Tips and Tricks

Here's some tips that I've picked up over the years that will save you a few bob, and help make life that little bit easier to boot. No doubt most of you out there already know most of these but remember there are loads of folk who have just taken up biking, and won't know about such things as annealing copper head gaskets or how to straighten that bent alloy lever without snapping it!

If you are inexperienced and fuck up a couple of times, don't be dissuaded - we all have! You will soon get the hang of things and before long wonder what all the fuss and bother was about, and even end up enjoying fixing your bike when something goes tits. In fact, dare I say you could even start getting a bit bored when all's going well and start tinkering with things, trying to improve them!

GENERAL STUFF

To straighten that bent alloy lever, don't try to bend it cold! It will either snap or be weakened so much that when attempting to, say, apply the front brake in a hurry it might well snap (metal fatigue). The only method to really use is to heat the lever first, then straighten it. To ensure that you heat it to the correct temperature rub some soap around where you intend to bend it. When applying the heat the correct temperature is reached when the soap turns black! When straightened douse the lever in water because unlike copper aluminium will go soft if left to cool naturally.

Incidentally, when removing bearings from crankcases be vary careful that you don't overheat the casing and inadvertently soften the alloy. When fitting a new bearing with an interference fit put the bearing in the freezer overnight, and the casing in the oven at 100 degrees one hour beforehand (wait until her indoors is out first!). The bearing should now just drop tight in, no problem!

If the bearing still doesn't fit into the casing easily, then it will probably need to be pressed, or pulled, in. If you haven't had much experience of doing this then I would suggest that you get someone more experienced to help you, otherwise you might well end up knackering either the bearing, casing, or both!

To remove a broken stud first apply a little heat then try locking two nuts together. If there's not enough room for this, tack one nut to the stud with weld. If there is no room for either of these then file the end of the stud flat and cut a slot in it and try a screwdriver. If all else fails then get hold of a stud extractor kit, not those crappy tapered ‘easyouts' though.

If you can't afford a stud extractor kit then very carefully drill out the stud, ensuring that you keep the drill straight and level, and that you just leave the threaded portion of the stud remaining. Now using a needle punch very carefully collapse the remaining threaded portion by gently tapping the punch with a hammer. Using a scribe or pointy ended pliers you should now be able to remove the remains of the stud. I would also suggest that you now clean up the thread with a tap.

Seized on nuts are another bitch, if it's totally shagged then you have either got to use a nut-splitter or if there's room get a hacksaw and very carefully slice the nut in half, taking care not to damage the thread on the stud/bolt. Again, clean up the threads with a die.

Don't bother buying gaskets (except composite head gaskets and the like) - just make your own. Go to a decent motor factors and ask for a selection of gasket paper (in various thickness). Use the old gasket as a template or draw around the engine cover, etc. then just cut it out with a craft knife. To make holes for bolts and oilways just get some old hydraulic pipe, grind the end sharp and level, then just temper the end (heat it red hot and dunk it in water).

You can also make copper head gaskets as well if you need to. Use the same method as before on copper sheet which you should be able to obtain from any good DIY shop or ironmongers. Don't forget when reassembling to apply a little grease to paper gaskets. This not only aids assembly and disassembly, but also ensures everything's oil tight. If reusing a copper gasket (say a head gasket) don't forget to anneal it first. This will soften it, allowing a good seal. To do this, heat up the gasket until it's cherry red and douse it in water.

Don't do this with the copper washers on brake lines, though, it's not worth the risk of a bad seal, unless you reckon your life is worth about 5p which is the price of a new washer!

Remember when tightening down bolts that the torque value given is for assembling dry unless otherwise specified, ignore this and you can easily shear bolts and strip threads by over tightening them. So bear this in mind when applying Copperslip to everything!

Paint the U-clip which holds on your chain link white, you are more likely to see if it's missing then. You may laugh at this, but consider what the consequences could be if you didn't notice that the U-clip was missing before going out for a thrash!

When replacing head bearings try a push-bike shop, or ironmongers first, it's usually a lot cheaper than elsewhere. Always try to use industrial suppliers and motor factors for electrical connectors, wire, stainless fasteners, bearings and the like. This will save you a fortune, but bear in mind that you might well be buying in quantities of 50 or more when ordering fasteners and the like.

ELECTRICAL

Cheap replacement parts such as starter solenoids, voltage regulators, multi-pin connectors, etc, can be obtained from any auto-electrician. It can save you a fortune. For example, a starter solenoid for my Trident was going to cost 36 quid from the dealer (plus VAT), but only a tenner from an auto-electrical dealer!

It's worthwhile investing in a pair of proper ratchet bullet connector pliers (about 15 quid), your new loom will then stay in one piece and you won't drop any volt's due to bad connections. Also, always use loom tape, not insulation tape, when repairing or making a loom. If you need to make a repair at a later date it makes life a lot easier, no sticky goo everywhere!

It's a good idea to seal the HT lead into the plug cap with silica-set. It will ensure that no damp can get in past the rubber sleeve and short it out. Also don't forget to WD40 all electrical connections, including fuses. This will help inhibit corrosion, thus improve conductivity (bigger spark, brighter lights), and ultimately performance and reliability.

