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Retro Thumper project (Read 1975 times)
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #90 - 01/08/22 at 14:44:57
 
Great build, subscribed! It’s wonderful that you have such machining skills. I’m a decent welder, but definitely don’t have machining skills or tools. They certainly seem to come in handy for these custom builds.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #91 - 01/16/22 at 17:02:22
 
I am at a bit of a standstill on the frame work - until I get my shortened fork tubes back.

So I started working on the engine.  This bike is a theft recovery and when I got it from a Salvage yard the engine was out of the bike and in a plastic laundry basket.....sitting outside.  The good news is there wasn't much damage and for some reason I got 2 engines!  I took the head covers off both engines and as is normal.....both had damaged cams and rockers!

The good news is that the piston/cylinder are in great shape, and the inside of the engine was really clean.

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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #92 - 01/16/22 at 17:05:31
 
I can't stand the idea of putting an engine back together with the old sealer between the case halves - nothing worse than an engine that is all freshened up and leaky!

The engine had been drug around on the floor.....and battery acid had taken paint off the backside that sits under the battery, and the pulley area was dirty.

So I gave the case halves a thorough cleaning, sanding and more cleaning....then taped them up.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #93 - 01/16/22 at 17:07:20
 
And painted with VHT Engine enamel withe ceramic.

It is a little bit glossier and a little more pronounced metallic flakes than the original......I like it!
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #94 - 01/16/22 at 17:08:32
 
Then the same for the other side.  I wired the transmission cluster into place so the gears/shafts don't fall out......the crankshaft and counter balance shaft are out.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #95 - 01/16/22 at 17:10:23
 
Second half sprayed.

It took most of the day to get things taken apart, cleaned and sanded.  Getting the old paint clean and scuffed up is really time consuming - but it is the only way to get the best chance of the paint sticking!

I didn't bother taping or protecting the pulley shaft seal or shift shaft seal, as those will be removed and replaced with new ones.

Tomorrow I can put the halves back together.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #96 - 01/16/22 at 17:13:54
 
I may end up painting the side covers with the same paint.

The cylinder and head I am still not sure if I want them silver or black.

Maybe a black cylinder and a silver head would look more vintage......I just don't know yet.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #97 - 01/16/22 at 18:22:45
 
Make sure you bake the paint for 30 minutes at over 200 degrees. The VHT engine paint isn’t cured until it goes through a heat cycle, and it is easily scratched otherwise.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #98 - 01/16/22 at 22:10:16
 
My engine was in the same shape, except the oil was dirtier, not clean at all.   Looks like you are doing a top notch job!
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #99 - 01/17/22 at 15:20:10
 
Those case halves came out nice.  Tell us a bit more about your prep work.  What did you use to get into all the nooks & crannys?  All my brushed aluminum with clear-coat looks terrible.  The triple clamps and forks are especially bad.  I'm thinking about stripping and painting all that stuff and would appreciate any tips for prep prior to the paint application.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #100 - 01/17/22 at 15:54:16
 
The first thing I did was to use full strength Simple Green to clean up the engine as best I could before I took the side cases off.  I scrubbed, then rinsed it off with water and then dried things off with my hand held leaf blower.

Then I stripped the engine down to the crankcase.  I worked on the left side with the cases still assembled and I put the right side clutch cover back on to support the engine so it wasn't wiggling around on the clutch and crank shafts....and I stuffed rags down the cylinder to keep the connecting rod from flopping around.  I wiped the engine case down with a rag soaked in Paint Prep.....as cleaner used to remove wax and oils.  I used 320 grit sandpaper and I had a little pan of the Paint Prep to keep the sandpaper wetted.  I would use paper towels to clean things up and I just kept moving around on the left side until I had everything sanded.  I wanted all the paint scuffed up - in some places the aluminum showed through but that is OK too.  I used lots of really small pieces and I wore medium weight rubber gloves to keep the solvent off my skin.  For the really tight places I use a screwdriver and a bit of Scotchbright pad.  When I got the left side done - I removed the clutch cover and split the cases.  I removed the cranks and counterbalance shaft, then wire the transmission pieces into the case to they stayed put.

I then removed the oil pump from the right side center case and worked on sanding it.....it was much easier to get done without all the weight of the other parts.  It was the same scenario of wiping with pain prep, sanding withe the wetted #320, and wiping it down.

Then I taped off the pieces I didn't want painted and used an X-Acto knife to trim the tape even with the gasket surfaces.  Then a final wipe with Paint Prep, a little bit of time for it to dry, then a few light coats followed by a medium coat of paint.

After drying overnight I baked the halves at 200 degrees in my garage oven.



 
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #101 - 01/17/22 at 16:01:36
 
For the restoration of your clear coated parts.....I have a different method.

On my Cafe' bike all the clear coated aluminum parts got the clear coat stripped using aircraft stripper, then they all got sanded and buffed and are polished aluminum.  I do need to polish them a couple times each year to keep them looking nice.  The bike is stored inside and doesn't get wet too often.  On the group rides were we come home wet and the bike sits outside overnight wet.....the aluminum does suffer a bit.

For this Retro Thumper project there will be very little bare aluminum.  The fork legs and triple trees were powder coated aluminum - the brake backing plate and pulley hub are powder coated black.  I am trying to make this bike something that requires a bit less polishing.

I don't know if the Suzuki factory clear coat is of poor quality - maybe stripping, polishing and applying a new powder clear coat would be more durable.  I know a lot of the used bikes I looked at had crappy looking polished parts and the spokes were corroded.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #102 - 01/17/22 at 16:04:43
 
Garage oven??!!  Where can I put one of those in my shop?  I need more room!  (super jelly on that one!)
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Every twenty minute job is a stripped thread away from being a three day ordeal.

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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #103 - 01/18/22 at 14:01:54
 
I bought a used kitchen oven to use for powder coating.....it comes in really handy!

This is the paint prep stuff I use.
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Re: Retro Thumper project
Reply #104 - 02/03/22 at 16:19:30
 
Today while I hid in the garage and listened to the freezing rain on the roof - I worked on the cylinder head.

I cleaned up the intake ports - here is the intake side.
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