What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Roast, nice pics there and explanation and why I never understood the idea of tying your brake lever closed then leaving it all night. I tried that one time and did not work. Got a vacuum bleeder that hooks up to a compressor to use the venturi effect and never looked back.

 

Yes, never a good idea I agree, but of course the head is the same as the 650, so the gasket sits against the head - I've no idea what the clearance is between the piston and the head. Whatever, it's lasted long enough to wear the engine out.

 

Roast that is a great explanation thanks for showing that!

 

That is a really good description of how the brake system works and it highlights the importance of keeping everything clean. Very well done.
I use an old refrigerator compressor as a vacuum pump and a small glass jar with the hoses poked thru the lid to power flush brake systems be it bike or car. Just run the fluid thru until it's clear.

Maybe that explanation and graphics can be added to the catalog?

 

An old timer taught me a cool trick years ago, reverse bleeding. Get one of those big hypodermic needles they use to inject marinade into meat and connect a piece of tubing to the end and put the other end over the brake bleeder fitting. Fill the hypo with brake fluid, crack the bleeder open and force the fluid up through the caliper back into the master cylinder. Works like a snap! On a single disk setup chances are you won't need any additional bleeding.

 

Since the bleed nipple is at the top of the caliper, I have always felt that this method can get air out of the lines, but not out of the caliper cavity. So you want to pump bleed at the end. Vacuum bleeders that hook up to a compressor is the way to go in the long run. I have lots of brakes to periodically bleed so its an investment.

 

If somebody came up with a 3D printed extender cup for the top of the master cylinder that would be slick! Then you could add extra fluid and crank the bars over so the outlet of the master was uphill with no spills. Dump a pint in the top, suck it out the bottom till the level was good. Flushed, bled, ready to go.

 

Why not adapt a top cover to say a small paint reservoir from a gravity feed gun?

 

When bleeding car brakes, I would up-end a pint can of brake fluid over the master cylinder reservoir and it would keep the res topped up automatically without any spills.

 

That was sort of my idea for making the cover with a reservoir

 

Is it a straight or a flush if you collect all the '82s? This bike was actually a two-fer deal with the 1100 that I finally went back to collect. It looked like a scrap pile, but I threw it in the truck and figured there might be some parts to pull, but on second glance...I've seen worse! Complete except for one busted flasher and mirror (side covers came with it). Nothing really seized up, motor turns, just lots of corrosion on the aluminum. Seat cover is crispy. I dunno. This one will just have to sit for a while. But hey, I've been wanting a 650.

 

Well I can't believe it. Was gonna push the 650 into the far corner of the barn this morning, but figured why not throw a battery in it...just to prove it's a basket case. After rolling the fuses in their clips everything worked. Even the horn. So I dumped some fuel in the carbs and the dang thing fired up. Had it running on a bypass tank as the old fuel lines were garbage and petcock seized, but incredibly the tank is rust free. As an added bonus, the frame isn't even bent on this thing! I've never seen something look so decrepit and run.

 

Never judge the book by its cover, a little effort would make that a badass bike

 

Unbelievable. Pulled the carbs and cleaned them out. Not all the way to church, but we stuck our head inside the revival tent. All slides stuck, 3 floats stuck open, half the pilots blocked, 3 choke bowl jets plugged. The ablutions were satisfactory, and the dang bike purrs now. It's a loud purr due to rust holes in both mufflers. Took it for a spin around the pasture. The lack of brakes kept me off the highway, but I'm second guessing that decision. Not bad for a bike that would have just rotted into the ground elsewhere.

 

You should have seen my carbs when I pulled them apart, they had to spend a couple of days in the church of solvent.

 

took my gas tank off in over 20 yrs!
My sidecar bike quit working last September.
I took it to work one day, and when I went to move it into my garage it wouldn't start so I left it over the winter.
It was an old battery anyway so I had planned to replace it.

I put another battery in it today I had on hand.
Its a 3 yr old car battery that was never used but I have it charged and reading 12.9V
When I measure the main fuse I'm already down to 11V and the other 3 fuses lose another V.
I'm going to start by inspecting all the wiring plugs.
There are green custom wires in the harness I don't even remember doing LOL
I bought the Velorex sidecar in 1989 and I have 20,000 kms on it.
that's 35 years. Paid full insurance all those years for 571 kms a year.

 

Nice machine you got there.

 

thanks, its nicer when it works.
I forgot to mention last fall I had tested the starter motor on the bench with direct voltage and also tested the relay with a light bulb.
Just loosing too much voltage to turn it over.

 

oh and I tried boosting it with my car and It got maybe a revolution so there's no break in the wiring.
I redid the main ground wire connections to the motor already.
And lubed the starter button as it was a delayed reaction

 

You will have it fixed in no time, voltage drop somewhere.