mulligan machine: July 2014

7/30/14

tt500 build : part 13

While taking my time getting the motor back together, I decided to try and get some of the smaller stuff checked off my to do list. The rear tire has been installed, and while doing so I noticed the bearings were locked solid. No movement at all. I tried to remove them by my usual method with a hammer and drift, but no go. Heat and penetrating fluid didn't make a difference. I found a thread on the sr500 forum that said to use a 5/8" concrete anchor bolt as a blind bearing puller. For less than $2, why not right?

Shove the bolt and sleeve through the bearing leaving the nut and washer facing out. Grip the sleeve with a pair of channel locks or vice grips and tighten the nut. Once things are nice and snug tap the bolt from the other side with a drift until they drop out. The first bearing on the brake side came out nice and easy, but when attempting to remove the second one, the sleeve got tweaked. Luckily I bought two.

I decided to try and pull two from the sprocket side at a time and see if that would be easier. They slid out like butter. That gave me enough room to knock the stubborn brake side one out with a drift.

All done with new bearings and seal from All Balls. Notice my 5 gallon pickle bucket under the wheel? It has a fancy Irwin tool organizer that was gifted to hold my tire and bearing service tools. I know you can by the wheel stands, but this thing doesn't take up much room, works great, and best of all was free. Changing tires is easier than one would think, and bearings can just drop in the bucket instead of chasing grease soaked parts across the floor or bench.

I've also been replacing a few seals here and there as well as some worn out hardware. Countershaft seal, clutch actuator and seal, clutch adjuster assembly, countershaft nut and locking washer. Currently the tx750 forks are apart for new seals and a general cleaning. More on those soon.

kz440 superbike : 16

Clutch parts arrived, and have been installed.

Soak for a few hours before install.

NOS steels from ebay.

I went ahead and got some springs as well. The difference between stock and the EBC ones are about a 1/8" or so in height. The lever doesn't feel any heavier though, so that's a plus.

Unfortunately things didn't go to plan on re-assembly. I didn't count how many steels I installed assuming that the ebay ad was correct on the number listed. Apparently I got a free one, but didn't know it, and until I removed the side cover for the 4th time and pulled everything back apart did I realize what happened. A 20 minute job took about an hour and a half due to my ignorance. Always count your fibers and steels. Always.

To further my issues, the crank seal on the side cover decided to stop sealing. On my first test ride, oil began to leak heavily out of the points cover. Good news is the seal is cheap, and the clutch worked flawlessly. Bad news is that my countershaft seal is leaking, so I will be replacing that in the next day or two to get things nice and oil tight for good.

7/18/14

kz440 superbike : 15

Since the Ozark Mountain Scramble, I have had a short list of items that need to be addressed other than just getting rid of the rainbow colored body work. My most recent ride reminded me of how annoying it can be to try and ignore them. Weather was good. Scenery was nice. The bike however just needed attention.

The top end jetting was just way too fat, and after 600 hundred plus miles, it was obvious that it won't fix itself. I have dropped two sizes on the secondary mains with good results so far, but not enough miles to confirm that was enough.

The shift lever kept stabbing my foot since it was bent, so I straightened that out so everything is where it should be. Nice and proper now for gear changes.

Rear brake light switch was sticking, so who knows whether people knew if I was stopping or not. I think I have that fixed for now, but will be tracking down a better quality switch to swap out at a later date.

I also have a small oil leak coming from either the shift shaft seal or the countershaft after warmup. I bought both seals, but after pulling the cover it appeared to be from the shift shaft alone. With my cheap seal puller it came out without any fuss.

The shaft itself has some discoloration where the seal rides, but no grooves or low spots are worn.

The new seal slid in nice and easy.

Last but not least on the to do list, the clutch slip. Extremely annoying especially with the previously fat jetting. Any time I have the mixture in the sweet spot, the clutch slips like crazy. I rev hard, and the bike barely moves forward. This is especially evident at higher RPMs. If I accelerate slowly the problem disappears.

The steels are pretty bad. They have some rust etching on all sides, and the friction discs are worn unevenly throughout the stack. The pics don't show the issues well at all. I decided to order up some new steels, friction discs, and springs to see if that would fix the problem.

Here's where I left off. Waiting on parts while we are getting some of the most unseasonably cooler weather I have experienced in July. Perfect for riding, but I'm waiting. Nice.