The Bad Idea - VF750F Interceptor restoration
- Thread starter 620dark
- Start date
620dark
You can always get it running with time or money.
Yea, I thought that tidbit was too good not to share. The black plastics still look nice and shiny a day later 
Today was a win some, lose some day. I was able to get the exhaust installed and the cooling system installed and filled afterwards, and fired up the bike, almost immediately filling the garage with steam, smoke from burning oil and coolant, and plain old exhaust. I turned on a fan and abandoned the garage only to witness a huge cloud of God knows what be blown out of my garage by the fan. Guess I'm the weird neighbor ;D
However, the crossover coolant tube on the front cylinders started leaking coolant almost immediately. The fix was to replace the new o-rings that came with the gasket kit with, er, newer o-rings from my spares. Getting the hold down clip on and off with the carbs on was a bit frustrating, but the o-rings fixed the issue. Then I noticed the oil leak from the front head.
I had to repair the corner of the front head with some JB Weld due to a broken off piece I didn't notice when I received the head from the Ebay fairies. Yea, I knew it was half assed, and it didn't hold.
I have a couple of choices now. First one is to take the original head with the broken off exhaust stud to a machine shop to have them attempt to remove what's left and install a new stud. Second option is to find another new head on Ebay. Either option costs me an additional $30 for another head gasket, crap. Not to mention replacing the front head on the bike, which just sounds delightful. Ah well, I should have dealt with this when I noticed the head was broken.
On top of that, the replacement fan switch is dead out of the box. Infinite resistance, and the resistance doesn't go down at all with heat. The bike got pretty warm before I manually enabled the fan, which then rubbed against the new spark plug wires. This has been a trying day in Interceptor land : A new fan switch should be at my local auto parts store tomorrow.
And, like the maraschino cherry of Honda related suffering on top of it all, I found more issues with the charging system on my 1979 CB650. I pulled the alternator cover off to investigate the charging issues, and found that the plastic part of the charging rotor had broken into shrapnel, taking out the charging rotor brushes and making the inside of the case look like a grenade had gone off inside. More money to Ebay for new to me parts.
At least that newly recovered seat looks good...
Today was a win some, lose some day. I was able to get the exhaust installed and the cooling system installed and filled afterwards, and fired up the bike, almost immediately filling the garage with steam, smoke from burning oil and coolant, and plain old exhaust. I turned on a fan and abandoned the garage only to witness a huge cloud of God knows what be blown out of my garage by the fan. Guess I'm the weird neighbor ;D
However, the crossover coolant tube on the front cylinders started leaking coolant almost immediately. The fix was to replace the new o-rings that came with the gasket kit with, er, newer o-rings from my spares. Getting the hold down clip on and off with the carbs on was a bit frustrating, but the o-rings fixed the issue. Then I noticed the oil leak from the front head.
I had to repair the corner of the front head with some JB Weld due to a broken off piece I didn't notice when I received the head from the Ebay fairies. Yea, I knew it was half assed, and it didn't hold.
I have a couple of choices now. First one is to take the original head with the broken off exhaust stud to a machine shop to have them attempt to remove what's left and install a new stud. Second option is to find another new head on Ebay. Either option costs me an additional $30 for another head gasket, crap. Not to mention replacing the front head on the bike, which just sounds delightful. Ah well, I should have dealt with this when I noticed the head was broken.
On top of that, the replacement fan switch is dead out of the box. Infinite resistance, and the resistance doesn't go down at all with heat. The bike got pretty warm before I manually enabled the fan, which then rubbed against the new spark plug wires. This has been a trying day in Interceptor land :
A new fan switch should be at my local auto parts store tomorrow. And, like the maraschino cherry of Honda related suffering on top of it all, I found more issues with the charging system on my 1979 CB650. I pulled the alternator cover off to investigate the charging issues, and found that the plastic part of the charging rotor had broken into shrapnel, taking out the charging rotor brushes and making the inside of the case look like a grenade had gone off inside. More money to Ebay for new to me parts.
At least that newly recovered seat looks good...
620dark
You can always get it running with time or money.
Yup, I can't wait to put some miles on her. The bike starts sooo easy - I just barely tap the starter and it fires up! I think part of this might be the '93 VFR starter I fitted. It seems to have some serious torque in it.
