30-day Countdown to Road Trip

[RXX]

I am hoping to get my bike ready by first of September.

 

I am budgeting an hour a day. Today I replaced the instrument cluster with one I bought from Joe a couple years back. The existing cluster had a handful of issues.

Temp gauge was a chronic issue with Mike. 
Fuel gauge was becoming intermittent.

Speedo was beginning to die.

Swapped speedo unit:

 

swapped the lights with my LED dash lights.

 

And fired the bike up.

Note the temp. This is when then fan cut on. It used to peg before it activated. 
Speedo works now (on stand first gear)

Don’t know about fuel gauge, tank is about empty,

[rockmeupto125]

Sounds like you may have had a poor electrical connection rather than gauge problems.  Fuel gauge could be the sender. I thought Mike was inquiring about that a long time ago? The LEDs look good.

[DaveK]

Tires are cupped. You’re fucked. 

[RXX]

7 hours ago, rockmeupto125 said:

Fuel gauge could be the sender. I thought Mike was inquiring about that a long time ago?

Don’t think so. Gauge had been working fine until a year or so ago. 
The coolant temp gauge had always been so far off as to be useless.

I am reasonably sure the speedo sending unit on transmission is at fault and will diagnose next week when I pull the tank off. It has a pro-oiler tapped into it and well, you know. 

[rockmeupto125]

I thought the speedo worked?   I think I have a sending unit if you need it. 

[Zero Knievel]

10 hours ago, rockmeupto125 said:

Sounds like you may have had a poor electrical connection rather than gauge problems.  Fuel gauge could be the sender. I thought Mike was inquiring about that a long time ago? The LEDs look good.

 

I had issues...even replaced the sending unit.  Nothing worked until I worked on the cluster and noticed fouling on the screws that hold the gauge onto the board.  I wire brushed them, and the gauge went back to working normally.  I figured that was the issue.  I also did have an issue with the speedo, BUT when I removed the sender, it was coated with gunk.  An oil change solved the issue...so I thought.  Maybe something still flicks junk on it.  It's a magnetic sensor counting the flywheel points as they go past.  I tested while riding with a multimeter.  When the speedo went out, the multimeter went to zero.  So I knew it wasn't the gauge.

[Zero Knievel]

2 hours ago, RXX said:

Don’t think so. Gauge had been working fine until a year or so ago. 
The coolant temp gauge had always been so far off as to be useless.

I am reasonably sure the speedo sending unit on transmission is at fault and will diagnose next week when I pull the tank off. It has a pro-oiler tapped into it and well, you know. 

 

As far as coolant gauge goes, once I replaced the thermostat, the gauge went to the beginning of the hot range before the fan kicked in.  I was told at the Texas meet that the XX runs hot before the fan kicks in and that it was normal.  My issue before that was a bad thermostat allowing enough boil over that air was in the system...only making it boil over easier.

[RXX]

Hoses are good to go hopefully. I will get some Evan’s later this week. No hurry  since I can’t crank it for a while.

I made a few compromises. One of the hoses to the paraffin thing was just not worth the trouble. The clamps in some places are incredibly inaccessible. 
The hose to the overflow reservoir……… well to access it I have to remove the reservoir which entails removing seat rail, battery, fender etc. fuck that shit. It’s a no-pressure system and I just spliced it low enough to be able to drain it. I thought about putting a 3-way valve there but realistically how many more times am I gonna drain the coolant? I’m 71 and the bike is at 130 K.

[CALCXX]

Looking good Phillip. 

Showing off your hose again. 

Susan is not going to like that.

[Zero Knievel]

1 hour ago, CALCXX said:

Looking good Phillip. 

Showing off your hose again. 

Susan is not going to like that.

 

And I thought he was a RED NECK.  

[RXX]

I got as far as #1 tonight. I am pretty sure this is my first plug replacement since I’ve had this bike, so at least 20,000 miles and many years.

as you can see there is gunk on the threads. I am assuming from plug thread goo. Should I use the stuff when I am re-installing or leave it be? I can’t clean what’s down there already?

What does this plug tell you savants?

 

[Zero Knievel]

It would have been anti-seize.  I’d never insert plugs without it.

[SwampNut]

OMG.  Modern plugs, particularly NGK, have a coating that prevents both corrosion and seizing.  They specifically say not to use any lubes since they can themselves cause a problem.  Jeezus.

 

"Modern" meaning like 30 years probably.

 

https://ngksparkplugs.com/en/resources/5-things-you-should-know-about-spark-plugs

 

[RXX]

53 minutes ago, SwampNut said:

OMG.  Modern plugs, particularly NGK, have a coating that prevents both corrosion and seizing.  They specifically say not to use any lubes since they can themselves cause a problem.  Jeezus.

