on the oil feed lines to save annealing the copper washers plus they are more effective in stopping any oil leaks.
I was then able to wire back the clutch arm so that it doesn't catch on the frame when lifting the engine back in.
Be interested to know what it will run like with the OS pipe I have, as I need to decide whether to make a copy of the Motad or make a copy of the OS??????
Slightly peeved that a 4 year old Lucas battery decided to give up the ghost as had my spare so had to buy a new one.
I got a Numax from eBay as these have always looked after me well. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NUMAX-YT7-B4-YT7B4-YT7B-BS-Fully-Sealed-VRLA-AGM-Gel-Motorcycle-battery-/190675405258?rsta=en_GB(en_GB)&cnac=GB&mail=sys&e=op&unp_tpcid=email-receipt-auction-payment&ppid=PPX000608&calf=1340d5b77a0a5&calc=1340d5b77a0a5&pgrp=main:email&unptid=514b4ec8-6d37-11e7-b985-441ea1477c68&mchn=em&t=&s=ci&page=main:email&cal=1340d5b77a0a5&cust=3YK86579H4268172S
Road test next when I have finished the "to do" list from Trish