1985 LTD 2018 Fall Work Period

[Rednaxs60]

Yes we did. Unfortunately, have to do it all again at next months Curmudgeons. :music: :music:

The biggest issue with the wiring, and most of it is from doing mods and additions is that I did items individually, not as a consolidated effort, and used wire that I had, so lots of duplication. Will be looking at what works when and how multiple items can be powered from a single wire - fused accordingly, and using smaller gauge wire. For example, don't need 14 GA for signal wire, can use 18 gauge - takes up less space. Also have 1 1/2 rolls of the cloth TESA tape - much nicer to work with than the vinyl.

Cheers

 

[julimike54]

Which Tesa tapes did you use?

 

[Rednaxs60]

julimike54 » Today, 8:46 am[/url]":3ro8v6w3]
Which Tesa tapes did you use?

These are the ones I ordered: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00XPDVER2/ref ... TE_3p_dp_1

Can get 5 rolls for $23.00 CDN so I will probably get the 5 rolls. Tape never goes bad. I have Gerry to thank for creating this obsession of mine with wiring, not actually, but if you are gong to be a bugger for punishment, might as well have a partner in crime.

Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

Deja vu this afternoon. 2 rolls of YC tape (TESA imitation) came in the mail from China - think I ordered this tape because it was only $3.00 for two rolls. Don't remember ordering this tape, but now I don't have to. The grommets for the valve covers and timing belt covers came in as well.

Have compared this tape from China and the TESA tape. Held both up to the light. No light can be seen through the TESA tape whereas the China tape is quite see through. Good news is that using the China tape to make wiring looms is better than leaving the individual wires exposed which is generally what happens. Will use what I have before I order more.

Lesson here is the TESA tape is better, and I can get 5 rolls for $23.00.

More work on the wiring done. Took off a few more parts to get better access to the wiring and refreshed my memory on how I did it. Looks worse than it is, but not going to worry about this until

Cheers

 

[julimike54]

So you haven't found the need to use the 'heat' version, I take it?

 

[Rednaxs60]

If you are mentioning heat shrink tubing, use it all the time mostly for connections and connectors. Using heat shrink tubing for wiring looms would be too rigid. For the wiring runs, I used to use the vinyl tape but now prefer the cloth tape.

Have started on cleaning up the wiring. Already looks better. I only have one item to install and that is a USB power connector for the passenger, for the SENA communicator if required.

Cheers

 

[julimike54]

No what I was refering to is that TESA has what you used and I noticed they have a heat resistant (think engine compartment) tape. I didn't know they had it until searching for the Tesa brand. I was thinking as much heat as these generate (at least down south) that maybe it would be better. Just getting off topic

 

[Rednaxs60]

Not to worry about getting off topic as it is relevant to what I am doing, clears out the cobwebs. Most of the TESA type tape is heat resistant to some extent. Most of my wiring runs are not in the engine compartment but up at the shelter level.

Another aspect to this is the size of the OEM style connectors. There are the 2.8 mm and 6.3 mm sizes. The ones that are advantageous are the 2.8 mm because of the size. There are some applications where the 6.3 mm size connectors are better suited, but I have found these instances to be fewer than for the 2.8 mm OEM style connectors.

I find that the 2 and 3 pin OEM style connectors are most common, the 2 pin mostly. Have tried to find single 2.8 mm OEM style connectors and these are rare. Eastern Beaver has a good selection as do others. I have ordered from this company - support your CDN ex-pat - delivery from Japan was quite good. Here is a link to the company connector page : https://easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Pr ... ctors.html

Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

Parts came in from Honda, new dowels (think I will have a problem getting the old ones out), gaskets and o-rings as well. No excuses for not progressing except travelling to northern Ontario to visit family and friends before the snow gets too much and it's too cold.

Taking the heads in to a local machine shop to have a shave and haircut (and not for 2 bits either). In for a penny in for a pound according to my brother. The heads will be ready for when I get back.

Going to borrow a pressure washer to clean the engine before I get too many things back on. Have seen some engines just pressure washed, look good.

More to follow. Cheers

 

[dan filipi]

Should have the shop check the valve guides too. The exhaust guides take a beating.
Almost nobody replaces them and do just fine, but you said “In for a penny....

 

[Rednaxs60]

Looked for valve guides a while back. Found three but did not win the bid. Valves are non-existent as well. Will have a good chat with the shop and see what it says. Have everything with me, new seals, and the valves so that we can come up with a game plan.

Aren't these older bikes fun. :music:

Found an old article that you did back in the early days regarding overheating and trike girl called Susie. Interesting read.

Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

Went into PartsPitStop to look at the parts list for the heads. Use this to determine if I can call my parts guy and get specific parts.

The valve guides are apparently available as well as the exhaust valves - intake valves no. Will be checking with my parts guy later today to confirm.

Cheers

 

[dan filipi]

When I did Susie’s sidecar 1200, the shop that did the heads, sized up crossover to other valve guides.

