it's tough to get a good paint job on plastic. Your fender looks at least as good as mine, and in theory I know what I am doing and can do a "pro" paint job if I wanted to. But I didn't care nearly enough so I rattle canned it and called it done. I'll save the "pro" jobs for my guitars or a motorcycle that cost more than $900.

Quote from: mr72 on December 20, 2016, 01:11:37 PM
it's tough to get a good paint job on plastic. Your fender looks at least as good as mine, and in theory I know what I am doing and can do a "pro" paint job if I wanted to. But I didn't care nearly enough so I rattle canned it and called it done. I'll save the "pro" jobs for my guitars or a motorcycle that cost more than $900.

Thanks Josh, hopefully the tail plastics will be better. And now I know not to use 40 grit to take the paint off, just take my time next time. And a finer grit 

Chris

The key is to NOT take the paint off. Just get it smooth and scuff the surface. If there are gouges or dents then fill them with spot filler and sand flat, but don't sand through the paint.

That way the new paint will have a solid base to stick to (old paint), rather than having to deal with adhesion to plastic, which can be very challenging.

Example ... when I went to scuff my fender to repaint it, the old paint flaked off in sheets. That's because the PO sanded it to the plastic and didn't prep it properly before repainting, so the paint didn't stick (well). I had to re-prime and worry about surface prep, wouldn't have done so if I was painting on top of previous solid factory paint.

So here's the sequence: scuff the entire surface with red scotch brite pad to give new paint a tooth, fill any gouges or dings with spot filler and block-sand those spots with 400 grit, then clean the entire thing with mineral spirits and paint without any additional primer.

If you have lots of rough surface you can always hit it with a high-solids primer and then re-sand with 400 grit before painting, but it's probably not necessary and the more solvents (paint!) you spray on there the more likely you will reveal bad things in the underlying finish because the new paint sort of "melts" the layers below it to an extent and can make things appear that weren't there before, like finish checking or other things.

Red scotch bright will take a little sourcing here.  But it is the POA for the tank, and the tail plastics. The reason I went to bare plastic on the fender was the speedo cable had been rubbing for years it seemed and had gone done to bare plastic so I stripped the rest to rebuild. But the other bits aren't as bad. The paint is just rubbish because of the age. I'll grab some pictures to document. I really appreciate the support though mate.

Chris

9:30am head into garage - install carb diaphragm - install carbs (throttle cable not hooked up)- partly install airbox because I've never hated anything else more in my life - crudely route fuel lines - install fuel tank - add 3 glugs of fuel - key in ignition - ignition on - red and green green lights on - killswitch activated - choke open - fuel tap on prime - hit start button...........



She lives 

I left it run to get up to heat with the aim of burning off any condensation but I don't think 5-10 minutes was enough, engine was hot, just not hot enough.
-There is a hole in the can where the mounting bracket is, which is a big problem.
-the left float is a little low

Tachometer works, I fixed it. 

Going to remove the exhaust so I can clean the dirt and oil off the engine block at some point. Just left with big money jobs now and I'm tapped out.
Need to replace the throttle cable
new exhaust
turn signals
shock
possibly swing-arm
and a set of new tyres

Don't think I'll be riding in March

Chris

Wow congrats getting the mechanicals sorted. That was a lot of work. I know how good it feekls to hit a milestone like that.   

What kind of shock are you planning?

Quote from: mr72 on December 21, 2016, 05:17:44 AM
Wow congrats getting the mechanicals sorted. That was a lot of work. I know how good it feekls to hit a milestone like that.   

What kind of shock are you planning?

I don't think I am anymore. Just found this:



Chris

Wow. that's a huge drag.

BTW if that crack is not into the interior of the crankcase, like if it is only at the mounting bolt area etc (I don't know from the pic) then you might try what I did with my Miata. When they shipped me the engine for my car they managed to break off one of the transmission mounting ears so I used Devcon Plastic Steel Putty to essentially make a new mounting ear. The cast block could not be welded so this was a hail mary. Worked great.

https://www.amazon.com/Devcon-10110-Plastic-Steel-Bottle/dp/B00065TMTO

So you might be able to mix some of this stuff up after cleaning that crack out thoroughly with, say, acetone, then fill the crack and hope for the best.

