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Author Topic: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??  (Read 15160 times)

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Offline nancis

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Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« on: December 09, 2018, 01:59:48 PM »
One things leads to another around here and with winter comes the project list!  What's on our list??? 

Well...there is an '83 YZ250 getting some preliminary work done on it. Tank restoration in progress, researching parts, this one might be in the works for a while.

Next there is a '93 YZ125...Nanci needs a Revo racer for the upcoming vintage season  ::)  This is kinda going to be a two-become-one project.  We have two of them, one is pretty rough but has some good parts on it, came with a '96 motor.  The other...well we're going to go retrieve it from our storage unit this afternoon to see what it can bring to the bench! 

Somewhere on the list is Ron's '93 YZ250 that really could use a rebuild...he bought it new in '93 and it needs some love now.

And...there is one other project in the works too...that one can't be revealed yet...but soon  ;D

The garage is full and somehow we still need to find time to actually go do some trail riding! 

More bikes than I can list...regular riders 2015 Beta XT300, 1986 IT200, 1980 IT175

Offline Coop

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2018, 06:57:49 AM »
Unfortunately I am currently bike-less other than my 1977 XR75 (I got it in 1979, my first bike) I restored last year before I got sick. Have fun with those projects, sounds like some good ones!
- Mike - Don't take life so seriously, nobody gets out alive.

Offline eprovenzano

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2018, 07:43:02 AM »
I went a little off the beaten path...  I picked up a non running quad.  Before everyone flips out...  it a 2 stroke utility quad... and it is truly a project...  It's a 2002 Polaris Xplorer 400 that I was told it had blown a head gasket and would overheat.  This quad was a working machine on a dairy farm.  So when I picked it up, it was still covered in cow shit...  yes covered in cow shit.  I'm sure it had not had a bath in a long, long time.  The farmer offered to try and start it... I declined knowing I was going to rebuild the top end anyway.  The tires were almost flat, dry rotted with little to no tread, but everything was there, and they had a repair manual (BONUS  ;D).   When I pulled into the house, I had to hose it off before even taking it off the trailer and putting it into the garage. Yes it smelled dairy farm fresh.

I began by removing the plastics and disassembling the motor.  The head gasket had definitely been reused, as the over use of silicone was appalling. Half of the water jackets were closed off by the overuse of silicone. The head had a small imperfection but I didn't that was the issue.  As I dug deeper I found a coolant hose from the cylinder to the water pump completely blocked... no way any coolant was getting through.  I took an air hose an blew out the water pump inlet port...  tons of crap came out the outlet port.  Yea I think found the reason for the overheating.  This poor machine was so neglected...  The starter which sits at the bottom of the motor in front of the transmission did not work.  Lots of disassembly required just to get the starter out.  After I dropped the starter out, I see what looks like another wire hanging down... What the hell is this wire to... I pulled on it and its not a wire, but the tail of a mummified mouse... Yea I had a good laugh over that one...  that's when I knew i had to give this thing another bath to get to the stuff I missed before, as it still smelled dairy farm fresh.   

Now I knew it had gotten hot before, so I had some concerns about the piston / cylinder.  It had a wiseco piston which didn't look too old, but definitely had a slight seizure.  The cylinder had previously been bored 1 over.  Yes it too had signs of slight seizure. I gave it a quick cleanup, and did some work to deglaze the cylinder walls.  I installed new wiseco piston and rings and began the reassembly. Just because the part was cheap, I replaced the head for piece of mind.  Then  I find the quad has lost it's spark.  I tested the stator & pickup coil, and all checked out.  The coil was giving weird readings. Now I am happy to wrench on anything mechanical... mechanical issues I can usually see and understand the cause and find a solution to repairs them... electrical issues drive me to drink...  My cousin who had a similar machine had a similar issues and replaced the CDI and coil only to find his pulse coil trigger just needed and adjustment.  He gave me his old parts (coil and CDI) as he sold the machine a few years ago.  I dropped in his coil, no spark, swapped CDI's, still no spark.  Put in my CDI back in, still no spark.  Ordered a new coil, still no spark.  I'm about ready to set the quad on fire...  I swap the CDI's as my son walks into the garage, an finally there's spark...  He claim's it was because of his electrical personality the machine sensed his presence and began to work...  yea ok son...  I don't care other then there's spark... 

I needed to correct a few other things before I can remount the gas tank.  So being curious install the spark plug and shoot a little starting fluid into the carb, hit the starter and she fires right up....  That my friends is why you get a smoker over a stroker.  I still have a lot of work to do to the quad.  The brakes are metal to metal, It does have a lot of grease fittings, I emptied an entire tube of grease into the quad, and it could still use a bit more...  I need to change the tranny fluid, and front diff oil.  Refill the cooloing system, and tidy up the rats nets of a wiring.  So the project continues.  The main reason for the quad was to mount the snow plow from my tractor to the quad...  I need to be able to plow snow faster than the tractor can go, as well as not get stuck (hence the 4x4).  And of course my vehicle of choice had to be a 2 stroke, even if it does have four wheels. 
Eric Provenzano
2019 KTM 300 XCW TPI
2000 KTM 300 EXC (Son's)
2001 KTM 380 EXC
Sold 1991 KDX 200... fun play bike
Sold 1999 KX250
Sold 1999 YZ125 (son's)
Sold 2001 Yamaha TTL 125 (son's 1st bike)
Sold but never forgotten 1974 Honda Elsinore CR250M
Sold 1974 Honda Elsinore CR125

Offline _X_

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2018, 01:06:54 PM »
My project is to sell three bikes, the 03 Honda CR125, the 93 Honda CR125 and the basket case 90 MX250 KTM. getting divorced so these will have to go. Keeping the 89 RM 125 and the 90 Honda CR 125, due to the fact that this was the time in my life that I got started in moto. Ride on brothers.

