121 replies to this topic

[Catteeclan]

That'd be disappointing after all you hard work.

I've had some good results with removing the calipers and tilting while bleeding, finding that bit more air. 

[Snowbird]

Pumping the brake up and cable tying the lever in overnight sometimes helps.

[Nog]

Sometimes you can get air trapped behind the pistons (depends on calipers) - I've pushed the pistons back when I've had that problem, re-bled and been ok.

 

Could be more to do with the movement dislodges any trapped air bubbles, not sure - as Snowbird mentions, leaving overnight with brake lever cable (zip) tied down also works too - did this on my niner recently after re-doing the brakes and was nice and solid again in the morning.

[dablik]

I know your not new to this but for me with the bluespots i always found reverse bleeding followed by bleeding as normal did the trick, on occasion i've also bled at the mc with results.

[Blaqkfox]

After navigating the American healthcare system- hospital needed a doctor referral to do an EKG, but my doc and town is 45 min away, so I found an urgent care that was in my insurance network and had an EKG. $85 co-pay and I’m sure a surprise bill in the mail will follow. Yee-haw. Amurika. Freedom. Love it. But the doc cleared me, kinda, said my rhythm was fine but that was the extent of their capabilities, anyways I’m going to try and ride in the event!

So I got the shinko 705s mounted today

https://i.imgur.com/jOIMBKl.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/OVEXiN4.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/u3mWPGP.jpeg

Love the way these bikes look with dual sport tires!

Unfortunately I found remnants of an old wreck or something. The swing arm is damaged right where the caliper bracket bolts, which was causing the caliper to sit at an angle and causing a tapered wear to the pads. It’s a rather odd bit of damage, not sure how someone managed to damage the swing arm like this.

https://i.imgur.com/2ZD3ZCf.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/IMh0GoZ.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/9S8XK0d.jpeg

Fortunately, I ordered a caliper last night since the bleed screws were snapped on mine anyhow. I bought one for a ‘99 FZR600 (since those bikes/parts are more readily available in the states and partzilla shows the same part # as the tdm) and it comes with a new bracket and master as well.

So right now the game plan is to just grind the caliper bracket down in the opposite manner to make the caliper sit more square.

This weekend will be my last weekend to work on the bike before the trip. In top of the brake situation I still have to rebuild the front forks, install the chain, and fairings. So really not much left at this point, just the small details. Wish me luck!

[dablik]

Good luck 

[Blaqkfox]

Thanks! Right so I set to work to finish the bike, but things did not go as planned

My FZR600 caliper did work out, it is the same. The bracket is different however, no worries, I ground my old one down until it sat square on the swing arm again!

https://i.imgur.com/aBs6C5x.jpeg

It really didnt take as much as I thought it would.

https://i.imgur.com/GmGg7fg.jpeg

But this is where things got harry. The caliper looked pretty square but not perfect. When I tightened the bracket bolt it would lift up and away from the rear of the swing arm, as if the swing arm was bent downward, but this couldnt be the case I thought, because if it were then the other side of the swing arm would be at a different height, and it looks even, the axle passes through now without resistance as well, indicating the swing arm is level. Or so I thought.

I installed the rear wheel and realized the wheel sits slightly crooked. Its not 90 degrees. More like 92 degrees or so eyeballing it. It doesnt show very well in photos but heres as straight of a photo as I could take by hand.

https://i.imgur.com/P0rzQZB.jpeg

Its a little easier to tell looking at the chains relation to the swing arm, this is with the axle tight, and after I had played around with it several times trying my best to make it as square as possible.

https://i.imgur.com/4aIGTBF.jpeg

I had taken the caliper bracket to swing arm bolt loose as well as the axle, pulled the bottom of the wheel and pushed the top of the wheel as much as I could, then tightened the axle while I held it, I was surprised as there was quite a bit of play top to bottom while doing this, and no the wheel bearings arent shot, theyre perfectly fine. Once the axle was tight I then torqued the caliper bracket bolt down. For some reason this made the caliper bracket actually sit flush on the back of the swing arm, unlike earlier when it wanted to lift away. So thats as square as itll be. The swing arm must be bent. Its the only explanation. The axle is straight too btw.

I decided Ill just deal with a crooked rear wheel, another swing arm would never arrive in time, and even if it did I wouldnt have time to install it.

So I set to work rebuilding the forks!

https://i.imgur.com/oDKuh8G.jpeg

They were stubborn coming out of the triple tree clamps and coming apart as well. I made a huge mess, as I always do when doing a fork job. But I muddled through it in about 3 or 4 hours and got the job done.

https://i.imgur.com/Asrtsem.jpeg

Unfortunately there is a washer in the wrong place. Joe Schmo that rebuilt these last time did it wrong. I always lay out the parts in the order it comes apart so it goes back together the same. Ive rebuilt so many forks I dont even think about it anymore. And I do them one at a time. So it wasnt until I took the second fork apart (that was correctly assembled) and realized the mistake. The first fork I had put the washer on top of the oil seal, because thats how it came apart. But this is incorrect. I shouldve caught it when I assembled it. If this was someone elses bike I wouldve taken it back apart and done it right, but Im on a time crunch here now. So I left it. I cant see how it would cause much of an issue tbh. So Im not terrible worried about it. Clearly its been fine this long anyhow.

Tomorrow I will bleed brakes, torque axles, install the upper fairing, new chain, and go for the final test ride if I have time. And I forgot Monday is a holiday (thank god) so Monday Ill be figuring out the luggage situation and tidying any little bits up.

Oh btw I sold the nice 3VD the other night. With my FZ1 back together Ive been riding it and realized I would pick it everytime over the tdm (no offense guys 😘). If I did more dual sport riding I wouldve kept it, but it went to a good home thankfully. So Ive got a new sturdier top rack printing on the ender 3v2 atm. 100% infill this round. Also I my insta 360 x4 arrived last night so I need to figure out mounting for that for the trip. We have two of those, some go pros, and a special mic setup, everything for vlogging this trip.

So I recon Ill have a final post tomorrow or Monday and thatll be it for this saga! Ill come back in a month (or however long it takes me to edit the footage) to post a link to the YouTube video of the trip.

Thanks for all your help and support, you guys are great

[Blaqkfox]

It is Monday my dudes and the bike is 99% together now and loaded down with luggage, strapped with an action camera, and ready to go!

https://i.imgur.com/tvuUCfX.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/7mRylWp.jpeg

I think this bike has an aftermarket rear sprocket. I tried to install the 525 chain but it would not fit. On closer inspection I realized it was running a 530 chain. Luckily the new one should be here tomorrow. But that means I cant test ride until Wednesday 😬. We leave Friday. I have only ridden this bike twice or three times so far. And not longer than maybe 20 min at most. So this should be interesting. Also, I tried the trick with tying the brake lever up overnight, and it did help, for about 10 pumps and then went back to being almost the same. Maybe its a little better, maybe placebo. Idk, I dont really understand how thats suppose to work anyways, but Ive heard it can. Im gonna run with it as is.

See you later space cowboy . . .

[Catteeclan]

Well done , good luck and enjoy the ride.

and keep us posted please.

[Tedious93]

Who was it? Enzo Ferrari who said, "Anyone can make a car stop. It takes a genius to make it go fast."

 

Mine are a wee bit spongy too. Always were. Just chill a bit more on corner entry. Or think of it this way, better corner trail braking in the dry.

Relax, and enjoy the torquey ride.

[Blaqkfox]

Well, this is quite the Wisconsin goodbye. I just came back to say 3rd gear has left the chat. I test ride the bike on a long ride today. Got an hour and a half on it. Realized I never did an update after all that work. The clutch replacement fixed all the jerking, except for 3rd gear. Something in this transmission is definitely awry. Any load or quick throttle response in 3rd makes it act like a clutch slip. But I can hammer on any other gear and it takes it just fine. Once in 3rd it revved up as if the connection to the transmission has severed, but was back to normal after that.
It happened once in 4th today but it’s been fine other than that one time. So maybe 4th is having an issue as well. I do wonder where the teeth from 3 are. Or whatever is broken. There were no metal shavings in the oil when I changed it. Has me concerned it’s large pieces.

Other than that the bike runs fantastic. It definitely needs the swing arm replaced tho, let’s just say left corners are easier now.

Also despite the new stator and R/R, charging remains the same. 12.7 at idle, 13v by 3500rpms. Not great, but technically charging. I’ll take it as a win.

[Catteeclan]

The 3rd gear prob is known on this engine. Prob best to ride around it. 

[Studley Ramrod]

Yes, I ran the old mk1 for years with 4.5 gears. Even did a euro tour on it. Same 3rd gear slip problem that I never got around to fixing.

[Snowbird]

I think it's an interference fit gear slipping on the shaft rather than missing teeth, the old xt600's did it in 2nd.

[Catteeclan]

I think it's an interference fit gear slipping on the shaft rather than missing teeth, the old xt600's did it in 2nd.

 
And my Honda dominator.

[Blaqkfox]

The $1k bike challenge is complete! You can see all the photos of the trip on my Imgur as usual here:

https://imgur.com/gallery/GwGbkug

The TDM did magnificently! Despite not having 3rd, it really wasn’t much of an issue, but there were times I wish I had that gear. Another member on the Facebook forum told me it’s due to the cogs not being cast deep enough and causes premature wear and slippage out of gear. He said the only solution is to fit the 4TX gearbox internals. He claims this can be done by removing the engine, flipping it upside down, and splitting case halves (somehow without removing the top end he claims??? But idk how it would be possible to split the case with the top end still on it, then again I’ve never done it on this engine). But that’s the next owners problem not mine lol I’m selling it asap. This was my second off road trip and it is “not my cup of tea” so to speak.

I was very slow so I didn’t win any challenges, except maybe most reliable. We had plenty of break downs. The RT1 didn’t even make it to the meeting spot the first morning and he had to use the back up bike for the first day. The second day the magna with knobbies had a wiring / charging issue and almost burned down. The third day the Harley broke because the battery terminal nut had vibrated loose and fell off. Then randomly on the way home he caught a rock, on pavement in the city, which cut his drive belt lol all that gravel all weekend and somehow he catches a sharp rock riding home after the trip. The KLX300 didn’t miss a lick, but is making very concerning noises now and was dropped in the river crossing. Which means the only bikes without issues were my TDM and the CM400. But the cm400 didn’t have enough power to make it up some of the steep hills and got stuck a few times. Meanwhile the TDM would just putt up the hills like a tractor. This bike is phenomenal off-road. I’m sure a proper rider could’ve won the competition with it, but I am not that lol. I’ll stick to pavement riding. Atleast I didn’t drop the bike!

[dapleb]

Sounds like a real adventure even if the off roadyness wasn't for you. Well done.

The grrbox. The later mk2 box fits in and is smoother than earlier mk2.

9er grrbox will not fit.

[Catteeclan]

Sounds like a great time, well done.

[Snowbird]

[dablik]

Haha excellent, well done and the photo's are great, yea the gearbox change, got the T shirt and it's quite a job.