BRAKES

When rebuilding Jap brake callipers you will find that most parts are interchangeable between different bikes. For example, I tried to get a new set of rubber boots and pins (two pot floating calliper) for my Trident. Triumph said that they were not available and that I would have to buy a new calliper at around 200 quid. I discovered that the same parts are also fitted to Hondas, cost eighteen quid!

When fitting new brake lines to a bike which is to be used all year round it's not advisable to use alloy end fittings. The reason is that alloy and salt aren't the best of friends and the resulting corrosion could end in brake failure (you will find most manufacturers warn of this now).

If you have problems bleeding the brakes - let's face it, we all do from time to time - here's a method which should make life that bit easier. Get hold of a large syringe (chemists or farming suppliers) and some PVC tubing that will fit both the end of the sytinge and the bleed nipple. Now fit the tube to both (you might have to wire-lock the tube on to get an oiltight seal). Fill the syringe with brake fluid and then proceed to bleed the brakes bottom up by pumping fluid into the calliper with the syringe, not forgetting to lock off the nipple as you would normally. If you have twin discs you will need to do this with both callipers.

Alternatively you could try tying back the brake lever overnight, allowing the air to rise up the brake line to the piston in the master cylinder. On releasing the lever next morning the air should be sucked out as the piston in the master cylinder returns to the open position.

CARBS

Got a Kawasaki, or some other bike that has carbs that have screw and locknut adjusters? Don't fancy paying 20 quid or so for a carb adjusting tool? Just get the right size socket for the locknut and a foot of quarter inch steel tubing. Braze, or weld, seven inches of the tubing on to the socket ensuring that you don't block the hole up. Braze the other three inches as a T-piece on to the top of the tube, and Bob's your uncle. All you need now is a screwdriver that will fit through the tube and socket.

How about a tool to check the float heights? You should find that the drain screws in the float bowl in old type Jap carbs are the same size as the small cable adjusters in the carb tops (go see a breaker for bits). What you do is put a length of clear fuel line on to the old adjuster, ensuring it's a good seal. Now put a washer on to the threaded end followed by an O-ring (important!). Now ensuring that the end of the tube is above the float bowl attach the other end as you would with a normal float height tool (usually to the float drain hole!). If you want you can even mark the tube so that you can measure the float height easier. While attaching and removing this tool ensure the petrol's turned off, and that none spills on to a hot exhaust. Oh yeah, don't smoke either!

LUBRICATION

An easy and cheap method to oil cables is using a small poly bag and a rubber band. Cut the corner off the poly bag, just enough to slip the cable in. Then use the rubber band attach it to the cable. Now make sure that the end with the bag on is higher than the rest of the cable, and that there is a rag round the other end of it. Fill the bag with about 50ml of light machine oil, try not to use anything heavier otherwise the cable will drag. Leave the cable overnight to let the oil drain through. You should now have a nicely oiled cable!

Can't afford a Scottoiler? Well here's how to make a very cheap manual version, it may seem a bit dodgy but is ideal for that winter hack! Buy a large syringe and a length (bars to back wheel) of PVC tubing that will fit over the end. Bear in mind that you don't really want the internal diameter to be over one eighth of an inch so you may have to buy two different diameters and slip one into the other so it all fits together. Attach the syringe somewhere, preferably out of sight, where you can reach it while on the move. Feed the PVC tubing from there to the front of the chain guard and attach it in such a way that the end of the tube sits about three quarters of an inch above the chain. Now fill the syringe with 90W gear oil and bleed through to remove any air. And that's it! All you need to do is push in the plunger a tadge every 100 miles or so to keep your chain nicely oiled. It does work because I've done it to my winter hack, and as long as you don't push the plunger in too much it doesn't even make a mess your back wheel, ideal for those shitty winter months when your chain gets a real hard time.

Another method, which was used by some Brit bike manufacturers, as well as Kawasaki on some of their earlier models, was to run the crankcase breather back and direct the end of it on to the drive chain. Although this method isn't really suitable for more modern machines, as you can well imagine!

CLEANING AND CORROSION

Old engine oil mixed with white spirit will protect your engine from corrosion in the winter just as well as WD40, but at a fraction of the price. Mix it up and use one of those small insecticide sprayers, from gardening shops, to apply it . You can also use hard grease instead of oil for a better, cleaner rust inhibitor, and it's still ten times cheaper [In '92 it wasn't widely known that old engine oil was carcinogenic, but it is now. The only thing I will do with that shit nowadays is take it down the recycling site - 2020 Ed.].

Grate-Black can be used on that black exhaust to keep it looking like new. It's cheap and more heat resistant than most so-called heat resistant paint. You can obtain it from any ironmonger or fireplace shop. It comes in a tub, or tube, and is usually applied to a clean oil free surface with a damp cloth. It'll stain your hands, though, so use some barrier cream if possible, otherwise you will end up looking like one of the Black and White Minstrels (remember them?).

Here's how to save that chromed mudguard from rusting through from the inside out. Firstly remove the mudguard and thoroughly clean it. Then just paint the inside with underseal, simple yet very effective. Once done your mudguard should last forever. The same method can also be applied to the underneath of your tank if it's prone to rust.

If the wifey is away shopping you will find that the dishwasher makes a fine job of cleaning those oily engine cases, they come out sparkling! But for fuck's sake don't let her catch you doing this otherwise you may well end up in casualty, plus the workshop's not the best place to spend the night!

Tim Fowler