1983 E Cleanup

[6pkrunner]

Not at all. Get some heavy duty all purpose general cleaner and get it into a spray bottle. Hit whatever part you want with a good dousing. Then hit the degreaser area with a few blasts of oven cleaner. If you're onto plastic not a lot of oven cleaner is needed. Mix the two as best as possible and quickly work that area with a toothbrush (one you're not going to use again. You'll get used to how long and how hard to rub. Bottom line - starting off don't let the stuff sit on plastic without moving it around. Rub with a cloth and then clean it with fresh water and soap like nuts. Dry it and see where you are. Its better to go weak and slow until you get the hang of how long to let it sit. Too long and you've eaten into the part like Alien's acid blood.

After you wash this stuff off real well, hit the plastic part with some tire cleaner and let it sit a bit before wiping off.

For aluminum and steel first degrease the part pretty well. Then hit the degreaser and a good mix of oven cleaner. Mix the two with the toothbrush and let it sit. After a while (up to 1/2 hour) of sitting remove the stuff and see where you are. If no movement add some Toluene (used to be in the good carb cleaners, burt it seems to have disappeared on shelves here. Degreaser, oven cleaner and a shot or two of toluene and mix it and let sit. If that doesn't take everything off - you're going to an acid bath.
Seriously, I haven't met anything yet - up to some serious rust, that this stuff won't help you along. Sometimes I stay on the weak side and repeat the process 3, 4 or 5 times. Get too bold and it will etch/ leech into metal.

Any part you're going to paint after soaking it in this has to be really cleaned afterwards or the paint will bubble up as long as this stuff is present. Soak in soap and water, rinse well, dry and then brake cleaner - works pretty well.

If you are also referring to the nuts and bolts - those are all wire wheeled on a bench grinder and then polished with metal paste. Cleaned off and then cleared to save them for a little while. The chrome ones are just polished and hit with chrome cleaner to keep them.

[GateKeeper]

Cool, gonna hit the engine with this mixture as a final attempt to get it all nice and clean, wash it all off, and hit it with some paint thinner or similar to make sure all grease and oil is off, dry really well, and then paint....

sounds like a good plan to me....

[6pkrunner]

Engines take repeated applications. Just keep hitting it and the gunk will come off layer by layer if you go easy. Hit it hard and it'll dig big chunks of the gunk off and be messy - but it will get back to pure metal - patience and repeating is the key.

Three cans of oven cleaner, quart of heavy duty degreaser, 1/2 pint of toluene, some clean up and paint......

[GateKeeper]

What's the address, I am sending my engine too, so I can get it as nice and shiney as yours....

WOW, very nice....


by the way will this kill any gaskets ?

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[6pkrunner]

by the way will this kill any gaskets ?

Nope, unless you leave it on and walk away for a few days or something. 1/2 hour is the longest I've left it on. When I see it seep into the metal, its on too long. You get a real nice dark spot on aluminum and a busy time to get rid of the stuff. And it'll leech out and work on removing new paint as long as its in there.

[6pkrunner]

Here's the process on a front caliper.

The first two shots are of the caliper as it came off the bike. This is actually the left caliper, I didn't take any before shots of the right one, but it was in the same shape.




The next two are of the caliper parts before any paint.




And the last two are it all done except for one grease boot.

[GateKeeper]

Very nice.....your concoction does a very good job....

I guess you used some caliper paint ? And I am curious, do you find the paint chips or cracks easy, say if it get's hit on an edge or once you start to tighten down the brackets and such....this was the issue I have come across, and then I end up having to do some touch ups...

[6pkrunner]

Very nice.....your concoction does a very good job....

And I am curious, do you find the paint chips or cracks easy, say if it get's hit on an edge or once you start to tighten down the brackets and such.....

For sure. I have a small heater that I place parts on two shelves in front of it and try to Mickey Mousely use heat to cure the paint. It seems to work okay, but it is nowhere near as tough as the factory stuff. The stuff on the caliper is a basic Krylon hi-heat semi-gloss black. The only true engine paint I use is on the engine and again the Krylon Engine Enamel semi-gloss black. For a stock restoration it would be a bit too flat for the engine but unless I can find something in a Krylon black a bit glossier, that's what it'll be. Their stuff works great.

But yes the repainted parts will chip easier than the factory. But with the combination of the heater for six hours or so then around 30 days to set - its not too bad.

