1981 GS450E Rebuild

[Charlie G]

Glad to see your back at it Pete. I'm just a dumb carpenter, no mechanic. If I can read a manual, ask a question or two and get it done, most anyone can do it to. Not to put any pressure on you, but the enitre brotherhood of pints (450 owners, 450cc= about a pint?) is counting on you to show the way. If you have a problem, that you really can't figure out, remember the motto.." When all else fails, we'll have a Pint".

So much for my humor


cg

[pete]

Haha cheers Charlie, looking like once a fortnight is my GS time these days. If only I could find a way not to work yet still earn the $$$... hmmmm...

"Brotherhood of pints", I like that, I like it very much... haha

In fact I got three different 500ml stubbies of beer for my birthday... Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale (tempered over burning witches), Black Sheep Ale, and Old Fart ale, all from the UK. I think they hit just the spot for the "brotherhood of pints"...

Now as to the pint brigade following my lead on this rebuild, we're all in trouble... it's the blind leading the blind!

[davidduarte]

Glad to see your back at it Pete. I'm just a dumb carpenter, no mechanic. If I can read a manual, ask a question or two and get it done, most anyone can do it to. Not to put any pressure on you, but the enitre brotherhood of pints (450 owners, 450cc= about a pint?) is counting on you to show the way. If you have a problem, that you really can't figure out, remember the motto.." When all else fails, we'll have a Pint".

So much for my humor


cg

Brotherhood of Pints = I like it! Pete, if you need more information beyond the Haynes, I have the Clymer manual as well, which I feel is a better manual. I should post a picture of both my Haynes and Clymer, it's obvious from the grease which one sees more use

[pete]

Yeah I couldn't find a Clymer for the right price when I was looking for it many years ago.

When I went to the dealer the other week he pulled out a genuine manual when looking for how much fork oil I need, I almost grabbed it and ran because I think they're made of unobtainium

[Macguyver]

Now usually with this level of success, I'd be running out of time. However I still had some!

So, onto assembly of the forks... and done as far as getting the stanchions, damper rods, springs, and gaiters on, but no fork oil yet and the cap bolts are just finger tight to keep everything in place. I also need to get those cap bolts on the polishing wheels because they're quite bad:



And those gaiters are an absolute perfect fit, I don't think it's possible to get anything to fit better unless it was designed for it. I had to trim about 10mm off the sleeve on the bottom, but that's it, I didn't even have to struggle to get them onto the stanchion or lower, the diameter is just right:



I even found I had enough time to get the forks slid into the triple clamps and finger tighten the bottom clamp bolt to see how it will look:



So that's where it sits now, and next up will be starting on sanding and painting the wheels and and drum brake housing along with getting some fork oil in the forks, cleaning up the cap bolts and headlight ears, then getting the forks and steering head on and set properly.

On a side note, my birthday's come and gone and I managed to get a $100 Bunnings gift card and another $100 so I see a torque wrench and some Japan Industrial Standard screwdriver bits in my future

I am really diggin' those gaiters Pete!
I am glad you managed to find a set that fit so well! Happy belated B-day as well!
A buddy of mine and I dropped a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream into a pint of Holy Grail Ale and called it a Holy Hand Grenade!
Keep up the great reports Pete.

[pete]

Cheers Mac and I'm likin' how they look a whole lot...

A Holy Hand Grenade... I like it

I haven't replied to your thread yet either, but those headlights are looking good, and the adjustability sounds like you'll be able to get them just right too.

[davidduarte]

I am really diggin' those gaiters Pete!
I am glad you managed to find a set that fit so well! Happy belated B-day as well!
A buddy of mine and I dropped a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream into a pint of Holy Grail Ale and called it a Holy Hand Grenade!
Keep up the great reports Pete.

Bring us the Holy Hand Grenade!

[pete]

I'd much prefer you brought me a shrubbery...

[davidduarte]

so if she weighs the same as a duck, then she's made out of wood!

[pete]

I feel if I do more than this, I will have to rename my thread...



Perhaps I may just get a flesh wound though...

[pete]

Ok... getting this thread back on track again.

Started getting my bits together ready for this weekend's work.

I'm hoping to get the wheels, drum brake housing, and headlight ears painted with the POR 15 Blackcote. Had a quick peak in the paint tin and it's getting low, but considering how much I've done two coats on so far, I *should* have enough for two coats on these bits and that should pretty much do it for that side of the painting.

My only concern right now is I seem to have misplaced one of the grommets for the headlight ears, so I'll have to have a closer look in the daylight on the weekend. Too hard tonight with a torch with a half dead battery and the only fluro in the garage that's mounted in the most useless place.

No pic's tonight but I'll try to ensure I get some happy snaps before and after the painting.

If I can get all these bits painted up on the weekend, then that means all I need to do is get the fork oil in and I can have a rolling frame again which would be awesome. The only chassis part that won't be done in that case will be the rear shocks, but they can wait for the moment as the motor will be next.

[Macguyver]

Sounds like you are definitely on the right track here Pete. Keep up the hard work, and remember our picture addiction!

[pete]

Cheers Mac... I'm not sure pic's from Monty Python count... but if nothing else...

[pete]

So I missed my Saturday of the fortnight last week, but got it yesterday instead and started on the wheels and headlight ears.

First of all, a recent before of both wheels:



Pulled out my wire wheels and got to it on the wheels but only took pic's of the front:



Once the wire wheeling was done, got sanding on the rest of the bits the wire wheels wouldn't reach:



You can see the sanded headlight ears above too, and I also sanded back the brake cover and sprocket side of the rear wheel:

[pete]

Forgot the before of the brake cover:



I left the wheels sitting on the drop sheet to paint but hung up the other bits:





Then I got the first coat on:





If you look closely at the wheels you'll notice that I was rushing and running out of time and completely forgot to mask the edge of the rim I want to leave polished, so I will have to clean that up with a razor blade or something once I'm done.

Now to the part that I'm quite concerned about... when I popped the lid on the Blackcote, it seemed it hadn't sealed well after the last use as there was a thin partially cured layer on top

I already knew I was running low on paint, but I hope that doesn't mean it's also spoiled.

I'll get the second coat on today and I guess I'll have a pretty good idea then as to whether it will turn out ok or not, I really don't want to have to do it all again; at $64 for a 470mL can it ain't cheap paint!