A non-zero answer

I haven't worked on the bul since September!  Sheesh.  I wish I had a good excuse.  I don't.  I've been lazy.  With the 3rd car back - it's really hard to get out to the garage and do work, since I have to move so much stuff around.  But, I'm tired of looking at it in pieces, and I'm afraid that I'll start losing parts.  So, I'll try to do little stuff again.

Today's little stuff was getting the cover back on the clutch plates and shifter.  I had some Yamabond 4 left over from when I did the valve cover gasket on the BMW330i.  Basically, it's a lot like form-a-gasket, but better.  I used small amounts of it on both the case and the clutch cover, to both hold the paper gasket in place and fill in any areas in case of warpage.

While I had the case cover off, I gave it a light polish with metal polish and a buffing head in the drill, as well as colored in the "Bultaco" emblem with Krylon paint marker.

After about 30 minutes of work, here's what it looked like.

I've also been noticing a small drip underneath the bike every so often, so I checked that out as well.  There was a crappy paper/rubber gasket on the transmission oil drain.  Suckage.   I dug into the parts box, and found a copper crush washer that was the same size.  I put that on the oil drain bolt and tightened it up nice.  That should stop that leak.  I also re-installed clutch drain plug, and luckily the new aftermarket one I ordered came with an aluminum crush washer.  I hope this stops all of the leakage around the bottom end that I used to have.

Finally, I dug the shifter out of the box of things that were chrome plated ages ago, and reattached it to the bike.  Maybe next weekend I'll fill the transmission and clutch up and see if there are any leaks.  Hopefully not.

The cylinder is back on the case

I started today looking at a 1984 BMW K100 on craigslist.  The owner got the bike from his brother, who is overseas.  It doesn't run, because it hasn't been started in a year.  The fairing is scraped up from the bike being dropped.  It's a mess.  It looks like a really neat cafe' project.

I showed my wife.  She said, "You never wear the motorcycle coat I got you.".

I said "Well - my motorcycle is in pieces".

She said - "Why don't you handle that?".

Enough said.

So, I went out to the garage and started working on the bike.  The shop manual I found says "Put the piston in a 100 degree F oil bath.  Then, insert the wrist pin.".

Lit my grill outside (we're not gonna repeat that oven event), and put the piston in with 1/2 a bottle of mobil 1 that I had laying around.  Let it sit for awhile, and then took it all in the garage.  Tried to start the wrist pin and "zoop" - it went all the way in!  Oh jeez.

It took me awhile, but I was able to beat it out.  Good grief.

Tried it two more time, and it never slipped right in like the first time.  The last time, I literally beat it in with a deadblow hammer while holding it.  What a circus.

Got the end clips in easily, so it's together.  Then I had to stab the cylinder.  I was going to use a hose clamp as a ring compressor, but it was too much of a hassle.  I ended up just compressing it with my thumbnail while sliding the cylinder on with one hand.  But it's on, and it fits perfect.

Torqued the base of the cylinder down, and loosely put the head on.  I'll torque it later.

Then - I put the motor on the frame (still cleaning up the mounting bolts.   While I had that together, I also put the chain on.

It's really starting to look like a motorcycle!

The carb is just sitting on there loose as well, so nothing can get in the intake.

But - even though it's made progress, there's so much more to do.

Steve - I worked on it

I haven't been able to get out to the garage for awhile.  Since I got the triple tree back.  But, I did a few things.

I installed the headlight bucket, and just stuffed all the wiring in there.  It is far from complete.  I also got a small bag to hang on the front fork to hold some tools and stuff.

Today, I adjusted the front brake cable and installed it.

I had to test it though, so I rolled the bike down the driveway a few times and tested the front brakes.  Pretty cool.  I need to get to work and get the motor back together.

Back on Two Wheels

For a nice Father's day post - back on two wheels.

My wife was gracious enough to help hold the bottoms of the front forks while I installed the front wheel.  Happy Father's Day indeed!

