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I have "brushed" all my parts with 220 grit sandpaper. It isn't that hard to get an even brushed finish, it just takes time. You have to always rub in the same direction. On the round parts, you have to kind of spin them on the sandpaper so you get concentric "brush" marks. I then go over the parts kind of gently with some fine steel wool to kind of smooth it out a bit but keep the scratches from the sandpaper.
I have been clearing everything with a high heat clear enamel. Rustoleum engine paint I think. We'll see how it holds up.
It's kind of an interesting look because the paint is fairly glossy but the brushed finish underneath is dull. I was inspired by the door handles in my parents house of all things. I thought it would be a nice contrast against the satin black of the engine. When I get it back together and take some better pics, I use a real camera so you can hopefully see the brushed stuff.
Still trying to decide if the engine side covers are going to be black or brushed.
My assignment working on the fastest production Honda vehicle is finally coming to an end....well changing, so I won't have to travel so much and I can work out of my home office most of the time. So, I've been doing some work on Nixon here and there. Not a whole lot of progress since the last time I posted, but a bit. The pace should pick up here shortly after I get back to Greenville.
As promised, more progress. I got the front wheel trued and painted. Looking back now, it probably would have been easier to disassemble it, paint it, then put it back together rather than mask off everything, but then I wouldn't have been able to watch all those movies while working on it.
I "brushed" the hub and spokes and cleared them. After that cured for a few days, I masked them off and painted the rim and the center of the hub with satin black epoxy paint. The paint looks really good except around the edge of the rim where I think I didn't scuff it up enough and the epoxy paint didn't want to stick. It's hard to notice unless you really look at them though. I still have to brush the brake panel on the other side and I think I am going to paint the levers for the brake black to stand out against the brake panel.
I really like the look of the black rims. It makes the tires look bigger.
After all that work, I'm not looking forward to the back wheel.
I also rebuilt my forks and got the lower half of the engine squared away and ready for paint, but those will be in my next post.
Thanks. I realized this morning I have to take the intake cam back out. I had opened up the holes in the oil restictor in the exhaust cam to get a bit more oil to flow, but I forgot about the one in the intake cam (because it is pressed in unlike the exhaust side which is part of the tacho drive pinion). Now I'm afraid all the oil will go to the exhaust side since it will be less restrictive than the intake side. Doh!
Yeah there is now way she will be back together by Oct. I still have to find a tank and then make a seat, mod the frame for the seat and rearsets and paint the frame, not to mention final assembly and wiring. Yikes. I hope to be done by January.
Don't recut the valve seats, just lap them. You will lose your clearance on the cam followers and valve spring force.
The springs come out pretty easy. Take the bolt out that holds them in. There is a hollow pin that will keep them from unloading. Then i used a screwdriver between the two springs to push them out off of the pins. I made a tool to put them back on. It is a socket with a notch cut out of it. I loaded up the spring with a socket wrench until the hole aligned with the pin and then gently tapped the wrench until the spring was on the pin.
There are also (sometimes) little shims on the ends of the cams. You should buy a couple. The cams have a little free play side to side. I think the spec is 0.05 to 0.35 mm. When you are putting it back together, put the cam covers on and tighten them up. Then see how much play you have and add these shims as necessary. Make sure you have the gaskets on too or you will be clamping up on the cam with the cam covers.
Aw crap, you snagged it out from under me? Well at least I made you pay a high price for it.
I did make a post in the "Spotting" section calling dibs on it, but I know not everyone sees every post. No hard feelings. I guess I will just wait on the next one, and I'll keep an eye out over at sohc4.net.
Hey Flug. We have a motorcycle salvage here that may have one, they pull all the tanks and put them in a huge barn, the guys are total dicks but if you really want that tank, I could swing out and see what they have, take a pic and post it. I'll let you know. I just got the 450 ready to ride tonight so I will take it to work tomorrow and then I can ride out to the place at lunch. It is a 15 min ride through back roads so it will be an excuse to ride, like I really need one. Unless it is rainy, then I will wait.
The site is never updated, non of the bikes for sale are there anymore. the first time I saw the site I ran out there for the NSR, but it was long sold.
What would you be looking to pay? The guys can have an inflated idea of the value of parts. But I can go check and maybe they will be willing to deal.
Finally finished up the engine. It took awhile to get the bottom end all cleaned up and ready for paint. It was dir-T! Looking good now. Put new rings on the pistons and got the jugs on pretty easy. Got the super long cam chain fed through the guides and over the cams up top. Cams aligned and valve clearances set and all buttoned up with some new bolts to make her sparkle.
Oh, I also got some vacuum port tubes from DCC and mounted them in the intake manifolds. That should help me get the carbs balanced much better when the time comes.
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My poison is usually rum or crown if not beer!
