VT250F "Silver" part 13: putting the engine back where it belongs...

With the engine nice and presentable it was time to slide it back into the frame. This is a fairly straight forward process which is made a little awkward by the weight of the engine and the tight space within the frame.

The engine bolts to the frame with two long bolts positioned at the front and bottom rear and one short bolt located up the top towrdas the back. The frame also has a removable piece to make installing the engine an easier process.

Essentially what we did (this is a two man job) was position the engine and then guide both long bolts through the frame and engine. With one half of the frame now supporting the weight of the engine the removable piece of frame was lined up and then re attached. The third short bolt was then inserted. After which everything was tightened up.


"one of the long bolts"


"the short bolt, with the spacer can be a little tricky"


"the second long bolt is just under the brake pedal"




It took just under an hour to get everything ready and put the engine in, which isnt that bad. We also had a car jack under the engine just to help support the weight. Its a shame I was unable to make a video episode about this part, hopefully you get the idea of how it went in.


"one major hurdle down"

Next up! The carburettors!

VT250F "Silver" part 12: cleaning the engine

Before the engine went back in the frame it would be crazy to not give it a bit of a tidy up, the process was fairly simple but the results look fantastic. Before the cleaning took place though any holes where covered or stuffed with rags to prevent internal damage... I would strongly recommend you do the same thing.

First off the engine was sprayed with degresser and an old brush was used to loosen the dirt, pretty much the same thing that was done to the frame. For some areas where there was a lot of grime and dirt a screw driver was used to poke and loosen as much as possible. Once the degresser had dried off a little, a high pressure hose was then used to blast of all the crap that had caked on over the years. The engine was then left to dry out for an hour or so before coating the whole thing with som WD-40, this restored some of the colour back to the engine as well as gave it a bit of protection.









I have decided not to paint the engine as it cleaned up better then I thought it would. I have also decided not to polish any parts either, since the they have character with the small amounts of corrosion present... on top of that they will mostly be covered anyway.

Next bit putting it back into the frame.

VT250F "Silver" part 11: mudguard, rearsets and fixing a crack!

Ok so for the next couple of posts their is no video. This is due to a couple of reasons, but the main one is the heat! in WA it is hot! The heat in the shed in WA is hotter and actually makes it difficult for the camera to function. So I apologise for this but luckily I took plenty of photo's! NOW ONTO THE POST!

Fighting boredom is relativly easy when you have an unfinished project sitting in a shed. So The day started cleaning and attaching some small pices back to the frame, making sure whatever was put on didnt interfere with the eventual re instilation of the engine.

First to go back on where the rearsets which also double as a mounting point for the mufflers. They were given a quick clean first using the hot water and detergant technique, made to look somewhat respectable and then using two hex screws apiece reattached.


"gives you an idea of how dirty these parts can get after years of road use"


"back where it belongs"

Next the mudguard... well the part of it I like anyway. This attaches to the frame using four bolts and a clip system. The tricky part was lining up the holes for the bolts, while balancing the piece on the tyre. But once you have things lined up and the first bolt in its a piece of cake.




A crack was noticed while attaching the mudguard to the frame though. It just so happenes Dad knows the perfect solution to fixing a crack in plastic, especially if it doesnt have to look pretty. Firstly clean the area using metho or paint thinners. Secondly line the two sides of the crack together so they are even. Then finally use use some silastic (we used Form-A-Gasket) and spread it over the side of the crack that will not be visible. Let it dry and then TA DA. The crack problem is solved.



"after the area has been wiped down"


"applying the silastic"


"problem solved"

While I was working on the frame, the seat clips where also reattched, and so to were the handle bars with the brake and clutch master cylinders.





Until next time!

VT250F project: episode 06

Bit of a new look was tried out this episode so hopefully you guys like it. But even if you don't I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing the rolling chassis stage completed. Also covered is the makeshift motorcycle stand.

VT250F "Silver" part 10: Rolling chassis

The original plan was to tidy up the engine and get that in the frame. But it was quickly realised that putting the motorcycle on a stand and getting it to a rolling chassis stage would make things easier for the future.

We used a spare welding stand that Dad had and then used g clamps and tensions straps to hold the frame in place. So far its working pretty good and it makes working much easier when you dont have to bend over all the time. You can buy purpose built motorcycle stands,  I dont have that kind of money so we chose to adapt something already in the shed. But its something to think about for your own project.

First step was to re attach the front forks. Unfortunantly the ball bearings scattered during strip down, luckily though we managed go find them all. As I didnt have a new set of packed bearings we ended up re using the old ones. First all the old grease was wiped away and then cleaned thoroughly. It was then a matter of placing the ball bearings gently in the new grease and sliding the front forks onto the frame. Holding the forks in place the new grease and bearings were positioned on the top so that it could then be secured. I cannot stress how careful this stage was, if the ball bearings fell and scattered on the ground  we would have been set back substantially. If you have newly packed bearings use them! 

"turns left and right with out any resistance, a very good sign of success"

The triple clamp was next. While it was in parts it was given a very quick tidy up using hot water, a small amount of detergent and a scrubbing brush (the ignition switch was removed at this point to avoid damaging it). The results are a definite improvement and it eliminated the hassle of having to repaint the part. Then after a bit of levering it into position the front was finally done.

"before"



"after"

The rear suspension parts were also given a hot soapy bath before they went back onto the frame. As its a pretty simple setup it was  matter of tightening four bolts and making sure things moved freely. The rear wheel was then re attached and thats it. The motorcycle is now a rolling chassis.

"for some strange reason I love how the newly painted frame looks against the old unpainted parts..."

While the bike is at this height I'm thinking of getting as much done as possible on the stand before the engine goes back in. But I'll see how that goes when I figure out the next move.

"looks like a motorcycle again... excellent"

Dont forget to have a look at the video when its finally uploaded by clicking here.

VT250F "Silver" part 09: Fixing the forks pitting

Before I went to the hassle and expense of sending the front forks out to be re chromed I thought I would try a technique I heard on the internet. Basically the idea is you get some steal wool, dip it in water and detergent then go over the pitted areas of your forks. And supposedly the pitting will be reduced and make the chrome look a lot better.




I was pleasantly surprised with the results. As I have said a a couple of times I'm not making a show bike and this has improved the look for the forks dramatically. After the steel wool I did spray some WD40 over the pitted areas to help prevent rust coming back. But for now these look great and I don't plan on touching them again until they're re attached to the frame!




While your here why not have a look at the video for this post.

VT250F project: episode 05

This episode covers how the forks have been gussied up a bit using a technique found on an internet forum. goodbye chrome pitting hello a marked improvement!

HJC helmet has arrived.. finally!

Well it took longer then expected, especially considering I paid for priority shipping, but the HJC helmet I ordered has finally arrived. It fits much better then the one I tried in store and I couldn't be more pleased. So as a treat for you all I'm going to post some pictures and let you experience the helmets arrival as I did.

If you want to have  a look at the original post I put up for this helmet then all you have to do is click here!