Upzandownz of a day's fettling.

Quite a list of "to do"s, so I started with the simplest.

Stuck the new battery in the Blackbird, and fired it up. Started
easily, and no fluffy fartiness to the engine.

So, tick box number one.

Turning to the "oldie", I opened the Goodridge kit, and set to with a
14mm spanner. The two lines to the calipers were the same length, but
the one from the m/c to the splitter was longer than stock. A bit of
inventive routing sorted that out. The r/h caliper was a bit oily,
following the leaky seal, and when cleaned, I fitted brand new pads.

One good thing about CBX calipers (okay, the only good thing) - the
pistons have huge expanding boots on them, to keep them clean.

All bled through, I turned my attention to the alternator.

Charging had been iffy again, recently, and the rattle from the
alternator has been getting worse and worse.

Getting it off should be a simple act involving six 8mm bolts, but one
had been over-tightemened bya previous owner, and had been replaced
(by me) with a 5mm allen bolt into a 10mm nut. Luckily, it was the
only bolt that went through the crankcase cover.

When I'd finally got that off, the alternator separated into its two
halves. Inspection revealed yet another broken alternator brush, and
significant play in the bearings. Not a bit, not some, more, to put it
technically, shitloads. Oh, bollocks. Anyway, stuck a new brush in,
and tried to re-assemble it. That done, I cobbled it back on the
engine, and tried to start it up.

Key in, ignition on, choke on. Push button - "Zzz". Then, oddly, it
went "zzz-zzz", then "zzz-zzz-zzz-zzz-brmmm". Htf does that work?

Still less than 12v, though. It sounded rattly as ever, and I decided
to feel for vibration with my fingers.
I came to three conclusions:
1: the alternator is a smooth as a tumble drier full of housebricks.
2: The top end is smooth
3: the exhaust is hot. Very hot. It still hurts now, in fact.

So, I bolted the engine bars back on, noting the need for a
helicoil[1] in one of the hanger bolts at the top, and decided to get
that alternator conversion after all.

I know it's expensive, but given the OEM alternator has know
weaknesses in just about every area, I'm convinced it's worth it.

Looks like I might be Chimaying on the Wing, after all. Bother.

Oh, finally - I discovered that you can get the anti-dive gubbins off
the GL1500 forks without getting covered in oil.

As long as they're horizontal, in a vice, that is.

I'll clean the garage floor later.

[1] can you get sets of these things?

 

SD wrote:

You mean a set of different sizes? I think so, but v. expensive. They're
£30-£40 just in a single size.

 

Blimey - you're not wrong. Eek.

 

He's a busy man: I can't impose on his time, and he might need them
for work - I'd hate for Dungeness to go all Three Mile Island on us,
cos he'd lent his tools to me for the weekend.

Thinking about it, the one for the smaller bolt might be worth getting
anyway - as it's usually the little'uns wot strip first.

I'll have to save up after getting a new alternator.

 

I'm only on a gas turbine at the moment so let me know what the thread
size is and I'll get onto HQ and have the requisite bits couriered to
me.

As long as you can wait the best plan will probably be to get them
sent down here and I'll hand them over when we go to Chimay then I can
give you a talk through on how to do the job plus we'll have time for
prior discussions in case you need a tap wrench or any other shit to
aid you on your way.

07971 728813 will get a response to your needs.

FFS. Give me the details of that as well.

 

Luvvly. Hacksherly, if you're in Canvey still, I could pop along one
evening, and you could explain it over a pint. It's only 35miles.

Added to phone book

I will: I'll have a measure up tomorrow.

In the meantime:

Little'un: 5mm allen, or 8mm normal bolt. Takes 10mm nut.
Big Un : 8mm allen, or 17mm normal bolt. Takes quite a big nut.

LU holds the alternator on, BU holds the engine in.

<waves calipers>

 

It's just you. Wen you want to undo a bolt, do you reach for, say, a
10mm spanner, or an M5x1.25 spanner?

 

I knew what he meant and he'll get me more information soon enough so
find something else to worry about.

 

Little'un: 6mm across the threads; ten turns = 10mm.
Big'un: 10mm across the threads; ten turns = 12.5mm

Anything else?

 

I'll scribble that down on a bit of paper and find a reason to need
the parts.

M6x1 and M10x1.25

I don't think so.

 

Now, you see, I didn't know that, but Mr Clever Clogs[1] ...

It's cheered me up, having measured the threads at 6mm, mind.

[1] Being a norvern munkey, etc.

 

I wasn't: I was having a pop at him wot deflowered my third cousin
twice removed, the bastard.

Uh-huh.

 

Neuman, ITYF.

 

Ok, threads are designated by diameter and pitch, nothing else. SD
telling me how many turns it took to move a set distance and from that
the pitch was obvious.