Ha ha.... they kept me waiting but they sent me a rotor aswell - plonkers.
Thursday, 30 July 2015
Friday, 24 July 2015
FZR600 Head stock bearings changed
So the handling of the FZR is somewhat strange to say the least, a new tyre on the rear helped and now it has had all the wheel bearings changed (the guy that sold the bike included them in the package!), so I thought the last thing that would affect the fairly iffy front end would be the headstock bearings.
Got a set off Ebay - pyramid bearings that were cheap, and came with the bearing covers included, I couldn't better the price so went with them!
I stuck the races in the freezer, and the bearings on the window sill (it's currently about 36 degrees c over here), and went to strip the bike. Everything came off relatively easily, although I had to use a hydraulic jack under the exhaust system to hold the bike up, which was a bit dodgy, and as it is parked next to the Ducati, I didn't want it falling over and damaging anything. Anyway I shored it up with bits of wood to avoid disaster.
It took me the best part of the evening to get the lower bearing off the stem, very sweaty work, basically smashing away with a chisel and anything I could get my hands on, but it eventually gave way, the top race in the frame also came out pretty easily after tapping it out with a long drift stuck up from the bottom.
The lower race in the frame was a different matter! They give you 2 cutouts in the frame to allow you to see less than 1mm of race with a drift. Well nothing could get it to move, and despite inventing some ingenious tools with the grinder and pliers, nothing seemed to work for more than one good hit with the sledge hammer, they all just slipped. I saw some guys on youtube that used a dismantled bearing puller from the bottom to get a grip on the insed of the bearing, but that didn't work for me either.
So, after a couple of evenings abortive attempts, I got serious, and started using the dremel and a cutting wheel. I cut a couple of diagonale lines into the bearing and tried chiselling out the bits in the middle. Anyway this technique eventually worked (as it must), and the bearing came out, and it was pretty marked as well, so I think this was a good change.
Getting the new races into the frame went relatively easily with a long threaded bolt, and loads of old bearings and races to space things out and then do the bolt up, this pulls the race into place, despite some misalignment (fixed with a hammer!). The hardest part was fitting the bearing on the stem.
I had left the stem in the freezer for a couple of days, and the bearing in the sun, but it still only engaged a couple of mms onto the thicker part of the stem! I had found a furniture leg from the local DIY shop, which made a perfect drift over the stem, and with this and an old race I managed to get to within 2mms of the seat, before the "leg" started to buckle, in fact the old race I was using as a drift was actually butting up to the thickening stem, and I couldn't hit it any further, after I sussed this out I added a slightly larger diameter drift, and then we got to get it the last couple of mms, phew.... all done, just need to get it back together.
Got a set off Ebay - pyramid bearings that were cheap, and came with the bearing covers included, I couldn't better the price so went with them!
I stuck the races in the freezer, and the bearings on the window sill (it's currently about 36 degrees c over here), and went to strip the bike. Everything came off relatively easily, although I had to use a hydraulic jack under the exhaust system to hold the bike up, which was a bit dodgy, and as it is parked next to the Ducati, I didn't want it falling over and damaging anything. Anyway I shored it up with bits of wood to avoid disaster.
It took me the best part of the evening to get the lower bearing off the stem, very sweaty work, basically smashing away with a chisel and anything I could get my hands on, but it eventually gave way, the top race in the frame also came out pretty easily after tapping it out with a long drift stuck up from the bottom.
The lower race in the frame was a different matter! They give you 2 cutouts in the frame to allow you to see less than 1mm of race with a drift. Well nothing could get it to move, and despite inventing some ingenious tools with the grinder and pliers, nothing seemed to work for more than one good hit with the sledge hammer, they all just slipped. I saw some guys on youtube that used a dismantled bearing puller from the bottom to get a grip on the insed of the bearing, but that didn't work for me either.
So, after a couple of evenings abortive attempts, I got serious, and started using the dremel and a cutting wheel. I cut a couple of diagonale lines into the bearing and tried chiselling out the bits in the middle. Anyway this technique eventually worked (as it must), and the bearing came out, and it was pretty marked as well, so I think this was a good change.
Getting the new races into the frame went relatively easily with a long threaded bolt, and loads of old bearings and races to space things out and then do the bolt up, this pulls the race into place, despite some misalignment (fixed with a hammer!). The hardest part was fitting the bearing on the stem.
I had left the stem in the freezer for a couple of days, and the bearing in the sun, but it still only engaged a couple of mms onto the thicker part of the stem! I had found a furniture leg from the local DIY shop, which made a perfect drift over the stem, and with this and an old race I managed to get to within 2mms of the seat, before the "leg" started to buckle, in fact the old race I was using as a drift was actually butting up to the thickening stem, and I couldn't hit it any further, after I sussed this out I added a slightly larger diameter drift, and then we got to get it the last couple of mms, phew.... all done, just need to get it back together.
Sunday, 12 July 2015
Route des Grands Alpes
Col de la colombiere 1618m saturday lunch. Road very melted. But beautiful views. Unfortunately there is the Harley days at Les Gets so loads of traffic, and slow moving obstacles! Second half of the day much busier. Going thru' les saisies and then down to Modan (I've done that road before) at st Michel de Modanes you take a left up the Col du Telegraph the road is really busy and difficult to overtake, although I managed. Stopped at the top for a coke and a photo, and then onto Lautaret and then Galibier, the descent from Galibier is really nice fast and suits the Dayto really well. Spent the night at the recommended hotel in Briancon. With the high temperatures I should have stayed high, although it was nice to have a choice of resto. And a walk around Briancon. Tomorrow is another long day if I want to finish in the sea!
