Another LC/TZ Hybrid

[rodneya]

Dont see why it would not work with the coarse soda. That said, blasting soda is pretty expensive compared to other media and a soda blaster is only about $100 at harbour freight. The one I have works way better than my blasting cabinet.

[85RZwade]

The answer is yes...sort of. I marched into Harbor Freight this morning and bought the smaller diameter ceramic tips for soda and a bag of said soda and gave it a shot:



Compare that to the "before" pic on the previous page (I know, pain in the ass...tell me more about your first-world problems) and be as underwhelmed as I am. It does work, but it doesn't feed well; I had to stop and shake the blaster tank often to get the soda to move. It did take some residue off that the parts washer didn't, but I was initially disappointed that the oxidation remained in those rectangular crypts on the right of the picture. Actually, the surface oxidation is gone and what you are seeing is stained aluminum. It's as smooth as you could want to the touch.
Even if I get it to feed well, it's not fun for me and I can see why people pay good money to have it done.

[85RZwade]

Tonight I mounted a footpeg.



Years ago I bought a box of FZ600 parts that included a swingarm, or maybe that tough-to-find suspension link needed to put said swingarm into an RZ350, so I have some footpegs. They're a little smaller than the LC items and they have that cool little curb feeler (replaceable!) on the end, so people will know you're a badass racer. Instead of the LC aluminum casting that bolts to the outside of the frame and supports the back end of the pipe, I mounted the much smaller FZ casting to a plate on the inside of the frame.



This brings the footpegs in a bit closer to the bike. The new location is about an inch higher and not quite an inch rearward compared to stock; racier, but hopefully acceptable to my knees. They're simple plates, so I can make new ones with different hole locations pretty easily for comfort.
The plate is in the wrong vertical plane (too close to the center of the bike) for the pipe mount, so my plan is to make a two-legged triangular bracket out of round tubing using the same bolts as the plate, but mounted on the outside of the frame.

[85RZwade]

No fewer than 3 left footpeg assemblies in the FZ stash, but not a single right! eBay to the rescue. Nissin master cylinder from a quad, probably a YFZ450, slots in nicely. The right side bracket will extend upward and rearward to accommodate the master cylinder. Heel guards are kinda neat, but I don't think I'll bother with them, at least partly because I have 2 rights and no left!

[85RZwade]

I'm supposed to be doing other things today. Right side mocked in plywood:



Can you tell that the left side is 1/2" lower? Me neither. Hooray for eyeball engineering 



I'll work on getting a seat on there and see which side I like better. I read somewhere about making your worst mistakes in cardboard (wood, in this case).

[85RZwade]

Honestly, I was just looking at coolant hoses when I found this:





$78 including radiator cap and hoses. Three rows, all aluminum construction. I couldn't say no.



Seems to fit perfectly. I don't think the Elsie is known for cooling problems, so this is just fun bling. I might have to put a thermostat in it now...I have seen the Elsie radiator suggested as a replacement for the RZ350, so maybe I'll do that. Or buy another $78 aluminum radiator for the RZ!

[rodneya]

I fitted one of those rads on my hybrid bike, with a bi of added bling. The cover is for an LC and seems quite a bit bigger than the rad so I was wondering if the rad is actually smaller than a stock LC rad.
I had to add a fan this summer as it was overheating, but my motor is far from stock.

[m in sc]

i have the same radiator. it works great. no thermostat needed just fyi.  you can get the same one in rz configuration (or could).

I have a small fan on my hybrid. it never needs to come on, its set for 210 degrees 'on' @ the head. my coolant temp gauge is in the upper hose, just fyi. make sure you test fit with chambers on.   

[85RZwade]

That's good news, thanks for the details guys 

Tonight, when I couldn't stand to work on my kid's CR-V any longer, I slipped into the barn and made the latest iteration of the right side footpeg bracket:



I flipped the master cylinder around and lowered the footpeg, so right and left pegs are the same height. There's a small spacer behind the master on each bolt; I think the steel is thick enough (4.8mm) to tap and forego nuts on the backside.

[Jspooner]

I use the same radiator on my LC/TZ as well. I run an RZ thermostat and no fan.

[85RZwade]

  This build is NOT dead! The air-cooled RD just got to be more fun and, well, kind of took over. There has been a setback, of sorts, though. Things didn't work out with the machinist I hired, and I have my cylinders and head back untouched: no boring, no porting, no heade mods. Maybe I have matured in the last few months  but I am re-thinking the porting idea. Perhaps the better path is to leave the ports alone, have the cylinders bored and the head cut and put a modern electronic ignition in there. Perhaps add divider plates to the VM30s, mods reputed to enhance drivability. I probably don't need more power, at least not power delivered via lightswitch.
So, tonight I ordered an HPI from our friends at Treatland, taking advantage of one of their 15% sales (glizzymcguire) and got a Trailtech voltage regulator as well.
Anybody have experience with divider plates? 

[85RZwade]

May have found another machinist; with a little luck, I'll be talking to him tomorrow afternoon 

[dgorms]

Dude, sorry bout the guy that didn't work out! Care to elaborate? Maybe save someone else from grief?

[85RZwade]

  mmmm... ...

[pdxjim]

May have found another machinist; with a little luck, I'll be talking to him tomorrow afternoon 

He's the best I know, and a heck of a nice guy.

Bring cash!