Daysie's Diary

[Lee337]

Sadly, very little to report this week. About the only time I set foot in the garage was to take the swingarm to Ben (my tame Triumph mechanic).

The circlip finally came free from the hub, but was damaged, so another one popped through the letterbox earlier in the week. It took a fair bit of persuasion, a nice piece of kit recently purchased, heavy duty circlip pliers and around 4 days of daily soaks of Plusgas, but the brake caliper mounting plate is firmly seized to the eccentric hub. My rubber mallet failed to free it, as did a couple more days with Plusgas. So, it's off to Ben's workshop. He tells me his rubber mallet is bigger than mine. 

While it's there, he's going to remove & replace the drag link bearings as well. A slide hammer is needed and I don't have one of those. All the other bearings in the swingarm are fine & just need a little grease. 

I've also found a good 2nd hand rear shock from a low mileage bike (allegedly), and for a mere £35, figured it was worth a put, especially when a new YSS replacement would have been almost £300 more. Even if I need to have it serviced, that's still a good saving.

And that's really it. I'm hoping to feel a little better over the coming weekend, so might have more to report from the garage next week.

In the meantime, with my health improving slightly (well, as much as it's likely to in the short term anyway), I'm also hoping to get out on Tallulah for the first time in what seems like weeks, at least for a couple of hours anyway.     rather than I hope.

[Lee337]

A bit more money spent last night. It turns out that the M14 14mm copper washers I bought for the sump plug and oil lines were 14mm outside diameter copper washers. They've been on the shelf, unopened for a couple of months as i assumed they were the ones I ordered. Not happy when I did open them but at £1.99 I'm not going to bother contacting the seller now.

So, after work last night, I went online and ordered some more, this time making sure they were M14, 14mm inside diameter & 1.5mm thick which according to my service manual are correct.

While I was at it, I've ordered a new battery. I've heard a lot of recommendations for Motobatt but in my experience, having had one on my old Blackbird and more recently on the Tiger, I don't rate. They may be ok for newer bikes, but both times I've bought one, they've barely lasted 18 months. It could be down to old, more agricultural charging circuits, it certainly was with the Bird, so, I ordered a good old-fashioned Yuasa. That's what I have on Tabitha, & even though she doesn't get used that often, I've had no problems.

I also ordered a couple of tyres - yes, I know, I'm a long way from actually needing them, and I still have to have the wheels powder coated, but if they're on the shelf (actually they won't fit on the shelf, so they're going up in the loft), it's just one less thing to buy later. Remembering how well my old Aprilia RSV handled, I opted for Pirelli Diablo tyres. I know the handling characteristics of a 2002 RSV is different from a 1997 Daytona, but the level of grip in all weathers from the Diablo tyres wass pretty good from what I remember. I also used them on my track ZX6R way back when. They were also less than £160 a pair, so they'll do fine.

To date, the whole project has cost me around £1200, so the way things are going, it's all going to come in at less than Tabitha cost, which I'm pleased with, even taking in to account the bill for the work Ben is currently doing with the swing arm.

Now If only I could find the time & energy to do a bit more in the garage... 

[Sin_Tiger]

That's a really good deal for the tyres the way prices are at the moment 

My experience with Motobatt is that they tend to fall off a cliff when they get past the use by date, i.e. don't give much warning unlike flooded batteries. The only clue I had was it took longer to reach full charge after use and put on the C-Tek tender.

[Madruss]

Re batteries- I'm about to purchase a battery for my steamer. glad to hear your thoughts & experience with the "motobatt" brand on "older"    bikes
I had a motobatt in the bike when I bought it April '21 but it "karked it" by July even after being charged regularly on a 5amp C-tek charger.

[Lee337]

Things have been a little slow of late. I've replaced the oil lines, fitted the oil cooler & the engine now has oil in it, with no leaks.

The swingarm came back from Ben's today with all new bearings. The hub was freed  from the swingarm & needed a little lathe work to get it usable again without sticking. Wasn't cheap but at least I know Ben does a good job.

I'll try to post a few pictures next week

[Lee337]

Ok, I admit it, I've been a little slack of late. Now the nights have drawn in and with no power in the garage, I've been finishing work around 16:30 & sitting in front of the TV instead of heading out to the garage to do more 'Stuff'.

