My "Rusty Hammer"

[RockinD]

OK, so I think I'll give her that temp name as you can see.
Got my work cut out for me, and just getting started.
Connectors and wire came today (Thanks, Geezer) and I borrowed a friend's camera to document what sad shape she's in.

[IMG] [/IMG]

So, wish me luck. Realistically I'd like to have her up and purring by Mem Day, then go to work on all that frelling rust!
Please offer suggestions or pose a question that may make me take another look at something anew.
Doc

[79XS11F]

First thing to do is confirm that the rust your looking at is only surface rust. Surface rust can be dealt with easy enough. However more serious rust to the frame is BAD NEWS. Check the lower frame tubes for integrity. Check the side stand side closely as it tends to rust through sooner then in other areas.
I would strip it down to the frame, do the harness off the bike so you can do a good job of it. Check the frame out while it's striped then rebuild the bike cleaning and replacing as necessary as you go.
Rob

[RockinD]

Well hell, you just ruined a good plan. No, I know you're right. It's just that I am borrowing the corner of a neighbor's garage to do the work presently and haven't had a chance to broach the long term aspect of this with him.

What are my chances of finding a suitable frame replacement if mine has got the creeping crud? I mean what'll work? Did get a 249 schamolian quote on shiny new forks but not sure about that need so far.

Out of curiosity, why do the harness off the bike or is that just if I am doing a total off frame I will need to anyway? I've already begun pulling bolts and screws off and cleaning those up so they seat properly along with cleaning the M/F contacts for the connectors.
Bought some cheap wire leads for a multimeter in case I need them for pickup coils. Still need to figure out what to do with those cloth stator wires, though.
So, far just able to nibble away at the small stuff really. Time has a way of getting in the way of important stuff like fixing our bikes, you notice?

[CatatonicBug]

The 3 cloth-covered Stator wires can just be covered in a single piece of heat-shrink tubing. No real need to take the harness all th way off, unless you were planning to tear the whole bike apart. I think though, with all that rust, you may want to do that, and get ALL the rust off the frame and have it re-painted or better yet, powder-coated.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

OK, so I think I'll give her that temp name as you can see.
Got my work cut out for me, and just getting started.
Connectors and wire came today (Thanks, Geezer) and I borrowed a friend's camera to document what sad shape she's in.

[IMG] [/IMG]

So, wish me luck. Realistically I'd like to have her up and purring by Mem Day, then go to work on all that frelling rust!
Please offer suggestions or pose a question that may make me take another look at something anew.
Doc

Give me a holler if you need anything.

I ain't far away and I BTDT.

Got a couple extra parts and a pretty good line on finding anything you need.

[79XS11F]

Well hell, you just ruined a good plan. No, I know you're right. It's just that I am borrowing the corner of a neighbor's garage to do the work presently and haven't had a chance to broach the long term aspect of this with him.

What are my chances of finding a suitable frame replacement if mine has got the creeping crud? I mean what'll work? Did get a 249 schamolian quote on shiny new forks but not sure about that need so far.

Out of curiosity, why do the harness off the bike or is that just if I am doing a total off frame I will need to anyway?

No, the harness does not have to come off the frame to give it a going over but if your going to address the frame the harness should be coming off.
Rob

[mack]

space

I have to agree with Rob on this. Some of the connectors are difficult to get at well enough to do a good job on them. Get the rust off all the frame soonest. If you don't, what your looking at now is the best your going to see. I found that the rust likes to get up into places you can't usually find without the frame bare. As a side point, mine was WAY worse than yours.

[RockinD]

@Mack- Gee, that cheers me up a bunch! lol It is good to have some idea on a regular basis as to what's going on with these mosheens. I can take courage that no matter how daunting the task, however bleak the present, how many mosquitos you are batting, whatever the future holds.... (vinyl record scratch)

Sorry, got carried away. No, I surely appreciate whatever you guys have to offer and am glad I can be a XS man. hahaha

Anyway, here's the close up of the cloth wire CBug. It's pretty chewed up as I noted in a previous post.



As to this rust issue, I remember doing magnafluxing to machine parts back when I was a newt, it showed any stress cracking or imperfections in the metal casting (but don't know if it'd work on tubular steel). I think I remember that being part of the 'non-destructive' inspection performed by USAF techs along with Xray, as well. I wonder if any Tulsa area machine shops have Mflux capacity that would/could check for this if it would be feasible and Cheap.
(Hey, XSOkie- what'ya think?)

Again if I'm left with great green gobs of ooey gooey gopher guts for a frame-what do I do?

[XSokieSPECIAL]

RockinD

Check your PMs

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Sorry....

4R1 is a standard frame.

[RockinD]

Stress cracks

OK here's a new one to me.
Talking the other day to an old mechanic and the topic got around to my bike (My fav topic) and all the rust and whatnot. I told him I was gonna be doing a thorough cleaning of the frame since I wanted to check for any weak or potential problem areas. Here's what he told me to do:

After I brass brushed it down at the joints or any suspect areas I should wipe it all down with a clean rag or two and some kerosene. Then, dust some flour
over those spots I am concerned about. Apparently and according to him the flour reacts in any fissures with the kerosene that hasn't evaporated leaving tell-tale tracks.
It sounded simple enough and so tomorrow Imma gonna try it. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

Anybody ever try this before chime in on what you found out.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Nope....can't say that I've ever used flour to find a crack......LOL....

[jmnjrpa]

Yeah

That will work on major cracks but the starting cracks may only be visible with a mag partical or Zyglo inspection. Zyglo is cheaper and also works on non ferrous materials (nonmagnetic).

[RockinD]

Happy Mom's

Nope....can't say that I've ever used flour to find a crack......LOL....

hahaha
I dunno, I had a GF once that Loved baguettes. Notice I said "once".

@jmnjrpa
How does one go about finding Zyglo, without ixquickin it? Is there a National Association of Zyglod's? Do they have conventions?
Or, perhaps a Zyglodian Fellowship. hmm, so many things to ponder.

OK, so enough levity. I did not get time today to start the hunt for weak spots using the flour method.
I did get some good cleaning in on the frame, removed and soaked some rusty screws and bolts along the port side (that's left for you lubs) and worked on doing a good survey as I went along. Only real change from that is removing the tail/stop light assmbly.

Which brings me to a question. How can I remove each socket to get at the wires to replace them? (I just now got in and wanted to put this down on here before I got extra stupid tonight.) I'll look for the info here in a minute to get totally up to speed, but are there any tricks?

Am I gonna run into a problem re-soldering and should I just get new sockets? (the bases appear clean and dry) That goes for the rest of the running lights, too, I guess.

Like, what's the easiest/fastest way to get the license plate lamp holde off?

Anyway, looking forward to tomorrow. Oh, 1 last thing. I can't find a local source to adhesive heat shrink. XSOkie may have someone around, but where on line if I need different kinds?
Thanks and Happy Mom's Day to ALL the Mothers.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Hey doc......

Heat shrink isn't a problem, don't know anything about "adhesive heat shrink".

The stuff is pretty damn adhesive when it DOES shrink.

What "sockets" are you talking about? Turn signals?