What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Got my carbs synchronized to the best of my abilities last night and rode her around the block for the first time now that she runs at least half way decent.

 

Installed a fuel filter and a new screw in my master cylinder cover. Checked to see that the new clutch and throttle cables I bought would fit. They are spares for when I head out on an adventure. Pulled the bolts on the YICS passage and ran a gun cleaning rod through it. Tried a length of 11.5 mm propane hose to see if it would work to seal the passages when I sync the carbs. It was too big. Would a length of 3/8" gas line not work if you stuffed it in and compressed it with the end bolts?
Went for a ride.

 

Started polishing out the aluminum on the bike. It has some oxidation and it's starting to look nicer but what a PITA to clean it up. I'm using a Dremel with some the buffing attachments along with mothers polish. It's a slow process, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

I do ride the bike every day to work. It's been cooler the last couple of days which makes the ride so much nicer here in St. Louis.

 

Earl-R, did you use any paint stripper on the parts. The factory sprays a clear coating on and over time it dulls. I found if I stripped the parts that they cleaned up very easily. I have gotten lots of compliments on my cases and brackets since doing this. Just be careful not to slop on the frame and the painted letters on the case covers will come off too.

 

What did I do today?

After putting some miles on the beast, I'd noticed there was a tapping sound coming from the left side of the engine. Not coincidentally, that was the side where I'd put in a smaller valve shim than my measurements and the chart called for. Why did I do this? When rechecking the measurements afterward, the feeler gauge wouldn't fit. The original shim was a 280, the replacement was a 285, and all I had left over was another 285 and a 270. So, in went the 270.

Today, I pull the valve cover to triple-check the measurements, and see if I maybe need a 275. Nope, the chart's insisting I need a 285. Okay, fine. Grab the 285, put it in, insert the feeler gauges... motherf*%!#@... what do you mean, "It fits perfectly"??? Why the hell didn't you do this the first time? 8O

Bolt down the valve cover, fire the bike up... she purrs. More or less. I must be getting good at this.

 

I've been using a wire wheel on the dremel along with mothers polish alomg with a rubbing compound and it's been doing the job but it's been very slow. I think I'll try the stripper tomorrow and see how that works. Thanks for the idea.

 

I'll put my money where my mouth is! These cases cleaned up with only hand polishing after stripping.

 

Today I jimmied my fuse problem, found out that the fuel in the tank is bad, then covered 'er up with a nice cover until the rain stops.

Next weekend it'll be fuel, oil, filter, and fuse-box change time!

 

Pre-flight Checks!

Got the bike ready to leave Boston and ride through the White Mountains, The Green Mountains, The Adirondack Mountains and down to Saratoga Springs, NY.

Re-shimmed all four of my Intake Valves for 4-Thou across the board.
Distilled watered-up the Battery.
Eyeballed all the front brakes.
Oil and Filter.
Tire pressures.
Took-off the Rear Shocks and swapped them so I can get a quick Preload Adjustment.
Dipped a good-fit drift-pin in some Plasti-Dip for a pocket pre-load tool.
Added additional horns.
Road-tested.

Panel is showing all Green and the Countdown is:

"T" Minus 93 Hours 23 Minutes 45 Seconds

And counting ....

 

Today I removed the ignition and soldered up a broken wire to get my park/tail lights working again.... Yesterday I got my mufflers back and put them on.

The 900 is soooo much nicer to ride than the 250

 

I painted the engine today a nice satin black and sanded off the cooling fins to expose a nice polished aluminum. I was going to work more on polishing out the aluminum but I was working on a stone retaining wall today and just didn't have the energy after the engine work.

 

Hot. So very hot. I love how everything is black except the tips of the fins, very sexy.

 

Thanks Lefty, I saw a few bikes that way and liked it so I did the same. I have a oil cooler coming to mount on the front of the frame for highway traffic, not that I run into much of it, just so when I do. Can't wait to get that installed.

 

RangerG,

Very nice work on the aluminum, I hope mine turns out as good.

 

Earl:

You're going to like having a cooler. I put the big one that's standard on 900 on my 750 and it cooled her out; nice.

I had to move the horns to get it on there. Stuck the horns in back just ahead of the turn signals.

The braze-on is going to need an inner shock mount. I couldn't find one so stacked O-rings on the cooler pedestal. Works fine.

 

Replaced a header bolt today

 

Over the weekend I rebuilt my muffler which was completely broken in half thanks to it being mistaken as a foot peg by the PO. Had to buy some 22awg sheet metal to make a band to wrap around the muffler and patch a 2" hole on the bottom of the muffler. I also replaced the fuse box with the 4 fuse terminal from Radio Shack and soldered the wires on instead of using crimp terminals.

Oh and rode the bike enjoying the now smooth sounding exhuast.

 

I had to pull an "All-nighter" because I wanted to have all my Intake Valves be at 4-thousandths and failed, miserably, doing "The Shortcut."

As is the case with most Shortcuts; if it goes bad ... you're Shortcut just became the Scenic Route.

On my Max with 16,000 Miles ... I had an Official "Worry about it" tight Intake.
Time to shim it. I got plenty of the wrong shims. So, I went to get a few that I did need.

I should have put the Cam back in the Journals and finger-tighted a Cam cap. I didn't. It moved.

Not out of timing ... but enough to have "Mr. Automatic Tensioner take-up ALL that slack. Esse-eighce-aye-tee! Fog me!

My fat hands don't get in there all too well. I used my handi-dandi full-flex extensions to get it off.

I ripped the gasket.
Cleaned the Tensioner ... taped it up ... trimmed the tape ... got a template made ... made a gasket ... did my shims ... torqued the Caps ... and then began a fight to a death with reinstalling the Cam Chain Tensioner.

Did anyone out there hear me swearing???

The book doesn't say: "If you're a fat bastard with chubby hands you're in for a ride!"

I finally got the thing back on before the Rooster Crowed thrice!

What really pee-pee'ed me off was that I have the freaking Tool and know how to use it.
But ...

The Tool is good on XS-Everything, XV-Everything, XJ-Everything except 750. Effe-you-see-kay!!!!!!!

I know it's Anal needing the same clearance on the valves. But, that's me!

When I hit the road at the end of this week ... I'll forget I ever struggled and scratched-up my wrists and knuckles.

I'll just be smiling!

 

pulled more stuff off it so i can get at the dirt and grime underneath...

under things like the headlight and behind the battery box...

david

 

I pulled the Battery and topped it up with distilled water.
Put the Battery on the charger.
Cleaned-out the Battery Box.
Masked-off the whole area surrounding the battery box.
Sprayed the Battery Box with adhesive spray.
Blew-in some Crushed Velvet.
I know ... I'm sick!
Put-on the nice set of soft bags my twin daughters got me for Father's Day.
Lubed the Enrichment Valves with some Marvel Mystery Oil.
Adjusted the Clutch.
Ended the day with an Armoral Festival.