Abigail ~ the next stage

[squirrelciv]

My XBR project bike has stalled somewhat, but now the household chores are done and winter looms ever nearer, it's time to return to the (new and improved) shed.
Two items are on the agenda, the rear brake hanger and the motor. The rear brake is waiting on a piston and seal kit along with the bolts to mount the rotor. Until I can get those parts ordered, I cant begin to fabricate a hanger for the disc brake conversion.

The motor on the other hand was just waiting for some elbow grease. After de-greasing, paint stripping, washing off and wire brushing the complete motor, I was ready to strip it down. I'm not intending to split the bottom end, I know this engine and there was nothing wrong in there so why meddle. A couple of bolts in the rocker cover refused to budge under gentle persuasion and I needed a new 12mm socket for the head bolts, but one cup of tea later and....



There is some slight pitting on the cam and some marks in the bore so I suspect I'll be clobbering the wallet. I have yet to check things over properly, but on the whole things look OK and I didn't find any horror stories.

Next task, was to remove the outer casings. Easy enough and no dramas and again, no horrors were uncovered. Cleaning them up is going to take some effort though.



That's it for now. I'll keep you posted over the next few weeks as I clean up, sort out and put back together.

[squirrelciv]

Right then, I've started on the clean-up of the outer casings and I'm beginning with the clutch side. Both were badly corroded and stained so the first step was to attack it with wet'n'dry to get the worst off. Some of the casting shapes make this a real pain, and why is there a cover plate screwed to the front?? Anyway, after much elbow grease this is what I've got.



I'm not interested in removing every little scratch and dint, all those things are part of the history and add some authenticity.

Next is time to get busy with this little lot.




Heyho!

Post again in a week or so with the final results.

[guest7]

I do hope you've got some latex gloves... it's a bogging job.

Hmmmm... is 'bogging' a South Wales term (meaning dirty, mucky) or is it used elsewhere?

GC

[squirrelciv]

Tell me about it!
Yep, latex at the ready (enter Boyd with suitable smutty comment )

I reckon bogging is all ours, but I bet everyone who hears it knows what you mean

[mini-thumper]

(enter Boyd with suitable smutty comment )

Smutty comment or not no one is entering me! Not today anyway.........

Boyd xxx

[guest18]

I do hope you've got some latex gloves... it's a bogging job.

Hmmmm... is 'bogging' a South Wales term (meaning dirty, mucky) or is it used elsewhere?

GC

Countrywide I think  "Minging" however...?

[guest7]

I had to clear the crap off this minging bike and it was a right bogging job. Ach-a-fi.

My mate's sister is cowing lush, she's only a dwt, but she gave me a tidy cwtch the other night, it was fablus.

GC

[guest27]

Mind her mate is 'anging... and her sister is butters!

R

[Furry John]

... and her sister is butters!

R

Rog, been in Wales a long time, don't know that one, gis a clu wil ya

Furry

[guest7]

I daren't ask, it might all go a bit 'Last Tango in Paris' 

GC

[squirrelciv]

well I've finished the clutch side casing.



Now I'm starting on the rotor side.



In between the constant interuptions today I did manage to get the starter motor drive cover pretty well as I want it. The pitting on the main casing is going to be pretty tough to clean up, but I don't want to get shot of all the marks (bikey history and all that). Should keep me out of trouble for a while. I'll keep you posted.

[guest288]

Thats looking really good- I need to do that with my xbr. Did you use paint stripper on the whole engine or just the cases? I'm thinking of taking up TurkeyUK's offer and getting mine vapour blasted, but I dont know how it'll turn out- will the cases be ok vapour blasted?

[squirrelciv]

I plugged all the entrances to the engines important little places and covered the whole lot in paint stripper. Whilst still altogether, the next stagw was wire brushes mounted on the drill. Only when all the original finish was off the motor did I strip things down. The inner casings are going to get wirewooled with old engine oil to tarnish them up a bit, outer casings polished and head 'n' barrel painted (I think)

don't know about vapour blasting, but should be ok. It's not as aggresive as shot blasting which might make a mess of your casings.

[turkeyuk]

hope you dont mind me adding to this thread, good job by the way on the polishing i think it looks just right, are you laquering them afterwards?
 In answer to your query Dave with regard to Vapour blasting, its non abrasive and leaves a silky sheen finish, not pitted at all like shot or dry bead blasting, but if you want to polish your cases like squirrelciv's you dont need to go to the trouble of vapour blasting as you will be using a cutting medium by hand or mop to gain the desired lustre, vapour blasting leaves a nice uniform satin shine which could be left bare with regular treatments of ACF-50 or painted with VHT, heres a pic of my bare alloy untreated xbr barrel & piston for reference:

[guest288]

That's what I'm after! Will I need to use paint stripper or will the vapour blasting get everything off?