Mounted muffler; right engine cover off

Progress today

Made extended tailpipe gasket from 0000 steel wool and blended over the existing gasket portion on the factory header pipe. Fitted up new Delkevic muffler and tailpipe with supplied brackets and hardware. Wiggled a bit to get the pipe behind the passenger peg bracket and up under the bodywork edge.

Test fitted the right rear fairing piece to check clearance and alignment with the muffler.  Looks really good and the bodywork just clears the muffler mounting bolts and hanger.

Later … removed the right engine cover for repair/repaint. It’s significantly corroded and has a scrape at lower left.

This exposed the clutch and assorted inner bits to view.

Had issues with 3 of the 8mm bolts holding the cover. Eventually used a bolt extractor, 1/4″ deep socket, and breaker bar (thanks to Dan) to get them broken loose. Organized them all on cardboard to be sure they go back in the same holes.

Carefully scraped old gasket material off of the inside of the cover and mopped out old oily spots.

Next:

Clean the mating surface on the engine case. Clean, sand, prep, and paint the outside of the cover, then reinstall.

Oil out; front brake lines, chain guard installed

Progress today

Drained the engine oil. Very thick and black. Not much sediment, however.

Cleaned, reinstalled, and torqued oil drain bolt.  Removed old oil filter.  Fitted new, but found the one I had belongs to 1982-88 VF700/1000s, not this VFR.

Will find another filter locally.

Scrubbed, wire brushed, and cleaned the center stand with WD40.

Side stand looks good, too, after reinstalling spring.

Installed two stainless braided front brake lines.

The double banjo arrangement at the master was a little fiddly. Fit only with left side hose down. Instructions a little ambiguous on that, but probably consistent.  Torqued all three banjo bolts to 15ft/lbs.

Installed the chain guard and routed the new rear brake line through the slots on the guard.

New chain installed

Progress today

Checked/tightened rear brake banjo bolts with torque wrench – to 15ft/lbs – as recommended by Galfer.

Removed old clip-type master link from the nasty old chain.

Used the old – now split – chain to pull the new chain around the front sprocket. Used WD40 to free up sticky rear hub (eccentric) adjuster.  Adjusted rear end to forward-most position. Fitted new clip master link to the new chain.

Also have new, gold, rivet-type master link for the new chain.  May either buy tool to do it myself later, or ask shop to install it.

Adjusted chain slack and retightened the rear hub pinch bolt.

Also scrubbed, primed, and painted side stand gloss black.

All 3 Brake Calipers Installed

Progress today

New(er) front caliper assembly

Drained and disassembled new-to-me right front brake caliper. Cleaned/polished interior, piston edges, exterior, hanger pin, etc.

Right caliper mostly apart

Checked existing pads.  Found them to be EBC HH in very good condition.  They measure same thickness as new pads. Scrubbed braking surfaces and reinstalled the pads in the caliper. Reassembled caliper and installed on the fork leg with polished bolts.

Completed same process for the left front caliper, but found extra part at the end.

Pad spring and otherwise assembled left caliper

Disassembled again, assembled with all parts, and installed on the fork.

Removed rear brake assembly including pedal/peg/master cylinder unit, fluid reservoir, and caliper with hoses.  Disassembled new to me rear brake caliper. As for the fronts, found EBC HH pads with little wear.

While the rear was naked, scrubbed and wirebrushed the swingarm, hub, sprocket, brake disc, and brackets. Polished brake mounting bolts.  Reassembled rear brake caliper and installed on the bike.

Forks and Front Wheel On

Posted updated checklist [V7]

Progress today

Touched up black paint on front and rear rims – mostly scratches near edges. Some historical, and some from damage I did with tire spoons.

Reassembled right fork leg with new seals and oil. Found new stainless 8mm x 30 bolt was a bit too long to seat, leaked. Reused original (good) brass bolt and it sealed well.

The custom 41mm seal driving tool worked well. Pounded on a wood block from the top to seat both the upper bush and oil seals.

Bought a new stainless 8mm x 25 bolt for the left leg. Completed reassembly of left fork with new seals.

Reinstalled both forks on the bike. Reinstalled both clip-ons.

Installed front wheel.  Found the new stainless left fork bolt protruded very slightly into axle space – its head longer than the original Showa bolt’s. Next time we’ll buy OEMs.  Filed it down and polished surfaces and axle to fit.

Reminder: Will need torque wrench to verify all fasteners installed today are correctly tightened.

Wirewheeled and polished heads of the 4 rear wheel lug nuts.

before and after

New tires mounted

Progress today

Removed old tire and half mounted new one on the front wheel.

Wrestled for an hour or so and couldn’t get the 2nd bead over the rim with the irons.

Pulled and scrubbed the rear wheel.  Wrestled – with no results – trying to even get the old tire off the rear wheel. Hard as rock and not moving with the spoons.

Took the wheels and tires to Ancient City Cycles, who made quick work of the job.  They mounted the tires immediately, at a decent price, and had me out of there about 20 minutes after I got them the tires. Nice.

Day’s end:

Right fork leg apart

Progress last night

Painted brake pedal in the new right peg assembly. Nice match – in color and texture/sheen – for original anodized surfaces on the bike.  Used Rustoleum automotive gray primer and Rustoleum metallic matte nickel paint.  Will also use for lower fork legs and probably other bike parts as we go.

Progress today

Disassembled right fork leg. Cleaned parts. Sanded, degreased, primed, and painted right fork lower.  Re-painted left lower to match.

Will reassemble both forks after paint has 48hrs to harden.  Also need to slot a 2′ length of 1.5″ pvc pipe to fit tubes to use as a bush/seal driver.

Left fork apart, spark plugs changed

Posted updated checklist [V6]

Progress today

Pulled stripped fork bottom bolt from right fork leg with fluted screw extractor (EX3 size). Very tight, apparently seized. Started to bend the tap handle, so switched to crescent wrench. Scary and slow, and the extractor twisted a little sideways, but finally pulled it.

Attempted to fit new seal and upper bush in left leg.  Green seal driver did not work, at least not well.  Need better clamp and maybe thicker plastic tube/pipe. Also I caused inner (threaded) part of damper assembly to ride up so lower bolt wouldn’t reach. So …

Completed disassembly of left fork leg.

Then able to push inner damper down to end.

Cleaned parts. Left leg ready for reassembly. Also enables more thorough oil fill/measure routine.

Drained coolant at water pump. It was surprisingly green as opposed to brown and rusty. Hope that means it did a good job preserving internals.

Disconnected both radiator hoses and pivoted radiator up to access front spark plug holes.  Replaced spark plugs in all 4 cylinders.

Reassembled radiator hoses and installed radiator bracket (apparently off for years – bolt partway in hole).

Stock muffler out

Progress Sunday

Removed up-pipe/muffler clamp. Muffler bracket bolt frozen, started to strip with open-end wrench.  Removed muffler complete with passenger peg bracket. Stripped out most of the old (steel wire/gunk) header gasket. Reference note:  inside pipe 450mm, outside diameter 550mm, so “donut” muffler gasket needs those dimensions.

Progress today

Used breaker bar (thanks again, Dan) with muffler/peg bracket in vise. Actually sheared bolt, but that got it out of the bracket, freeing the muffler.

Cleaned up stock muffler (for storage) and passenger peg bracket, for reinstall.

Rear-end minus pipe and passenger bracket

Added new Delkevic mounting bracket with longer, stainless socket bolts and dryfit assembly on the bike. Tested muffler fit. All OK so far.  Will test with bodywork before final assembly.