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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Rescue Bike....Bringing a bike out of storage. /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1440293732 Message started by Dave on 08/22/15 at 18:35:32 |
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Title: Rescue Bike....Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 08/22/15 at 18:35:32 Last week I bought a bike. It has been in storage for a few years. The owner suffered a brain injury and can no longer ride, and it took a few years for him to recover and get his life back in order. The bike was in storage in a garden shed, and got really dirty and did get some surface rust. The fuel tank is incredibly clean in side....the fuel looked a bit like Maple Syrup but did not smell bad. The battery is dead, the tires were flat - but held air once pumped up. The bike is a 2002 and has 3,989 miles on it. It has the original tires and they look fine for 13 year old tires. It appears to have a bit of an oil leak from the head plug. I intend to provide a step by step process of bringing this bike back, as an example for folks to follow if they have to do the same thing on a bike. IMPORTANT NOTE: Never rub your hands or a rag over the dirty paint or chrome to see what is under the dirt. The dirt will act like sand paper and scratch what is underneath. It is better to just wait until you can get it washed.......and then whatever is underneath won't have scratches you need to polish out. http://i61.tinypic.com/258qxib.jpg http://i62.tinypic.com/35i14ld.jpg http://i61.tinypic.com/2n6y88p.jpg http://i60.tinypic.com/i3w7c2.jpg http://i62.tinypic.com/261kv3p.jpg http://i60.tinypic.com/72ub06.jpg http://i61.tinypic.com/inxzqo.jpg |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 08/23/15 at 18:56:02 Yesterday I spent some time on washing the bike. It was a warm, sunny and breezy day....perfect for washing the bike. First I parked the bike in the shade and sprayed some Bike Bright on the oily spots on the engine so it could soak a bit. Bike Bright is similar to Simple Green, Purple Power and similar cleaner/degreasers - but it is not as harmful to paint or aluminum (I have had Purple Power leave some spots on paint before, and Simple Green can take the shine off aluminum). I then took a small paint brush and a scrub brush and worked the Bike Bright into the fins and engine parts. When done I sprayed the entire bike down with Bike Bright, and then let is sit for a few minutes while I got the pressure washer fired up (don't let the bike sit in the sun with the Bike Bright on it....and don't let it dry). I then sprayed the bike off with the pressure washer.....I was careful not to spray any hard stream onto the carb, or into any of the electrical switches or the fuel cap. I move the bike a few times to be able to spray all of the tires and rims. I then mixed about 3 times as much car wash soap as the instructions recommend in a 5 gallon bucket. You want lots of soap to lubricate the dirt and help keep it from scratching. I used a car wash mitt on the paint work, and the scrub brush on the seat and tires. Once the soap and scrub work was done I rinsed really well with the pressure washer set on low until no more bubbles came off the bike. I then got a towel and dried off the paint work, then used a leave blower to blow all the water off the wheels and engine, followed by a final wipe down of the paint. I then pushed the bike into the sun to dry. While the bike was drying I disconnected the fuel hose from the carb, and slid a larger hose over the fuel hose and put it into a fuel can, and then set the petcock to "prime", and drained the fuel tank. I removed the fuel cap and let the tank air out as well. At the end of the day when things had cooled off, I used some S100 Finish polish on the tank, and it turned out really nice. http://www.bikebrite.com/bike-brite-Motorcycle-Spray-Wash.html http://www.s100.com/s100_cw.htm http://i61.tinypic.com/2mxpid4.jpg The scrubbing did wonders for the seat. http://i58.tinypic.com/2hz4n6o.jpg The chrome on the battery box, belt guards, rear foot pegs, tool kit cover, and most chrome acorn bolts are pitted. The fender side rails and most others things should clean up fine. A few of the spoke nipples have rusty spots. The next step is to order a Raptor Petcock and a battery. And I will remove the fuel tank and the spark plug - and spray some fogging oil into the cylinder before trying to rotate the engine. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 08/24/15 at 18:34:42 This morning I got the Raptor petcock and the battery ordered. Tonight after cutting firewood I worked for about 20 minutes on the bike and I got a bit of mechanical work done (no polishing tonight). I removed the petcock, then removed the seat, fuel tank and left side chrome head cover cap. I carefully checked that there was no dirt around the spark plug cavity (so Jog wouldn't be unhappy with me), and removed the spark plug. It looked good, and shows the bike was healthy the last time it ran. I then sprayed Sta-Bil fogging oil into the cylinder - so that when I turn the engine over (still haven't done that yet), the piston and cylinder will be lubricated. http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sta-bil-fogging-oil-12-oz http://i57.tinypic.com/2ufex43.jpg The cylinder head has some congealed oil around the left front cylinder head stud......I think this thing may be oozing oil a bit. I just recently learned that the front left cylinder stud has the oil return from