84 VF1000RE - The "gods do I have to fix this too" partial restoration thread

85 model motor is free at last;





Detail of factory oil cooler

 

The oil cooler set up from the 85 model is what I'm thinking of for the 84.
Locating/mounting the oil cooler is the biggest problem. I can't seem to find any where neat to mount it.
Also still thinking of diverting the return line to the heads instead of back to the sump. I just need to find out how flow and pressure would be compared to stock and also compared to the common oil mods.
Does anyone know if the pressure and flow rate info exists?

Actual work on the 84 this weekend consisted soley of driving the new nsk lower bearing race onto my refurbished steering stem. Who would have thought that the chrome fork leg from an 82 cb900fc would make a perfect inflation tool?

 

You don't have another shock laying around , do you ?

 

Hagon? No only had the two but they are available for around 240gbp before shipping. Just need to specify the size of the top bracket (40mm or 44mm).

 

Got busy again today and despite my best intentions the whole bloody front end came off.
Ended up pulling fairing frame, fairing liner, front radiator and everything else off so that I could clean the parts and the front frame (which was pretty dirty because whoever replaced the steering stem bearings last did not put the top or bottom dust/grease seals in). also cleaned the rad hosed and anything else I could get to.
Then in a fit of enthusiasm pulled the pistons out of the front two carbies and cleaned as much as I could reach in there.

Some before and after shots;



With new bearing race installed;























Carb area before clean



Carb area after clean

 

Plastics and hoses came up remarkably well considering the state they were originally in'

 

I have a NOS steering stem put aside for my 85 model R. After spending much time and effort refurbishing the steering stem for my 85 R I put new bearings on it and installed it on the 84 bike, intending to put my NOS steering stem on the 85 when I get to that point. I discovered much to my disgust that the steering stems are different between the 84 and 85 model 1000R's. The 84 model has a single bolt to clamp the fork and the 85/86 model has 2 bolts to clamp each fork leg. At least the steering stem is ready for the 85, even if a bit early.

I am a bit stalled at the moment because I need to adjust the valves in the front head before I re-assemble the front end of the bike. I would take shims on buckets any time over screw and lock nut as I'm really worried about the lock nuts coming loose.

Anyone have some advice on how to make sure the lock nuts stay put?

 

Well they are lock nuts after all....just saying! Best advice is to put new ones on there as you probably have no idea how many times they've been loosened/tightened up. I'm no engine building expert and I never worked for HRC and didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night either, but in the dozen or so bikes I've owned with threaded valve adjusters, I've never had one come loose- not even on my well used/raced GSXRs. YMMV.

 

Thanks for the reply.
So, if I stay at holiday inn I don't need to adjust the valves?
Assuming for now I will not have the chance to stay at HI, how do you tighten the adj nuts? Torque wrench or by feel?
If any of the nuts look knackered I will pull them from one of the spare heads I have.

 

NO torque wrench required, I seriously doubt you could get one into the head area on some bikes. Use your best 10mm, 8mm, etc box end of your spanner to tighten. I have used four feeler gauges in the past under each rocker arm when I was doing the tightening, this was the method for air-head boxers. I do each cylinder one at a time, you could also rotate the motor over and do different cylinders at a time, (which gets confusing as you have to write the specs down.) I have a honda generator where I had to replace the threaded rod that goes thru the rocker as it would not tighten up! Think I replaced the nut too...

I have special wrenches that I favour for tappets, I have a 10 mm extra long open box end from Mac Tools, an assortment of Snappy long and short spanners and recently got a really nice set of Matco off-set box end wrenches to work on some crusier bikes of the past. Motion Pro sells some nice tappet wrenches too, as my memory serves me.

Nice write up, trying to get over jet-lag as I was in europe for two weeks, the euro kinda sucks yah know! I was happy to buy brats and beer and take home a refrigerator magnet...Cheers and good luck.

