A Newbies Adventures in Maintenanceland!

9am53 wrote:

I was using a duplicolor spray can, but now that I think about it the can was cold, I tried to warm it up quickly but I think it must have been too cold still so pressure must have been low. I will sand the stuff off and try again with a can that is nice and warm and see how it goes

Ah... the old duplicolor.

When applied correctly, the dupe will look pretty good however, the smallest littlist tiniest drop of ANYTHING ie.(carb cleaner/break cleaner/fuel of any make/any petroleum based crap...) will make it smear and run all over INSTANTLY. Essentially destroying it INSTANTLY.

DID I SAY INSTANTLY. I hate it.

Side covers ok maybe. Tank - NO. If your clumsy with the tank and stuff or get gas on your hands occasionally and so much as brush the side covers - then NO.

Sorry if i'm bursting bubble here, but I say 2-part automotive clear for everything.

Cheers bud.

everything eh...well I was planning on using it for the tank, but I think you may have a point. If I were to spray with dupe clear on the side covers I would have to go buy some more clearcoat, so 10 bucks, I already have a preval unit and the 2 part clear so I may as well so ahead and use it...I was jsut procrastinating because I am nervous about using the 2 part since I have never used it before anyways, I will sand off the orange peel and try it with the duPont urethane I got...

It has been quite mild today (around -5*C), and will be mild tonight, so I am going to spend it with my bike and a cigar and a bottle of 15 yr old rum. Other than drinking and smoking I thought I would put my front wheel back together and back on the bike.

Is it better to put the pads into the calipers, and then slide the calipers over the disc, or would it be better to put one pad on, then put the caliper over the rotor, and then install the other pad so that it's all together.

Anyways, off topic, but for you cannucks, the blind hole bearing puller I got last week is now on sale at princess auto for 50$ off, so you can get it for 100$...the money I am getting back will buy me a timing light (on sale for $39)!

9am53 wrote:

Is it better to put the pads into the calipers, and then slide the calipers over the disc, or would it be better to put one pad on, then put the caliper over the rotor, and then install the other pad so that it's all together.

Just put the clips and pads in thier holders against the disc.
Then push the capliper piston in some, and then slide it over the pads all at once.

Then once both brakes are installed you can slowly squeeze then repeat on the brakes till they are good and tight.

Cheers.

yeah I feel dumb asking about that now, I just got back from working on it and I just put the brakes together. I just thought that the pads would not want to stay without the rotor to hold them...don't ask, I was being dumb. Anyways, here's what I started with:



I looked around the garage and found the perfect thing to drive the bearings back in:



It's a threaded PVC coupler of some sort, it was absolutely perfect and got the bearings for the front in no problem.

Anyways, here's what I ended up with:



I really like the gold with the silver accents.

Anyways, here's my biznatches and what I look up at to remind me of summer...can't wait!

LLLLLookin' good man!

:laugh:

Today I mounted the rear wheel on the bike and I have to say it makes a world of difference to have the wheels on there, really makes it look like a bike again!

So, I am now doing arguably the worst part of this project...electrical :blink:

I figured I'd be logical and start at the...back of the bike. I unplugged the connection that leads to the brake light and turn signals. It was really a mess with splices and electrical tape and twisted connections everywhere, but I have managed to chop off all sorts of wires and get it down to this:



I looked at the wiring diagram and it looks like the turn signals actually have a ground wire connection, the bike was wired to ground through the turn signal stem mountings...The pair of wires hanging to the right are the turn signals leads, and the other ones are for the brake light. That spliced black/yellow one is ground I assume right? should it be spliced into 3 and run to the turn signals too? I will post a pic of the wiring diagram when I get to work tomorrow (I have it on my work comp hard drive, but not at home.)

anyways, here I am right now getting ready for bed, have a good night!

Ok, here is the wiring diagram:



(click on it to enlarge)

I will splice that ground line into 3 and ground all the lights, not just the brake light, maybe my lights will be brighter now!

Dude... you look stoned! What the hell is in that cigar? :ohmy: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Yes... Black/yellow is ground!

OMR

Old Man Rock wrote:

Dude... you look stoned! What the hell is in that cigar? :ohmy: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Yes... Black/yellow is ground!

OMR

no, I don't do that stuff no more...the cigar has some cuban goodness in it.

I think I will be working on this bikes wiring for some time, the PO really buggered it up. Theres random fuses and splices all over the place. I am sure I will have many more posts with wiring diagrams sorry boys, I hate electrical bs.

9am53 wrote:

no, I don't do that stuff no more...the cigar has some cuban goodness in it.

I think I will be working on this bikes wiring for some time, the PO really buggered it up. Theres random fuses and splices all over the place. I am sure I will have many more posts with wiring diagrams sorry boys, I hate electrical bs.

:laugh: The electrical is the fun part!

Stick to the wiring diagram for reference, and you shouldn't really have any problems. You don't have to make any special grounds or start splitting wires off and such, the origional setup worked quite well.

The main thing to be sure to do is take apart your instrument pods and the other various switches/connections all over the bike and clean them all very well. In small sections, like you've already started.

Good luck!



...I'll be home on Sunday

TeK9iNe wrote:

9am53 wrote:

no, I don't do that stuff no more...the cigar has some cuban goodness in it.

I think I will be working on this bikes wiring for some time, the PO really buggered it up. Theres random fuses and splices all over the place. I am sure I will have many more posts with wiring diagrams sorry boys, I hate electrical bs.

:laugh: The electrical is the fun part!

Stick to the wiring diagram for reference, and you shouldn't really have any problems. You don't have to make any special grounds or start splitting wires off and such, the origional setup worked quite well.

The main thing to be sure to do is take apart your instrument pods and the other various switches/connections all over the bike and clean them all very well. In small sections, like you've already started.

Good luck!



...I'll be home on Sunday

I am not planning on making any special grounds or anything, the PO had cut some ground wires and used the bolts on the turn signal stems as grounds, so am jsut going to put the ground wires back. Under the seat is another story, somebody made chop suey of my wiring, it's no wonder I have poor coil voltage. So you're coming back from florida? it's -12 here right now, enjoy the warm weather while you can!