To fit a speedo cable. "first, remove the seat ..."
My best one was a windscreen wiper spindle on a Lotus Elite (the 80's one). It is the absolute first thing put in the car. Had to start unscrewing trim to the rear of the gear lever or handbrake and did not stop until there was nothing left in front of that point. Took all day IIRC. Parts - £3 Labour - Quite a lot Worth putting a drop of oil on em from time to time. Usual Lucas materials selection of course. Seized solid.
Try changing the speedo cable on an LE. It has a special channel between the bathtub and the top of the fuel tank. To remove the tank first drop the engine subframe ....
Try changing a cam chain on a VN 750. First remove back wheel and swingarm, work forwards until you reach the point where the engine is on the floor and then you can start thinking about getting anywhere near the fucker. -- Beav VN 750 Zed 1000 OMF# 19
Your replies remind me of that bit in Shirley Valentine. She's musing about blokes' abilities to change conversations to their advantage. It goes something like "You say you like the Spring, and he says he prefers the Autumn, and before you know it you're talking about the Autumn when you wanted to talk about the Spring". FWIW I sympathise with your speedo cable problem, and have no anecdote of my own with which I wish to top it.
There may be a workaround on that one. Someone on Phil Hawkesley's site has a novel way of greasing the splines on his oilhead. http://www.bmbikes.org.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9200 Remove the starter motor. Get a piece of thin tubing and bend it so that it will reach the splines on the clutch. Mix up some moly powder and isopropanol. Dip tube into mixture and put your thumb over the other end of the tube to stop the fluid running out. Then you can reach into the clutch housing and let the fluid dribble out carefully over the splines. -- Malc Rusted and ropy. Dog-eared old copy. Vintage and classic, or just plain Jurassic: all words to describe me.
That's a woman's trait. Ask a bloke what x plus y is, and the answer is z. Ask a woman and the answer is 'You don't love me any more'.
Hey, thanks, that looks easier! I had considered there must be a way of installing some sort of permanent lube tube but never got round to exploring it. We were on one of our family holiday tours and had got as far as our first campsite, Leek in Staffs. I was two up (with daughter), fully loaded and towing. The Mrs was also towing a D10 behind her XV750 (first time). The next day daughter and I popped out with now empty trailer to collect summat I'd won on eBay when all of a sudden, whilst cruising along at 50 mph it felt like it had jumped out of gear. No jabbing the gear lever found a gear so we coasted to a halt onto the pavement of a motorway flyover. I popped the bike on the stand, put it in first and I could turn the rear wheel to the sound of something slipping, like gearbox / clutch splines. The AA were called and delivered us the 175 miles home and I then returned to Leek in the car to finish our two week 'motorcycling' trip. ;-( Upon our return I stripped the gearbox and found the clutch / input gears worn through, not something I expected for a 34K 'dealer serviced' bike? While I was replacing the shaft I replaced all the bearings, springs, detents and seals but gave the actual rebuild to said Mr Hawkesley (summat best done by someone who has been there before). It still sits in box under the stairs. ;-( This year I hope to clear out the workshop and make room for that bike lift I've always promised myself making all this bike work much more predictable than doing it in the back yard. T i m
The work still doesn't get done, but it doesn't get done in far more comfortable and pretty surroundings. -- Beav VN 750 Zed 1000 OMF# 19
You may well be right! However the workshop really should get done. Too many loose ends and more projects then I'm (realistically) ever going to getroundto so I've gotta do some sorting. Cheers, T i m
I wish I had a bike lift. I did the service on the oilhead last weekend including rocker endfloat and what have you. I spent 3 hours hunched over the blessed thing and put my back out. It still isn't right now (back not bike). -- Malc Rusted and ropy. Dog-eared old copy. Vintage and classic, or just plain Jurassic: all words to describe me.
Not good. I'm still ok crawling about on the ground (only 52) it's just not always as nice / easy as doing stuff sitting on a stool beside the bike and having your beer / tea at hand in front of you. ;-) Initially I set out the door end of the workshop with bike-space and just shallow shelves (for cans of oil etc). Then I fitted some of that 1m deep blue / orange industrial racking so lost the bike working space. I intend to at clear that out first then go from there. ;-) T i m
I think my garage would be better if I could throw out some of the junk that's accumulated. As it is there's just about enough space to sit on the floor either side of the bike. At 46 I ought to be more limber, I do go caving so I ought to be a bit more agile. I put the bad back down to being stuck in one awkward position for half an hour at a stretch. -- Malc Rusted and ropy. Dog-eared old copy. Vintage and classic, or just plain Jurassic: all words to describe me.
The problem is you can guarantee the instant you throw something away you will need it. It's when you look for a replacement you realise how rare, expensive, dangerous it is to replace it. ;-( Hmmm, not something I've ever fancied that's for sure. I was helping our daughter with some chainsaw practice round my mates back garden (small wood) the other day and we ended up with a tree cut into 3 x 10 chunks. The idea is we re-plant them for her to practice felling (gob and back cuts, nice parallel hinge etc) ready for her CS31 ticket. These sections were about 9-10" in diameter and she found it hard to even roll one. I just picked each one up, first onto my knees then to waist level and carried them to were we wanted them. I think she was quite surprised. I really think there is something in this mind_over_matter stuff ... women lifting cars off of trapped kids etc. Another thing I get used for is a bottle opener. She can't get a good grip on those plastic topped orange juice and fizzy drink bottle tops (where you have to break the seal as you unscrew) and sometimes she can't even hold the bottle still while I twist the top off. ;-) I can't remember the last time I got up after sitting cross legged on the floor for a while and actually been able to feel my legs straight away! ;-( T i m
I actually had a second hand one out of a workshop but it got left round a mates and got throw away when he had a clear out. I've got one a baby one of them: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cw2d-bench-mounted-parts-washer I still have a cabinet mounted one made from one of those large tough grey plastic storage boxes and a fine mesh-protected drain into a 25l holding tank. There is a second tank and I used to alternate between them (allowing the sediment to settle). The most complex bike currently in our stable is the Yamaha Majesty 250. To be fair it's only marginally more complex than the rest because it's liquid cooled so has thermostat, rad, hoses, water pump and fan etc. The GPZ 550 could also be considered complicated (in comparison with the MZ for example) because of it's rear disk, 4 carbs, anti dive, uni-trak, electronic fuel gauge thingy and air assisted shocks. Still, luckily none of them have any EMUs, fuel injection, ABS or CAN buses. T i m
Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, platypus ] You have full and unfettered access to both, whenever you need them. We can even supply a sleeping pit, just say the word. -- Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest" I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and go and talk to the Catholics.
Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, platypus That... depends. Which way? Seriously, the offer's there. -- Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest" I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and go and talk to the Catholics.