JB Weld might even work but the Devcon stuff is on a whole different level.

Thanks for the suggestion. Those tubs are selling on uk amazon for as much as £1150! Found a smaller quantity for £9.

Does it stand up to heat?

I appreciate you're help, I really thought the bike was dead!

Chris

about the heat, it worked just fine for my car for about a two years (the car was totalled last year).

Their datasheet says when it's dry it withstands 250F

http://www.devcon.com/prodfiles/pdfs/fam_tds_101.pdf

I seriously doubt that part of an air cooled engine is going to exceed 250F.

Awesome thank you. I'll give it a bash. My only other viable option is to scrap the bike, and I'd rather avoid that.

Too answer your question about the shock, I was thinking about the SV650 shock, as far as I know, the katana isn't very common in the uk, so even though the SV650 shock adds more height, it's an easier part to souce.

Chris

Just sitting here, sipping my coffee, trying to wake up and man... that pic sure did it!! My face was like  and then  and then 

Woot toot for mr72's suggestion!! Fingers crossed indeed that it's just on the exterior 

Quote from: ShowBizWolf on December 21, 2016, 11:50:12 AM
Just sitting here, sipping my coffee, trying to wake up and man... that pic sure did it!! My face was like  and then  and then 

Woot toot for mr72's suggestion!! Fingers crossed indeed that it's just on the exterior 

I found it literally while the bike was running. Took the wind right out of my sails. I've concluded that the frame may be wonky

Chris

THIS POST IS INCOHERENT RAMBLING MAINLY FOR MY OWN BENEFIT. READING IT IS A WASTE OF TIME. I WILL MAKE IT MAKE SENSE LATER BUT IT'S AFTER 2AM AND I NEED TO SLEEP

So I haven't done an awful lot lately, lack of cash money and an overwhelming todo list has resulted in me not really doing anything while trying to decide what job is next. I've ordered new shims, the 2.60mm I ordered and didn't get before Christmas, I re-ordered. That cost £16.50  Want these installed by 15/1/17.

I'm trying not to be in too big a rush to get the bike sorted as we're due to get VERY cold over the next month or two, so I might as well use that time to my advantage. I need to swap out the throttle cable, it's got a little kink at the carb end which will fray in time and eventually snap, I think that taking steps to prevent that situation is a good thing. That's another £8.99. Want throttle cable installed by 28/1/17. That will more or less complete project front half. All that will be left to do is replace the brake line by 28/2/17, remove the exhaust headers so I can clean the cylinder head by 22/1/17, but those bolts are seized too, and painting stuff (bottom of forks(31/12/17), headlamp bucket(31/7/17), tank(31/7/17)).

For project rear I'm going to replace the swingarm (by 28/2/17), the current one is a mess and I spent most of today trying to clean it up, get the rust off but 4 hours scrubbing with a wire brush has yielded minimal progress. I've found one on eBay that's in really great condition and not overly expensive,  just not sure I can afford it before the listing ends. Most of the fasteners on this bike haven't been touched since they were originally installed it seems so I'm struggling to get them out. Prime example are the two philips head fasteners on the chain guard that I've completely rounded off that aren't even close to breaking loose!! So truth be told I won't be surprised if I can't get the swing arm or rear shock out.

Replacing the rear shock is also part of project rear end. The GS shock that is there is not in very good condition, but it's been doing the job fine.  I'm considering either the SV650 or the R6, that mod was planned anyway, but is sliding down the todo list because of the swing arm cost. Want this done by 31/3/2017.

Now that I've cut the fender I'm also planning on stuffing in a little bandit hugger (by 19/3/17), but this is not as urgent as the swing arm or shock. I've got a new licence plate bracket that's X-shaped. It's a preventative measure now the fender has gone; basically rear fenders in the UK are supposed to catch any debris flicked up by the tyre. I've cut that off and because the licence plate has to be a certain size it is going to act like a fender by itself. Obviously this is not ideal so the bracket should provide enough coverage of the licence plate to protect it. Once that's mounted I need a red reflector to keep MOT person happy, but it's not something I want installed permanently.

