Progress, at last!

[Howie]

Right, i have mainly been wiring today & it works

See, lights, horn, indicators even the power valve does its little cycle!

Got my rear caliper done too &

Front calipers but these need a bloody good seeing to as the bike is almost impossible to move now
However I do have these, currently being sorted to go on the finished bike.
I think i may go for a silver (poss. gun metal) finish on the calipers, every thing else will be zinc plated tomoz.

Along with these!

Now then, whats going on here? Wheres my choke? Has anyone come across this before?


One last question boys & girls, how do you clean this-

Without resorting to the spray paint gun? I've used back to black with good results on the black plastic stuff but white plastic? I was thinking of trying that stuff you use on trainers, has anyone tried this before or anything that definately works on white plastic?????

Howie

[smithyrc30]

Howie, I know you have been on the pop, but I have to tell you, some thieving gypsy has nicked your engine......

Seriously, I had marks like that (on my mirrors....) I used Mer, that magic polish and bugger me they all came off.

Depends on what they are I suppose.

The base plastic is white so it should come off.

Can you still back to black in the UK? Can't get it out here in Aus, must be something they put in it.

I tried looking for it on the fleece, but no joy. That stuff is brilliant.

[Howie]

You can't call them thieving gypsy's, you have to call them thieving travellers nowadays

Do you get VIZ in Aus? They had a bit of trouble years ago with a comic strip called Thieving bastard gypsies, it was very funny but apparently it offended some of the travelling community. So I say "if you are easily offended, don't steal the comic in the first place!"

To be honest, the back to black i'm using is old, so i'm not sure if its still available here either but I will try Mer on the mirrors.

The engine, i'm happy to say has not been melted down for scrap but is in the process of being rebuilt

Howie

[Tambo]

That 'muck-off' is really good at lifting grained in dirt out of the plastics.

Failing that, jif, or cif, or whatever it's changed its name to - but it's more abrasive.

Either way, good polish after to help 'seal' it !!

[pablo]

Cracking on Howie =D> You got a Z in there too

[Howie]

Jif, why didn't i think of that? Brilliant stuff, I'll give that a go first as I have some in the cupboard.

Yes Pablo, it is a Z, but unfortunately its only a 400 twin. I've been bimbling about on it this summer, while my zx6r is out of action. Great for the country roads round my way (didn't you use to live in Stamford Bridge? If so, you'll know the sort of roads I mean!) Want to see a pic?

Howie

[Howie]

Right, here we have a 1975 Z400 with a later (early 80's) engine fitted, this was almost how I picked it up.

It was a none runner whenI bought it, so I fitted a later loom & electrics to match the engine, serviced it & sorted the timing on it. Its running with after market conical air filters (air boxes for these are hard to come by).

It has an over size rear tyre, which has been a pig but looks good. AND its good for about 80mph but believe me 65mph is just about tolerable, still can't see anything in the rear mirror above 45mph including ford transit vans travelling at light speed

Unless I get completely p****d off with the fact its a nightmare to start & sell it, I will sort the paint work next year, was thinking of a sort of Kork Ballington paint scheme in negative (?) Black tank (still) with kawasaki green stripe down the centre with white pinstripe either side. Replace the chrome front mudgaurd for a black plastic affair & paint the side panels to match the tank?
We'll see????

Howie

[pablo]

Yep Howie Stamford Bridge,the only bike I owned then was a kx250 motocrosser.I was a member of york AMCA mx club.I wonder if the're still going
The 400 looks good most of it there,I might have some bits for it lying around I will have a look.I know what you mean about the mirrors when I ride our Z1b I look in the back of the indicators you can see more of whats going on in there good reason to polish them
You not been out on the zxr

[Howie]

Hi Pablo,

I've just got to get the ZXR's front end sorted, although I think it is just a tyre problem, it handles like a wayward puppy on a string.

Once thats sorted, I will be taking it for an MOT, so fingers crossed but to be honest its finding time to get these things done

Who ever said its better to concentrate on one thing at a time?

Something I need to learn i'm afraid.

How's the z1 going? Stunning bike!

Howie

[smithyrc30]

You can't call them thieving gypsy's, you have to call them thieving travellers nowadays

Do you get VIZ in Aus? They had a bit of trouble years ago with a comic strip called Thieving bastard gypsies, it was very funny but apparently it offended some of the travelling community. So I say "if you are easily offended, don't steal the comic in the first place!"

Howie

Absolute gold!!!

Yeah we get Viz here. I'm originally from the UK and it is a bit tricky to find sometimes but I well remember the to do that the strip caused. I must confess though to being surprised any of them could actually read....

The peg selling pikey that 'did' my mum's drive for her, gave her a guarantee for ten years on the work and signed it with an X.

The bloody paper was worth more than than the drive. Unfortunatley my mum's a bit of a push over to door salesmen. She can't get to grips with the words 'Why don't you feck off before I call the Police to inspect all the tools on the back of your van?'

Sorry hijacked your post.....

Still reckon Mer is the otter's pocket.

[Howie]

This week has been a bit of a mare for progress (lack of babysitter/daughter not well/pesky customers) But managed to do some plating

Ok, so some of this is for an Nsr125 (dont mention the H word). Note the KR1 caliper parts zinc plated only. This is purely to give them a bit more corrosion protection before they are powder coated.

Ok, this is the petrol tap from the Nsr125 i'm doing, I've only put this on because i'm quite proud of the result(pic DOES NOT do it justice)

Now then, tomorrow i am going to try anodising for the first time!
And yes I know that anodising is the work of the devil & perverts & those (gay?) harley owners but I promise my anodising (if it works) will be very civilised, hee hee hee

Howie

[Howie]

Ok the anodising didn't work So I decided to start work on the bottom end & this was the first problem I found

I'm pretty sure this is suppose to be round? My puller is round, where's my files!

Its a mess isn't it? As I start to disassemble, I realise there is not one bolt that is tight & there are no gaskets between assemblies, it doesn't look promising

I'm starting to think that the engine rebuild was begun but something halted progress. Note the impellar, looks brand new but the fixing nut wasn't even hand tight! The clutch basket etc just pulled straight out, clutch springs are missing (not a prob but just disconcerting!)

Not sure if you can make it out but one of the pickup coil fixings has been partly drilled out, then left Wonder what this means? Once I get it out, i'll test it. Looks like a few evenings studying the engine section in the manual, its very easy to omit thrust washers & dowels. And I'm sure thats my neutral cable poking out??

Howie

[smithyrc30]

I like the whole 'non roundness' of it all....

Looks like a prvious keepr welded a nut to the flywheel because they did not have the puller, then ground it off.......

Not sure why all the rivet heads have hammer marks on.... Sign of frustration?

I reallly like the shite black finish, it's so earthy.....

[Howie]

Hee hee hee,

Maybe I would have been better off if the 'travellers' had nicked the bugger?

I was thinking of keeping the earthy look but then I came to my senses

Howie

[pablo]

Oh dear What a 7e<k1n mess.You've got your work cut out there mate.It makes ours look like a factory prepared effort.
You have to wonder what other buffoonery your going to come across