Tearing down my 77

pumps · Posted: July 28, 2009, 11:01 pm Post subject: Tearing down my 77

I've been putting this off because I have been having too much fun riding now with the Pamco ignition installed . But it has been raining for a day or so so now it comes. I need to replace my headlight bucket as the old one was egg shaped when I got it so I picked up a nos chrome one. Bent headlight ears too.Wanted to repaint the trees as they look kinda ratty. Polish the fork tubes, bought some covers from mike to put on. So today I jacked it up, tied her down and got to work. Disconnected that frickin birdsnest of wiring in the headlight bucket. Wrote it all down and used some numbers sticky tags that electricians use to hopefully keep it all straight. This bike has a bit over 16K on it and I had hoped the steering head bearing were changed but...well

They make a funny sound as they fall onto the floor..tink, tink,tink.
So there's one more thing. Gotta do it though. Any recommendations on a brand would be appreciated. A couple other things. Any reason why I can't repaint the trees?

y rotor could use a bit of evening out. Would a place that turns car rotors do it?

I have new bushings for the handle bars so I have that covered. How best to remove clear coat on the lowers tubes? Paint stripper?

I need new rubber bushings for the lower headlight adjuster,I think mike has them. For the top and bottoms of the fork covers that the headlight mounts to there is a rubber bushing type thing and a washer. Those rubber things are shot and I haven't seen them anywhere that I recall. I hope I'm not in over my head. I was always a lot better at taking things apart than putting them back together!Oh and need to go buy a GD 14mm wrench and socket! 13 and 15 I got GEEZ

Retiredgentleman · Posted: July 29, 2009, 12:53 am Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

You're having too much fun with that tear down , pumps. You should be able to find someone that does brake repairs, to turn the brake disks for you.

If you have access to a drill press (or a lathe) you could clean up the disks yourself. My brake disks looked similar to yours. I made up a bracket with a spindle and turned my disks in my drill press. I just used emery paper and the disks cleaned up quite well.

yamaman · Posted: July 29, 2009, 6:55 am Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Way to go man......Rip into it!

No drama painting the triple clamps. Got mine painted at a friendly paint shop.....Nice 2 pak high gloss black for just a few beers (had to wait till they were doing something else black)!

I used Mikes steering bearings & don't have any issues with them. No doubt your on to the how to in the vault for that job!
While you've got the steering head apart, you might want to consider putting a grease nipple in the neck, good value there!

Good luck

nj1639 · Posted: July 29, 2009, 7:37 am Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Hey Pumps,
I'll be doing bearings this winter.
On the headlamp reassembly- Don't know why but the turn signals on mine never went back to the stock position, always have a 'swept back' look to them. I'm thinking that they need to be installed in the bucket and attached to the ears before being put on to the forks, follow? S'probably the way the factory assembled them.

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

Looks good pumps, be careful getting the rotors done. The guy that did mine didn't have the grinders for stainless and he had to stop and check it regular to let the rotors cool down. Measure them and make sure the person doing it knows the tolerances. Be specific.......... I haven't heard of any where to get those rubbers that fit over the fork covers. Managed to get a bunch with some covers i bought, sorry not for sale. Sad

TeeCat · Posted: July 29, 2009, 12:42 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Indeed... I too am interested to know how best to get the old lacquer off the lowers. 1000 grit and water? And how best to get a nice matt finish on them? I'd like to do mine while they're on the bike as best I can. I just want to clean them up somewhat uniformly.

pumps... you da man. You help reduce my timidness in all this stuff.

TC

pumps · Posted: July 29, 2009, 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

TeeCat wrote:

pumps... you da man. You help reduce my timidness in all this stuff.

TC

I am NOT the man. I'm scared shitless I can't get it back together. If it wasn't for you guys I'd be lost. All those frickin' wires! I want to polish my front rim while it's off. Need some of the clip things that keep the rotor bolts from loosening. I'd like to swap out my brake lines for stainless. Either clean up or replace my front master cylinder. Put new pads on which I already have. I want the front to look as new as I can get it. Eventually replace the switch gear on the bars as mine looks kinda worn. I'll post a picture of the nos parts I have to put on when I get home tomorrow. I have to sort of round all that stuff up anyway. I've been accumulating for a while now.

nj1639-my fork cover that the signals mount to have been bent since I've had the bike so I'm not really sure HOW they look. They were bent when a PO dropped it I think. Hey where on mikes site are those brackets you bend up to keep the rotor bolts tight, I cant find them. Amazing, I've hit the free shipping mark and my package=Total Items: 18 Weight: 2.9996lbs Amount: $150.00

nj1639 · Posted: July 29, 2009, 2:05 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

That mess of wires in the bucket is intimidating the first go round. 2nd time on my '83 I realized that no 2 connectors were the same! They only go back to their mate. 'Course you can overlook one.

pamcopete · Posted: July 29, 2009, 2:08 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

pumps,

Replace the handle bar mount rubbers while you're at it. Run a ground wire for the turn signals all the way back to the frame ground for the battery...reduces that annoying headlight dimming from the turn sugnals.

While you have the triple trees off, check them for warpage by clamping to a flat surface. Here's an example of mine after my wreck:

Hard to see with just the eyeball....

nj1639....I think you're right. We all have that problem with the turn signal ears.

nj1639 · Posted: July 29, 2009, 2:13 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Locktabs are under 'brakes' and then into 74 to 84(?) discs.
5 bucks for 3.
www.mikesxs.net/produc...l#products

Joseph · Full Member Joined: May 22, 2007 Posts: 767 Location: NY

Fork lowers polish... I used paint striper on my side covers on the motor, worked great. Strip then polish, after that if you want a matt finish sand to desired look or for chrome finish polish some more. I didn't actually do my forks yet , are they made of the same material as case covers (aluminum)?

pumps · Posted: July 29, 2009, 3:30 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Found them nj but they are out of stock...may have to look for an alternative source. Any ideas?

