Winter overhaul

[markh]

Okay, my next 'project' might be to tidy up my slightly shabby-looking 3 year-old AT. I plan to clear out the garage and dismantle the bike in a minor way, then clean it up and put it back together in something resembling 'as-new' condition. I have NO mechanical experience or aptitude, and I struggled to get the tank off and on again when wiring up my Tom Tom. (Now might be a good time to mention that the Tom Tom power cable no longer seems to be working.)

However, I have never had the luxury of a garage before, and so my maintenance efforts have always been constrained by what can be done before it gets dark or starts to rain, including putting it all back together again. I plan to acquire something cheap to keep me on the road, and then to do this all at a leisurely pace. I'm sure that will make a difference.

This has been prompted by a need to probably strip and rebuild the front brakes, which are starting to seize quite severely when the bike is left standing. I have dismantled and rebuilt an XT600 front caliper, so I have a vague hope I am up to this, although I'm sure twin calipers and twin pistons will add up to more than four times the headache. I have not had problems with the AT brakes in general, so I am not planning to dismantle the lines or replace them with braided ones unless someone says I really should.

I will also consider getting the already-tatty wheels rebuilt with gold rims and stainless spokes, and I'll try to restore the bash plate to its former glory. Chain and sprockets are probably due, so that's the wheels covered. Hopefully I can clean up the hard-to reach suspension bits without taking them apart (which I don't think I'm up to) and fit a rear hugger to help keep them that way. I'd like to do something about the side engine casings, which are peeling a bit, but all I can imagine doing is painting them with Hammerite or something.

Any other ideas? Although it sounds a bit basic, I'm really up for ideas on just how to go about cleaning things effectively. I always seem to put in a lot of effort with mediocre results. Please note, I'm really not planning on taking the engine out or anything scary like that. In reality the bike's just a bit dirty and at 12k miles it's unlikely that anything properly mechanical needs doing!

(P.S. I have a Haynes manual.)

[anton88]

If your doing a brake strip down, and youre planning on keeping the bike, now would be a good time to fit braided brake hoses i would say, and also replace the brake fluid.

As for calipers - just take your time. This wont happen to you (hopefully), but may brake pad pin bolts were badly siezed up. 1 of them had to be drilled out it was that bad . All fixed now tho

IF you do get stuck, just post your problems up, and i'm sure as always we can club together with the right answers for you.

Do you have one of those small steam cleaners (with an extension tube, they are great for cleaning out the nooks and crannies).

[Muckybill]

markh

Try not to do to much at once. Tackle a specific part/area and finish it before moving on to something else, that way you will not have parts all over your garage and wondering where everything goes.
I am about to give mine a overhaul, the swinging arm and linkage are coming out as is the forks to get to the head bearings. At 12k miles i don`t think you need to do the same but it`s worth checking for any play in the bearings especially the head bearings as from new these can be adjusted with to much play.
Painting the engine cases with Hammerite hmm. It will look like engine cases painted with Hammerite yuk. There are processes that will give a more original look but cost and require removal of the cases. You could try striping the paint of and polishing the bare alluminium but then you will have to keep on top of the polishing to keep the shine.
Good luck with your maintenance and don`t forget to ask questions and teel us how you progress

Bill

[markh]

Do you have one of those small steam cleaners (with an extension tube, they are great for cleaning out the nooks and crannies).

Er, no! But that sounds quite useful - where do you get them from? I'm sure I won't have anything properly seized, as the calipers look quite clean on the outsides. I might even get away without removing the pistons, but I'll have to wait until I can see if they'll clean up and pop back in all the way. I have a vacuum bleeder, so I will at least change the fluid if I do dismantle anything.

[markh]

Painting the engine cases with Hammerite hmm. It will look like engine cases painted with Hammerite

Yes :) I wonder if a bit of fine sanding and then protecting the surface with some kind of clear lacquer might be slightly less ugly. I will have to investigate the options. I have looked longingly at the 'shiny bits' man's RD03 restoration, and I just love how the engine cleaned up. But I think that's for a far-off distant day when my engine needs to come apart for better reasons that flaking paint!

[Chad]

mark muckybills advice is sound dont tackle to much at once

as for your engine cases if you take a soft wire brush the wheel type you can put in a drill or dremmell you can take the corrosion of the engine cases and then purchace some PJ1 heat proof paint from M+P the good thing about this stuff is you can get it in the required colours that the different manufacturers painted there engines

also things like the bashplate think about having it powder coated i did this to my AT and its great very durable and easy to clean

if your doing the caliper stripdown make sure you order the new inner and dust seals and get your self some renolit red rubber grease . do not i repeat do not use copperslip on these seals or on the pistons only on the threads of the bolts and the back of the pads as the copperslip will contaminate the break fluid..


but most of all take your time and enjoy the tinkering this may sound a bit anal but it really seems to bond you with the bike

[DaveS]

Another tip..... take lots of pictures to help you reassemble. I've lost count of the number of times I've relied on them to help me put something back together.

[markh]

Another tip..... take lots of pictures to help you reassemble. I've lost count of the number of times I've relied on them to help me put something back together.

Will do!

[markh]

Well I now have a more or less clear, reasonably well-lit and marginally weatherproof garage in which to work:



And obviously I needed to acquire a suitable 'winter hack':



:) I'm sure that number plate has potential...

[Tarka]

I'm sure that number plate has potential...

Every vehicle ringer and cloner across the net is thinking the same thing mate.

It`s not a good idea to show yer reg plate in photographs.....