The muffler also has a small hole in it. Where the exhaust bracket is mounted, all the layers of the steel has fanned out on the mounting bracket because of rust and caused a small hole which blows smoke when the bike starts cold. So another reason to get the headers off is so I can cut the pipes and fit a slip on muffler by 19/3/17. Again this is not a small expense like the valve shims or throttle cable!

But we're not done yet, oh no, nowhere near...
After I've seen to the swing arm, dropped in a new shock, fudged in a rear hugger and slipped on a new muffler the brakes are still under construction. The line needs to be swapped out, want to put new hoses on front and back. The caliper was a right state. The plastic cap that sits on top is missing and everything inside was affected by corrosion. The pins were really bad, one was corroded in place, had to dismantle the caliper and trap the stuck pin in my drill and break it out that way. The pistons were a nightmare to get out and once they were out they have pitting all around, which would probably damage any new seals I install. I was going to buy a refurbished caliper online, but the chances that the pots have been replaced and are pitting free are slim at best. New pots are around £40-45 for a pair and all seals. The rebuild kits are around £20 and come with seals (doesn't hurt to have spares I suppose, or I could put them on eBay) new bleed nipple and rubber cover, and a rubber seal for inside the caliper and banjo bolt copper seals. There's also a little kit on eBay that has a couple of pins, with split pins for £4.95. The plastic clip is £10. That's topping £75, but the caliper will be completely rebuilt, and by myself. At least 70% of the parts will be new, which is better than spending £50 on a refurbished caliper that has pitted pots that will cost another £40 to replace.

The tail plastics will want a coat of paint to match the front fender and the hopefully freshly painted tank. The luggage rails need painting and the grab rail could do with a touch up too.

The pleather on the seat is broken in places and could do with replacing...that will also be a learning experience.

I was also thinking of swapping the rear wheel for a bandit 400 rear wheel, open up to a new world of tyres. That is actually the last thing on the list though, even after a set of new tyres which I also need. There's a couple hundred miles left on them, absolute maximum, but I'll put new tyres on my current wheels before sourcing a new wheel and wrapping it.

I read it anyway so there   

I remember when I recovered my seat a few years ago. The material I got was darn near what was on it from the factory. I believe it was a piece of vinyl with the white cloth looking back to it. Anyway, it was the tiniest bit stretchy which helped a LOT. Just take your time, (and I do mean take your time)... use a good powerful staple gun, have a flat screwdriver handy to pry out staples that ya put in and have to re-do because the cover needs more stretching or pulling in one area or the next/get rid of wrinkles... and you can totally do it. The patience and stretching to get the wrinkles out was the hardest part imo.

Quote from: ShowBizWolf on January 06, 2017, 08:14:47 PM
I read it anyway so there   

I remember when I recovered my seat a few years ago. The material I got was darn near what was on it from the factory. I believe it was a piece of vinyl with the white cloth looking back to it. Anyway, it was the tiniest bit stretchy which helped a LOT. Just take your time, (and I do mean take your time)... use a good powerful staple gun, have a flat screwdriver handy to pry out staples that ya put in and have to re-do because the cover needs more stretching or pulling in one area or the next/get rid of wrinkles... and you can totally do it. The patience and stretching to get the wrinkles out was the hardest part imo.

Haha, sorry, it started off as an update but the longer I spent typing, the more thought I was giving the rebuild and I realised I needed to set date targets to ensure my project would progress in a timely manner, I got a little bit lost but it was good to get my thoughts out of my head.

The material I'm planning on is just off eBay, it's cheap and cheerful. Figured it would be a good little project to sort of learn as I go and also would help to improve the aesthetic of the bike. The seat has holes in it atm, and after all this time, money and effort to get the bike better and not address something as "simple" and effective as the seat.

The swing arm I'm watching on eBay will cost £35 delivered http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-GS500E-GS500-E-1990-Swingarm-Swing-Arm-/311600255484?hash=item488cd291fc:g:I6QAAOSw-tNXH1og and has almost zero rust, but I've also seen a black one off an F series on eBay which is in similar condition and it's £25 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-GS500-GS-500-2001-2008-REAR-SWINGARM-/172328657883?hash=item281f96a3db:g:KOMAAOSwMgdXypTu.

