OK, ok, ok... Getting Dirty Again

After a little discussion, the final decision has been made. I keep Vixen. The end of this path is unknown. If Vixen is rebuilt and running, there will likely be no worry about the end of the path. We will simply blow past it.

OK... Links for Motorcycle Restoration, Parts, Research, Repair and other information.

Jaxed Motorcycle Craigs List/E-Bay Search Tool. This is a pretty cool little tool that allows the user to search all locales in Craigs List and e-Bay. It is pretty good, but does seem to miss a few things on the e-Bay search.

Cheap Cycle Parts.com Well, maybe not cheap, but definitely reasonable.

Suzuki VX800 Discussion Forum. Not much traffic but some good information.

VX800.net Mailing list, links, FAQs, information, manuals, pictures and other stuff.

Finish Restoration. This is a nice place to go for information about restoring the finish of a motorcycle and reviews of products.

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Restoration. Some interesting points about motorcycle restoration. This is a Geocities site, and as such, will be coming down soon. At one point, I should copy it.

Good News - sort of...

After inspecting the cylinder, getting some feedback from others and contacting a local engine repair shop, there is some good news... The cylinders and heads are likely repairable! The cylinders will need to be bored out. Pistons will need to be replaced with new ones to fit the cylinders. Valves need to be replaced. Valve seats cleaned and honed.

Good news for someone wanting to rebuild her. Alas... I think the conclusion that she may be too much for me is settling in. She could be a great bike, but alas my time is limited. Maybe it is time for Vixen and I to part company.

Wrenching the Heads and Cylinders

You want to see something more gruesome than the river sludge picture? OK... Here it is...

After a particularly trying day that is far beyond the scope of this blog, I drove the cage to the local AutoZone. In exchange for two liters of old used oil and about $30 I picked up a new pair of vice grips and two pairs of snap-ring pliers. The successful removal of the heads from cylinders required the extraction of the cam chain tensioner spring. Each one has a strong spring on a shaft mounted in a sort-of ratchet mount. The spring is held on the shaft by a little snap-ring.

So, I get the pliers put together and guess what... too big. They wouldn't fit into the rather confined space where the cam chain tensioner is. So... A large blade screwdriver snapped the rings right off. Not that they are usable again, but by removing the springs, the head and cylinder could be separated.

OK, more bad pictures...

The front head may be recoverable but forget those valves.

A little scrubbing with parts cleaner and brass cleaning brush yielded marginal results, so the front cylinder goes in a bucket of parts cleaner for the night. Hopefully that hard crusty grime is not rust. If it is, I don't think that cylinder is recoverable.

Stay!

And the other cylinder and head you may ask? In pretty good condition I think, given the circumstances...

Why is there river sludge in the engine?

Please tell me... Why is there river sludge in the front cylinder?

The rear piston and cylinder look pretty good for not operating within a year or more.

The cylinders and heads are free! Apparently using daily sprays of penetrating oil for a few weeks caused the piston and cylinder to release their unnatural hold on each other. It was a surprise, really. I wanted to lift the engine onto a work bench. Working on an engine setting on the ground is simply not very good on my knees. I am still taking ibuprofin for the pain caused by my afternoon of work a few weeks ago.

Anyway, I gripped the cylinders, thinking the whole engine would lift. I wish I had a camera on my face when the cylinders just slipped up and off the pistons!




Looks like I have my work cut out for me. Hopefully I will not need to split the engine case, but first things first. The pistons, heads and cylinders need to be completely disassembled and checked. Hopefully they can be restored but I have a bad feeling about that front cylinder and piston.

Back Into Project Vixen

Yes, there is some shame in admitting a project like this stalled. I admit it. Project Vixen stalled. As with many human enterprises, she took a back seat to other priorities. With the recent purchase of my Sportster, the need for faster, more powerful two wheeled transportation was severely minimized.

The stall was exasperated by my ex-wife's stuff being moved into my work area. The cause was noble; She wants to sort through her stuff, separating those items she is moving to her place, and those that she is selling. Unfortunately her temperament towards such things is rather lax. Needless to say, her things are still in my work area.

On the plus side, one needs little room to work on a motorcycle engine. Saturday I moved the bags of parts and bolts and plastic pieces to a new location.

This is a nice protected area under a roof overhang. Very little rain gets into this area, and after covering the whole thing under a tarp, it should be fairly secure from the elements.

Now for the engine.

While moving it out of the backyard shed, I am greeted with the jingle jangle of loose parts in the garbage bag used to wrap the engine. Without looking at the repair manual it was fairly easy to determine they were part of the transmission shifter linkage.

Then, my mechanical nemesis and I meet for the final time. A head bolt that laughed at previous attempts to jar it loose, lodged with the remnants of a broken bolt extractor, was soon to yield.

Earlier that day, for some inexplicable reason I purchased a file set. After a few failed attempts, it occurred to me that I should try to file off the remaining rough part, leaving approximately 1/3 of the bolt head.

Then, using a hammer and punch, strike the bolt head to give it a counterclockwise rotational force. After a few strikes... Success! It rotated! A few more pings and the bolt was rotating with no more pressure than that supplied by the tips of my fingers!

The bolt head claimed four drill bits, several grinding wheels and even a diamond Dremel grinder. It was time to go.

Now, with all head bolts out, the next little roadblock presented itself. The front piston seems to be somewhat... stuck in the cylinder. It will move in and out of the cylinder by an inch or so, but that is it.

Next up - More engine disassembly.

Weekend Update.

This weekend was quite productive.

1. Detached the right side of the frame from the main portion of the frame.
2. Removed the engine from the frame. (All by myself, might I add.)
3. After drilling out a badly stuck head bolt on the front cylinder, was able to remove the head cover and rocker arm assembly.
4. Cleaned more of the swing arm.
5. Cleaned many frame bolts and miscellaneous pieces.

And, here is the bad news... Previously I had thought, and was indeed hoping that the only major problem I would have with the engine would be a stuck valve or two. Unfortunately it seems as if there is rust in the front cylinder.

According to the manual, the only way to get into the cylinder is to remove front and back cylinders and heads at the same time! Given a few coolant hoses and head bolts strategically placed between the cylinders, there is no way, without a cutting torch or sledge hammer to effectively inspect the cylinders.

Soooo...... This week the heads and cylinders come off... all at the same time. Pictures soon.

What to do with Vixen???

This has been going through my mind. Last year I did a Coast to Coast (well, almost) ride on my little Honda Rebel for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. This year there is another ride in my future. Three weeks, like last year's ride will likely not be available from work, so it will need to be a two week jaunt.

If Vixen isn't ready, I will likely take the Rebel down to Austin, over to Louisiana and then back.

But, if Vixen IS ready, I think a 50CC ride would be appropriate. What is a 50CC you may ask? It is an evil little ride across the country, literally coast to coast. That's not the hard part.

The hard part is the fact that it must be done in 50 hours. The Rebel likely can't do it. Vixen? You bet! We shall see. Right now she is little more than a skeleton of an engine and a bare frame.

She looks so... naked.