Hi 2SW!
About MeI'm an engineer and a motorcycle nut. I've been riding and wrenching on bikes for about 8 years, and I've recently taken to 2 strokes. I work in audio, and the acoustics/wave/resonance factor of 2 strokes makes a lot of sense in my head and it's really fun to learn about. I race in USCRA (#86). I also own an SV650, a Hawk GT, and a Peugeot 50cc moped.
About the Bike1975 RD350 assembled from various piles of dry bones. A friend locally was selling a bare frame for 40 bucks. Well I couldnt pass that up. After buying that he discovered that he had the numbers matching frame to go with it. There went another 150 dollars. A few weeks later I'm hunting on Craigslist for parts and I found a guy selling what was very nearly a complete bike, disassembled in boxes for 300 dollars. On this platform I got to work rebuilding everything from scratch. Every part was taken apart, cleaned, blasted, painted, greased and slowly assembled into something resembling a bike. This started in spring of 2018, so it's been going for 2 years now.
About the NameI've always been a big fan of heavy metal. I loved the tv show Metalocalypse. In one episode, the band reads a spell from an ancient book of spells and accidentally summons a Lake Troll. My project reminds me of the lyrics of the song a lot. Resurrecting an ancient evil beast to terrorize the land! :metal:
(https://i.imgur.com/rD0ur3J.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LiD154Q.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fid8NmN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ecoplVC.jpg)
So, an artistic engineer who's into heavy metal and two-strokes? Come on in, grab a beer, man! :bacon:
Let's get that bike together :righteous:
Welcome to the Forum!!
Thanks!
The bike is actually a full roller now, and I'm working on engine assembly at the moment. I'll continue posting my progress pictures from the past year in order until I'm caught up.
I was excited about my collection of parts, so of course, the first thing I did was make a rolling chassis and sit on it making "vroom vroom" sounds.
(https://i.imgur.com/qNULT5X.jpg)
The seat came with the box of parts from the second bike, it cleaned up decently. The tank I scored on ebay (no cap or petcock), and another racer in USCRA gave me a really nice set of German made Telefix clip ons.
(https://i.imgur.com/7RNW5w8.jpg)
Here you can see the state of the frame. Looks like it was at the bottom of a swamp for the last 10 years! parts of it were full of dried mud.
(https://i.imgur.com/g3ANReB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/n9Y1F5q.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qVtb8Z2.jpg)
I got to work with a wire wheel on a drill.
(https://i.imgur.com/dIeTc9g.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/OagFIGA.jpg)
Then laid down a few coats of rattle can primer.
(https://i.imgur.com/CY56G9c.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CPBXLAz.jpg)
Rattle Can black, followed by Spraymax 2k Gloss Clear (the best clear you can get from a rattle can).
(https://i.imgur.com/2aol48I.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/208TWXd.jpg)
In the midst of this, I finally decided that I was long overdue for some home workshop upgrades.
Enough of this crap.
(https://i.imgur.com/h2HCROR.jpg)
I needed a proper workbench. So off to the home supply store to buy a bunch of lumber and screws.
(https://i.imgur.com/rszWvaV.jpg)
MUCH better!
(https://i.imgur.com/67bvN5C.jpg)
Suspension refresh
Eventually, I'd like to have a full track spec suspension with Hagon shocks and Racetech springs and emulators in the forks. But for now my budget says "make due with what you have".
To start, I got some nice brass swingarm bushings from Economy Cycle and cleaned up the stock swingarm pivot bolt, and put it all back together with fresh grease. Also converted to modern zerk fittings to make life easy.
(https://i.imgur.com/WwyQHd5.jpg)
Up next was completely stripping the forks and giving the lowers a lap around the sand blaster. Fresh seals and fluid, and back together they go.
(https://i.imgur.com/CVlTeMT.jpg)
I had a nice clean set of stock rear shocks, they'll work until I can upgrade to the Hagons. I found a guy on ebay in the UK who makes reproduction bushings for old bikes, so I got fresh bushing rubbers for them to help a little in the mean time.
Here is is all back on the frame.
(https://i.imgur.com/puaa877.jpg)
I didnt get a picture of it, but I also disassembled the stock steering damper, blasted it, and reassembled with fresh oil. Doesnt feel like it does a whole lot of anything.... Maybe I need a more viscous oil? Or just bite the bullet and get a proper damper.
Brake time!
The front caliper got a full refresh. I milled out the flange for the steel line and milled a flat surface on top so it would accept a modern banjo bolt and braided line.
(https://i.imgur.com/tjINMuT.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fugCCwk.jpg)
Test fit
(https://i.imgur.com/pntXOGn.jpg)
Then it was off to the sandblaster, and then the paint booth for a fresh coat of paint. Then I treated it to fresh seals, new stainless pistons from HVC, and a spankin' new sticker to boot! :whoop:
(https://i.imgur.com/VV72RPU.jpg)
And it was at this point that the 2020 SUCK hit the whole world. I heard the rumor that there was a confirmed case of 'da RONA at work. I frantically ran into the machine shop where I've been doing a lot of this work to grab the frame, engine, and any other spare bits I thought I'd need. I also asked to borrow a bottle of cleaners and a handful of bolts, nuts, and a wire brush. They had no problem with it. I had a REAL strong feeling this was my last day in the office for a good long while. Guess what? That night they sent a corporate wide email telling us to stay at home and only return to the office to grab laptops/work supplies.
Fortunately, I got her home and tucked away nice and safe in my workshop to ride out this storm. Now I'm extra glad I just built that workbench!
(https://i.imgur.com/OyxvZ8g.jpg)
I built that same workbench a few years back. It has served me well!
To paraphrase one of my favorite lines from Blazing Saddles: Never mind that shit, what's the story with that swoopy Honda in the background
(Really good story, pics and work, also)
Yeah, and the sacred rite with the candles and handle bars?..................................D
Honda looks like a CB1100R homage/tribute on an early CBR600 Hurricane.
Love the witch rituals around the bike to banish bad spirits. I see it was surrounded by good spirits.... :whistle:
Looks like an nt650 hawk gt in disguise! I have one too! I also have a gen 1 sv650! I also am back to working on my rd/r5 - it's currently in boxes. I'll be following this one!
Ding! We have a winner!
That's my 1989 Honda Hawk GT! Aka NT650, Aka the RC31. Aluminum frame, single sided swingarm by ELF (direct descendant of their GP program), with a V-twin (4 stroke, shhh) engine. Dead nuts reliable. I put fresh oil in it at the beginning of the season and then all I have to do is show up on race day and put 87 pump gas in it!
This bike was once owned by Jay Larossa of Lossa Engineering. My buddy bought it off of him, raced it a little bit, then made a deal on it. It was primer grey at the time.
(https://i.imgur.com/awll49w.jpg)
Then I started painting on it. Base layer in white.
(https://i.imgur.com/qkFnf97.jpg)
Striped off with masking tape, and laid down blue and red.
(https://i.imgur.com/J94Xy4D.jpg)
Then added decals and number. The Honda Wings, and the HRC decals came off ebay, the rest I made in a computer and printed on a vinyl cutter.
(https://i.imgur.com/gqspYeS.jpg)
In the pits at Canaan Motor Speedway
(https://i.imgur.com/rLzYhw8.jpg)
I have the suspension fully set up with a Penske shock in the rear, and springs and emulators up front, all set up by GMD Computrack, Boston. I've never felt a bike handle like this before.
Back to project at hand.
Now at home in quarantine, I have to get more creative.
I made a truing stand for the crankshaft out of some angle iron.
Note: After this picture I realized I was an idiot and needed to have the stand rest on the outer bearings to get a proper reading. I cut the stand down shorter, but didnt get a picture.
(https://i.imgur.com/vLqifJ2.jpg)
The crank was in remarkable shape. I only had to replace one outside bearing that was clicking, and the only measurement that's out of spec is connecting rod side to side play, and that was only by a little bit. So I decided to put it back together for now just to get it running and try it out. Later I'll either do a full crank rebuild, or look into one of those Vito's cranks. In the mean time, runout at either end is within 1 thou, so I think I should be okay for a little bit.
[gifv]https://i.imgur.com/t7KsIJZ.mp4[/gifv]
Time to clean the cases up. I made a "hot tank" by pouring HOT water into a 5 gallon bucket with a scoop of Oxyclean to degrease the cases and remove dirt. I let it soak for a little while, and occasionally moved it around for some agitation.
