Got a 3rd project today!

[BobbyFord]

You'd be better off buying some Works Performance shocks than rebuilding those dinosaur Fox Shox. There's a reason they don't make those anymore. Call or email Works and tell them what you have.
http://www.worksperformance.com/html/home.html

[1971ford]

Sounds good, I'll post updates here. The bike is already back to a rolling state!
I cleaned the frame of greese, sanded it down, cleaned it, and painted it gloss black like original. I also painted all the brackets, swing arm, foot pegs and such. Then I cleaned up the fox shox and installed them again, and got the wheels and forks on. The forks i am still going to rebuild, i just need this thing rolling so i can move it around easy.
I rebuilt the fox air shox a few weeks ago actually, they are great shocks! Yeah, they're dinosaurs, but i love the original look, and well the feel too haha. I'm not racing this thing at all, It's a cruiser, and a course prerunner.

Anyways the thing is back in a rolling state right now, and looks SWEET. I took a bunch of pics, I'll get them up tonight. I can't get the cam sprocket bolt off to take the head off, so i can't find out why the engine lost compression. Just one stupid bolt and the top half is off.

Wednesday, it was a complete bike, no intention to take it apart anytime soon. Yesterday, It was down to bare frame. Today, It is a cleaned up, re-painted, nice looking rolling chassis. If the engine was done I'd be driving it tomorrow

[1971ford]

I got some work time on it today!

I cleaned the frame, got all the greese off, cleaned again, sanded it down really good, and cleaned again. Then i sprayed it, and various black parts. I also cleaned up the aluminum parts such as the brake mechanism, which came out pretty nice, although not pictured. I ran out of time and had to go to work so i threw the wheels on it, so they are still dirty but I'll get to those soon! I had to take a grinder with wire wheel to just get those registration stickers off. I think I'm going to make a detachable piece of aluminum for a place to put registration stickers or something..






I rebuilt these shocks as i was getting the dirt bike running the first time. I got all new seal kits and shock oil and rebuilt them, they are sweet old school shocks!

[1971ford]

Hmmm I think I'll be going all original minus exhaust. I'd like to ride it just the way i would have in 1976... If i was born 30 years earlier than i was!

Today i got back from a desert race in Reno Nevada and I was tired but i wrenched on this thing for a bit!
I sanded the exhaust down and coated it with header paint, hookedup and adjusted the rear and front brakes, adjusted levers on handle bars, installed mud flap thing, turned the front wheel around (i had it on backwards), pulled and re-installed the rear wheel 5 times (while hooking up the rear brakes and getting the chain on... )and I think that's about it. Oh and i got my head gasket from Mark at Thumpestuff, got my Clymers manual, and got fine and coarse valve grinding grease.







I like this shot becaue the tank looks like it has been painted!

The seat just ruins it. need to get it recovered



List of stuff to still do:
-grind/install intake and new exhaust valve, put top end back together, clean entire engine and paint, and install (Adjust timing chain, valve clearances, timing, points, new oil, and clutch)
-Recover seat
-Order hand grips, foot-peg grip, foot peg bushing deal (flops around), decals, fork seals
-Replace front fork shock oil and swap wiper seals
-Paint tank with new decals
-Clean up tires and wheels, adjust spokes
-Install a headlight for night runs
-Get new coil and swap it out (mine works but main plug wire is spliced)
-I'm sure i'm forgetting things!

[1971ford]

I guess I'll call this build a learning experience. Because that's all I'm getting out of it... looks like i won't be getting any noises out of it for a long time.
I got the new exhaust valve, lapped both valves, assembled entire bike with engine hooked up, compression tested it, olny 50 psi again. Same reading. Won't start even with starter fluid and great spark.
Pull the engine out today and check cam timing, it was off, corrected it, still 50psi. tripple checked valve clearences, decompression mechanism, and leak tested it. No air escapes from the crankcase vent, carb or exhaust... as if it has GREAT compression. Tried another tester, same results. I put oil in the cylinder to seal the rings and compression tested it. Same result so rings are good as i suspected, and as this test and the compressed air test showed.

Soooooooo That's it for a while. Sad
It sure does look like one hell of a nice rolling bicycle though.

[fomocoguy]

Don't give up yet! Pop that cylinder head back off and take a second look. With the valves closed, set the head on a flat surface with either the intake port or exhaust port facing up and the combustion chamber facing you. Next squirt some type of liquid ( whether it be carb cleaner, wd-40, or some other type of thin oil) down into the port opening and watch around the valve. If you see oil seep out from around the valve right away then there is your problem. It may seep through eventually, but if you see anything right away then it's definetly what's going on. Check them both to be sure that being out of time didn't cause any piston-valve contact. It will cost you another head gasket unfortunately. Oh yeah, you did thoroughly clean the head mating surfaces and torque the head bolts evenly, right?

[1971ford]

4th project:
My new to me '83 tt600

yesterday


And today.



Now that i have a great running bike that looks good too, i can tear down the tt500 again.


Joe, I plan on doing what you said in your last reply. It's coming apart again very shortly. And i see what you mean about old bikes growing on us.... I've already got two!

[fomocoguy]

Very cool! So are you going to keep them both or sell the 500 when it's up and running? Did you get a deal on this one?

[69twotone]

Every truck owner should have a motorcycle. Nice buys.

[1971ford]

haha thanks

I'm going to keep both. The TT500 and the 600 will both be race prerunners and such. the 600 will be ridden in the mountains because the 500's green sticker accidently fell onto it
I can't decide which bike I'll be riding at the races, because i want to ride the 600, but i can't have other people start the 500 because they will break their ankle.
Solution? need more bikes! hahaha
(just kidding dad if you're reading this)
Although... I do have my eye on one last bike. a '75 honda mr50 for a pit bike, that my friend could ride (one of those people that you'd worry about if he went off riding a 600!) Once the 600 is payed off i plan on getting my hands on the 50cc.

I am working off the 600 by the way. $700 of work, i should have it payed by the end of summer break.

[fuzzier1]

Ryan,

I think you should keep trying on the 500 but I had/have a 79 500 TT that I sold the gas tank off of on Ebay a couple of years ago for $400. If all else fails you could part it out and make some money. I still vote for keeping it and getting it running. Make sure you check the cable system to the decompression system. They can hang up and keep it from getting compression.

Fuzz

[cheek]

nice bikes ryan, I thought my 185 was powerful That 600 would be great fun!

[1972bumpkansas]

i must say im not into dirt bikes very much i love a racing fourwheeler of one of my moms ex that i drove around for a couple weeks.....but i am commenting to say i love that picture that has your newest project and the bumb

[thebannister8]

those are some really cool bikes...i'm a big fan of those