Joseph I would think after removing that thick coat of clear, at least it seems thick on mine, that they would be in pretty good shape. We'll see huh?

Xumi · Posted: July 29, 2009, 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

For removing the clear coat on the lower tubes, I used a wire paint removing wheel I picked up at wal-mart for about $4. It left everthing bear metal and left light scratches everywher... took about 10 minutes per lower.

Then from there, I worked it over with fine emery cloth, then after that with some 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper, then some #000 steel wool, then finally some metal polish... Left them a fairly nice shine, not chrome like (wasn't going for the super chrome look, wanted it to be a semi-gloss shine, which is what I got).

If you look around, you'll find really good instructions for polishing the lowers, mostly on how to get a super chrome-like finish.. but in general, you can stop at any time that you like the look of them.

pumps · Posted: August 2, 2009, 8:12 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Wire wheeled the triple trees off. Lower one is steel and I gave it a coat of black. Upper is aluminum? and I've a tad bit more paint to get off out some nooks and crannies but I think I'll try to give it a polish. Already going to polish the fork tube lowers. Check out the different look of the one I've got almost all stripped off. Used a wire wheel some and some fine emery cloth. I've about 90 minutes into this first one so far. I need to transition to some finer grit before I try to polish. We'll see how it goes. Got my neighbor to take my rotor to work to get their machinist to smooth it out for me.A guy on the other shift at my firestation is a dirt biker and is experienced in installing the grease fittings in the steering heads and has volunteered to do it with me. He has all the stuff and he owes me from a washing machine repair I did for him.

pumps · Posted: August 3, 2009, 11:56 am Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

I had to dig but have found my nos parts I have been scrounging. The oem headlight bucket was black but I got a chrome 76' one and new ring to put on. Still in the box.

Some nos gauge cups. Mine are kind of rusty, faded and bent a bit.

A gauge bracket. Again the old one was rough.

I might have a few other small things to put on, polished valve covers, nos alternator cover, but I think that's most of it. The rest will have to come from mike.

Retiredgentleman · Posted: August 3, 2009, 12:09 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Great looking NOS parts, pumps. Just wondering where you find NOS.................is that E-bay, or is that the local Yami dealer?

pumps · Posted: August 3, 2009, 12:12 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

These have all come from ebay so far. I do spend a little time every day poring through the new listings though and I am particular.. There is a couple of places on the net that have some nos parts for us though.

Gmaan · Posted: August 3, 2009, 2:20 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Hey if you are going to repaint the alum parts, get some aluma jelly at the hardwae store, it will etch the metal and allow a nice primer coat to stick, then paint. The kitchen sink with HOT water works perfect for flushing the jelly off. I dried mine in the oven at 150 deg for an hour.
The fork lowers, be patient, start with 320 and work down to finer and finer grit, follow with 000 steel wool. If you do not sand out ALL of the scratches the polising will take FOREVER! Use a light clear coat to protect them from oxidizing.

pumps · Posted: August 6, 2009, 3:56 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Parts came. Bearings, brake line, some footpeg acorn nuts and washers. Airbox to carb boots. etc.

Driving out the old race from the top I used a hammer and a long screwdriver.

New one.

Until I looked at the new ones and removed the old races from the frame I didn't realize there was a lower race still pushed down onto the lower tree. It was a little tough to finesse off but It came off.Buggered up my new paint a little. Touch up time. Where can I get that lower seal? Yamaha Part No: 164-23462-00.

ike doesn't list it that I could see. Here's the old one next to one new one and the old seal. The hole in the upper set is smaller that the lower.

pumps · Posted: August 6, 2009, 7:07 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Got my races installed in the head this evening. Put the race in the top one and tapped it carefully into place with a small block of wood. It got in cockeyed and had to carefully remove it as I had the old one. THIS time I paid more attention that it was going in equally all the way round. Tap tap tap until fully seated. The lower one I had to come up with something else. It sits fully recessed up inside the head. So I pushed it in enough to stay. Then I used the old race I had knocked out of the same spot but reversed so the top was the bottom now to provide a larger surface to hit . It fits right up against the new one and tap tap tap until this one too is fully seated all the way round. Now to get my buddy over here to do the grease fitting. Got my rotor back this evening. I think I'll matte black the center, yes?

pamcopete · Posted: August 6, 2009, 8:04 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

pumps,

You should have bought two of those "spanners" for the stem ring nuts.

pumps · Posted: August 6, 2009, 8:21 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Yeah I know that NOW. LOL Where's a good place to get the lowers grease seal, the thing in the left up in my picture. Goes under the lower bearing. I think #1 in the parts diagram and #7-136-23415-00-00 COVER, BALL RACE 1. Either I'll paint the old cover of get a new one.

Retiredgentleman · Posted: August 6, 2009, 8:30 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

Nice job on re-surfacing the brake disk;..............now if it was drilled it would be perfect Smile

. I used gloss black on my 2 brake disks.

pumps · Posted: August 6, 2009, 8:53 pm Post subject: Re: Tearing down my 77

I have gloss black already too. Was it gloss originally?The resurfacing cost was lunch at Wendys.

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