(https://i.imgur.com/l5i3lmH.jpg)
Not bad! Not pro level results, but not bad!
(https://i.imgur.com/xdGeN7I.jpg)
I installed the shift drum and forks, and the neutral switch, and then test fit the crank.
(https://i.imgur.com/jJMqtJN.jpg)
Then dropped in the transmission. A note here. For now, this is the stock RD350 transmission. In my box of supplies I have a complete RD400 transmission. I tried to swap out the gears to get the closer ratios, but was unable to budge the 5th gear with just a bearing puller. I cant do this until I get access to a shop press again, so I think that will be a project for next winter, along with the crank rebuild, and getting the cases properly vapor blasted.
(https://i.imgur.com/x8lDFZx.jpg)
:rock2: just awesome. Love what you've done with the Hawk and appreciate your ingenuity with the hot tank and truing stand!
As a P.S., doesn't everyone perform purification rites around their bikes? What else would you do with chicken bones?
Haha! Thanks!
And yeah, everyone should! You cant breathe life into an old machine without a little magic! :devil: :metal:
For a LONG time, I've been dreading the ignition part of the equation. I'm not afraid of wiring or electrics, I understand them well, but it was probably going to be one of the biggest ticket items on the project, and my wallet has taken enough abuse already. I was cross shopping the MZB/Powerdynamo/Vape system with the HCI. I was leaning heavily towards the HCI system because I'm not going to have a heavy electrical load on this bike (Literally just headlight and tail light), and I liked that it was going to save me over a hundred dollars. Well as luck would have it, one morning 2 weeks ago, I searched facebook marketplace for "RD350" as I do every morning while having coffee, and some guy down in CT had posted a pile of RD350 parts left over from his last build for 75 dollars. In the box, no word of a lie, was a complete Vape system! I met up with the guy the next day to pick it up, super nice dude. We chatted bike for a bit, and he said he pulled the system off a fully running RD, so he knows it works, and it only had a few hours on it. He's just getting out of RD's right now, and trying to get into an RZ350.
So here's the loot.
(https://i.imgur.com/5GY6rF9.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cR14jx5.jpg)
This next part beggars belief. You see in that picture how there was an ignition switch with a set of keys? The little key was a match to the steering lock and seat latch on my original bike that didnt come with any keys! What are the odds of that?
:eek: wow! So lucky.
Final Old Update!
I finished cleaning up the gasket surfaces and dropped the top case half onto the bottom with a new layer of Yamabond, a got everything torqued down nice and even. Made sure the crank still rotates nice and smooth.
(https://i.imgur.com/H9yjYpL.jpg)
For the fuel tank I got a brand new petcock from HVC Cycle, as well as a complete fuel cap assembly from the guy on facebook that runs the "RD 350 Buy/Sell/Trade USA" group. I cleaned that all up and put all new seals in it from Economy Cycle.
(https://i.imgur.com/jO6UOIu.jpg)
I also installed a brand new Motion Pro turbo throttle, and a 13mm Magura master cylinder. I followed the brake ratio chart on Vintage Brake's website to help me pick a master, as I got to say, the brake feel is excellent! I also tossed on a spare brake guard I have, since I eventually plan to run this is USCRA anyway.
(https://i.imgur.com/TmArvfi.jpg)
Here's how she sits now (more or less). I did take off the cheesy metal grill from the headlight after deciding I didnt like it. You may notice the rearsets. I'll take some close up pictures of them soon. I adapted a set of Rizoma rearsets off of my buddy's Ducati 848.
(https://i.imgur.com/cYiSW1i.jpg)
And I recently loaded her up in the truck and took 'er over to the police station to get a VIN verification done so I can get my VT plate.
(https://i.imgur.com/G0VubQj.jpg)
Just picked up on your thread. Coming along very nicely, some good parts on that. That ignition was a good score.....we need something like that every now and then to lift the spirits and take the load off the wallet haha!
Looking at the front brake braided line...is it long enough for fork extension, do you reckon?
Super cool! Back in my youth, when the rocks were still hot, we all had to have an ME33 and ME99. I worked with a guy at Wenatchee Honda who bought a brand-new 1985 CB700SC and levered a set of Metzelers on it before he ever rode it!
Quote from: NoRiders on May 25, 2020, 10:24:56 AM
Looking at the front brake braided line...is it long enough for fork extension, do you reckon?
Yep! Good thing to think about. In this pic the weight of the bike is supported by the center lift/jack. The forks are fully suspended. I've also put it on the ground and cycled the suspension a few times to make sure it doesnt bind in any weird way. The line IS a tad shorter than I'd like it, but I just had it laying around so it's falling under the "Good enough for now" category. I'll get a slightly longer one in the future.
Quote from: 85RZwade on May 25, 2020, 10:45:08 AM
Super cool! Back in my youth, when the rocks were still hot, we all had to have an ME33 and ME99. I worked with a guy at Wenatchee Honda who bought a brand-new 1985 CB700SC and levered a set of Metzelers on it before he ever rode it!
Yeah, they look the business, but these tires are very old (for tires). Date codes put them in the mid-90's if I recall. Enough for a little carb tuning up and down the street and around a parking lot, but I'll be getting fresh tires before I do any riding. I'm leaning towards the BT45's.
Looking good! :bacon:
That was quite a score on the ignition! Wow :clap:
The bike is looking great!
I have BT45's on my 350 and they work great. It seems the Avon's are liked better now, and I've used Avon's on many race cars and absolutely loved them (Hoosier's Bro), but for city riding with a fair amount of twisties the BT45's have never let me down. They work in 30 degree weather, they are great in 100 degree weather. No complaints here.
I forgot to say in my last post that I am a huge fan of Matalocalypse. My wife got me into the show, but we've always been into the the Adult Swim type stuff so it was a natural fit. The music production, IMO, is fantastic in the show and I wish it was still on.
Nice build :metal:
I had BT45s on mine. The only complaint I had was the front chopping prematurely.
:agree: with JB; had a few sets of BT45s, and my fronts have always cupped. No better or worse on my RZ than on a Nighthawk S that I shouldn't have sold.
This Intermission brought to you by the Honeydo List
On my way to the garage one night this week, my wife asks if I can fix her vacuum cleaner. The little brush attachment stopped working. I gave it a quick jiggle and it's stuck solid. So onto the workbench she goes.
(https://i.imgur.com/qb1jfz1.jpg)
That's not looking great.
(https://i.imgur.com/ncN2nxo.jpg)
Belt comes off, and gets a quick soak in some oil.
(https://i.imgur.com/rqWgNTj.jpg)
A brass wire brush made surprisingly easy work of the rust, and in the process of brushing, both gear shafts loosened up.
(https://i.imgur.com/2Emgx0k.jpg)
Then put it all back together with a nice coating of silicone lubricant. I gave the gears a few good spins to make sure the lube worked its way down the into the shafts, while also being careful not to get it directly into the motor.
(https://i.imgur.com/TGHXv8o.jpg)
Bolted it all back up, attached it to the vacuum and she spins good as new, and the wife decides to keep me another day.
Back to work on the bike, I've been beating my head against the wall trying to get my piston to wall clearance sorted out. :bang:
First order of business was a trip to Harbor Freight to purchase a set of telescoping bore gauges. I quickly figured out that my regular calipers were going to be of no help inside the bores.
(https://i.imgur.com/eqcNe7f.jpg)
As you can see on the notebook there, I take 3-4 measurements and take the average of that to establish a value, like a good little engineer.
However, I then realized my measurements were not very consistent from one to the next. I called up a friend who runs a shop nearby and he suggested that the calipers are not getting a real good reading on the bore gauges, and potentially putting inward pressure on them. This is especially true because you're relying on physically sliding the caliper to adjust them, making it more likely to overshoot your 1 thousandths steps. So back to HF to buy a set of micrometers. (also gave me a much more stable reading on the pistons)
(https://i.imgur.com/937Dlib.jpg)
Throughout this process I was also picking the brain of Chuck Quenzler over in his Team Scream subsection. That dude is SO nice to help give so much advice to people here on the forum. He suggested that my clearance was too tight and they needed to be opened up a tad. So I borrowed a bore hone from my buddy and got to work just shaving a liiiitle bit off the walls.
(https://i.imgur.com/THTiZzs.jpg)
Well now I'm starting to get out of my depth, at least in terms of equipment. After being very careful to not over do it (hone a little, measure, hone a little more, measure again) I have found that in some parts of the bore I'm measuring a pretty decent clearance, and in other parts of the bore I barely have any. When looking down the bores with a light, I can see that the cross hatching on the wall is uneven. In some parts I have a nice fresh cross hatch, in other parts the dusting of old surface rust is still visible. So I'm not getting even application of the hone. Chuck saw the picture and basically said he wouldnt touch that kind of hone with a 10 ft pole, and why havent I called any shops nearby? I stubbornly try to DIY everything I can, but I admit that I'm beat on this one. My local friend with the shop referred me to the machinist he uses (both guys are also in USCRA). I called him up and said to bring them out on Saturday. Hopefully all goes well.
Know your limitations, and leave the critical precision shit to the guys with the proper tools and experience.
My local guy Garrett GRA2strokes charges $50 a hole, and I know it's gonna be perfect.
No shame in paying the experts for their knowledge and fancy tools, and you'll probably save some money in the long run.
That's definitely the wrong type of hone for the job. You want a precision hone like this. And if your cylinders aren't straight, as if often the case, a precision hone isn't the right tool either.
https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/small-cylinder-hone
yeah at that point in the game its time to get the bores straightened out. expect to go up a piston size & a re-bore. MAKE SURE the local guy knows to chamfer the port windows after he hones or bores. if he doesnt, go elsewhere. .02
Sure thing. HOPEFULLY they dont have to go up because it'll be the last rebore size available on these. It's already at 65.5mm. The guy i'm going to is supposed to be very good, and has been racing bikes a long time.
Here's some pictures of the Rizoma rearsets I got from a buddy who rides modern Ducatis. He was teaching a buddy how to ride, and he stopped for a stop light, and the new rider misjudged the stopping distance and bumped into his rear tire. Knocked him off balance just enough to tip the bike over on its side. Insurance paid to have every part with a scratch on it replaced with brand new parts. He asked me to dispose of the old parts and somehow they accidentally ended up on my bench! :devil: The mounting bolts for everything was standard M6, which is exactly what holds the passenger peg brackets onto the frame, so this was a stupidly easy modification.
(https://i.imgur.com/1R8T5Vh.jpg)
To complete it, I got the little shift shaft arm from Cognito Moto.
(https://i.imgur.com/sIhGoHZ.jpg)
And why reinvent the wheel when you can just chop down the old brake pedal?
(https://i.imgur.com/SeJ8u63.jpg)
One day I'll fabricate adjustable mounts and maybe swap to a nicer brake lever, but that will require me to get back to the machine shop at work.
Also, I'd like to say that I'm pretty disappointed with the drill bits I just bought from HF. I believe HF is great for a lot of things, but not for others, and I think the drill bits are going to fall into the latter. I was using WD40 on the bit to keep it cool and pressing hard enough to bend this metal bracket in the vice, and it still wouldnt cut through it.
(https://i.imgur.com/4w6GRY7.jpg)
Next up, wiring work!
Here's some side by side pictures of the ported cylinders I bought. I'll be sending these out to get the bores set correctly and get the nikasil coating treatment.
(https://i.imgur.com/zxO3vO1.jpg)
Stock Transfers
(https://i.imgur.com/ZhvQUqI.jpg)
VS Ported Transfers
(https://i.imgur.com/glWoyb0.jpg)
Stock Exhaust Port
(https://i.imgur.com/Glv9yvF.jpg)
VS Ported Exhaust Port
(https://i.imgur.com/iW5tJsz.jpg)
Also, here's a fun bit of the wiring work I'm getting started on. I went to clip-ons and now have 2 holes in the top triple clam that I'm not using. So I measured the holes and went on ebay and found round light up power switches that fit PERFECTLY. All I had to do was use a stepped drill bit to take out a little lip in the middle of the bore. One Red, one Blue. They press and stay down for "on" and light up. Then you press again and the return to the top for "off" and the lights turn off as well. My planning here, is that because this is a dual purpose bike, street and racing, I can have the right button (red) be a power on/off for the entire lighting system, and the left (blue) will be high/low beam.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZYmrXXP.jpg)
I drilled and tapped a whole to put a little set screw on the under side to retain them in place.
(https://i.imgur.com/7QwcHbm.jpg)
I look out for details and touches like this :)
I knew Colin would dig the switches! It's a cool idea, solves a couple of issues in one fell swoop.
Boston - I find myself using step drill more n more these days.....built in pilot drill, short drill bit reduces snapping (expecially push through snapping) and they de-burr too. There's a still a place for conventional drills though.
I find some elcheapo drills work better on a slow speed and I lube using GT45.
Quote from: NoRiders on June 04, 2020, 09:01:17 AM
Boston - I find myself using step drill more n more these days.....built in pilot drill, short drill bit reduces snapping (expecially push through snapping) and they de-burr too. There's a still a place for conventional drills though.
I find some elcheapo drills work better on a slow speed and I lube using GT45.
I'm on board with that. I just got a set of stepped bits about a month ago, and so far they seem much less of a pain. I need to use them more.
For cutting fluid, I've been using WD40
For what it's worth I returned the "standard" Harbor Freight bits after one broke, and got their top of the line Titanium Bauer set. I figured I'd try their best before I jump up to something more expensive like Milwaukee. I drilled a few holes in the frame last night to mount up the Regulator/Rectifier, and so far so good.
I use cheap mustard for cutting oil. It does a great job.
SO......
I'm a glutton for punishment, and one headache is never enough. :help:
Earlier this week I drove out to western Mass and met a fellow racer from USCRA, and I ended up coming home like this....
(https://i.imgur.com/x9oetJX.jpg)
I got a 1976 Suzuki Titan T500 ! :whoop: :celebrate: :metal:
With a handshake and a promise that it MUST become a race bike in the USCRA, I got it in trade for nothing more than a bottle of Bourbon. Deals like that are once in a lifetime, and you cant pass it up.
(https://i.imgur.com/5HQradi.jpg)
It's shockingly complete and came with 2 boxes of parts and spares (including an incredibly clean set of carbs).
This bike will run in Period 1 : 500GP in USCRA. For now, she's just going to sit on the side while I finish up the RD and get it smoking, then I'll get started on this. I'll spin that off into another build thread when the time comes.
That is an amazing deal, way cooler than my last free motorcycle!
dammit! thats cool, thats the exact model i was looking for when i got mine. well, actually a 74 but they are the same. :taz:
congrats.
A most excellent deal.....that Bourbon must've been rare and aged :)
I heard his whiskey of choice was Makers Mark. Who am I to argue?
Quote from: bostontrackrat on June 06, 2020, 11:34:17 AM
I heard his whiskey of choice was Makers Mark. Who am I to argue?
Makers Mark...is that some $10 grog? :)
I got some more work done on the electrics this weekend. I'm doing the whole wiring harness from scratch, which is a fun project for me.
I found this nice little fuse box on amazon for 20 bucks. Has 6 slots for a fuses, and an indicator light that shows when a fuse has blown. I played around with it a little in the garage and it's a pretty good little unit. It does not light up if the circuit opens (like if you blow a light), only if the fuse itself opens. Which I think is a nice touch actually. So a light goes out on the bike you look at the box, if the light next to the fuse is lit, then you know you have a short in the circuit. If the light is off, then you know the circuit itself is open (broken wire or blown bulb). Makes troubleshooting that much faster.
(https://i.imgur.com/cIsIxX5.jpg)
For now I'm making up brackets pretty crudely with strips of metal using cutoff wheels, files, and drills. Once I'm back to work after quarantine and have shop access again I can make much nicer looking bracketry. But that's a cosmetic/feel good upgrade. Not required to get it running right now.
This picture shows how things are mounted up under the seat and tank. I hid the key switch in the rear tank mount so the triple trees can retain a nice clean look, and I mounted up the fuse box and reg/rec so that they're covered by the seat and you wont see them when the bikes assembled.
(https://i.imgur.com/FVxsFV2.jpg)
I made up the wiring harness today for the rear tail/brake light. Used a waterproof quick connect harness so it comes on/off quickly for race weekends. Soldered all connections, then shrink wrapped them, and covered with that wire harness cover stuff that woven together and gets tight when you pull on it like a chinese finger trap, cant think of the name. So it looks nice and clean going from the seat to the underside of the seat. From the side of the bike you just see one little harness and no connector.
