Manky's XS650 Yamaha

[Manky Monkey]

Damn it's cold out there
Seem to be going round in circles, re-working parts several times. Rear mudguard taken off again & delivered back to Mr Loon for re-painting, (had a run in it & a couple of scuffs where I modified the electrics box. Easier just to repaint it off the bike).
I've been turning the engine over on the kickstart. Seems to turn smoothly enough, but circulating the oil has produced a small drip somewhere under the motor. I try to avoid using gasket goo, so anything I've worked on has gone back together with dry paper gaskets. Need to get underneath with a mirror on a stick to track it down.
Still got the brakes to bleed, but that's about it till it's wired up.
The date for this year's Bike Shed show in London City's just been announced. 28th & 29th of May. It'd be nice to go on a bike instead of in my commuter car, especially if the gents from Loon's workshop manage to get their bikes done too. Roll on the Spring!

[Olds]

If you fitted the paper/card gaskets dry, the leak may stop as they tend to swell slightly on contact with oil. I prefer to oil or grease gaskets prior to fitting or use a very thin coating of Wellseal.

[hunter]

Same here i always gease gaskets before fitting.
I actually do it the day before fitting when i can.

[Manky Monkey]

Might be more than one leak, but I've tracked one down to the oil strainer, (small round casting inset in the righthand side case, with the frog's head engraved on it). It's not a standard Yam' casting. It was machined by the engraver's mate because the original was too thin to engrave. Oil's weeping out of it, down the main casing & collecting under the motor. Where do I buy Wellseal Dave?

I'd planned to work on my truck today but lots of people working on their projects at Loon's workshop, so I gave it a miss & went back to the bike.
Sidestand issues finally sorted -had the return spring bracket on upside down. It'd only work with the original tatty spring though, not with the nice new stainless steel replacement I bought.
A few scuffs in the black powder coating polished out, then I tackled the brakes. Front one's now filled, bled & fully operational. As I expected though, the rear one's giving me problems.
I've got a standard pedal pushing into a standard master cylinder via a modified linkage, with a small aftermarket remote reservoir. No sign of fluid movement in the reservoir when I pump the pedal & no fluid at the bleed nipple. I've already changed the hose from the cylinder to the reservoir once because it had a kink in it. So I guess I'll start by removing the reservoir & running fluid into the cylinder directly down the hose. If there's no movement then, I'll take the cylinder apart. My brother built the linkage so I'm pretty sure it's got full travel, but it may be a knackered cylinder. Not the end of the World if I have to buy a rebuild kit or even a replacement. Quite enjoying tinkering with a bike again

[morrag]

Fresh paper gasket with a thin coating of Hylomar, or similar, Mr M, particularly if its an after market casting, Morrag

[Olds]

Not sure where you can get Wellseal locally. Ebay I suppose. It's messy to use but great stuff. My BSA A10 and RE Bullet were both totally oil tight after rebuild.
Found this pic on the Rebels Ride site.

[Bus Boy]

A quick search on the net shows that there's  Cromwell Tools in Basingstoke and they list Wellseal on their website, might be worth a look.

[Olds]

No that far from me and I didn't know they were there. . Prices look ok so I will have to pay them a visit.

[Bus Boy]

Looks like Basingstoke is my nearest outlet. If they're any good I may be making forays up to your neck of the woods


But then again there is always tinternet any Andy's postal service!

[Manky Monkey]

Sorted. Thanks chaps. I always forget about Cromwells. I'll buy another paper gasket for the leak. Treated myself to a couple of new hammers too cos they were pretty, (£3.50 & £5.50).
New bike battery filled with acid, (it comes seperately these days), but it needs charging before use. Hopefully Nathan can do that for me while he's wiring it cos it's a bugger to get off the bike -whatever idiot designed the battery box built it to bolt up from underneath, but made it taller than the gap between the frame & the ground so the bike has to be jacked up to get it out.

[Manky Monkey]

Now I'm going to have to go & look at the Rebel Rides site! Got a link Dave?

[Olds]

Rebels Ride, not Rebel Rides.
http://www.rebelsride.com/blog/

[Manky Monkey]

Do you think they noticed it's not a Harley?

[triker_Chewie]

probably thought it was a pommy twin

[Manky Monkey]

It was originally a BSA design I'm told.
No progress on the bike today but I stopped at the garage this evening to drop some tools off -oh Gawd, what's that that's leaked all over the handlebars?! Looks like it's reacted with the powder coating & turned into solid, shiny lumps ...turned out to be water that'd dripped off the roof & frozen. I hate Winter.