Started with the Col d'Izoard today - got to be the best. Smooth starts with long swoopy bends and then tightens up at top. Great descente into Guiestre and then up the Col de Vars good aswell and then Col de la bonnette, which is much tighter and requires lots of concentration. After following the Tinee down to the sea -except after Isola saw a sign to Dignes les Bains and I took it, so now eating lunch at Chateau Arnaux. On the way home! Great trip, ok on a sports bike, and ok for 2-3 days. I rushed it a bit, but swimming in the sea alone while trying to look after the stuff on the bike is difficult and it's just too hot. Got home at 15:30 just in time for the end of the tennis. A little over 1100kms in 2 days with the most mountain passes I've done in such a short time. Really does rival going over the alps to Brno. The bike ran faultlessly and I had great trip here are some of the photies.
Started with the Col d'Izoard today - got to be the best. Smooth starts with long swoopy bends and then tightens up at top. Great descente into Guiestre and then up the Col de Vars good aswell and then Col de la bonnette, which is much tighter and requires lots of concentration. After following the Tinee down to the sea -except after Isola saw a sign to Dignes les Bains and I took it, so now eating lunch at Chateau Arnaux. On the way home! Great trip, ok on a sports bike, and ok for 2-3 days. I rushed it a bit, but swimming in the sea alone while trying to look after the stuff on the bike is difficult and it's just too hot. Got home at 15:30 just in time for the end of the tennis. A little over 1100kms in 2 days with the most mountain passes I've done in such a short time. Really does rival going over the alps to Brno. The bike ran faultlessly and I had great trip here are some of the photies.
Thursday, 9 July 2015
Ducati Electrics
Looks like the stator on the Ducati is not functioning despite the resistance being just a couple of ohms, and no obvious shorts. Electrexworld make a relatively cheap replacement. 194 euros delivered. Hope I am right!
Friday, 3 July 2015
Busy busy...
Just to record some changes really.
Put new wheel bearings in the 350 and the FZR, hopefully that will stop the noise on the FZR. The wheel spacers I built for the 350 are a reasonable fit, but I need to keep an eye on the right hand side disk caliper as it is pretty close to the disk. Also had a new rear tyre fitted to the FZT a Pirelli Super Demon. It's a 130/70/18.
I also moved the needles on the Ducati up one slot, they were in the middle and are now at the bottom clip setting, I also replaced the faulty plug cap (zero resistance), and also tightened the carb manifolds (on the cylinder) which were loose and visibley leaking a touch - this could be the reason it seems to be running weak and popping and farting a lot, will test this weekend to see if anything changes.
Put new wheel bearings in the 350 and the FZR, hopefully that will stop the noise on the FZR. The wheel spacers I built for the 350 are a reasonable fit, but I need to keep an eye on the right hand side disk caliper as it is pretty close to the disk. Also had a new rear tyre fitted to the FZT a Pirelli Super Demon. It's a 130/70/18.
I also moved the needles on the Ducati up one slot, they were in the middle and are now at the bottom clip setting, I also replaced the faulty plug cap (zero resistance), and also tightened the carb manifolds (on the cylinder) which were loose and visibley leaking a touch - this could be the reason it seems to be running weak and popping and farting a lot, will test this weekend to see if anything changes.
Monday, 29 June 2015
Long time no write
Well, after my "stage de pilotage" had to strip down the engine to see what had gone wrong (again). Well this time, it would appear as if one of the thrust washers on cylinder 2 had gone walkies, and killed the piston and at the same time blocked the roatry disk shearing the disk into 2 pieces.
When I was cleaning it out, I also came across a piece of bearing cage in cylinder 4, which had lightly damaged the 4th piston. I think the moral of all this is that carbon is an extremely abrasive substance, and when the carbon disks are eaten by the engine, then a change of bearings is required!
The front head, two cylinders, and both crankshafts headed up to ALCO (Laurent Badie) to see if the cylinder could be rebored and saved or whether I need a new sleeve, in any case good job we are not going on holiday this summer, coz this is going to be expensive.
In the meantime, I have been sorting out the FZR600 so that it goes a bit better, so far it has had a good service, and last weekend I balanced the carbs. which made a significant improvement to the engine running just off idle, now much easier to pull away. What is left to do is check out the front end - I think there must be a wheel bearing or headstock bearings that are gone, as it feels real funny at the front.
The 350 has been treated to some wheels from a later model which are lighter, and so I had to turn up some front wheel spacers and also fit different bearings, a new set of AVON racing tyres and we are ready to go!
When I was cleaning it out, I also came across a piece of bearing cage in cylinder 4, which had lightly damaged the 4th piston. I think the moral of all this is that carbon is an extremely abrasive substance, and when the carbon disks are eaten by the engine, then a change of bearings is required!
The front head, two cylinders, and both crankshafts headed up to ALCO (Laurent Badie) to see if the cylinder could be rebored and saved or whether I need a new sleeve, in any case good job we are not going on holiday this summer, coz this is going to be expensive.
In the meantime, I have been sorting out the FZR600 so that it goes a bit better, so far it has had a good service, and last weekend I balanced the carbs. which made a significant improvement to the engine running just off idle, now much easier to pull away. What is left to do is check out the front end - I think there must be a wheel bearing or headstock bearings that are gone, as it feels real funny at the front.
The 350 has been treated to some wheels from a later model which are lighter, and so I had to turn up some front wheel spacers and also fit different bearings, a new set of AVON racing tyres and we are ready to go!
Monday, 11 May 2015
Stages de pilotage with Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT)
The finer points of bike setup with Vincent Philippe and Anthony Masson (recent winners of the 24 hour Le Mans). This was how I spent my Wednesday and Thursday last week. They also tried to teach us how to get around Le Vigeant a bit quicker.... Good experience, to be repeated.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)