(https://i.imgur.com/n9XILXH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CljTiqp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JArCkwO.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/M92jo06.jpg)
Long time, no update.
Still plugging away slowly on the wiring harness. I bought a nice new soldering workstation to make things go a little smoother, and I sent the jugs off to PowerSeal USA to get bored and nikaseal coated. Just waiting to get those back so I can make the next big jump forward with engine assembly.
In the meantime, I took the wheels over to my friends at Nova Motorcycles to get a fresh set of BT46 tires!
(https://i.imgur.com/KWGWIvr.jpg)
OH!!!!!!!! And I got my shiny new green license plate from the wonderful State of Vermont!
Good progress. What plans do you have for the spokes?
Your rear wheel has balancing weights on almost opposite sides. Kinda defeats the purpose of adding weights.
Quote from: NoRiders on July 01, 2020, 05:20:48 PM
Good progress. What plans do you have for the spokes?
Live with them for now and putt around this summer without hustling the bike too much. Next winter vapor blast the hubs, polish the hoops, and get new spokes from Buchanan's. (maybe even excel hoops if I'm feeling spendy :drool:).
Quote from: rodneya on July 01, 2020, 06:58:43 PM
Your rear wheel has balancing weights on almost opposite sides. Kinda defeats the purpose of adding weights.
Interesting, I didnt even see that when I bought them home. Thanks for catching that. I'll redo it later.
I swear I didnt abandon this project!
I havent updated in awhile because I've been busy getting the Honda Hawk GT up and ready for track season, and I had a couple of trackdays which took up my weekends. At the last track day I had a nasty highside crash while rolling on too much throttle while still leaned over hard in the corner. Nothing broken, but sore and it's taken me a week to get to the point where I can move around enough to work again. I got the Hawk mostly fixed up and I'm waiting on some new parts to arrive in the mail, so now I have some bandwidth to get back to the RD350. Tonight I worked on top end assembly a bit.
I'm working with Wiseco banshee pistons here, so I used the dremel to flatten down the center tang, and then made it nice and smooth with sandpaper. I also went all around the piston's edges with sandpaper to make sure there were no burrs from manufacturing.
(https://i.imgur.com/LUFTjAr.jpg)
I placed the rings into the bores and measured the ring gap (i had plenty), and then got everything ready for assembly.
(https://i.imgur.com/2QH89F6.jpg)
I lost my brand new set of wrist pins, clips, and small end bearings that came with the pistons. So I ordered new wiseco bearings from Economy Cycle, and decided to reuse the wrist pins and clips since they looked to be in decent shape.
(https://i.imgur.com/Qv7RNUE.jpg)
Pistons all installed, getting excited now!
(https://i.imgur.com/vsExDkb.jpg)
I learned to work on engines from my dad on old american cars, and he was a big believer in the Permatex red hi-tack gasket spray. We've always had good luck with it, so I figured I'd try it here. But this is my first 2 stroke so who knows. Do any of you guys use this in your engines?
(https://i.imgur.com/wx8RUZZ.jpg)
Cylinders slide right over nicely. I made sure to double check that the rings were lined up with their retaining pins.
(https://i.imgur.com/kU9jYkC.jpg)
Oh boy, was this a sight for sore eyes. That actually looks like an engine! I only put the heads on there and put two bolts in there lightly to apply a little pressure to the base gasket while that high-tack cures. I'll remove them tomorrow and put the copper gaskets in the top end. I didnt do that just yet because I had one or two of the head bolts that didnt want to thread on correctly. Do you guys just reuse the old ones indefinitely? Or do you try to use fresh ones (assuming the threads stretch and mess up your torque specs like they do on cars)? Is there even a source for getting new ones? I havent seen them anywhere online.
(https://i.imgur.com/RqRZlNm.jpg)
More progress last night :clap:
I prepped up the Vape ignition for install. I followed all the advise in Chuck's thread on it over in the Team Scream section.
Busting out the RTX (black and decker's Dremel knock off) and got to work.
(https://i.imgur.com/2yDTTQG.jpg)
Beveled all the edges for clearance and to protect the wires.
(https://i.imgur.com/myEW87F.jpg)
After that it was still rocking back and forth when installed because it was high centering in the middle. So I carefully ground down some material around the seal.
(https://i.imgur.com/1RYjfbg.jpg)
Lastly, I added RTV to prevent rubbing and vibration on the wires.
(https://i.imgur.com/KBppTVz.jpg)
Thanks to Chuck at Team Scream for sharing his awesome knowledge and experience to everyone on the forum.
I've got a wild idea here, if I keep making good progress on this, I may try to have the whole bike together in time for USCRA next weekend! (I wouldnt place money on it though)
Notes on my Vape install: I drilled the 2 additional holes in the backing plate as Chuck suggested and tapped them for more screws, and somehow completely screwed up the alignment with the magneto plate, it's not even close. :busey: No idea how I messed it up so bad. So that will be a project for a later date. In the mean time, the 2 existing bolts are installed with a healthy amount of Red locktite. Today, I'll make sure the three coil retaining bolts do not stick out on the back side by either using washers or sanding them down, and they'll get installed with blue locktite.
Got the bolts sanded down so they dont stick out the back, and routed the wires. Also rigged up a neutral light cable at the same time. Realized I'm missing the bolts to mount the back plate to the engine cases, so I need to run to Home Depot tomorrow.
(https://i.imgur.com/pj7CH4c.jpg)
Quote from: bostontrackrat on May 23, 2020, 11:43:37 PM
For a LONG time, I've been dreading the ignition part of the equation. I'm not afraid of wiring or electrics, I understand them well, but it was probably going to be one of the biggest ticket items on the project, and my wallet has taken enough abuse already. I was cross shopping the MZB/Powerdynamo/Vape system with the HCI. I was leaning heavily towards the HCI system because I'm not going to have a heavy electrical load on this bike (Literally just headlight and tail light), and I liked that it was going to save me over a hundred dollars. Well as luck would have it, one morning 2 weeks ago, I searched facebook marketplace for "RD350" as I do every morning while having coffee, and some guy down in CT had posted a pile of RD350 parts left over from his last build for 75 dollars. In the box, no word of a lie, was a complete Vape system! I met up with the guy the next day to pick it up, super nice dude. We chatted bike for a bit, and he said he pulled the system off a fully running RD, so he knows it works, and it only had a few hours on it. He's just getting out of RD's right now, and trying to get into an RZ350.
So here's the loot.
(https://i.imgur.com/5GY6rF9.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cR14jx5.jpg)
This next part beggars belief. You see in that picture how there was an ignition switch with a set of keys? The little key was a match to the steering lock and seat latch on my original bike that didnt come with any keys! What are the odds of that?
Lady luck did shine on you!
Thank you for the excellent progress report. Great job.
Quote from: bostontrackrat on August 11, 2020, 11:41:29 PM
I lost my brand new set of wrist pins, clips, and small end bearings that came with the pistons. So I ordered new wiseco bearings from Economy Cycle, and decided to reuse the wrist pins and clips since they looked to be in decent shape.
(https://i.imgur.com/Qv7RNUE.jpg)
Pistons all installed, getting excited now!
(https://i.imgur.com/vsExDkb.jpg)
I learned to work on engines from my dad on old american cars, and he was a big believer in the Permatex red hi-tack gasket spray. We've always had good luck with it, so I figured I'd try it here. But this is my first 2 stroke so who knows. Do any of you guys use this in your engines?
(https://i.imgur.com/wx8RUZZ.jpg)
I wouldn't recommend reusing wristpins/bearings, and especially not circlips.
Most of us just grease or oil the base gaskets for ease of disassembly. Cylinder base is a low pressure joint, so no adhesive or sealer is needed.
Quote from: bostontrackrat on May 23, 2020, 12:12:55 AM
Back to project at hand.
Now at home in quarantine, I have to get more creative.
I made a truing stand for the crankshaft out of some angle iron.
Note: After this picture I realized I was an idiot and needed to have the stand rest on the outer bearings to get a proper reading Quote
First of all, you're doing a great job with your RD. Not to mention your Hawk :clap: Love those bikes!
However, I have a comment on truing of twin cranks. I have attempted truing between deadl centers in a lathe, with mixed results.
IMHO, the best setup for truing an RD or TZ crank is V-blocks under the two inner bearings, and the dial gauge(s) on the outer bearing surfaces, no bearings fitted. Only that way you confirm 100% that all 4 bearings share the same centerline.