 

"Modern" meaning like 30 years probably.

 

https://ngksparkplugs.com/en/resources/5-things-you-should-know-about-spark-plugs

 

well, there you go. I am literally in the parts parking lot about to go in and get some. You saved me a buck or two. 
Now I will just obsess about all the shit left behind in the threads.

Now I will just obsess about the torque being incorrect.

Oh, never mind. There is no fucking way I can torque the plugs in those cramped quarters.

[RXX]

4 hours ago, Zero Knievel said:

It would have been anti-seize.  I’d never insert plugs without it.

Given the link Carlos supplied, are you going to re-think your position?

[SwampNut]

14 minutes ago, RXX said:

Given the link Carlos supplied, are you going to re-think your position?

 

Are you new here?

 

18 minutes ago, RXX said:

Now I will just obsess about all the shit left behind in the threads.

 

Yeah, that sucks, and I don't know what's safe to clean that shit out.  Maybe @superhawk996 will have ideas?

[Zero Knievel]

4 minutes ago, RXX said:

Given the link Carlos supplied, are you going to re-think your position?

 

Perhaps, but it was NEVER on the packaging that I can recall...or it was in such small print you'd never see it.  Indeed, I just bought a replacement set for the truck and this was the FIRST TIME I EVER saw anything about not needing anti-seize on the plug.  It will be interesting if they come with any such statement on the packaging.

 

11 minutes ago, RXX said:

Now I will just obsess about all the shit left behind in the threads.

Now I will just obsess about the torque being incorrect.

Oh, never mind. There is no fucking way I can torque the plugs in those cramped quarters.

 

Don't worry about the "shit."  If the motor hasn't been fucked up by now, it won't be an issue.

 

As far as insertion, I used the socket and extension to get the plug into the hole.  Slowly turn it left until you hear the threads skip then slowly turn right to hand tighten it into the motor.  I don't think I ever used a torque wrench as mildly-snug with a socket wrench always did the job.  If you have enough extensions or long enough ones, you could get the torque wrench on and check if you really want to.

[SwampNut]

1 minute ago, Zero Knievel said:

Perhaps, but it was NEVER on the packaging that I can recall

 

This is why "DO NOT EAT THE BATTERY DOOR" was in the first page of my pager manual in the 90s.

 

[Zero Knievel]

24 minutes ago, SwampNut said:

 

This is why "DO NOT EAT THE BATTERY DOOR" was in the first page of my pager manual in the 90s.

 

 

Gad...you're going to make me search for an old NGK platinum/iridium plug package in the garage...aren't you?

[Zero Knievel]

15 hours ago, RXX said:

I got as far as #1 tonight. I am pretty sure this is my first plug replacement since I’ve had this bike, so at least 20,000 miles and many years.

as you can see there is gunk on the threads. I am assuming from plug thread goo. Should I use the stuff when I am re-installing or leave it be? I can’t clean what’s down there already?

What does this plug tell you savants?

 

 

I wouldn't blame that on anti-seize.  First, I put it on the entire threads.  It's much cleaner at the base.  That looks like a rich running motor, which I believe is normal for the XX on the low end.  You likely have the old plugs I saved from the last change (in case there was an emergency need to replace a plug).  How does this compare to those...if you still have them?

[SwampNut]

21 minutes ago, Zero Knievel said:

 

Gad...you're going to make me search for an old NGK platinum/iridium plug package in the garage...aren't you?

 

I have no idea how that's a response to my post nor relevant.

 

[Zero Knievel]

1 hour ago, SwampNut said:

 

I have no idea how that's a response to my post nor relevant.

 

 

Your claim of NOT using anti-seize.  Never seen that on the packaging or item description for any platinum or iridium plug.  I've only seen it in the Amazon descriptions on the order I just placed.

[SwampNut]

It also doesn't say to not put them up your ass.

 

[The Krypt Keeper]

Brake cleaner with straw for threads, give a few minutes to evaporate, air nozzle with long reach end to force debris to evacuate from cylinder

 

Dont stick spark plug or air nozzle in ass according to Carlos. Brake cleaner probably has this warning ⚠️ 

 

 

Edited August 5 by The Krypt Keeper

[CALCXX]

I stopped putting anti-seize on spark plug threads in the 80's after the troubles with my new SC500 Yamaha.

Not good. In the early days of anti-seize, it was aluminum base. Not a copper mixture of today.

I used an ohm-meter back then and read the resistance of a blob of anti-seize. Not good. so, I stopped.

Can't speak for todays anti seize with copper added.  ???? Check with ohm-meter when in doubt.

Best be zero resistance.