Wish me luck...

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by Terry Smith, Aug 13, 2021.

  1. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    Carbs. Carbs. Carbs. But we know that's what it is already.

    Electrolysis is simple, cheap, super effective and non-destructive. It's like magic sometimes. But I still will start with a Evapo-rust type product first and see what I get.

    I absolutely LOVE the 1993 VFR. Classy and Classic. I zeroed in on the next gen (94-97) from a design stand point. Project head was the same as the CBR900RR and every component was evaluated with the same principle. Make it lighter and still have the same projected life span for durability. The 1994 VFR was a full 15 pounds lighter than the 1993 WITH a center stand. The center stand was an accessory on the previous design. Have you ever handled a center stand kit for the 1990-93 VFR? Holy Shitte. I've installed a bunch, and they are fucking heavy. It's a huge slab of steel just to then attach the stand to.

    One of few times a next gen VFR was lighter than it's predecessor. Without looking at numbers, I suspect the last one also accomplished this.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2021
  2. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    One caveat on electrolysis... use a donor shitty gas cap when you have to go upside down. It can fuck with an aluminum vented cap, my buddy can attest to that. It still vents... just a little too much. We will be at a stop and we can hear his cap burbling, to the point where it's moist. Mmmmm.... moist.
     
  3. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Thanks for the advice and the helpful links. I work in the chemicals manufacturing business so have ready access to pretty much anything I might want.

    After electrolysis, is it necessary to do any surface protection to stop the rust reforming, or just keep the tank filled/bike ridden?
     
  4. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    I am a recent convert to Evaporust so might give that a go first. I think the rust is mainly lower down in the tank so don't believe I need to invert the tank.

    This may be a stupid question, but do I need to remove any additional hardware e.g. the low fuel sender? If so, I better get a gasket on the slow boat from Partzilla.
     
  5. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    I tend to just keep it full. It helps when the damage is lower. I will do a full drain every now and then to make sure I don't have any water laying in the bottom seams too.

    I tend to play it safe with the sending units and remove them. I have a couple sacrificial units I use as a place holder. The o-ring will be very degraded when you get it a apart, get one on the way. I do source some generic Viton o-rings too, they tend to be the correct thickness in that diameter.
     
  6. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    yep also just keep it full.
     
  7. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Big day in the Mancave today as I pulled the carbs for a clean. Predictably found:
    2 partly blocked pilot jets
    One stuck float valve
    Crud and varnish
    Blocked air pipes between the bowl and the diaphragm chamber
    IMG_2437.jpg

    IMG_2439.jpg
    After cleaning I had good flow through every port.

    Float height was good, diaphragms intact, slides slide nicely and needles were clean. Pilot screws were 2.5 turns as they should be. Buttoned it all back together with new bowl gaskets, checked for leaks, and wrestled the carbs back into the V. The engine fired up nicely and settled into a smooth idle, and the bottom end felt great ...up to 4500 rpm where the bike started bucking and refused to rev higher. It had no issue revving out on Friday before I gave it a vigorous washing (but felt pretty lame power wise).

    I know the fuel supply is fine and the pump works great, so I don't think there's any fuel/intake issue aside from a really dodgy air filter, and the plugs looked reasonable too.

    This misfiring started after a big/vigourous washing; the 4500 misfire feels a lot like my old ST1100 that I awoke after a 10 year slumber; that eventually turned out to be low voltage to the ECU leading to weak sparks, caused by corroded pins in a connector. I'm inclined to think I've got something similar here. I have a couple of other electrical gremlins, the low fuel and temp gauge don't work, and the ignition key does not always bring the electrics to life.

    Any suggestions?
     
  8. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Check your earths. Especially for the front coils. I had this on one of my 24's and had forgotten to tighten the earth for the coils.

    Stupid question?
    Did you check this using an external tank or are you using the fuel tank?

    Had that too - cleaned carbs, did a 2 minute drive, it was clogged 2 main jets - that's why I'm fussy on cleaning the tanks.
     
  9. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Thanks DP.

    I am using the fuel tank (hard to road test with an IV bottle) and the bike has a a clear-shell inline filter before the pump, which looks OK. I have had the spades off the front coils and sprayed them with Deoxit, but haven't touched the rear coils yet. I will check the power to the spark unit and the resistance of the pulse generators in the morning.
     
  10. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Been doing some more testing today. I sorted the low fuel light (bulb) and the temperature gauge (corrosion in the sensor terminal). The earth point on the fairing stay/frame was pretty powdery as well. I cleaned out the ignition switch while I was there. The battery and charge rate is pretty good.

    I checked the cam and crank sensor resistance (all in spec, some connector pins a bit green) and 3 of the four coils checked out fine. The front left coil primaries are OK but there was no continuity to the plug cap. I verified the secondary windings are in spec, the discontinuity is in the plug cap, where there was some corrosion and when I removed what I think is the resistor, that had no continuity at all. I cleaned it all up as best I can but still no continuity through the coil to the cap. Funnily enough, the bike ran great initially, but once some heat got into it (2 km), the misfire began, not as bad as previous but clearly there.

