S90: Handlebar Resto Continued

Second order from Bike Bandit came the other day, so it was another session of fitting new bits and pieces.

Before...

And after...

Unfortunately, the dingy fork plate and handlebar mounts keep the shiny new bolts from really popping out.  I may end up just painting the plate black to really highlight the brightwork.

S90: Handlebar Mounts

Disassembled the handle bar mounts to get a good look at them so I could order replacement bits as needed.

S90: Odd Jobs

Decided to stick on all the odds and ends I got from Bike Bandit.

Rusty fork bolts get replaced with shiny new ones.  Forgot to order new washers along with it, though.

New gas cap gasket.

New rubber mounts for the gas tank.  But the added width pushed back the tank itself, which made it impossible to fit the seat.  Going to have to mull that one over a bit...

New square washers inside the headlamp case.

S90: Gearing Up

Once again the Dremel and the Lisle take down a stuck screw.  And with that, I was able to finally pull out the transmission.

S90: Hallelujah!

Crankcase II is SPLIT!

I thought getting the case apart would be a nightmare, but it really wasn't too bad.  Of course, this was Crankcase II, the one I found complete on eBay.  Crankcase I may be a different story altogether.  But I was pleasantly surprised at how little work it took to get the halves apart, especially after reading stories of having to use a torch or an oven.

I hammered on the shafts as Clymer suggested, but also had to do a little bit of prying with a small flathead, which Clymer suggests against.  But really, the halves started to come apart almost immediately, and using the screwdriver around the seam was really just to get the gasket to come apart.  About three quarters the way around, as I hammered the screwdriver with the rubber mallet, I heard a "tink, tink, tink, POP!" and it was almost like you were opening something pressurized.

I had a good long poke around the transmission, but ultimately could not yet remove the unit because the screw holding the stopper plate on the shift arm was frozen.  The Lisle stripped it, and it'll be tricky to reslot because it's a flat head, and I'll probably have to damage the stopper plate underneath to get it off.

S90: Airbox #2 Continued

I'd almost given up on the second airbox, since it seemed impossible to get the stuck screw out without also damaging the tab itself. 

But once again, the 4-week break from wrenching proved useful for problem solving.  I'd realized I could just clamp the tab down to provide enough support to take the hammering from the impact driver.  So I threw two clamps on the tab, then put the clamps themselves into the vice and Presto!

With just a couple whacks the screw freed up, and I turned most of it out by hand.  Plus, the tab actually got bent back in the right direction and looks pretty close to where it ought to be now.

S90: My Kindgom for Ring Pliers!

Hadn't been down to the garage in a month (a case of life getting in the way of hobbies), but I think that allowed time for some creative problem solving to percolate around in my brain.

Problem One was the fact that this clutch housing didn't have the little notches in it that allows you to use the basket holder to lock it in place while you remove the locknut.  I tried the penny in the gears trick recommended by Clymer.  But the first penny just got chomped in two, while the second one seemed to lock the gear, but not the clutch and therefore I still couldn't turn the nut.

But the solution was obvious: just put a very big piece of metal through the con-rod and lock the whole thing up.  At first I tried some wrenches, but they were getting bent.  Finally this old cheap, but very big screwdriver did the trick.

But after enjoying that success for a few minutes, I was immediately stymied by the fact that I had no ring pliers to get the primary gear off.  It seems simple enough to do it without the right tool, but short of cutting it off, I couldn't get the leverage to remove it.  Finally decided it was a good excuse to get a new tool and ordered a Lisle snap ring plier from Amazon.