For comparison, here's what it looked like about 6 months ago:

Of course, the seat is just sitting on the frame, and the tank still needs to go out for paint, but I'm moving in the right direction.

Inching along

I haven't done much over the last few weeks, because I'm always waiting on parts to get done.  Well, and I'm lazy.  But - I recently collected up a few parts, so I figured I had better make some progress.

I have the rear brake pedal, again.  Rechromed and pretty.  This time, I got out a grinding tool and cleaned out the hole on the frame.  Put some anti-sieze on it, and it slid right in.  I also cleaned out the holes for the  fork lock and the fork lock holder, so those work better as well.

With the rear brake pedal on, I went ahead and put the whole brake linkage on.  So, now it looks like this:

Which is very close to being a roller.  Just need the headlight bucket back and the top of the triple tree, and I can finish getting the front fork together.   And it's a roller.

It's starting to look like a motorcycle

Last weekend, I worked on the front fork.  I added oil.  I tried to finish them.  I ended up messing up the top of the triple tree.  Rats.  I did, however, figure out how to bolt the bottom together, so that I could put the top on correctly.

Friday at lunch, I took the top of the triple tree over to D.A. at Spectrum Powder coating.  He's going to strip it and re-coat it.  I know D.A. will make it perfect.  At the same time, I took him one of my headlight buckets.  It will look pretty good coated as well.

D.A. gave me the name of another chrome shop to try.  So - the tank fastening bolts and the brake pedal went over there with me, and dropped off.  Get that back in a week, and I won't make the same mistake.

Today, I dropped the swing arm with my buds at Atlas Auto down the street.  They pressed the bushings into the swing arm for me, and I brought it all home and bolted it onto the frame.  So now, it's starting to look like a motorcycle.

I'll try and work on the wheels tomorrow.  Might have a partial roller by the end of the weekend!!!

How exciting.  Now I have to go hide my camera from my family.....

I can't find the camera

I have no idea where it is.  I really wanted to post pictures.

I have the front fork pretty much assembled.  Just waiting for the frame to get finished so I can mount it.  It came out great - the powder coated triple tree parts along with all of the polished aluminum.  And the Forks by Frank are beautiful - too bad they will be all covered up.

Speaking of the frame - I dropped it and the swing arm at Spectrum Powder Coating today (spectrumpowdercoatings.com).  I met the owner - DA - and he is a very cool guy.  I requested gloss black on the frame, and that we keep powder out of some of the critical areas (bearing races, threads, areas where bushings are going to be pressed).  DA was on top of it.  I'll get it back about a week from now.  It will be about $160 to do the frame and swing arm.

I collected multiple other parts this weekend.  I went up to Atlas Chrome and got the headlight bezel and the fork spacers.  The good news is that the bezel is fantastic, and the polished spacers are amazing.  The bad news is that the bezel is for a 5-1/2" diameter headlight bucket.  The one that came with my bike is 5-3/4".   So - not a match.  Doesn't seem like a big deal, until you break the 5-1/2" lens.  Which I did, trying to remove it from the reflector that looked like crap.

Which means now I'm looking for a 5-1/2" reflector and bulb holder.  If that doesn't work out, I'm going to take the pitted bezel to the bodyshop and see if I can get it painted or something.  Sux.  The words of my friend Alex haunt me every day - "Why don't you get a Honda?  Something you can find parts for....".

I also collected the wheels from Reagan at Ace Motorworks (www.acemotorworks.com).  They are true and fantastic.  Got home, and the newly lined brakes would not fit in the hubs.  Uh oh.  A few minutes grinding about 0.06 inches off of the pads - and they are in!  Pirelli tubes on the way from J&P Cycles, and I can finish putting wheels together.  Who knows - in a couple of weeks, I may have a roller....

Finally, I bought a new camera.  I'm going to hide this one, and only I will  use it.  Good grief.