friday spent mostly putting #1 srx back together after rebore/new piston etc...test ride seemed ok, so had some tea, before fitting her up with legal number plate and exhaust for MOT on saturday (8am sharp) when i looked at her after tiffin, bu55er me if there wasn't a puddle of oil on the garage floor!!! started her up, and, oh effin hell, oil burbling out from joint between crankcase and cylinder front left corner! figured i must have trapped something between the mating faces, in any event it was going to have to come apart...so, started at 7pm, was stripped to 'cylinder off' by 8, where muggins discovered that he'd put the base gasket round the wrong way (yes...it 'almost' fits), as luck would have it i had a spare one (along with the +40 thou piston is a head and base gasket, in addition to the full gasket set i already had), so, rebuild in progress....well, to a point, the point where i tore the new gasket whilst struggling to get piston and rings into bore! round about now i should have given up for the day.....but with the MOT booked i figured i'd stick at it. Plan B....remembering #1son was doing exactly the same job on SRX#4 I rang him to blag the extra gasket....the sod had gone out! Plan C....check original (back to front, upside down) gasket...well, 2 screw holes were a bit misshapen, but it was complete...VERY carefully introduced piston into bore and by 10.30 all was finished and ready to roll.....just find leathers etc for the morning ....oh and fit new side light bulb in headlight....check all lights work ok (again) what?
?? no bleedin break light!!! found problem at 11.30!!! damaged connector under tail piece! up at 6, leave at 7 , nice 60 mile ride for mot (although at 40 to 50 mph and not going above 4000rpm can be a bit boring), and passed with flying colours
picked up 4 new tappets and new chain while i was having the mot done. (bit of a sad day really, denver motorcycles are closing at the end of next week....where the hell i'm going to get all my srx info / work now???)
rest of weekend will be used to build SHWBO's gazebo ..... from steel......borrowed a portable forge......watch this space....3rd degree burns a distinct possibility!!
pip pip