While there have been medical issues that mean I can't do quite as much as I'd like, I was getting back to working on Daysie until the dreaded Covid struck - that's a b1tch to put it mildly.

This weekend was the first i've had the energy to open the garage door, so first on the list was to tidy up the garage a little - after running a power cable from the house. At least I could have sounds while I work. Tabitha has now been put to bed for the winter & Tallulah had a little fettle to get her fit for winter.

Now to Daysie. You may recall the swingarm was out for some work with my tame mechanic, Ben as the rear wheel hub was seized. It took a large hammer to get the hub free and because of some damage, it had to have one face machined. While he had it, he replaced all the bearings, so aside from a litle clean up, it was ready to fit once I got it back. That was two weeks ago and it's been sitting on the side since then.

This weekend, I set myself two targets, Saturday - refit the swingarm, Sunday, refit the sub-frame.

Just two small jobs. The swingarm was easy, until I started  To be fair liining it up was easy, so was torquing up all the links. I even remembered to pack the bearings with extra, extra grease before refitting everything. The PITA was fitting the new (second hand) shock. I could not line up the holes on the bottom shock and suspension links no matter how much I tried. I could only get the bolt to go 3/4 way through. Tried it from the left side, 3/4, tried from the right, 3/4. I had two bolts, put one if from the left and one from the right, they met in the middle. Pushed the right through, the left fell out, the right, 3/4 then stopped. Took the shock back out, checked it, couldn't see any issues, put it back in and the same problem again. Didn't matter if the shock was bolted at the top or loose, same problem.

I had the swingarm resting on a paddock stand, so the links weren't taking any weight - turns out that was the problem. took the stand away and lt the swingarm drop & the bolt just slipped fully in.

After that, greasing & refitting the hub was a doddle. Even fittign the new sprocket to the carrier was easy.

Saturday's objective achieved.

Sunday was a little more 'bitty'. Before refitting the sub-frame, I thought it a good idea to refit the rear brakes. They had already been stripped, cleaned and reassembled, so all I had to do was fit some new pads &bolt the calliper to the caliper bracket. Then came the new brake line, which being a single sided swingarm, followed a slightly torturous route from under teh calliper, up between the swingarm and brake disk, up to the top of the chain guard, which has a little recess in it for the brake line and electrical wire for the speed sensor, before threading it's way behind the shock, to the brake cylinder on the right of the bike. New clevis pin and circlip fitted, the master cylinder was bolted up.

Next up, was refitting the brake switch which is connected to a bracket that bolts on to the....

Off comes the master cylinder, fit the brake switch bracket, bolt up the master cylinder.

Then came the scratch plate that uses the bolts which hold the master cy.... CRAP!!

Off comes the master cylinderfit the scratch plate, the brake switch bracket and bolt up the master cylinder.

Now we're ready for the sub-frame.Four bolts is all that holds it in place, but theree's a tangle of wiring. After teh Master Cylinder Trials, I thought I'd leave it for a bit & refit the airbox. While doing this, I noticed I hadn't reconnected the alternator when I refitted it way back when, so this was also done. I also reconnectred the speed sensor (which I forgot earlier) so that was 5 wiresout of the way. The ECU was still connected to the wiring loom, so I disconnected that to fit to the undertray later, and got all the wiring pretty much where it needed to go.

The sub-frame went on & ligned up easily. The only issue I had was needing to recut a couple of threads where the paint had gone over the threads, but that took all of 10 minutes.

Now the undertray gets put in place. There's two clips at the front & two bolts at the rear, & that's about it. I t was also about it for me too, but at least Daysie is begining to look like a bike again.

Things are looking up

[Sin_Tiger]

Coming along nicely, I know it often doesn't seem like that when it's in your face. 

[Lee337]

A short update for Daysie followers.

Nothing's happened. A combination of work, no power in the garage, cold days, poor health and a loss of a close, long time friend means Daysie has been neglected.

I went out to the garage yesterday as Mrs L wanted the Xmas decorations which are stored there.

Daysie awaits patiently for my return. In the mean time, a quick summary of where we are.