In fact, I once saw a pic of the late Jarno Saarinen checking out runout on a TZ crank, using a piston as v-blocks. Just a normal TZ pistol, upside doen in a vise.
Thanks for the feedback guys! It's greatly appreciated! :vroom:
I hear you about not reusing the wrist pins and clips. It's together now, and I'm gonna roll the dice a little here, and try to enjoy it for the short little bit of the season that's left here in New England before the cold comes. This winter I plan to blow the bike back apart for numerous upgrades (vapor blasting cases, paint, RD400 transmission, new clutch plates, rebuilt crank, ect), and I'll do fresh piston pins/clips/bearings then.
Made some good progress last night. I went to home depot and got some new M5 countersink machine screws to bolt the back plate to the engine cases. These went in with a HEALTHY amount of blue Locktite.
(https://i.imgur.com/xGxDncc.jpg)
Immediately after this I brought a piston to TDC and backed it off as best I could to 1.8mm BTDC. Then I went to mount up the rotor and gave it a gentle love tap with the deadblow to seat it on the crank taper...... and it didnt stay there! I lined it up again and give a little bit more of a whack......... still didnt seat right. I could pull it off by hand. Cool.
So I took everything back off, cleaned off all the locktite I just did, and busted out the valve grinding compound. Time to start lapping.
(https://i.imgur.com/oLKSN8G.jpg)
After lapping the rotor to the crank for a WHILE, and cleaning it very diligently with paper towels and brake clean I lined everything back up where I wanted it in respect to timing.... placed the rotor just so.... gentle whack with the deadblow and......... that sucker is ON there! :toot: I pried and pulled on it as best I could by hand and it would not come lose. Satisfied that I had a good fit I put the rotor bolt in (Economy Cycle upgraded set) with a good dollop of blue Locktite, and torqued it down to 165 in-lbs, and called it a night.
(https://i.imgur.com/5hrGVg2.jpg)
Boston, every time I have used something to "get me by" it F'n blew up right before I got back to it! Just speaking from 40 plus years of "DUH"............................................D
Looks good, that's one of the older riveted drums with the square triggers that can cause the engine to start in the wrong direction, and those rivets were known to loosen up over time. They changed the drums several years ago to a one piece cnc drum with ramped triggers.
John
EC
https://www.economycycle.com/shop/yamaha-rd250350400r5ds6ds7-parts/electrical-ignitions-lighting/ignition/mzb-rotor-updated-design/
(https://www.economycycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/MZBRevisedRotor-e1552850415715.jpg)
Great thread!
I too am fitting a VAPE Powerdynamo ignition at the moment, I wasnt aware of the mods which people are doing,
I gonna check them out.
Well, this weekend I got the top end bolted together and I bolted up the reed cages and manifolds and performed the very first leakdown test! :clap:
(https://i.imgur.com/UmR8p9c.jpg)
With.... less than spectacular results. With the help of Windex, I found several leaks around the manifolds and reeds. I fumbled around and played with these for what felt like hours before finally getting a proper seal. :bang: Finally, I was able to get a good seal at this point and the bubbles from the Windex stopped. But I was still loosing air. I found one on the right side of the crank by the little gear. I freaked out thinking that the main seal was bad and I'd have to take the whole mess back apart and split the cases. So I did the right thing and I stopped working, I went upstairs and took a long shower and cooked dinner. Giving myself time to cool down and think of it rationally almost always helps. I remembered there's that little rubber O-ring with the block on it that goes behind the crankshaft gear on that side. I then realized this was the likely culprit as the bubbles were coming out of the end of those threads that hold the gear on. I pulled that gear out, gave it a nice cleaning and resembled it with some fresh oil and viola! no more leak. This left just one final leak that I found. The copper head gasket.
(https://i.imgur.com/JUScE7d.jpg)
I went ahead and pulled that head back off and exactly where I found the leak, I also found a slight residue on the head surface that I was having some difficulty removing before and I had thought I'd cleaned it up "good enough"..... sigh. Well I got to work very carefully with a razor blade and a scotch brite pad and cleaned it up until it was new. I had one extra copper gasket laying around and I threw that in for good measure and reassembled. This time the leakdown test was MUCH better. I only lost 1.1psi over a 5 minute period compared to before when I would loose all pressure over about 30 seconds.
(https://i.imgur.com/mJDt1S2.jpg)
Fortunately the basement was really quiet, and I was able to hear the last leak. It's still coming from the right side head that I just re-installed. It's much less of a leak than before, and windex doesnt actually show any bubbles coming from there. But you can juuuuust barely hear a faint high-pitched squeal coming from that area. It sounds like a 16kHz sine wave. I'm starting to feel like I'm not impressed with these flat copper gaskets that come in the Vesrah kits. There's no crush portion in them. I'm going to give these a try. https://www.economycycle.com/shop/yamaha-rd250350400r5ds6ds7-parts/engine-related/gasketsseals-engine/yamaha-rd350-r5-head-gasket-all-years-reproduction-replaces-oem-278-11181-01/ (https://www.economycycle.com/shop/yamaha-rd250350400r5ds6ds7-parts/engine-related/gasketsseals-engine/yamaha-rd350-r5-head-gasket-all-years-reproduction-replaces-oem-278-11181-01/)
Quote from: dgorms on August 15, 2020, 11:05:28 PM
Boston, every time I have used something to "get me by" it F'n blew up right before I got back to it! Just speaking from 40 plus years of "DUH"............................................D
You know.... I hate it, but you're right. Never let it be said that I dont listen to people with more experience than me. I just ordered up those copper head gaskets and new Wiseco pins and clips from Economy Cycle. It'll only set me back a few days and it's much better than destroying my cylinders after only a week. One of my buddies in USCRA just had the pin clips fail on his CB350 last week and the pin carved a whole canyon in his side walls!
Quote from: Economy Cycle on August 17, 2020, 12:50:19 AM
Looks good, that's one of the older riveted drums with the square triggers that can cause the engine to start in the wrong direction, and those rivets were known to loosen up over time. They changed the drums several years ago to a one piece cnc drum with ramped triggers.
John
EC
https://www.economycycle.com/shop/yamaha-rd250350400r5ds6ds7-parts/electrical-ignitions-lighting/ignition/mzb-rotor-updated-design/
Thanks John! I had no idea. I'll put that on my shopping list for the next time. Like I mentioned above I just placed an order for the pins, clips, and gaskets around lunch time, and you guys already got them shipped out today! Killer! Thank you, I really appreciate the fast help!
Quote from: toffee on August 17, 2020, 06:25:08 AM
Great thread!
I too am fitting a VAPE Powerdynamo ignition at the moment, I wasnt aware of the mods which people are doing,
I gonna check them out.
http://www.2strokeworld.net/forum/index.php?topic=855.0 (http://www.2strokeworld.net/forum/index.php?topic=855.0) :toot:
Those vesrah head gaskets suck. OEM you can heat up and re-use FWIW.
I have used a bit of the black gasket maker RTV stuff with success.
But nothing beats a Chuck Q squish/combustion chamber setup for RD400 gaskets.
I was given the advise on the copper gaskets to use Permatex 80697 copper gasket spray, it has worked great for me on 2 different occasions solving this exact leak-down issue.
Thanks guys, I'll look into both of those!
Are you going to install the motor into the frame with the heads on?
I like to put the motor without heads into the frame as it never seems to go in with the heads on and everything gets scratched up and chipped. 400's are way easier with the removable front mount.
Then put the heads on and leak test in the frame
Quote from: rodneya on August 19, 2020, 12:27:08 AM
Are you going to install the motor into the frame with the heads on?
I like to put the motor without heads into the frame as it never seems to go in with the heads on and everything gets scratched up and chipped. 400's are way easier with the removable front mount.
Then put the heads on and leak test in the frame
Interesting. This is my first time trying to put an RD motor into the frame, I had no idea. I was planning on laying down a blanket and placing the engine on its side on the ground, and then laying the frame down over top of it.
I find it easy enough to put the engine in the frame right side up.
The engine isnt all that heavy and it's easy to wrangle if you use the kickstart lever as a handle.
I put a couple pieces of wood lath 3/8" x 1 1/2" across the bottom frame rails to rest the engine on while I get the motor mounts lined up.
