got a few Q's

about my 86 vfr 700:
is it advantageous to remove the california emissions stuff... i.e. "charcoal can"
and what does that do?

if its a 700 that means its the california model...right?

I have wobble in my rear wheel when I apply rear break...I know the bearings are pretty bad....I'm hoping new ones will fix this otherwise what could it be... break rotors, swing arm bushings? a BMW rider said the latter could be worn causing play in the swing arm sideways... so i checked. up on the centerstand the swing arm moves a bit side to side but it doesn't wiggle loosly...what wiggles is the wheel itself so I think its the bearings-(they make sounds anywho, and i'm not riding it till I get that changed). have any of you guys with similar bikes had any problems like this? any help to point me in the right direction would be appreciated

ps I have done bearings on a car w/ my dad but never on a bike. is it easy? hard? or do I need to have Ripoffya Honda do it for me for $60,000 lol

 

If you have the charcoal can then yes it is a CA model. I've chose to leave my emissions stuff intact for now. Just checking to make sure all hoses routed properly and in good condition. Would rather have it hooked up working properly than suffer some type of vacuum leak. If I could find some good detailed information on exactly how and what to remove I would be interested in ditching the smog junk.

Sounds like wheel bearings to me. They are not hard to check. Just pull the rear wheel. Remove the spacers and sprocket hub. You should be able to turn the inner races with your fingers. They should turn smoothly and quietly. If they are causing your condtion you should notice it. I've yet to replace wheel bearings on a bike, but I'm sure they are much like any other bearing. Honda sells a fancy tool that fits the bearing perfectly to hammer them out, but I'm sure with a little improvising you can figure it out.

Best bet for you right now would be to get your hands on a service manual. I got mine brand new on ebay. This will be your best friend for working on your bike.

 

The charcoal can is part of your bike's evaporative emission control system. Its job is to capture gas fumes that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere, and hold them. When the bike is running, it releases them into the engine to be burned, producing a cleaner result. As long as the system isn't leaking anywhere - a good possibility on a 20 year old bike - it isn't consuming any power. You can still jet your carbs for good mixture control independent of the evap system.

Try to avoid hammering new wheel bearings in - sometimes it works, sometimes it ruins the wheel.

The bearings are an "interference" fit in the wheels. If they get a little crooked while tapping them in, you'll actually gouge away the material in the wheel that holds the outer race still. The difference in bearing o.d. and wheel i.d. is tiny. The nasty result can be a bearing that spins inside the wheel - bad news.

Here are a couple of tricks I have used to help avoid this. First, stick the bearings in the freezer overnight, to shrink them as much as possible. Then, use a heat gun - or even a hair dryer, if you are patient enough - to heat the wheel hub and expand the hole.

Make a bearing press tool with a piece of threaded rod (at least 3/8"), two nuts, and two washers, and assemble it through the wheel to "squeeze" the bearing in. Make sure you aren't putting any pressure on the bearing's inner race.

If you know the bearings in there now are bad, don't be tempted to ride on them - doing so could seize them and spin them in them in the wheel anyway.

 

thanks guys!
yeah I just remembered why I thought it was a california model....CALIFORNIA PLATES!! anyway thanks for the bearing information I'm going today to pick some new bearings up and get a service manual.

I do have one more question... I was looking at parts lists the OEM and it looked as though there were 3 different bearings in the rear wheel...were these seperate listings for parts to the same bearing? or are there a couple in there? anyway I'm going to get them, or it today, I bet the guys at the shop will know what I need if I say "rear wheel bearing"
thanks again

 

Actually there are 3 separate bearings. I don't think they are all the same size. Two of them might be. There are two in the wheel and one in the cush drive hub. Be sure to get new dust seals too as they are most likely worn and will be damaged when you remove the bearings.

Let us know how it goes.

 

Replacing the bearings at the same time is always a a good decision.

 

thanks to all...after much grief the old bearings are out and now I got NEW ONES!!!! tha trear wheel wobble is gone and everyday I wake up I hope that there is no rain so I can ride my steed! this vfr, though only the 700 is a big step up from my cb450t hawk! thats for sure thanks again!

 

Glad to hear you got her going! :smile: