VINDICATOR - 60's style Cafe Racer TR1

Timely warning - the dreaded front cam seizure. :o

I've had a lot of feedback from the Virago / TR1 fraternity and guys I've sold parts to in the UK.

There is one common denominator [ apart from putting the oil filter in the wrong way round ! ] which seems to be coming up which points to a certain cause of front cam [ specifically ] seizure.

FOUR of the people that have suffered this problem have subsequently found that the oil pipe banjo bolt [ lower ] has not been drilled through correctly and causes a serious restriction of the oil flow to the cams.

I have 3 stripped engines in my workshop [ TR1 - 1982/3 ] and on TWO of them I found the oil banjo bolts to be faulty. The two faulty bolts came from damaged engines I had bought for spares, and yes they HAD seized front cams.

Doesn't take long to check and might just save an expensive engine rebuild.

Me, I'm busy checking out an aftermarket Russell / Earl's etc. flexi system in dash 4 ! ;)
 
It's been quite a spell since I've had a moment (or admittedly....the inclination) to post much in recent months, I find myself employed as an aerospace machinist as of early April and it's been eating up my surfing time. Yours are a couple of the rare few threads I do check into when the email notification comes.

There's a fairly straight forward rollerbearing conversion for the head that looks really promising, have you seen?
Or perhaps....have you considered the fun of a head swap? I have built a few oddballs over the years and since the 920 has become a long term project (picked up an SV650 for a daily hack) I've decided to look into some deeper mods. It looks like a pair of XT600 heads could be 'fairly' easily fitted along with the commensurate piston swap. It appears that it'd take redrilling the holes for the cylinder studs and some minor tig welding and some similarly minor machining to setup a hybrid cam chain setup. I am waiting for a piston to come in so I can make measurements but it's quite promising; +2mm bore and 4v heads to play with. There are good aftermarket resources for the XT motor which would open some tuning options up; overbore pistons, black diamond valves, cams etc etc. It believe the cam chains are pin and link vs. the XVs somewhat questionable folded sheet metal chain.

So, in the spirit of mental gymnastics here's what things look like on paper thus far:
>XVS1100 V-star cylinders - better fins with more surface area, 95mm bore and nikasil liners cheap on ebay
>XVS1100 crankshaft - longer stroke, 5lbs lighter and potentially better metallurgy....
>Eagle forged aluminum H-beam connecting rods for small journal GM small block - Don't say I never gave ya anything! ;)
>XT600 heads and pistons - may need aftermarket pistons if the cylinders can't be decked without damaging the nikasil
>Dry clutch conversion - doing the math/design for a conventional primary chain and a Ducati dry clutch conversion
>GM LSx coils driven by a microsquirt controller
>Dual 50mm throttle bodies - TL1000r take offs repurposed
>4! to 4 pipes with small stainless reverse megas
>6spd trans swap - looks like there are a couple options here, still digging
>Common sense - almost nil


Anyway, no more time for posting now but will continue to check in as time allows.....
 
Hey Lee ... good to hear from you.

Yep - the roller bearing conversion is one I've been selling here in the UK for some time now.

That's really been the reason for all the oil feed problem feedback from customers !

I like some of your more radical ideas for the Yam, but this one has to be simple and straightforward [ ie CHEAP ! ] for me this time round.

That said I am STILL contemplating a turbo option. Easy way out I know, but like I said - cheap [ relatively ].

A pal has asked me to help him with engineering design input on a Trike [ trad layout ] - but with a difference, he wants to build something with offroad capability.

Initial plans are for a BMW K100 powered Trike, with a more radical BMW Oilhead twin in the wings for later.

This still ties in with my own plans for a Trike / sidecar for the not too distant future when my knee eventually gives out.

 
LOADS of feedback re: the cam failure and one of my roller cam conversion customers has come up with a neat pressure gauge fitment.

I'm waiting to get my engine on the bench and all the junk cleared so I can start looking at this problem seriously.

 
stroker crazy said:
Uber tidy!

We need a how-to-do.

Crazy
Click to expand...

Crazy .................. I'll be working on this big time when I get back from Saxony [ end of August ]. There's a distinct possibility I might yet go Turbo !

The guy who built the prototype using my roller bearing conversion is also away [ in France ] for a TR1 / XV meeting. There will be a week in between him getting back and me going, so we'll liaise then.

Plans are .........................

A simple bolt in Gauge conversion.
As above but with Roller bearing conversion
As above, but with larger bore flexi stainless feed pipes [ Earl's, Russell's, etc. ].

I'm waiting for a price for the replacement lower bolt and 40mm gauges in side entry and bottom entry [ as the Archbishop said to the Actress ]. The kit should be suitable for all the Vee range, but as some have larger fins, the side entry might have to be the one.

Initial pricing [ 20 off ] looks like being under $25 for the gauge - waiting for a price on 50 off [ minimum ] bolts / washers, etc.

As soon as I get the parts to hand I'll post up details of the fit.

 
Scored a 130 x 80 x 18" TT100 GP tyre today courtesy of e-bay ....... BRAND NEW - £25.00 ;D

Sample stainless steel cased Gauges arriving later today.
 
And 20 minutes after posting the last mail - they did !!!

Don't like the Black version - but the 2 stainless cased gauges look the biz.

What do we think ????

 
@beachcomber.. :o is how you looked I guess........ :'( afterwards and then an english large beer and then: :) again?

Hope so, this sort of mistakes are so recognizable for me.....but there`s always a new day after!


And for now,:keep building, stop grinding :-[
 
Lost out on the Manx tank I was bidding on - went for MORE than I paid for my TR1 !

We have the Classic Bike show coming up at Stafford show ground in the next few months - I might just take the bare frame there and check out some tanks physically on the frame there ! In previous years there have been dozens of Manx tanks in various condition, but all at reasonable prices.

I'm going to carry on with the G50 / 7R look-a-like tank for the time being - also an Avon / Metisse top fairing is heading my way soon - complete with screen and perspex / poly nose cone !
 
@beachcomber.....the line in one of your earlier replies: 'on TWO of them I found the oil banjo bolts to be faulty'......is it possible that you post pictures here from a bad bolt an a good banjo bolt? So I(we) can see the difference?
I too have bought 3 engiunes in total now, and one of them has an major damage on the camshaft itself between valve lifter and camshaft, but the head/camshaft seems ok.

Best regards, Wynand2000
 
wynand2000 said:
@beachcomber.....the line in one of your earlier replies: 'on TWO of them I found the oil banjo bolts to be faulty'......is it possible that you post pictures here from a bad bolt an a good banjo bolt? So I(we) can see the difference?
I too have bought 3 engiunes in total now, and one of them has an major damage on the camshaft itself between valve lifter and camshaft, but the head/camshaft seems ok.

Best regards, Wynand2000
Click to expand...

Wynand,

I have rectified the bolts now !! [ drilled them out ] However, one of the guys that bought my roller bearing kit DID take some pix. He is on holiday until 22nd. August - I will ask him for the pix and post them up.
 
Beach,
Not to steal your thread, but when it gets closer to the Stafford show, could you post some details - date, directions, a link, something...?
Pat
 
pacomotorstuff said:
Beach,
Not to steal your thread, but when it gets closer to the Stafford show, could you post some details - date, directions, a link, something...?
Pat
Click to expand...

Hey Pat,

more than happy to - does that mean you're paying the old country a visit ???????????
 
wynand2000 said:
Thanks, i`m in no hurry..... are there already bikes driving around with the bearing on the cams?
Click to expand...

Yes - there's quite a few bearing conversions around on the road. I can't claim any bragging rights, this conversion has been around for a few years at least.

Scroll up a few posts and you'll see one of the engines fitted with my conversion. I've been doing this conversion for over a year now and one guy has put 15K miles on his since. He says it sounds / "feels" much smoother.
 
Word out to my TR1 US Cousins - Rich, Lee and others.

I'm still contemplating a Turbo installation and was thinking of using an auto derived MSD unit to control spark, retard etc. - any of you guys got experience with such a set up ?

BTW - the oil pressure gauge conversion / new oil lines is still proceeding [ albeit slowly ]. I have suitable 40mm gauges now, and as soon as I can get out of the house [ dog sitting at present ], I'll be round to the hydraulic hose place round the corner to finalise fittings and line size etc.
 
Still on the dog sitting duties, so activity up the workshop has slowed to a virtual halt.

However, that has given me time to go back over the three main projects and reschedule the work and put some sort of priority on matters.

I had a couple of good scores whilst on my daily E-Bay trawls. I found a 130 X 80 X 18" TT100 /GP and that neatly matches the 100 [ 4.10 ] x 90 x 18" front - both brand new and never fitted. Total outlay for the pair £50 [ $120 ? ] ;D

I found some real bargain rattle cans and got myself 6 x high build primer [ 500ml ] and ditto Satin Black.

Plus a couple of cans of alloy etch primer for the brake plates and any engine parts I decide to do. Total outlay for all the cans - £36.

That'll allow me to complete the brake plates for the Vindicator [ 2 x Grimeca, 1 x XS650 ]. I've already got 3 different shades of Gold to try - hope one of them is right !

AT LEAST IT FEELS LIKE SOME PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ! ::)

BTW - any headsup on the MSD suitability ?

 
Sorry TJ, meant to pipe up sooner. I've used MSD stuff on several builds. At this stage in the game the 6a is kind of a slaedgehammer approach, one blast fits all. It might behoove you to consider something with the capacity to tune the ignition curve to suit your engine. Plus most of teh automotive stuff is pretty bulky for a bike.
 
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