Wrist pins, clips, and head gaskets should be here in another day or two. In the mean time I decided to turn my attention to rebuilding the carbs.
(https://i.imgur.com/DfplK5Q.jpg)
The very first thing I want to say is that if you havent bought one of these ultra dorky grandpa magnifying headsets yet, you absolutely should! I love this thing for working on small bits like jets.
(https://i.imgur.com/DBZjxkb.jpg)
First carb all torn down. Yes, I have watched every episode of James May: The Reassebler. Why do you ask?
(https://i.imgur.com/9ibApiH.jpg)
NOW THEN. I have a little treat for all of you. An carb rebuild kit shootout! :metal:
As luck would have it, I ordered up a set of rebuild kits from CruzinImage. I've heard mixed reviews on his parts, but some people seem to really rave about them. For just under 20 bucks for TWO kits, I figured it wasnt a lot of money to lose if they're no good. Being that he's located in Japan and everything ships out of there, I thought there was a chance he was getting some quality bits direct from the OEM suppliers in Japan (I may have been dreaming, I know). Well after the order they sat in the post office in Japan for over a month. I got sick of waiting an bought a set of Keyster kits (a little under 30 bucks PER kit). Several weeks later the CruzinImage kits showed up anyway. Oh well, now I have tons of spares. But, I also have the fortune of being able to compare them back to back, under magnification.
In all photos Keyster is on the left and CruzinImage is on the right
(https://i.imgur.com/3cpJIJ7.jpg)
First thing I notice is that both kits include all the same bits and pieces, no kit includes anything more or less.
Starting with the float needles, the Keyster kit appears smoother. The CruzinImage has a sharper angle of attack at the business end, and comes to a sharper point. The biggest difference is the smoothness of the spring end. When depressing the plunger, the CruzinImage needle feels gritty and notchy. By comparison the Keyster needle is smooth as butter. It gives the impression that it's less likely to bind or stick, and for that reason I picked the Keyster float needle and installed it.
(https://i.imgur.com/5l9dj2t.jpg)
Magnification!
(https://i.imgur.com/c7iLil6.jpg)
Here we have the Seats for the needles. The Keyster looks much smoother overall and has sharper threads. Tool marks are deeper and more apparent on the CruzinImage part. It doesnt show up in pictures well, but the Keyster item also has a nicer shine to it. I kept the Keyster Seat with the Needle I chose, and into the carb it went.
(https://i.imgur.com/1U252E9.jpg)
The story continues on the washer for the needle and seat. They're pretty comparable, but more tooling marks on the CruzinImage washer.
(https://i.imgur.com/jrpw51X.jpg)
Not much to report on the top cap gaskets. The Keyster has a nice looking texture to it and it had a softer, more supple feel to it. So I figured that would make it better and conforming to the surface and making a seal. In this picture you can also see how much cleaner cut the edges are. Into the carb it goes.
(https://i.imgur.com/mcsV5Ie.jpg)
Same for the float bowl gaskets. Hard to quantify or say why, but the Keyster set had a nicer feel to it. Felt like a better material. I'm noticing a pattern at this point.
(https://i.imgur.com/CWqc5Ci.jpg)
Next up to bat is the Pilot jets. These looked pretty comparable and if anything, the threads looked a little cleaner on the CruzinImage jet. I guess Keyster cant win em all. I wont be using either of these however, as they are the stock 25's and I bought some larger ones already.
(https://i.imgur.com/jVgxZp0.jpg)
Main Jets. This picture didnt turn out great, but to the eye, the threads and machining were better on the Keyster jet. Again, these are stock size and I already bought larger jets.
(https://i.imgur.com/fX6niFb.jpg)
Air screws. Same story, smoother finish overall on the Keyster. But the CruzinImage wasnt too bad, I wouldnt have a problem using either.
(https://i.imgur.com/cnrSmDJ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nXBXeZo.jpg)
Ho boy.... here we go.... Needle Jets. Open this image in a new tab and zoom in and tell me which one you're putting in your bike. You can feel the roughness on the surface of the CruzinImage needle just by holding it. The other thing I noticed (didnt get it in this picture) is that where the taper of the needle changes, the Keyster has a nice clean, consistent break from one taper to the next. The CruzinImage is blended and not as apparent.
(https://i.imgur.com/frSuSiz.jpg)
I learned something today. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for. I'll be buying good, brand name carb kits from now on. :twocents:
Now I'm curious to look at the K&L kits that are over 40 a piece.
One thing I wanted to point out is to make sure the washer is lined up correctly on the seat and ...uh.. seats all the way down flush. I was a little careless and just tossed the washer on there and started threading the seat into the carb. I noticed it didnt thread all the way down before it stopped. Then I found that the washer had caught on the last bit of thread creating a gap between it and the shoulder it's supposed to seal against. I pulled it back out and lined it up correctly.
(https://i.imgur.com/QWOBWkG.jpg)
Starting to put everything back together.
(https://i.imgur.com/sLF8pM6.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/o6PShGH.jpg)
:help:
Having a little trouble with the slide/spring/carb top situation. I have 2 sets of carbs. One was a high top and these are low top. The high tops are lost somewhere in my buddy's garage. But the slides had a weight in them that allowed this needle retaining clip to seat nice and flat. These low tops I'm working on didnt have anything like that, and I cannot get the needle retainer to seat correctly. Any advice? what am I missing? This doesnt feel correct, so I dont think this is how it's supposed to go together. Also, is there any comparative advantage between the high and low top carbs? Is one better? Thanks!
(https://i.imgur.com/73ZKkY7.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/i2oifzz.jpg)
In the last pic there if I recall I believe that tab on the left, facing down is supposed to fit into the slot beneath it. Then it should sit nice and flat and the spring keeps tension on the whole assembly to keep it all where it's supposed to be. Not sure about any differences between low and hi top carbs.
Quote from: RDryan on August 19, 2020, 07:52:13 PM
In the last pic there if I recall I believe that tab on the left, facing down is supposed to fit into the slot beneath it. Then it should sit nice and flat and the spring keeps tension on the whole assembly to keep it all where it's supposed to be. Not sure about any differences between low and hi top carbs.
Yeah, it lines up and fits in exactly like that on my High Top carbs, but here, the slot is facing in the wrong direction, so it wont go in. I can bend the tab the other way, but I was hoping to no have to modify the part.
Today I got the other carb cleaned out and rebuilt with the new parts from the Keyster kits!
(https://i.imgur.com/vIfLTKV.jpg)
Then I got to work on the clutch. The clutch plates are well within spec, so I'm going to use them for now just to ride around for the end of the season, and I'll upgrade it over the winter.
(https://i.imgur.com/Q5FeLby.jpg)
I've found 2 issues. First is that I forgot to install the bearing retainer right here on the transmission input shaft. You can see it in another picture.
(https://i.imgur.com/tmDv4mq.jpg)
The second issue is that my parts stack up doesnt match what I'm seeing in the service manual. The manual says I should have a trust washer between the the two halves of the clutch basket, behind the thrust plate. I dont have the bearing anywhere, and I also disassembled the clutch from another engine I took apart it it also doesnt have a bearing where the service manual says there should be. Any chance this is a model year change? Does anyone else run without this thrust washer? Or know where to get one?
(https://i.imgur.com/Zw4tzJ4.jpg)
Part Number 3 in this diagram.
(https://i.imgur.com/BSdn2yx.jpg)
The good news is that I test fitted everything after a good cleaning and it installs nicely and spins freely. So I'm wondering if the thrust bearing (#3) was an older part that was eliminated as unnecessary. This engine is a 1975.
(https://i.imgur.com/TBaJ6uO.jpg)
Been away from the project for a little bit. Very busy house hunting. But very excited that the wife and I have found a place and we're moving pretty close to closing the deal down. New spot will be EXCELLENT for my project addiction. It has a HUGE 2 car garage and a freestanding shed for storage. Cant wait!
In the mean time I've been able to get back to work on the RD and I tore the top end back down and installed the new Wiseco wrist pins and clips. Cleaned up all the gasket surfaces and put it back together with the new gaskets. I bought the nicer 'crush' style head gaskets from Economy Cycle and they sealed much better than the flat ones that came in the Vesrah kit.
(https://i.imgur.com/ee8hSW3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VNAyykI.jpg)
While cleaning and organizing around my basement I found a set of Boysen Power reeds! I took the stock (and dangerous) metal reeds out of my cages and replaced them with these! Nice little upgrade. I made sure to use blue Locktite on the threads when reinstalling.
(https://i.imgur.com/SV5YseR.jpg)
After a little bit of playing around with the manifolds the engine passed a leak-down test. I was excited and got right to work putting it in the frame.
(https://i.imgur.com/PcBhnx1.jpg)
At this point I couldnt resist throwing the tank and seat on there just to see it look like an actual motorcycle. Isnt that a sight for sore eyes!
(https://i.imgur.com/q1En46J.jpg)
:metal: :metal: :metal: :metal: :metal:
done use either jet needle they are wrong on both kits. i (recently) learned they are copies of the uk 350-b needle which is incorrect as the carbs are actually different. use oem yamaha.
:twocents:
neat comparison. :clap:
Good looking out! I'll swap the needles back to the stock ones before I put them on. Thanks!
Boston huh? You're 50 mins away from me. Come to NH ;)
I got to NH all the time for racing in USCRA! You should try it out!
Quote from: bostontrackrat on September 22, 2020, 02:57:17 PM
I got to NH all the time for racing in USCRA! You should try it out!
I've asked my girlfriend, she would not allow me to do it. Happy wife (girlfriend), happy life.
Quote from: quocle603 on September 22, 2020, 03:29:20 PM
Quote from: bostontrackrat on September 22, 2020, 02:57:17 PM
I got to NH all the time for racing in USCRA! You should try it out!
I've asked my girlfriend, she would not allow me to do it. Happy wife (girlfriend), happy life.
That happy wife thing is BS. Ill rather go with pissed off wife, hide the knives.
:clap:
Quote from: rodneya on September 22, 2020, 05:34:48 PM
Quote from: quocle603 on September 22, 2020, 03:29:20 PM
Quote from: bostontrackrat on September 22, 2020, 02:57:17 PM
I got to NH all the time for racing in USCRA! You should try it out!
I've asked my girlfriend, she would not allow me to do it. Happy wife (girlfriend), happy life.
That happy wife thing is BS. Ill rather go with pissed off wife, hide the knives.
Last year at the awards banquet one of the class champions got up to accept his trophy and his thank you speech was just "I'd like to thank my wife for not killing me in my sleep."
Quote from: bostontrackrat on August 19, 2020, 10:54:14 PM
Quote from: RDryan on August 19, 2020, 07:52:13 PM
In the last pic there if I recall I believe that tab on the left, facing down is supposed to fit into the slot beneath it. Then it should sit nice and flat and the spring keeps tension on the whole assembly to keep it all where it's supposed to be. Not sure about any differences between low and hi top carbs.
Yeah, it lines up and fits in exactly like that on my High Top carbs, but here, the slot is facing in the wrong direction, so it wont go in. I can bend the tab the other way, but I was hoping to no have to modify the part.
The tab goes in the straight part and keeps the cable from sliding over and coming out of the round hole.
Wiring Time!
(https://i.imgur.com/gznKUBu.jpg)
Even braiding my own cables!
(https://i.imgur.com/3V5LPNf.jpg)
Tail light
(https://i.imgur.com/PB5gvHC.jpg)
Headlight. I wired in a relay to turn off the low beam when the high beam is on to avoid overheating.
(https://i.imgur.com/98ncLmx.jpg)
Here you can see both the red and blue switches lit up and working. Red is the master on/off for all the lights and accessories, and blue is high beam.
(https://i.imgur.com/MbuyODd.jpg)
I'm also trying to figure out how to rig up my tach. I'm recycling the stock tach for right now (and the neutral light). I want to mount it right about here, flush with the top clamp.
(https://i.imgur.com/V56RRCR.jpg)
I have to find a way to clamp around here, where the stock gauge bracket would have been, or make an entirely new cup to hold the gauge, which I'm leaning towards.
(https://i.imgur.com/A46b4pF.jpg)
Quote(https://i.imgur.com/V56RRCR.jpg)
Those power buttons? If so, what are they for? Super cool!
I'll take a crack at it.
Pretty sure those add more power... ;D
Quote from: quocle603 on September 29, 2020, 01:26:12 PM
Those power buttons? If so, what are they for? Super cool!
Quote from: Czakky on September 29, 2020, 04:18:38 PM
I'll take a crack at it.
Pretty sure those add more power... ;D
Wow, I reckon I need me one of those buttons.
It's for the flux capacitor.
(https://beta.industrywest.com/media/catalog/product/cache/c7c07a9d85d4e0e14b2d1c51c612335b/f/l/flux-capacitor-fridge-magnet.-inspired-by-back-to-the-future-4054-1-p.jpg)
Wiring harness is completely finished! Moving on now to side covers and chain and exhaust.
(https://i.imgur.com/krA25wz.jpg)
I grabbed my chain out of the box it was stored in and picked it up and it looks like this...
(https://i.imgur.com/IvpVYM8.jpg)
Oh well, I just ordered up a new one and a sprocket from Economy. I wonder if they have my address memorized by now. :wave:
Also ordered up some new stainless bolts for the sidecovers while I was at it, so I'll get that all installed this weekend.
Looking good!
Any issues with the wiring?
im finding mine to be a right pain
those power buttons are indeed cool.
Wiring seems so far so good. I hooked up a battery in the system where the output from the Reg/Rec would be (I'm running a batteryless system) and everything seems to work as intended. Wont know 100% for sure until I get the engine to fire up.
I got my chain and sprocket from Economy yesterday and just went to install it. Sadly, I'm coming up short.
(https://i.imgur.com/svefDHK.jpg)
I counted, it's 92 links, which is what's supposed to be for an RD350. I emailed Economy to ask them for their thoughts. I have a 14T front and 43T rear sprocket, which is huge, but it's what I had laying around. So I'm wondering..... am I unable to close the chain completely because the 43T rear sprocket is just way too big? Or is it possible I accidentally acquired an RD400 swingarm? Does anyone have the front to back dimensions for either swingarm? I know the 400 is longer but I dont know the dimensions to be able to confirm what I have.
So now I'm trying to figure out if I need to buy a smaller sprocket, a longer chain, or both?
So I went ahead and ordered up a longer chain and another sprocket to try out, on the recommendation of the guys at Economy Cycle. In the mean time, I have other work to do.
I completely cleaned up the inside of the left side cover, and cleaned and lubed the clutch actuator. (forgot to take an after pic)
(https://i.imgur.com/GcuOkFc.jpg)
cleaned and painted the ignition cover and center stand.
(https://i.imgur.com/OU8FZOG.jpg)
Installed all the cables. Installed new fuel lines and clamps. I still need to plug up the oil injection ports because I'm running pre-mix (for now, I'll add the pump back in later).
(https://i.imgur.com/IN439Kf.jpg)
And finally, joyfully, the final touch.... putting it up on its own center stand and installing the exhaust.
(https://i.imgur.com/QPlWWoK.jpg)
That, my friends, is a complete motorcycle! :vroom: I just put oil in it and I'm heading out now to get some fresh gas! Hopefully I can get some noise out of it today. Wish me luck!
She made smoke and noise for the first time in over 3 decades today. Very pleased. :righteous:
As you can see, it's running terribly and will not idle. I way over-shot on the jets, and I'm beginning to dial it back. But hey, it ran!
I'm struggling with the timing on the Vape system. I've read and re-read Chuck's thread multiple times now. My issue is the timing marks arent matching when it's stationary and when it's running. I'll take some pictures later to try to explain.
That's some good old smoke. You running a stock system?
Quote from: quocle603 on October 12, 2020, 11:51:53 AM
That's some good old smoke. You running a stock system?
Stock exhaust with baffles removed. Stock carbs. Vape ignition.
Not sure if this may help but here are my settings for my RD350 with Yboot and Uni filter.
VM28SC without mod.
Main: 240 (might go down to 235-230)
Pilot: 30 (might increase to 32.5 or 35)
Airmixture: 1 1/2 turns out.
Clip: 3rd position
Much appreciated Quocle! I forgot to mention that I also have the Y boot with the Uni, and I have not done the Dave F mod either. So hopefully your settings will get me on the right path. I had a 180 main jet in there, and was worried it might be too rich. You're really running a 240? :eek:
Quote from: quocle603 on October 12, 2020, 12:31:59 PM
Not sure if this may help but here are my settings for my RD350 with Yboot and Uni filter.
VM28SC without mod.