 

Ask sonicrete, he will let you know very quickly::

 

Guudenteighten....

Quality 1/4" drive ratchet or my trusty Snap-On mini 3/8" drive serve me well for detail work like adjusting valves. The lock nut will snug up/bottom out on the adjuster, so just snug it by feel, obviously it's not your sprocket nut, so no need for Schwarzenneger effect on it.

Looking good so far!

 

Finally did the valve adjustment on the bike. Fear of the unknown put me off for a few weeks.
Following advice on here I torqued them after rolling the lobe to full lift.

Only a tiny bit of fretting on two lobes on the front cylinder. One of those is only a pinprick size.
Used my 3/8 drive norbar rather than the bf hammer to set torque.

Will be replacing the cam cover bolt seals with new ones as the old ones are pretty thin.
Amazing fact 1: new genuine bolt seals are 4.65mm thick. The old ones are as thin as 3.5mm. That translates to much less compression on main cam cover gasket with thin (old and hard) seals.

Perhaps now I can start putting things back together on the front end.

 

Started putting the lower radiator pack back together (using replacement radiator from the US as mine had severe fin rot). The 84 Aussie VF1000RE used the same radiator as the US 84 1000F.
It's a bugger when you cant remember exactly how it goes together.
I do have some before and after photos which I will post soon. Everything has been painted, cleaned, or powder coated. I used the fans from the 85 model as they seem to be a bit more powerful and have bigger blades. I have a NOS set of fans for when the 85 goes back together.

The inside of the motor looks pretty grubby - I don't think the bike saw much in the way of good maintenance;



Rebuilt lower radiator pack (dodgy deeds done dirt cheap)




Worst cam lobe (only 2 have any fretting I can see)

 

Having pulled carbs and water pipes I can see that there is a fair bit of crud in the cooling system (engine jackets) Is there a good way to clean this out?
I don't want to have to start the motor as I am hoping to get an oil mod kit made up while the carbies are out.

 

Just read an article in motorcycle consumer news. They used vinegar and water. Kind of like cleaning a coffee pot. I wish I could find what I did with that mag, then I could tell you the concentration they used. Can't find it. Sorry!

 

Found It!

Motorcycle Consuner News says use a 50/50 mix of distilled white vinegar and distilled water. Close the system up and run it until it reaches full operating temperature. Turn it off and wait for everything to cool down. Drain and look for black particles the vinegar (acetic Acid) has liberated. They say that is the oxidized scale that has collected inside you engines passageways like plaque in your arteries. Refill with distilled water to flush out the remaining vinegar mixture. Refill with the coolant mixture of choice.

"Cooling System Flush" Motorcycle Consumer News. May 2013 issue.

Hope this helps.

Maggot

 

from the website of the makers of Engine Ice coolant...F.A.Q i have done this but on a new bike so there was not much reside

How often do I need to change it and are there any special requirements?

Most every coolant product will work best when changed somewhat regularly…at minimum, we’d recommend once a year. For racing applications, we actually recommend twice per year. The cleaner you can keep your cooling system and the fresher you can keep a fluid, the better it will perform. There are no special requirements for using Engine Ice. For any coolant and anytime you are changing coolant, we recommend a simple solution of distilled water and white distilled vinegar, both available at your local grocery store.
1. Mix the water/vinegar at 50/50
2. Fill system with the solution
3. Run engine until warm
4. Let cool
5. Drain
6. Run clear water through to rinse out vinegar.
7. Fill with coolant of choice.


This is the same as cleaning your coffee maker. The vinegar is acidic enough to clean out and contaminants and residual coolants, yet it won’t harm your seals and gaskets.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I will try filling as much as I can of the cooling system with this mix and let it sit for a couple of hours and then use as much water pressure as I can to try to flush the crap out.

 

Two seperate sources with the same formula. Wow, I guess this can be listed as the rare internet "Truth". Sounds like this is the right way to go!