[6pkrunner]

Here's the end of week six. The closer you get to the heart of the matter, the seemingly longer it takes to get tasks performed. That and there may be a bit of running out of steam. I've been at this most nights and weekends for the last six weeks. Its not a race and I like to clean up the parts as they come off the bike. But it seems to be slowing. I've burnt through what I had allotted for the project and am still a long way off. So that also has dampened the effort. Rubber, suspension,paint, powdercoat - a lot yet.

Here it is now.

The header really didn't want to give way so it was a taste of the angle grinder to get rid of it. Every time I tried a nut, it would just flake off from wither the outer or the inner hex. It's gone from a 6mm to somewhere around a 7 something. And nothing to grab on the outer for enough grip. When the engine drops out I'll get them then. Hopefully. I really don't want to pull the head off of her.





And what came off. Several prior "repairs"




And the pile of parts increases.





Although the brake hoses have been cleaned up, it is doubtful that I would want to use them. I haven't looked into the Suzuki inventory yet to see if factory ones are still available. If not it will have to be braided steel with the rubber covering to partially look stock. Check out the reflectors. At least they work.




And what it currently looks like.

[spyug]

Hey GK did you ever see my solution to curing paint on calipers and such. I think it might appeal to you being as how you "play" with computers too. May I present the "Easybake Oven": http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...=easybake+oven

Works a treat for small batches and saves you getting in schtz using the boss' oven.

Cheers,
spyug

[GateKeeper]

Very nice idea there Spyug.....

once quick question, and sorry to ask it here....I have not baked my calipers, they have been sitting and curing now for over a week, is there any benefit to baking them now, or it too late ? and at this point not even bother !

Thanks

@6pkrunner, I opted for all new brake lines SS braided

[spyug]

GK, I think they are likely all outgassed by now so I doubt there would be any benefit at this time. If you were to do another coat,however, I would say yes bake 'em.

I find they hold up well if done this way but I think alot really has to do with the formulation of the paint. For the last few years I've been using plain old Rustoleum rather than VHT caliper paint and for my money it seems superior to the expensive stuff. I also haven't done any undercoating either, just scuff up the existing and shoot 'em.

So far so good.

cheers,
spyug

[6pkrunner]

@6pkrunner, I opted for all new brake lines SS braided

Yeah I hear ya. In this day and age function should replace form. Depending how far in hock I am at that time and costs of originals, I think I'll go for the update with black rubber covering. But damn I'm a sucker for new factory ones with the crisp lettering.

Same as rubber. Makes no sense not to upgrade since this isn't a restore. I'm looking at the V rated Pirelli Sport Demons in 100/90V - 19 and 130/90V - 17. Is there better rubber than that? Not saying I'd ever use the ragged edge of their qualities and for the amount of miles this old thing will see a year, mileage really isn't a huge consideration. Its more of a blaster after work to unwind with and put a smile on. So really price is negated for the longevity. Some may do a month or several months, what I do for mileage a year.
Anyway any suggestions for rubber will be more than welcomed. The last three rebuilds I did had to have ribbed front tires for a closer-to-factory-look. Needless to say, these are the furthest from cutting edge or better street rubber now available. So I don't know what works on these old girls. I'm planning on Progressive springs up front and their 12 series rear shock with the heavy duty black spring kit. And for the sake of closer to what it was, I really don't want to do a reservoir shock. Any other manufacturers worth a look?

Thanks!

[GateKeeper]

Speaking of tires, I was asking the same for my bike, and SVSooke made mention of the folowing

Pirelli Sport Demon 110x90x16 and 130x80x17 shipped to me here in Canada 254.95

then we have the

Avon Road Riders same size but these come in at 242.52

and last but not least

BridgeStone BT45 Sport Touring front is a bit smaller 100x90x16 and rears stay at 130x80x17 these come in at 250.89

those prices are all in, tax and shipping from a company in Montreal, I heard he has the best prices going, so I am not even wasting time in trying to source out anything cheaper......

I am leaning towards the Pirelli tires, they just look good.....

if you don't have a place for the brake lines check out

http://stores.ebay.com/Rennsport-Auto-Parts/Other-/_i.html?_nkw=suzuki&_fsub=1&_sid=5680214

has a local store in my neck of the woods

http://www.rennsportautoparts.com/Default.asp

and they did a great job on my brake lines, even has the black to cover to stainless steel braid

[6pkrunner]

Thanks for the heads up. There is a local guy that makes up brake lines - I'll see what he can offer first. If not, I'll try your guys.