Main: 240 (might go down to 235-230)
Pilot: 30 (might increase to 32.5 or 35)
Airmixture: 1 1/2 turns out.
Clip: 3rd position
Second guessing where my jets are right now. 65mm ProX pistons, TDR reeds, 1/4" spacers, rz intakes, individual uni pods, Dave F mod and DGs. I'm running 180 mains, 32.5 pilots on the third clip, 1.75 turns out. I can't wait to start messing with the carbs again next year.
I'm not 100% happy with my jets right now, but it's close. Probably an air screw adjustment, larger mains and change needle position. I have no noticeable flat spot which is amazing!
Yeah, without the Dave F mod, you will be around the 220-240ish(+/-) range for your main. With your new filter, you're adding a ton of air into the mixture and you will need to compensate with larger jets. Obvious ride and try to grasp what the bike is telling you. Obvious start with a richer and go leaner.
Well bad news. I took the bike out to an empty parking lot over the weekend and got it fired up. I thought maybe it just needed to clear it's throat for a few minutes in order to get it to idle.
(https://i.imgur.com/j72DsRG.png)
Got it fired up under about half throttle. Wont idle but I can keep it under part throttle (not full), and give it little blips and it kept running, but was real rough. Then, after about 2 minutes of running, instant silence. :eek: Go to turn the engine over with the kickstarter and it's totally seized. :eek: :eek:
I decided to put it back in the truck and take it home for the day before I decided to throw it in the river.
So, I'm sad to say this marks a significant pause in forward progress on this project. I'm moving next week, so I'll need to focus on that for the next few weeks, getting the house and the garage setup and whatnot. Then I'll pull the motor and inspect it. Stay tuned!
Yikes! The oil pump not work or something? You were clearly getting some oil before (from your video). This is concerning...
33:1 premix :/
I passed a leakdown test before starting it. Either I have a serious problem with carbs or ignition timing, or....
The crank shaft that I didnt rebuild and said "seemed to be in good condition", wasnt.
I talked to a buddy of mine who runs a really good vintage repair shop and he said because I only ran it for about 2 minutes under no load, it seemed unlikely that the piston would get hot enough to seize. He thinks the crankshaft had a toasted bearing that I didnt notice.
Check your clutch and generator side to see if anything is binding it.
Take off the top end to see if anything is binding. Inspect the top end, check if your circlips are still in your pistons. I had a mysterious circlip show wedge between my crank and case.
Good luck man. It would be unfortunate if it's the crank :(
ZOMBIEEEEE THREADDDDD!!!!!!! :righteous:
Back from the dead and back at it!
It's been a long 2021 so far and I havent had a moment to turn a wrench on the RD since my last post in October. My wife and I bought a house, moved, and have been very busy settling in and setting the place up. Then this spring was all busy with me running the Honda Hawk Gt at a large variety of track days and race orgs. I was on the track 4 weekends in a row at one point. With other projects stabilizing it's time to pull the RD350 back up to the workbench and see what's gone wrong.
(https://i.imgur.com/9DofBsQ.jpg)
First order of business was getting the engine out of the bike and onto the bench, went much faster than expected.
(https://i.imgur.com/PbNsBbr.jpg)
I got the side covers off, and the top end off and guess what....?
Rotating assembly spins smooth as silk.
Now what?
(https://i.imgur.com/4XgYOPO.jpg)
The only anomaly I've been able to find is these 2 score marks on either side of the exhaust port that coincides with slightly flattened worn marks on the piston rings. Pressure points of some kind. I pulled the rings off the piston and checked the end gaps again and I have plenty. So I've chocked this one up to installation error. I probably didnt have the ends centered perfectly around the locating pins, so I put them back together extra carefully.
(https://i.imgur.com/aFPGLVS.jpg)
A quick annealing of the head gaskets on the stove when my wife wasnt looking.
(https://i.imgur.com/GkLAKFQ.jpg)
And back together the top end goes. Quick pic of the cool little Pro Flo mark from when the head work was done.
I'll let you know when it's back in the bike.
(https://i.imgur.com/sm73sJX.jpg)
I'm also VERY excited to announce a new addition to the fleet. A fully race built RD400 that I'll be racing in USCRA in 2 weeks time! This thing is built to the nines and runs like a top, should be very interesting. This is going to be my first time actually riding a large 2 stroke bike, and it's going to be on the race track!
Quick specs: Fully built motor with heavy duty porting, squish/compression work, running on race gas, expansion chambers look similar to Millenniums but cant say for sure, Worx shocks and Race Tech fork internals, and a modern master cylinder, all rolling on R-compound Heidenau tires.
That 400 sounds like a blast. Keep us posted.
So some interesting developments today.
First, the RD400 race bike shown above: Turns out, it's not an RD400. Upon closer inspection, it's an RD350, with RD400 wheels, swingarm, and gas tank. This works for me. The RD350 motor allows me to have full parts interchangeability with my street bike, and the boxes of parts I've already collected. (and I've heard the 350 likes to rev better at the track anyway). The RD400 wheels and longer swingarm will provide more stability in corners, and the tank with its knee cutouts is easier to grip on when leaning off the bike.
Second: I had a Eureka moment while inspecting the street bike's engine today. I still couldnt figure out why it had stopped spinning in the bike. Re-reading here I took quocle603's suggestion and pulled the cylinders back off to check to see if the retaining clips were still in each side of the pistons (they were). While doing this I happened to notice this on the side of the engine.
(https://i.imgur.com/tW6u1pR.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IhaJIqa.jpg)
Whatever idiot assembled this engine (yours, truly) didnt torque down the nut on the end of the crank! Incredible.
There's a suspect circular mark at the corresponding spot on the side cover.
(https://i.imgur.com/PJnfPbf.jpg)
I think I've solved the mystery of the seized engine.
The last couple threads on the end of the crank are a little smushed now, and it's really hard to try to get the nut back on, so I'll have to go find a tap to clean it up. In the mean time, a question for you guys. The large washer behind the nut, that retains the primary drive gear and woodruff key is shaped. 1: is it supposed to be or is this damaged? 2: should the concave or convex side face in towards the gear?
(https://i.imgur.com/JwAf1B6.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JumM8qE.jpg)
Thanks in advance!
Rather than buy a die to clean up those threads, consider a thread file. A far more versatile tool to have :twocents:
Quote from: 85RZwade on July 20, 2021, 12:23:03 AM
Rather than buy a die to clean up those threads, consider a thread file. A far more versatile tool to have :twocents:
I agree. That would be a one-time use die, but a thread file proper pitched would see many uses. Have to admit though, I'd hit it with a needle file. Should only have some soft embedded aluminum fouling the threads.
Thanks guys. I had originally thought of just filing it, but was afraid of screwing it up. But I'll give it a shot. I'll stop by Harbor Freight and grab some needle files and I'll go extra slow and steady on it.
Thats a type of lock washer. I always install it with the bulge facing out and some blue locktite on the nut.
Thanks guys!
The file worked well on the crank, but the threads in the nut are messed up as well, and I cant get to them with the file. I've tried just running it on and off a few times, but it still gets really tight when it's on, so I wont be able to get an accurate torque spec when I tighten it down. Does anyone have an extra one in their stash they could part with? I'm also going to rummage through my parts bin later today.
Rodney is correct on the washer. It's a belleville type, the concave side faces the gear.
FYI, the nut is still available new from Yamaha for about $3.
Yamaha 90170-16425-00 NUT
Thanks!! I ordered it up from Partzilla, should be here mid next week. In the meantime, I just got a pile of jets in from Economy Cycle, so I can start tuning the race bike. That's one's gonna need a name too.
How about Fezzik?
Quick update: Got the replacement nut for the crank, and got it installed, went on nice and easy. I timed the engine, got it back into the frame, and setup/adjusted the clutch. I'll take pictures tomorrow.
Question: While timing the ignition I discovered that TDC has a bit more of "notch" to it than I remembered previously. I know there is supposed to be a bit of a "no mans land" at that point, but it seems more pronounced than I expected. It also seems more subtle at TDC on Cylinder 2 than on 1. Otherwise everything seems to turn smoothly and quietly. Cause for concern or is this normal behavior?
i hear ya. well, you can put a dial gauge in it, and measure angle from 1mm btdc and 11 after tdc on both cyls and see if the angle is the same. IF its not, it may show a worn rod or wristpin bearing. (on the 'longer duration' one)
:twocents: