Matt Tries – 1984 VF500F Overhaul

Discussion in '1st & 2nd Generation 1983-1989' started by Colddevil, Feb 14, 2020.

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  1. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    This is the best thing I've found for removing gaskets.

    [​IMG]

    Take an old hacksaw blade, cut it in half, then use a grinder to sharpen to a knife edge. This will hold an edge and take it right off, no chemicals needed.

    [​IMG]

    If you feel like it, you can take one of these and give the surface a good scrub, after you scrape off the gasket. It's a Scotchguard wheel in a rotary tool. Works good with just a standard drill, if you don't have a Dremel or a pneumatic rotary tool. You can get the wheels off of Amazon cheap.

    Will end up looking like this, with minimal effort

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2020
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  2. Colddevil

    Colddevil Member

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    That looks pretty! I actually just got my Dremmel back from my brother two days ago--as you'd expect when you loan somebody tools, it's missing the entire case of attachments :Frusty: . I just ordered some cheap rotary bits like you posted because that seems like it would be a great idea to try!

    I should have a hacksaw blade or something similar I can modify with my grinder. I ordered some of the Permatex gasket remove previously recommended in case I'm unsuccessful with the surfaces on the engine.
     
  3. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    The hacksaw blades are the best, as they are made out of spring steel. Even if you buy a new one and cut it up, it will last forever. The flex and ability to hold such a sharp edge is their strong point.
     
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  4. Captain 80s

    Captain 80s Member

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    I have some gasket scraping in my near future and I'm gonna follow NB's advice for sure. I have been using flat xacto blades which work great too but can get into the aluminum if you're not careful. I get the longer ones that will allow a little flex.
    [​IMG]
     
  5. Colddevil

    Colddevil Member

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    Alright. I'll be giving the gasket removing suggestions you guys gave a shot this weekend. Got my hacksaw blade, abrasive bits, and permatex gasket remover ready to go.

    2020-02-26 22.27.15.jpg

    Unfortunately, my dryer decided to explode. Well, what really happened is that my cousin is living with me for a few more weeks, and he overloaded the shit out of it. I've replaced the belt on here once before from making the mistake myself, but there's more damage this time. Damn thing started tearing itself apart. So I might be giving up bike work this weekend in favor of purchasing and installing a new dryer.

    I realize this isn't really Interceptor-related, but I'm pretty over sharing my house with another human being. I like knowing everything is where I put it. This is probably why my dating life dies as soon as someone comes over and notices there's more motorcycles than plates in the house. :Flame:

    2020-02-26 22.08.55.jpg
     
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  6. RllwJoe

    RllwJoe Insider

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    That Maytag model has been around longer than any and all VFRs! I believe that you can still purchase any replacement part for it.

    It's still too cold to hang the wash outside to dry in our neck of the woods so you better fix the dryer first.
     
  7. KarlR

    KarlR New Member

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    NorcalBoy is absolutely correct about the hacksaw blade scraper. I learned his trick from his RVF thread and used it on a tractor repair. Little tricks that make a job much easier.
     
  8. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    Glad it worked out for you, I was just passing it along. I originally learned the trick from the man that built my VFR800 engine. I would hang out in his shop and talk engine building techniques/theory and clean gasket surfaces so that he could concentrate on the important stuff. I learned a lot of tricks and methods from those sessions.
     
  9. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    Sorry about your piece of mechanical archaeology :Laugh: With what you have, you'll make quick work of your stubborn gasket material. Looking forward to seeing the positive results.
     
  10. chuntera

    chuntera New Member

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    I use goof-off spray and a steel ruler for gasket removal. regular scotchbrite pads cut into strips for tight areas.
     
  11. Colddevil

    Colddevil Member

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    Thanks again for the hacksaw blade suggestion--that worked better than anything I'd tried in the past.

    What a way to spend an afternoon, lol. I've never encountered such nuisance gaskets before. It took me the entire Nascar race to clean four surfaces. I actually don't think I would have been able to get it done without the Permatex gasket remover. The problem was that I needed to do about 5 cycles of it since it would loosen the top layer of the gasket, I would scrape it, then I'd reapply, and 15 minutes later I'd go back to scraping the next layer off.

    I suppose these are the little things you need to experience in order to appreciate just how crazy some of the restorations you guys do regularly.

    2020-03-01 17.15.33.jpg 2020-03-01 17.15.43.jpg

    Didn't really accomplish anything else on the bike this weekend besides getting new handlebar grips installed. I did receive two new valve cover gaskets, so it's time to man up and actually adjust the valve clearances.

    The next thing I'll probably be getting into is the carburetor though. Received a new rebuild kit from Billys Out Back. Gonna have to make sure to cross my t's and do my i's on this thing. As far as I can tell, it's in pretty good shape. I gave it a quick clean sometime last year--but I didn't truly go through it. The slide on one of the carburetors seems to stick just a little bit until it's moved once, so I'm sure it could benefit from cleaning. The float bowl gaskets are also on their last leg.

    2020-03-01 19.08.22.jpg

    Thanks for the well wishes on my archaic dryer :Rofl:. It's probably time it gets replaced, so Wednesday I should be able to do laundry again.
     