Offline rsmith

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2018, 05:02:34 PM »
Side note Eric on resistance checking coils. The battery in the meter will start to charge the coil. The longer you leave it on the stranger the readings get.

It is extremely rare for an ignition coil to fail. There is very little to go wrong with the.

racer-x: Sorry to hear that man, been there, not a good time.

--Ron.

Offline _X_

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2018, 01:14:59 PM »
Thanks Ron, I will be OK. I wont have much to report on next year as I plan on focusing on Home matters, but look out 2020!

Offline Coop

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2018, 06:32:41 AM »
Thanks Ron, I will be OK. I wont have much to report on next year as I plan on focusing on Home matters, but look out 2020!

I am glad you are keeping a positive attitude. Don't be afraid to vent on us here if you need to man.
- Mike - Don't take life so seriously, nobody gets out alive.

Offline _X_

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2018, 01:14:06 PM »
Thanks Coop. Everyone has been really supportive and that means a lot, from close family to moto family.

Offline eprovenzano

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #8 on: December 13, 2018, 05:47:41 AM »
So sorry to hear this Racer... If there's anything you need please let us know... we are here for you... 

Eric Provenzano
2019 KTM 300 XCW TPI
2000 KTM 300 EXC (Son's)
2001 KTM 380 EXC
Sold 1991 KDX 200... fun play bike
Sold 1999 KX250
Sold 1999 YZ125 (son's)
Sold 2001 Yamaha TTL 125 (son's 1st bike)
Sold but never forgotten 1974 Honda Elsinore CR250M
Sold 1974 Honda Elsinore CR125

Offline eprovenzano

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #9 on: December 13, 2018, 06:01:01 AM »
Side note Eric on resistance checking coils. The battery in the meter will start to charge the coil. The longer you leave it on the stranger the readings get.

It is extremely rare for an ignition coil to fail. There is very little to go wrong with the.

--Ron.

I temporarily mounted the tank and gave it a splash of gas...  She fired right up...   I agree Ron, coils rarely fail, but something was amiss...  I'm not sure why the combination of mismatched components worked... but it did and I'll take it.   Started to remount the plastics and other assorted pieces...  the biggest challenge is remembering what bolt goes where...  This poor thing has so many mismatched nuts and bolts (They even see masonry screws as replacements).  On my bikes I always replace the odd bolts with the correct size.  Your can just about dismantle my bike with just an 8mm, a 10mm and a 12mm wrench.  Don't think I'm going to be doing that here...  ;D  Far to many odd / replaced nuts and bolts. 

Hopefully before too long, I'll be able to take it around the block, then the design work begins to figure out how to mount the plow from my lawn tractor onto the quad.   
Eric Provenzano
2019 KTM 300 XCW TPI
2000 KTM 300 EXC (Son's)
2001 KTM 380 EXC
Sold 1991 KDX 200... fun play bike
Sold 1999 KX250
Sold 1999 YZ125 (son's)
Sold 2001 Yamaha TTL 125 (son's 1st bike)
Sold but never forgotten 1974 Honda Elsinore CR250M
Sold 1974 Honda Elsinore CR125

Offline _X_

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2018, 01:42:10 PM »
Thanks epro, means a lot.

Offline nancis

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2018, 06:07:15 PM »
Eric...I died laughing at that whole story!  And then the followup...mismatched bolts...remember to ask Ron about the hinge pin "motor mount bolts" he pounded out last night!  Yes, for real...eek  When you get the plow mounted a picture will be required!

We are currently working on several projects but the the hinge pins were on the '93 YZ 125 that will be mine for next race season...it's kinda scary so far...  It'll be good when we are done, like you we replace all non standard hardware with the right stuff!

Racer-X...yeah...sorry man :(  The other guys are right, feel free to vent here (we have that talk about anything board option!)  Support is good, regular and moto family alike.
More bikes than I can list...regular riders 2015 Beta XT300, 1986 IT200, 1980 IT175

Offline Coop

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2018, 09:02:01 AM »
My brother was pro at using the wrong fastener. When I disassembled my '77 XR75 earlier this year I pretty much threw everything in the garbage and started over haha. Thank goodness for hardware kits. Carriage bolts for engine mounts, lag bolt in the seat, it was a wreck. He worked on this bike when I was kid before I learned to do it myself. I guess I should be grateful he kept it rolling for me :) .
- Mike - Don't take life so seriously, nobody gets out alive.

Offline _X_

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2018, 02:08:28 PM »
thanks nancis, no need to vent though, id rather think of better times we had and move on. The music and bourbon have been great comfort so far lol, friends too of course.

Offline rsmith

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Re: Winter Projects....how many do you have going??
« Reply #14 on: December 14, 2018, 07:29:20 PM »
This may be the worse case of motorcycle abuse and mechanical ineptitude I have seen so far.

These were driven in in place of the front and lower motor mounts on Nanci's project YZ125.



I had too use the BAH (Big Ass Hammer) and a punch to drive them back out.

Fortunately they were wedged into the frame tabs and didn't damage the cases.

--Ron.