The back has now been rebuilt with new bearings for the swing arm. The concentric hub has been refurbished and the sub-frame powder coated and re-attached. The rear and front brake calipers have been refurbished with all new seals & pistons and the rear brakes have been refitted together with new braided hoses.

The engine has had an oil change with new oil & air filter, I've replaced the spark plugs and all vacuum hoses. The water pump has been rebuilt and alternator stripped and cleaned. Still don't know if it works although I've no reason to believe it doesn't. I have all new silicone hoses ready to fit to the second hand radiator. The oil cooler has been refitted with new oil lines.

She turns over ok and I've checked the valve gaps (no changes needed). I've also spent hours cleaning the wiring loom and all connectors although I've yet to test any of the electrics.

I have a second hand fuel pump plate and new fuel pump & filter ready to go in to the now clean(ish) fuel tank. I'm sure I've missed out a lot but this gives you an idea of what's been done.

So, what's on my list of things to do next?

When I can eventually get back in to the garage I'll be moving Daysie off the bench and out on to the drive and, using a hose, flushing all the cooling channels through with running water before refitting the radiator & hoses. Then back on the bench I'll start on the front suspension.

Depending on the state of them, I'll be replacing the seals & oil as a minimum. I've given the chrome a good clean and while there is some pitting, its all above where the dust seals would be at full compression, so it looks like I don't need to have them re-chromed. While this is being done, I'll whisk the wheels off to the Power coaters. I've seen a few strontium Daytonas with gold wheels and a few more with white ones, but as with Tabitha Trophy, I think I'll keep her as close to original as I can & have them done in satin black.

Watch this space & I'm sure Daysie will be back in 2023.

[ghulst]

Just a suggestion, as we see your mention of no power in the garage regularly... You could consider getting some battery powered lights to hang in the garage. Or get some 12V LED lights, charge an old car battery in the house, then take it to the shed to power the lights. At least you'll be able to see what you could be doing, before heading back into the warmth of your home.

(No pushing here. I do have power in the garage, but I still haven't worked on the KTM for ages...)

[Lee337]

You know how life gets in the way of a good project?

Well, Daysie stares at me every time I step in to the garage and I confess I've had little motivation of late. Tallulah Tiger still sits there, still not sold and I've had no incentive to sell her, Tabitha has been revived from her winter slumber and will go back on the road next month and Talyn J has been getting a lot of attention over the past few months.

But, the mind fog is now lifting, I've reduced my working time & now have more free time. The weather is warming nicely in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are getting longer and all the $h1t stored in the garage over winter is slowly making its way back into the garden - so I have space.

Time to do a little work on Daysie again methinks.

In between riding Talyn J and Tabitha anyway 

[ghulst]

Nice! Get her going again. :)

[Lee337]

Work again begins in the Garage of darkness. I've moved my bench nearer to the door and as ever, have run an extension cable from the house so I can listen to sounds, er, light my work area.

Before starting and as Daysie was off the bench, I wheeled her outside and flushed the waterways through with the hose for around 5 minutes. Then back on the bench she went.

First up was refitting the radiator, a job not as straightforward as I expected as one of the brackets was bent. 15 minuted on the workbench and the bracket was about as straight as I could get it - not perfect but at least the radiator fitted ok. I also secured the oil cooler which had been resting on the front wheel for most of the winter. A further 30 minutes work saw all the silicon hoses fitted & tightened up. The only thing I wanted to do which I never got around to was to replace the thermostat, but apparently I'd have better luck finding a rocking horse that $h1t's gold. I was offered a 2nd hand one for silly money on a facebook group but as there was no guarentee it was any better than the one I've already got, I declined the offer. I boiled the one I got and it works anyway and if there is an issue with it, I'm reliably informed the T595 will run without one.

Things were looking up, time to tackle the front end.

With a jack under the engine and a thick ratchet strap taking some of the weight (over a roof beam), I removed the front wheel with ease and this is where things start to go T1t5 up!

There are four allen bolts holding the front forks to the bottom yoke. three of them came undone with relative ease, the 4th snapped as soon as I introduced the star drive to it  I didn't even apply much pressure. 

Still, could be worse.

