Pidjones' bicentenial build (a '76 RD400)

[pidjones]

[soonerbillz]

Love this thread.. glad to follow along.
Can't wait to be in the same moments.

[pidjones]

Love this thread.. glad to follow along.
Can't wait to be in the same moments.

Do something, even a little thing, each day and you are there before you know it!

[m in sc]

^ yup.

[pidjones]

Getting ready to winterize next week. Plan is to fire it up, let it idle until the float bowls run dry, then drain any fuel left. Then I'll change the gear lube. Might go ahead and drain the fuel tank then. It will be stored in our heated basement garage. The front fender needs to come off and get a few dents sorted this winter.

[rodneya]

If you can get ethanol free fuel then its better to fill the tank completely for storage.

Ive added a fuel tap to my mower, pressure washer, snow blower and switched out the vacuum petcock on my Katana so that I can run the carbs dry.

[RustyRD]

Lucas ethanol treatment worked for me, I had a 82 kz1100 I had put this treatment in and it sat without running for the better part of a year . I put a battery in it and was able to crank it and ride it about 20 mile to my current address. I am sold on their products.

[pidjones]

The bike only sees ethanol-free high test. Due to its need for a tank liner this past Spring, and it being stored in the (heated) basement of our house, I'll feel more comfortable with it drained.

[m in sc]

add 1 oz premix per gallon to fuel. will sit just fine.

[pidjones]

Bike is now mounted on a furniture dolly with both wheels off to get the paint removed.

[pidjones]

Took the wheels in today to have the paint blasted off. A fender washer on each side of the central bearings held in with all-thread and rubber hose shoved over the disk studs.

[pidjones]

Remounted the wheels today. New bearings in the rear.  Discovered the rear MC leaking again. Ordered a kit for it.

[85RZwade]

Is the 400's rear master particularly problematic? It seems to be a common complaint area.

[pidjones]

Is the 400's rear master particularly problematic? It seems to be a common complaint area.

Good question. I suspect that it is more a 40+ year-old component problem. I've had trouble with CB750F and GL1000 rear masters, too. Brake fluid over time pulls in water, and the MCs have dissimilar metals in them. I think the biggest problem on this one is very old piston cups that have conformed to the bore over time and no longer press against them. Also, you must always clean out the "splooge hole" to prevent the brakes from locking up.

[85RZwade]

My New Years resolution is now to change my brake fluid