    What is the best course of action here? The plug lead appears to be NLA, what options are there? Has anyone just replaced the resistor?
     
  11. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Never just replaced the resistor although no reason you can't. However, my take on this is once you have one lead failing then who's to say when the next fails.. A new set of leads takes the issue away & you then don't have to troubleshoot them - lol...
     
  12. Waylander

    Waylander New Member

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  13. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    IMG_2460.JPG IMG_2463.jpg Thanks Waylander, that's not available here, so Evaporust is next.

    In other news I bought a new NGK plug cap, when disassembled it had just the resistor I needed so that went into the stock cap and I now have four in-spec coils and caps, new plugs added for good measure. I did pull the carbs down again but they were clean, but de-rusting the tank is needed and maybe new fuel. I found that the fuel hose had been replaced by something very soft and I suspect that may have kinked shut when hot and starved the fuel previously.

    Yesterday was a cleaning day and I removed the shock/swingarm to remove 3 decades of grunge and re-apply that to myself. The bits cleaned up nicely and the bearings and seals were in good shape. Added some inner tube to the rear cush drive to take up the bagginess and freed up the rear brake.

    Did a short test drive today, bike now runs very sweetly and feels pretty peppy now. I have lots of rubbery parts on order from Partzilla plus a much-needed air-filter (none in NZ apparently). A set of new tyres is also needed, the rubber in the front Bridgestone BT45 (2009) feels soft still but the profile is worn, and the Brazilian Metzeler in the back has some stress cracks and feels like an old, unworn hard tyre.

    Haven't yet plucked up the courage to swap the muffler for the stock items; no spare gaskets to hand....

    My plan to fit some JDM front indicators came to nought as the fairing is clearly not JDM so has mounting holes for stalked indicators. On to plan B.
     
  14. straycat

    straycat Member

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    good looking bike Terry !
     
  15. straycat

    straycat Member

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    I may have to buy some of that and get it shipped here
     
  16. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    That's what I thought from the auction pics. Truth is only the tank is in original paint, and that has a decent nutsack dent at the back. All the rest of the panels have been repainted in a slightly yellower and less pearly paint, with some orange-peel and a few runs for good measure, and the tail cowl is cracked around the light and has been badly rebuilt; I'm going to have to re-break those bones and set them straight at some point. The fairing subframe is also pushed off to the left by 1/2 inch or so. So if I want something mint, there quite a bit of prep and paint in somebody's future.
     
  17. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    IMG_2469.jpg Wrestled the 2nd hand stock pipes on today, probably timely as my old ones were starting to disintegrate, rust on the left side. This was a win or die scenario, I had no new gaskets and the ones in my newer pipes weren't coming out, so I had to wriggle those on without catching the gaskets on the header edge. I can see why Mr Honda never used this layout again, what a PITA getting four headers and the connector to play nicely.
     
  18. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Big day out on the 750 today, and I did about 120km non-stop on some country roads. The handling was OK but boy does it need new tyres, the front has a heavily worn section on the shoulder, and when you lean past that there is a terrible tucking under feel; new tyres will be on by next weekend. The forks have some Progressive springs which feel like a good weight, but I have ordered some emulators to see about improving the feel on bumps. The engine is awesome, really smooth and happy to pull from much lower revs than my 800...
    IMG_2487.jpg


    During the locked-down week I have been busy, repainted the forks, centrestand and the bars under the tail section, plus scrubbed an amazing amount of crud off the wheels, flushed out the brakes and clutch, and cleaned stupid red paint off the case bolts :(. There's more repainting to be done on the triples and bars, plus the rear cam cover and the clutch cover, so no worries about keeping busy next week.
    IMG_2485.jpg
     
    Captain 80s and Diving Pete like this.
  19. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Woo-hoo, don't you LOVE fresh tyres? I got a pair of Bridgestones fitted today, the BT45 front and BT46 rear, would have been nice to get a pair of BT46s but no fronts in the right size here, however both are manufactured in Feb 21 so nice and fresh. Lovely to have the bike feeling balanced and neutral, and a good reminder that these were a proper sportsbike (albeit a civilized and comfortable one) in their day. I found the bike has Progressive springs which keep the front end at a decent elevation, and the shock is reasonable for its age, so handling is pretty secure and perfect if the road is smooth. I have lots of bits on order from various world locations but shipping is a PITA. Good thing I'm patient...I will have to bodge together an air filter as the existing foam is disintegrating, and my Partzilla shipment got turned around at the US border.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2021
  20. RogueRC24

    RogueRC24 Member

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    Looking good dude!! I am assuming you have a 17" rear rim? How much distance between the tire and the ground when the bike is on the center stand? Thanks!
     
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