 

[pidjones]

I've had some luck putting tge blunt end of a snug fitting drill in the dowel. If you need to grip with pliers then, at least it doesn't collapse and damage the block.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Took the heads into the shop this morning and had a good chat. Machinists that can do this work on the island are fast becoming extinct. Shops are having a difficult time recruiting young people to enter the trades - very unfortunate and part of the blame is the school system. Focus is on technology, and not everyone will make it in that discipline. No more "shop" in the high schools.

Back to my story, looked at the heads. Initial thoughts on the valve guides is they are good, these people have been doing this for a while and used one valve and the "feel" was good - will be checked non the less. Heads will be reconditioned, valves and valve seats cleaned up, and the head skimmed as well. Probably would have soaked and removed most of the exhaust seat build up before doing the valve seats and valves.

There is one water pipe fitting that I did not remove because I did not want to break a bolt. The shop will do it and fix if necessary.

The shop will measure the valve height before and after any machining of the valves and seats to ensure that not too much material has been removed.

Hindsight is 20/20 and for the price the shop would have dismantled, cleaned, done the valves and valve seats, and reassembled. Not worth my time and energy to get the job done. $120.00 for head planing, and $275.00 for all the rest.

The heads will be ready when I get back from Ontario.

More to follow. Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

The wiring has been in need of a cleanup as I have mentioned. Have been working on this the last few days and have made some definite progress.

Here is a picture of the before, and since I took this picture I pulled out the rest of the wiring that I have added. It is a real rats nest:

I looked at consolidating power and grounds to minimize wiring. Working on several aspects but mostly the consolidation of wiring. Here is before picture of the area under the passenger pillion:

Here is the after picture with wiring consolidated and taped. You can see a distinct lack of loose wiring, especially on the left side in this picture, I'm happy with the results:

May get some time tomorrow to continue.

Cheers

 

[joedrum]

wow yup nightmare ,,,but i tell you theres nothing worse than the 75-77 bikes with the reserve lighting unit in them ..when they go bad or funky and you bypass them they can still cause huge trouble and the wiring diagram is absolutely no help at all ,,one day ill rewire the entire bike ...hooch has always been a battery killer and ive done everything possible to fix it ..right now the battery is just disconnected when im not riding it...

 

[Rednaxs60]

The wiring I am cleaning up is wiring I have installed for mods and extras.

I installed an accessory fuse block when I got the bike. It is powered through a relay. Power to the relay and on to the fuse block is from the new power junction I installed when I removed the old charging system and installed the external alt mod. Keeps wires off the battery.

Power to the the alternator excite and indicator lamp come from the accessory fuse block

One of the mods I did was a direct 12 VDC power supply to the coils from the accessory fuse block instead of having the OEM wiring power them. The OEM wiring had the coil power supply in line with several other electronic/electrical components and it was my estimation that the combination of old wiring and parasitic losses due to other component power requirement, that the coils might not be getting as much power as required, hence the change. Can't say categorically that this has helped, but it hasn't hurt.

I use the old OEM coil connections as trigger wires for relays I have added such as the relay to power the accessory fuse block.

Other upgrades are for horns, powered through a relay, triggered by a connection to the old OEM coil wires. There is a relay for the side stand safety switch, triggered by a connection from the old RR sense wire. This wire also triggers the relay for the new alternator sense wire relay.

My wiring upgrade and additions has had me install 4 new relays.

The driving lights are on the accessory fuse block, as are the electronic connectors such as USB, GPS, etc.

Still have 2 unused circuits on the 6 circuit fuse block. I do want to add a USB connector at the rear for various future power requirements - will wire for but not with when I redo this circuit.

The grounding system is a bus bar under the seat. Have an 8 GA wire connected from the battery to this bus bar. Keeps wires away from the battery.

Now that I have refreshed my memory on the wiring that I have done will update my wiring diagram to suit.

Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

Entrenched into the northern Ontario climate. Bit cold, snow on the ground, snowing, and lake(s) are starting to freeze. Sure do appreciate living in Victoria BC.

Did a bit more wiring on the bike wiring before I left. Will be taking the front fairing off to finish off the wiring and clean everything up. May even look into the torque of the steering stem bearings. Always something to consider, and I do have the 1500 to ride.

Most of the maintenance items I am contemplating require my labour and time, and I have a lot of the small parts and pieces I need to do the work already on hand.

Raiding my father's cache of tools. Found a dial indicator with magnetic stand. This will be good to do the checks on the FD. Still trying to get the small "thunk" out of the rear, and possibly reduce the backlash. Found his timing light that will work on the 1200. Things are coming together.

More to follow. Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

Sitting here in the frozen north browsing Amazon, Maxsold (auction site), and others. Looking at the expandable braided sleeving to protect the new vacuum hoses that I have installed ( blaming this on Gerry as well). Most black sleeving is sold in inch diameters, but found a sleeving that has the diameter in mm and is in all sizes: https://www.amazon.ca/uxcell%C2%AE-uxce ... eving&th=1

Like the colour considering that Honda used a red sleeving on the original hoses. Think I need some more TESA style cloth tape as well.

Cheers