I sent off the original head (with the broken off exhaust stud) to my Dad's machine shop. I was able to get Dorman M6 x 1.00 36mm long exhaust studs for $1.29 each. I did have to buy a box of 10, however, to get my local parts shop to order them in. Guess I'll have spares ;D
The plan is to get that head back into shape and then swap it with the head that's on the bike now. Then it should be riding time!
Does anyone have a good source for just the head gasket? I've found one for $25 on Ebay, but that seems high when I can get a whole gasket set for $80. I would have had a spare if I hadn't had to take the head off once before, &#@$, grumble grumble. I have to pick up some more valve stem seals as well, but those are pretty common.
Off to pick up the new fan water temperature switch...
I sent off the original head (with the broken off exhaust stud) to my Dad's machine shop. I was able to get Dorman M6 x 1.00 36mm long exhaust studs for $1.29 each. I did have to buy a box of 10, however, to get my local parts shop to order them in. Guess I'll have spares ;D
The plan is to get that head back into shape and then swap it with the head that's on the bike now. Then it should be riding time!
Does anyone have a good source for just the head gasket? I've found one for $25 on Ebay, but that seems high when I can get a whole gasket set for $80. I would have had a spare if I hadn't had to take the head off once before, &#@$, grumble grumble. I have to pick up some more valve stem seals as well, but those are pretty common.
Off to pick up the new fan water temperature switch...
Maritime
Over 10,000 Posts
Hang in there, almost through the worst. If is makes you feel any better, when I did the heads on my GL, I buggered 2 of 4 o rings on the coolant lines and had the same lovely conconction of smoke/steam/exhaust LOL. I had to shut her down and put a fan on too. Then find out where the coolant was pouring out. Thank god the gasket kit I bought had extra rings due to the fact the bike uses the same ones in 3-4 locations I didn't change.
620dark
You can always get it running with time or money.
Yea Maritime, I have to be near the end, there's not much more left to replace on the bike! ;D
I had my handy dandy Harbor Freight metric o-ring assortment to save the day. I think I was sent the gasket kit for a Magna or other non-Interceptor V4, as I have a lot of gaskets and o-rings that don't fit. At least the head gaskets and the side cover gaskets fit, that's what I cared about.
I had my handy dandy Harbor Freight metric o-ring assortment to save the day. I think I was sent the gasket kit for a Magna or other non-Interceptor V4, as I have a lot of gaskets and o-rings that don't fit. At least the head gaskets and the side cover gaskets fit, that's what I cared about.
620dark
You can always get it running with time or money.
Ok, all kinds of updates!
I took the original head (with the broke exhaust stud) to my Dad's new machinist. He drilled out the stud and tapped the hole to 3/8"x16. That was...a little large.
I bought a five pack of these from Amazon:
They adapted the 3/8" to M6x1.0. Next, I picked up some new Dorman M6x1.0 studs to go into the adapter. The hole was slightly crooked, so some "adjustment" was needed to get the studs pointing in the same direction.
After that work was done, I reinstalled the head, timed the cams, and torqued everything down. I'm getting pretty good at that, which is a skill I was not hoping to improve on ;D
I used the ratchet strap trick to get the carbs into place, and also installed a new (working) fan switch along the way. I added coolant and fired the thing up, and it started pissing coolant out of where the coolant pipe goes into the front head. Again. Lesson learned, replace the damn o-rings every time the pipe is removed. At least I am also getting good at removing that pipe with the carbs on...another skill I was not interested in getting better at!
The bike ran fine, so I took it for a ride around the block. Other than the front end feeling a bit wonky (tire pressure too high), and the shifter being pointed at the stars, it was a nice ride! I fixed the shifter and tire pressure and rode it to work this morning. Nice and smooth and fast! I do need to install some mirrors, however...
I took the original head (with the broke exhaust stud) to my Dad's new machinist. He drilled out the stud and tapped the hole to 3/8"x16. That was...a little large.
I bought a five pack of these from Amazon:
They adapted the 3/8" to M6x1.0. Next, I picked up some new Dorman M6x1.0 studs to go into the adapter. The hole was slightly crooked, so some "adjustment" was needed to get the studs pointing in the same direction.
After that work was done, I reinstalled the head, timed the cams, and torqued everything down. I'm getting pretty good at that, which is a skill I was not hoping to improve on ;D
I used the ratchet strap trick to get the carbs into place, and also installed a new (working) fan switch along the way. I added coolant and fired the thing up, and it started pissing coolant out of where the coolant pipe goes into the front head. Again. Lesson learned, replace the damn o-rings every time the pipe is removed. At least I am also getting good at removing that pipe with the carbs on...another skill I was not interested in getting better at!
The bike ran fine, so I took it for a ride around the block. Other than the front end feeling a bit wonky (tire pressure too high), and the shifter being pointed at the stars, it was a nice ride! I fixed the shifter and tire pressure and rode it to work this morning. Nice and smooth and fast! I do need to install some mirrors, however...
620dark
You can always get it running with time or money.
On the ride home from work yesterday, I noticed that the brake lever was getting softer and softer, so I took a route through subdivisions the rest of the way home.
When I got the bike in my garage, I discovered that almost all the joints where the rubber brake hoses meet the banjo fitting crimps were leaking. As a result, the brake master cylinder reservoir was almost dry
I did some looking into cost and availability of replacement brake lines, and they are pretty pricy. A kit of all four brake lines from Slingshot Cycles is $125, and the pieces and parts for me to make them myself are about $90.
The line lengths are 1x16", 2x21", and 1x18", so perhaps I can piece something together from Ebay unless any of you fine folks have a better/cheaper solution?
When I got the bike in my garage, I discovered that almost all the joints where the rubber brake hoses meet the banjo fitting crimps were leaking. As a result, the brake master cylinder reservoir was almost dry
I did some looking into cost and availability of replacement brake lines, and they are pretty pricy. A kit of all four brake lines from Slingshot Cycles is $125, and the pieces and parts for me to make them myself are about $90.
The line lengths are 1x16", 2x21", and 1x18", so perhaps I can piece something together from Ebay unless any of you fine folks have a better/cheaper solution?
Cafe-XV750
Been Around the Block
I did a Galfer hydraulic line upgrade (brake & clutch) on my '85 GPz and it was $ well spent - never trust +20yo hydraulic lines.
I've been looking for you at Depot Town Tues nights - turnout has been really light though. Sounds like you might be ready to make your appearance!
I've been looking for you at Depot Town Tues nights - turnout has been really light though. Sounds like you might be ready to make your appearance!
Maritime
Over 10,000 Posts
I really need to do a SS line upgrade to my old wing. I can feel the lines stretching LOL. I am just broke. I also had a similar experience riding home from M-O 2 years ago. My MC literally wore thin and fluid started seeping through the plastic tub and when I hit the brakes a fin mist of fluid would cover my glove and pants and pait etc. it happened about half way through the 1800 miles and good thing I hit severve thunderstorms and that washed the fluid off me and the bike before it caused too much damage. only had to refill the MC back up once in the 900-1000 miles to get home.
620dark
You can always get it running with time or money.
I made it down to Depot Town once this season. I'm waiting for a charging system brush holder for the CB650, and I might have a running bike to take there Selling the 900 has left me with 0 reliable bikes!
I ordered some SS brake lines from apexbrakes.com. I was able to get each line for $20 Canadian. I decided to go with them as Slingshot Cycles had a 7-10 day delay due to high order volumes.
Selling the 900 has left me with 0 reliable bikes!I ordered some SS brake lines from apexbrakes.com. I was able to get each line for $20 Canadian. I decided to go with them as Slingshot Cycles had a 7-10 day delay due to high order volumes.
620dark
You can always get it running with time or money.
While I wait for the brake lines to arrive, I removed the forks and cleaned them up and repainted the lowers in satin black. I had a spare set of forks supposedly off of a vf700 Interceptor, but they turned out to be 4 or 5 inches shorter than the forks that came on the bike, so they're out.
I seem to remember hearing that adding air to the front forks didn't really make much of a difference, and that putting another spacer between the cap and the springs made a bigger difference. Does anyone have experience with this?
Also, I understand that the rear shock can be swapped out with a CBR unit by adding a replacement lower link. Anyone with experience with this mod?
I seem to remember hearing that adding air to the front forks didn't really make much of a difference, and that putting another spacer between the cap and the springs made a bigger difference. Does anyone have experience with this?
Also, I understand that the rear shock can be swapped out with a CBR unit by adding a replacement lower link. Anyone with experience with this mod?