the head going down around the stud, and it can ooze oil if not sealed. I will clean this are up a bit, remove the nut and washer and clean them, and then place some sealer on the washer and torque everything back down. http://i61.tinypic.com/nqv4tw.jpg I also discovered that one header bolt is missing. The good news is that there is a nice threaded hole in the cylinder head.....and not a broken off stud! http://i57.tinypic.com/2v0zsza.jpg |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 08/30/15 at 12:43:05 I tried the Verslagen method of finding oil leaks......this engine had some oil deposits on the cylinder head near the spark plug, and traces of oil on the cylinder as the oil was blown around by the wind when riding. I removed the chrome head covers and the vent tube at the top of the engine. I found a piece of tubing that fit on the nipple for the vent tube, and that size just happens to be the same size as the 1/4" quick connect fittings for my air compressor - so I attached the hose to the engine vent and the fitting. I then bled all the air out of my compressor....except for 5 pounds. I then mixed some dish washing liquid and put it in a spray bottle. I sprayed the area around the left front head stud expecting to find a leak there.....but it was blowing bubbles at the place just above the spark plug where the head cover mates to the cylinder head. Evidently the sealer in this area has failed. The Sealer is black - but kind of shiny and sticks out a bit.......I don't believe it is the factory sealant. Regardless.....the head cover will have to come off so that I can get this sealed up. http://i60.tinypic.com/11blzdl.jpg I have also had a setback on the title. The previous owner had lost the title - so I got all the papers so he could apply for a replacement title. When the went to the DMV he found out the bike was never transferred into his name, and it still is in the previous (original) owners name. The original owner is a woman, and she bought the bike in 2002, and I am not sure how long she owned it. I found a receipt in the tool roll on the front of the bike where the fellow I bought the bike from purchased a mirror in 2005.....so she sold the bike sometime previous to that. Through some internet research, PVA records and some creative work I have found out the original owners name and address, and I have mailed her a letter telling the story, telling her how she can contact me, and providing her pictures of the bike so she can see what a disaster it has become. She legally is still the owner of the bike.....and I am hoping she will fill out the application for a lost title, and then willingly sign it over to me. I am expecting it will turn out OK - but there is always a chance it might not. KY charges yearly taxes on motor vehicles, and there is likely 12 years of unpaid taxes due on this bike. I will let you all know how it turns out. She could demand the bike back, and I would have to give it to her as she is the legal owner. She could decide not to do anything, and this will become a parts bike - or she most likely will see that it is not anything she wants to own (she did sell it once as she didn't want it)....and she can sign it over to me and I will have to pay the overdue taxes. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 09/09/15 at 14:05:58 Well the title issue has worked out far more successful than I had hoped for. Last Thursday I got an email from the original owner who still has the bike in her name, and she said she was going to the DMV on Friday and apply for the lost title....and would check on the taxes. Kentucky assess a tax on motor vehicles as personal property - and even if you don't license it you have to pay yearly taxes on it. (My current bike is assessed at $ 2,880 and I paid $ 37.50 in taxes on it last year). This could well mean that this project bike could have 10 years of taxes owed on it....which coud potentially have been $ 300 - $ 400! The lady called me on Friday....and had incredible news. She said that when she went to the DMV she got a very nice and helpful clerk, and she showed her my email, the photos of the dirty bike, and explained what had happened and how the man she sold it to had been injured and could no longer ride, and had been injured even before he could transfer the title into his name. The clerk went to another office for a bit, and came back and said that under the circumstances they where going to cancel all the taxes due on the bike, and would get her a replacement title so she could transfer the bike to me. That is absolutely amazing that she was able to pull that off.......she must be some kind of magician! The papers have been filed, and in a few days the replacement title should arrive in the mail, then I will go an meet this very nice lady and get the title transferred into my name! I haven't been able to work on the bike lately - I was down at the Dragon riding with Oldfeller, MMRanch, old_rider and his wife, met Don, and just had a good time riding for about 1,500 miles! |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 09/10/15 at 03:32:31 This morning at 5:00 AM before I left for work, I couldn't resist the temptation to see if the engine will turn over. I have had the Fogging Oil in the cylinder for a few weeks and it has had plenty of time to ooze down around the piston/rings. I removed the timing cover on the left side of the engine, and surprisingly it came off easily as the last person didn't crank it overly tight. When I put the 17mm socket on the end of the crankshaft, I was thankful that the