  12. Colddevil

    Colddevil Member

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    Hooo boy. We had some tight valves at ~21,000 miles. We had tight valves, we had loose valves, and we had good valves. Whole spectrum.

    Nearly all of the intake valves were out of spec--mainly too tight, but one was too loose. The manual I'm working off states 0.004" for intake and 0.005" for exhaust. I think I'm going to be setting all of them to 0.005" intake and 0.006" exhaust.
    2020-03-07 07.53.jpg

    Clearance certainly isn't nearly as fun as an inline 4 for measuring and adjusting the clearances. Getting the feeler gauges in there isn't a big issue, but the tools I bought to perform this are nearly useless; however, it seems it can be done with a small 8mm standard wrench and 3mm square socket tool. The Motion Pro one I have really should be 1/2cm longer though since it keeps getting stuck.

    I've only adjusted the intakes on 1 and 3 to this point, so I may find that the wrench isn't adequate in other locations. Hopefully not. Can't really use a torque wrench in this situation though. And luckily I did finally find some new valve cover gaskets.

    2020-03-06 23.06.51-1.jpg 2020-03-06 20.26.43.jpg

    Upgraded the shit out of the lighting in my basement with $20 LED shoplights to replace the dying fluorescents, which makes visibility a whole lot nicer while working.

    2020-03-04 21.48.51.jpg

    I tried making a video of the process since I couldn't find one for a VF500F on YouTube. Still not great at shooting maintenance videos, but you don't get better without trying.

     
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  13. NorcalBoy

    NorcalBoy Member

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    The carbs aren't too difficult to deal with. They can be a bit fiddly with all of the small springs and parts, but paying close attention to the order of disassembly and meticulous reassembly makes all the difference. Your new ultrasonic cleaner will definitely solve the cleaning issue. Getting the float heights correct and performing a bench synch, before you put them back in, will save a lot of mucking around.

    Did you find any dinosaur bones when you took the dryer apart?, asking for a friend.
     
  14. Diving Pete

    Diving Pete Member

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    Well done on the job so far...

    You may as well make your own gaskets for the sidecovers - just buy a couple of sheets of gasket paper - it costs cents !!. It has its own learning process to do correctly but ISNT that hard to do a great job. Im sure there are some U-Tube videos you can watch..
     
  15. jeremyr62

    jeremyr62 New Member

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    Some basement garage you have there. Not like the pokey things we have over here.
     
  16. Colddevil

    Colddevil Member

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    Haven't found any animals preserved in amber yet, though I had my fingers crossed! Unfortunately all I found were more mistakes I've made--running my miter saw without a shopvac and having to scrub the walls and floor to make it presentable for the new unit to go in. Should get into the carbs this week after I do some more reading about them.

    Luckily it seems like the 1986 gasket kit has most of the engine cover gaskets that I need. So far, seems like the major difference is the valve covers (which I now have 3 spare gaskets... anyone need em?).

    I've cut my own gaskets in the past, and I really try not to do it if I don't have to. I suck at it. The petcock gasket on this bike was the first one I ever did with my dad probably 10 years ago--and it's failed now. I can't find another online. So I'll probably be cutting that one again unless I can find an online source. It's not that I'm against giving it a shot--I've got the materials here, and I've done it before. But I lack the precision and knowledge to do it right, and I'd rather not have to rely on it. That being said, only way to get better at doing something is doing it..

    It's basically a garage and basement with a few rooms to cook and sleep in above. I realize it's super regional and basements aren't even a thing in a lot of regions. The house is nothing special, but for an amateur tinkerer like myself... I couldn't ask for much more.

    __
    Got the left side engine covers back on, and replaced with stainless steel bolts. Finished up the valve adjustment--probably took way longer than needed, but it took a long time to get satisfied with the clearances. I must have adjusted the cylinders' valves a combined 60 times trying to get it right. Hopefully that's another skill that gets better with practice.

    Didn't accomplish too much this weekend outside of setting the valve clearances 100 times. It's probably not recommended, but I did apply the lightest film of Hondabond that I could to the mating surface of the valve cover surface that I could. The valve covers had previously been installed with some kind of material, and a lot got left behind. I didn't feel comfortable trying to clean it engine-side (besides picking the big pieces) because I was afraid of getting debris into the engine. We'll see if that comes back to haunt me.
    2020-03-08 17.37.46.jpg 2020-03-08 16.31.47.jpg 2020-03-08 22.02.05.jpg
     
  17. straycat

    straycat Member

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    Post Removed
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2020
  18. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    ^^^ whoa ! it's almost NEVER necessary to remove throttle shafts or butterflies for any reason and is likely to lead to damage if not done with surgical precision.
     
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  19. straycat

    straycat Member

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    Each to their own I guess.

    When I rebuild carbs I take them completely apart. Never had an issue.

    Note that I did say "IF you remove"..

    Ill keep my mouth shut. I removed my post.

    Im here to share my experiences, to help others if I can and to learn things I haven't done before, not to ruffle anyone's feathers or create an issue in someone else's thread.
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2020
  20. squirrelman

    squirrelman Member

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    OK, sorry if i offended you and that we got our wires crossed. just wanted to say that throttle shaft removal is NOT part of routine carb cleaning.
     
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