1984 Yamaha Gray Ghost RZ350 And So It Begins

[kpke]

Nice caliper adapter parts there Tim. What was the $$$ to your doorstep?

[Kawtriplefreak]

$202.46 with today's exchange rate.

[Kawtriplefreak]

Today's 15 minutes of fun time while my tractor was warming up to feed the cows:

Apparently the previous owner lost or discarded the hardware that keeps the headlight bucket from flopping and rotating. So I went through my KAW Triple turn signal parts pile and found a set.

Two minutes of shaping with my trusty bench grinder to match the rubber. Basically I ground off one of the nubs and it fits perfectly.

Fixed.

[kpke]

Never ending fun stuff, eh? That tire you have the part resting on in the photo is going to try to kill you.  Looks like hard plastic.

[Kawtriplefreak]

Yep. That bike sat for a long time. That tire is saturated with oil from the leaking fork seals as well. I have new BT46s to go on it. It will never be ridden with the old tires...

[Kawtriplefreak]

Normal life has interfered with progress this week. I did manage to get the chamber flanges cleaned, bead blasted and painted. My 19 year old bead blasting machine stopped working while I was bead blasting the springs so I need to investigate what is wrong with it at some point. I called the company and described the symptoms and they said it is likely a worn out orifice inside the gun. Please excuse the dirt on the shop floor. It is quite muddy and my Kubota spends the winter inside so it will start.

[Kawtriplefreak]

I am quite pleased with the Yambits exhaust gaskets. I put some high temp RTV on the crush washer that goes in the exhaust port to hold it in place and a l put a light coat on both sides of the flanges gasket.

[Kawtriplefreak]

Painted and installed.

[Kawtriplefreak]

On to the intakes:

I know it isn't required but I use 2 gaskets on the intakes and I use Permatex anaerobic gasket sealer ( thanks to M in SC for the heads up on the sealant) Gaskets just like good oil are cheap and motors are expensive. Intake leaks will kill a motor.

[Kawtriplefreak]

I added stainless lock washers to the stock bolts after a good clean up and chased all the threads in the holes.

[Kawtriplefreak]

On to carburetors

After another consultation with M in SC I decided to use the original VM28s off of my 75 RD350 in lieu of the factory 26s. I made good use of my new Vevor ultrasonic machine with a 50/50 mix of Berrymans carb cleaner and WD 40 in my big jar with the carb bodies (and all the brass in a mesh basket) Props again to M in SC for giving me the witch's brew ingredients. I recommend to anybody that cleans carbs or old bike parts to buy an ultrasonic. It makes a horrible job that I always dread easy. Not to mention it minimizes exposure to all kinds of toxins that none of us need to get on our skin. To that point, I had to buy a new gallon of Berrymans before this job as my old can was eaten through from the inside and the solvent leaked out and evaporated.

[Kawtriplefreak]

The 28 fits right in to the factory 26MM intake rubber.

[Kawtriplefreak]

My NOS 98 R1 black brake lever ( eBay $24.97 shipped) Now the levers match. All in all a productive 5 hour escape from life's stresses in the shop. One step closer. Next on the agenda is mounting and wiring the R6 cooling fan. Then the radiator can go back on.

[dgorms]

Looking good Tim.

[m in sc]

getting there.   

willa  y boot fit in there? if so shoot me a text.