crank turned easily and I did not feel anything "break loose" when it first moved.....it turned instantly and smoothly. As I turned it over I could feel the pressure change as the camshaft pushed on the exhaust and intake valves, and the force increased as the piston came up on compression! It all looks good at this point...the only negative seems to be the oil leak at the cylinder head cap and the missing header bolt (and a lot of corrosion on the chrome parts). |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 09/19/15 at 18:33:10 Well a few things have happened the last couple of days. Last night my wife and I drove down to Louisville to have dinner with the original owner of the bike and her spouse. She had received the duplicate title and was signing it over to me.....and I promised to buy them a nice dinner for all their trouble. We hit it off really well, and have a lot in common......we have some new friends and are going to keep in touch. They play music, and we do to...so we will get together and jam on occasion! I have been pondering the next step in this process. I know there is an oil leak just above the spark plug, and the head cover has to come off to fix that. The engine turns over and seems to have good compression, and it only has 3,949 miles on it......not much chance of anything being wrong in that low of mileage - right? Tonight I decided I was going to take the head cover off and fix the oil leak, and also put in a Verslagen head plug. I took the valve adjustment caps off, and rotated the engine to TDC - and to confirm that I am at TDC I always wiggle the rocker arms to make sure there is a bit of play......so I can confirm I am in the correct TDC. The intake rocker moved back and forth - but there was no play in the exhaust rocker. There is good compression so I know the valves are seating properly - but the adjustment seemed overly tight. I removed the head cap, and found that there was no sealant in the area where the oil leak was.....and very little in the other areas. I don't know what kind of gasket sealant was used the last time it was off....it was black and looked like factory stuff - but it appeared that it all squeezed out and left none in the joint that is supposed to seal. The even worse news is that the exhaust rocker is badly worn, and the cam lobe for the exhaust is equally worn and the lobe is flattened. There has been a large amount of wear in very few miles.....and this is why we are always hammering on you Noobs to use an oil with a high ZDDP content. http://i61.tinypic.com/10ymec3.jpg http://i60.tinypic.com/2dc62jc.jpg The good news is that I have a spare cam and rockers that are in good condition - so I can install them and not have to buy anything. I will have to take off the clutch cover to release the cam chain tension - and I can measure the tensioner extension while I am in there. I might also take the clutch plates out and clean them and scuff them up a bit, as they may be contaminated with some "Friction Modifiers"...as it appears that the last owner was using a low ZDDP car oil in the bike. So once this is corrected....the next question is do I try and start it without cleaning the carb? The fuel tank was clean....but who knows about the carb.....and should I do the white spacer mod and change jets without even riding it first? So many tough decisions! :-? |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 09/20/15 at 09:20:12 This morning I was able to get the old cam out, and the new one in. I also removed the head plug and put in a new Versy aluminum one that has rubber O-rings to seal it. I also took the clutch apart and cleaned and scuffed up the fiber plates a bit....then cleaned them again. The cam chain tensioner was at 14mm, I am going to install a little softer spring if I can find a suitable replacement at the hardware store today. Here is the good used cam and the new Versy plug in place. http://i62.tinypic.com/2uqdlso.jpg |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 09/27/15 at 08:02:30 Over the last few days I got the head cover back on and the valves adjusted, got the muffler and header shined up and installed.....I didn't want the header or muffler getting hot with all that corrosion on it, as I thought that might bake the crud on. This morning I dropped the float bowl with the carb still on the bike, and found the float bowl full of junk. The main jet was clear....the pilot jet was plugged. http://i59.tinypic.com/27y379c.jpg I cleaned up the float bowl and jets in the ultra sonic cleaner, and put it back together. http://i62.tinypic.com/2w51tw6.jpg Time will tell if this is enough cleaning - but if anyone is bringing a bike out of storage like this one, I would suggest that dropping the float bowl and cleaning the jets is the minimum that should be done. The bike would not have run with the pilot jet clogged.....and who knows where the gunk in the float bowl would have ended up if I had tried to start the bike without cleaning the float bowl. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 09/30/15 at 04:31:01 Last night was rainy and I couldn't do any yard work or cut firewood - so I was able to work on the bike. I removed the carb and replaced it with one that I had cleaned previously and installed the #50 pilot, #150 main and installed 3 washers on the pilot jet. (I wanted to confirm that this was a good carb anyhow....as it had been sitting outside in a laundry basket as part of a theft recovery bike I bought form a salvage yard). The bike started up an ran fine....and it only needed a bit of idle speed and mixture adjustment. The bike runs and idles fine and sounds really good. The drive belt is too tight - so tonight I will remove the rear wheel and check for rust in the brake drum and clean that area up, then put the back wheel on and adjust the belt.....then go for a ride! :) |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 09/30/15 at 18:19:21 Tonight I was ready for the final work before I went for a ride. I just couldn't convince myself that I should ride the bike - without taking the rear wheel off and cleaning up the brake drum. As corroded as everything else was, I just new the steel brake lining would be rusty. http://i60.tinypic.com/5u06cm.jpg I first used some coarse steel wool to get the flaky rust off, and used the steel wool on the brake shoes. I then switched to a coarse emery cloth and then medium on the steel lining. I then sprayed it all down with brake cleaner. http://i57.tinypic.com/28717oo.jpg I then put it back together, adjusted the belt tension and brake pedal, and went for a ride. The bike is really quiet compared to my Cafe' conversion with the hopped up engine and exhaust (and noticeably less power). It ran well...although there is a slight hesitation just off idle that would be improved is I take another washer off the top of the needle. I will clean the original carb, put a #50 pilot and #150 main and only 2 washers....and I believe it will be just fine. The bike rolled over 4,000 miles on the ride. Other than cleaning and putting the original carb back on - the only thing left to do is put the chrome covers back on the cylinder head, spend a full day polishing chrome.....and then enjoy the bike for what is left of the riding season! 8-) http://i57.tinypic.com/i5n3tk.jpg The Thread is no longer locked. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/30/15 at 18:35:31 I'm IN! So, you've got a stock bike, except for jets and white washer mod. That's just proper tuning, not hot rod mods. Stock muffler, air filter, cam, I hope you do comparative time trials. Temperature, humidity, various distances. Be interesting to see what just a muffler swap does, then intake, The Scientific American,, no, Scientific Mechanic. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Kris01 on 09/30/15 at 20:04:25 Just wondering.... Why just the exhaust rocker? How did the intake rocker survive? |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by justin_o_guy2 on 09/30/15 at 20:13:09 When it's on the sidestand, exhaust is high, |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Kris01 on 09/30/15 at 20:33:56 Oh, gotcha! ;) |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by jcstokes on 10/01/15 at 00:01:30 Congratulations, may it give you many miles of pleasure. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Boogie_with_Stu on 10/01/15 at 00:35:36 Nicely done dave! Looks just like my 2003 now 8-) Am I correct in assuming that you rode it on the original 13 year old tires? |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 10/01/15 at 03:15:34 332C2A2D30370636063E2C206B590 wrote:
That is what our current believe is. There is a small "tub" under the camshaft that holds a pool of oil. When the bike is on the sidestand that pool is leaning over to the right side....and it may be that the exhaust cam lobe cannot reach the oil surface when the bike is leaning on the side stand. It may also be that the low oil flow at idle doesn't pump the oil uphill through the hollow camshaft....the oil may all come out the low side of the cam and oil only the intake lobe and rocker. (I couldn't get either of the original owners to fess up to letting the bike idle for long periods of time on the stand.....but the blue exhaust header sure made me think it was). |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 10/01/15 at 03:29:57 Things that I have learned on this so far are: 1) A low mileage bike doesn't always mean low wear. 2) It is important not to just dump gas in the tank and try to fire up a bike that has been stored like this. 3) There are still some very nice people out there. The original owner really was helpful in getting the title straightened out. I would also recommend that if anyone finds a bike like this and buys it: 1) Try and avoid turning the engine over until you can get some "Fogging Oil" into the cylinder. Once the fogging oil has been in place for a few days - remove the timing port cover and slowly turn the crank over to distribute the oil in the cylinder - and that will also let you know if the engine will turn over smoothly and has any compression. 2) Don't change the oil filter right away.....leave it in place as it will allow you to get oil pressure quicker than if you take it off and put on a dry filter. You can change the oil if you want....but don't remove the filter cover. 3) Clean the carb....although it won't hurt to try and make it run with the carb the way it was. If the carb was not run out of fuel or drained...it is going to need a good cleaning. 4) Remove the rear wheel and clean the rust out of the brake. 5) I only found out about the worn rocker when fixing the oil leak. If I had not removed the head cap to fix the oil leak....I most likely would have spent time trying to figure out why the engine was so noisy. I am not sure how long the engine would have continued to run with the worn rocker....or how long it would have taken me to chase down the noise. 6) Based on the hesitation/surging just off idle - I need to try 2 washers. My other bike ran best with the #50 pilot, #150 main and 2 washers on the needle....I should have tried that instead of going to 3 washers. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 10/01/15 at 05:39:39 7974747C727E366C726F7336686F6E1B0 wrote:
Yea....because it was in storage out of the sunlight, and the garage was insulated, the tires actually look good. They aren't weathered and don't have any cracks or splits anywhere. I do realize they aren't fresh anymore, and I won't ride too quickly or expect them to be good in the rain. On my ride last night I could hear them growling as I rode around corners....I believe the rubber may be a bit hard and as not as compliant as when they were new. I don't see any reason to buy new tires when the bike will go into winter storage in a couple months. I can wait for the spring tire sales! When winter arrives I will spend time getting the bike cleaned up as much as I can....for the next month or two I will just work on making sure it is in good mechanical shape and ready for reliable riding. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 10/12/15 at 05:46:47 Last week I changed the oil and filter on the bike - the original oil was pretty black so this oil change was done after only a 100 miles in an attempt to "flush" out the dirt. That is the nice thing about Rotella T....an oil change is only about $ 6.00. Yesterday I took the front brake pads out as they were squealing and I put in new Organic pads and the squeal is gone. I siphoned the blackish brake fluid out of the reservoir, then added new brake fluid and flushed the old fluid out of the system until the fluid came out clear. I went for a long ride in the afternoon, and with each ride I was becoming a bit more comfortable with the bike and pushed it a little harder around the curves. I did notice that when you hit a bump in the curves.....this bike wiggles around a bit and is not as stable as my Cafe' conversion. Then as I was going around one smooth sweeper.....I felt the back tire slide! :o I guess I have explored the "sticky limit" for 13 year old tires.....I will be replacing them in the early spring, as I never see the benefit in putting fresh rubber on so the bike can sit in the garage all winter. Happy Ending? Yea, I believe the bike has turned out just fine. It still needs a bit of polishing to remove some of the corrosion - however it is pretty presentable for a 13 year old motorcycle. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Savageman on 12/15/15 at 10:33:57 Also runs hotter on exhaust side than intake. |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Dave on 12/15/15 at 11:14:58 5D6F786F696B636F603B380E0 wrote:
I am not convinced the heat from the valve stem is going to transfer through the valve stem tips, through the valve lash adjustment screws into the rocker arm - then travel the length of the rocker arm to heat up the wear surface on the exhaust rocker. Halfway along the length of the rocker arm any extra heat will encounter the rocker shaft.....and I would bet that if any extra heat is available, it would be transferred to the shaft and travel to the head cover - and both the intake rocker and exhaust rocker shafts are mounted within an inch of each other. (When you get your head apart you will have a better understanding of how the cam/rocker setup works....and you can see how the oil supply comes in on the downhill side of the cam). |
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Title: Re: Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by Rodger on 12/31/15 at 09:14:21 Kudos on your refurbishing project, Dave! I have an '82 Yamaha Virago 920 that needs the same level of attention, from carb overhaul to polishing/cleaning accumulated garage dust & grime. (It spent 10 years in a corner of my cousin's tire shop.) I hope it turns out as well as yours. You were very lucky on the title. I bought a bike when at Ft. Sill, OK, only to find that the seller had never transferred the title. The original owner was a G.I. and had since been transferred to parts unknown. Had to find a "semi-shadey" notary at a used car lot to notarize the signature, then pay 7 years of Oklahoma taxes when I titled & licensed it. Compared to that, buying dinner was a bargain. {But a fine gesture, nonetheless... :) } |
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Title: Re: Rescue Bike....Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by madmikesmech on 08/30/17 at 05:27:24 Nice work!! |
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Title: Re: Rescue Bike....Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by TC on 08/30/17 at 21:43:15 Thanks for the thorough work you put into this post Dave. I will be going through a similar process on my 2006 that has been neglected the past couple years. Garaged and covered, but not run. 3 jobs and no extra income doesn't bode well for a bike that needs time and a little money. Fortunately I'm down to 2 jobs and up on the income side of things! :) |
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Title: Re: Rescue Bike....Bringing a bike out of storage. Post by madmikesmech on 06/02/18 at 20:42:04 Great post Dave! Thank you, very good info on bringing a bike back after a long "hibernation! I was fortunate enough to pick up a pair (1987 & a 1988) last year http://https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SETJXKVDS14/WxNiRmY5HXI/AAAAAAAASdE/EQNL7bFg34kIQ_6hoV97pdm6Y-6nJQaWQCLcBGAs/s320/20170828_184515.jpg . Fogging oil in the cylinders, and pulled 1 of the carbs is all the further i have gotten to date. Busy with work, family, and life Mike |
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