If I buy the black one the swing arm, fork bottoms and headlight bucket will be the same. Or I can spray the forks and headlight bucket to match the fender, tank and tail  decisions decisions 

Chris

Decision made, going with the cheaper black one, I like the way it becomes invisible. It's inspired me to black out the pillion pegs too, should look pretty good with the black hugger.

I'm not going to replace the caliper pots right away either. I'm just going to replace all seals, bleed nipple, pins and split pins, and washers. Going to go ahead and order these bits soon.

Trying to set everything systematically, so that I can order and fit parts needed to pass the MOT so that the bike is passed ready for the end of march, then a couple of weeks out here and there throughout the rest of the year to finish off the rest of the upgrades/repairs needed.

Here's how the list stands:
-Replace intake shims with new shims and replace exhaust shims with old intake shims - ordered (£16.50)
-Check valve clearance
-Possibly replace front wheel bearings (£12.47)
-new turn signals (£60 budget)
-Rebuild the rear caliper and bleed the system - parts ordered (£23.90 spent, £47 left)
-Replace the muffler (£unknown)

Post MOT:
-Replace swing arm - ordered (£22.50)
-Shock mod - (£60 budget)
-Hugger install (£50 budget)
-Swap airbox for k&n luncbox and rejet (£75 budget)
-Oil change (£35)
-Replace the throttle cable (will probably get this done before MOT tbh) - ordered (£7)
-Replace breather cover gasket (£5.69)
-Paint the headlight bucket
-Paint the bottoms of the forks
-Paint the tank
-Paint the tail plastics
-Paint the luggage rails
-Paint the grab rail
-Paint the pillion pegs
***I'll probably leave all painting tasks until the summer when the the weather is a little warmer***
-Recover the seat (£25 budget)
-Swap tailight to an F version (£15 budget)
-Replace all brake lines (£100 budget)
-New tyre set (£130 budget)

Chris

Parts for my brake caliper came, so caliper has all new seals, new pad pins and R-clips, new bleed nipple and cap and new banjo copper washers.  Once I have a little more cash I can order in new pistons and that little plastic cover, then finish it all off with some new HEL brake lines.

I went to install the new throttle cable too and then realised that it's for the 1981, which apparently was also referred to as the ex, so I've had to return that and order a new one, should hopefully have that one by Friday.  I'm expecting my shims tomorrow morning, but I won't be surprised if they don't turn up. The people I've ordered from are proving to be very unreliable. 

I still haven't managed to get the exhaust headers off, I'm pretty much at the conclusion that I'm going to have to drill them out 

I just need to get a bunch of parts together and have a proper day in the garage with Sookie

Chris

Shims didn't turn up, company reckons their supplier has been having a hard time sourcing the parts...why advertise you are selling something you don't have?! I haven't listed a Ferrari on eBay because I don't have one to sell. I've decided that if they don't arrive by Friday, I'm going to really start raising hell.

Breather gasket is here, and so is my new swingarm, it is in amazing condition, needs a big of a scrub, but will look so good on the bike I think.

Chris

I once bought a high end paintball-marker off eBay and it didn't show up after a while.  Got in some conversations with the seller, who was a shop out of state, basically I was just complaining about the time passed with no shipping update or anything. They tried adding a few incentives to "make it right" and when I refused all saying I just want the gun shipped they broke contact with me.
Opened a PayPal dispute.  A week later I had my money back.

I'm guessing the shop didn't actually have possession of the gun.  One thought is that after I bought it they went to the manufacturer to have one built, and due to the hand-made nature of them it was taking a while.  They were probably trying to stall me.  But, why didn't they just tell me the truth?
They could very well just have just never planned to deliver me anything...

Or, being a shop, maybe another employee sold it to a walk in customer by accident and rather than apologize to me and refund me they were scrambling to find another one they could box up and send to me.  Good luck, these are pretty rare.

Who knows.
All I know is it was a waste of a few weeks and they suffered bad feedback.