With the retaining bolts undone, it was an easy job removing the forks. These looked in good condition. I'd already pumped them up & down and the seals seemed in good order and the chrome was in pretty good condition too, not perfect but useable. then I noticed that one of them looked a bit odd. Reaching for a straight edge my suspicions were confirmed, one of them was bent.    I can see the project cost rising quicker than my blood pressure. Still, I know a business that can sort this out as I used them for re-chroming Tabitha's forks a couple of years ago.

A quick look on their website and to refurb both forks, they quote £340 (plus parts) or £220 for just straightening & re-chroming. The last time I used them, I stripped down the forks myself and just sent them the stanshions. I had a quick look on-line and can source new fork tubes for £100 each and seals for another £20, so I might go down that route & do the work myself. There are a few 2nd hand T595 front ends for sale on that well known auction site, but who's to say they're in any better condition than mine and they're no cheaper than refurbing mine anyway. That snapped bolt is a concern though.

Next up, and in view of the state of the forks was to check the steering bearings. Notchy as f**k    so these need replacing too. Once I remove the yoke, I'll have a good look at the frame to ensure there's no further damage - in fact I think I'll hold off spending any more on her until I've sorted the steering head bearings.

Which brings me to another issue. Triumph in their infinite wisdom fitted the Daytona with a weird steering nut which requires a special tool. Again, a quick look around and it seems I can get one for around £20.

Meanwhile, with the wheels off and with new tyres sitting in the garage, I was going to strip out the discs & bearings, have the old tyres removed and send the wheels off to the powder coaters. I think I'll hold off on that for the moment too.

One step forward, two steps back. 

[ghulst]

The one in that second shot is not just a little bent...   Man, did someone try to turn that into a banana? 

Where is that snapped bolt? I had half expected a picture of the culprit for us to consider giving you all sorts of bad advise on. Do you have a good bit of it sticking out, or did it break flush on the clamp?
I would hold off on spending more until you have done a full inspection. With that bend in that fork, who knows what forces have been at play here. Better safe than skint, I always say. 
On the thermostat, that is an interesting story. I would prefer not to run a bike without it. They are pretty useful in keeping the engine at the right operating temperatures. Obviously you can run the bike without it, but it will take longer to warm up and on colder days it might not be as stable in temperature as it would otherwise be. An interesting trick is to measure up the thermostat and take the measurements to an old fashioned radiator shop or similar. Gates has a great book on all of the stuff they make and I am pretty sure that if you know they diameter and height etc. of the current one, you ought to be able to find a new one that would fit those dimensions with a comparable temperature rating.

[Sin_Tiger]

There are those jobs that you just keep putting off and find and excuse or work around to avoid them (I have a bathroom like that  ) but moving the workbench is extreme even for me 

I've run a Steamer without a thermostat when I had no option but it didn't run as well at speed due to the cooling effect. I might be able to assist, email coming.

If you're talking about Philpotts, they do lovely work, they'll soon tell you if the tube is saveable or not.

The steering stem nuts on the T300's are an odd size, something like 32.8mm, I bought a pair of spanners specifically for the job but found I still had to file about 0.3mm off the jaw to get them to fit. I haven't checked the 955i stem to see if it's the same size, wouldn't surprise me    I recall reading somewhere that the thin spanner used on the viscous coupled fan mounts on early Range Rovers is just a fraction under sized and they're cheap, I have not verified that though.

[Lee337]

I was half way through a response when I thought it a good idea to grab a decent LED torch I have lying around & take another look at Daysie's head. There's good news, there doesn't appear to be any damage to the frame or headstock, so new bearings will solve that particular problem

The allen bolt has sadly snapped where it's not accessible so I suspect I'm looking at a new (2nd hand) lower yoke. There's 2 on eBay at the moment for around £20 + postage with the added advantage of one of them not having any bearing on it, so no need to remove one which I confess is a real PITA

Sin, I wasn't thinking about Philpotts but only as I'd never heard of them. I've used Dynasurf in the past with good results. I've had a look on their web site and what actually prompted me to take a trip to the garage with said LED was to check the fork tube on the bent one. Philpotts say if it's creased, its FUBAR and sadly, mine is creased. So my only option is to buy new tubes and rebuild them myself.

So good news - headstock 
bad news - forks 
good news - I don't have a scrap frame and Project Daysie can continue 

The pic below shows the fork clamp, it's the lower bolt that was snapped off. You can just make out where it snapped.