What Did You Did To Your Motobrick Today ?

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Rolled the girls out of the garage yesterday and did their first wash and wax of the year.  Going for a long ride today.
 
Left to right they are Cheetos, Ilsa, and Moby Brick.

[Scud]

Gryphon - that looks very similar to my boyhood home in Rochester, NY - except there were no motorcycles.

Maybe you need a naked brick to round out the collection... or a K1...

[Laitch]

"Garage a trois"  :hehehe

[Bill]

'Confessions of a Serial Bricker' :yes

[Scud]

Will be dumping it straight away this morning !  Hopefully 24 hours and 200 km isn't long enough to damage things.   In my bleeder bag they did not mix but will check that again.  My ride after showed no ill but then again I didn't work them hard.

Thanks for the heads up warning, I just didn't read far enough beyond what I wanted hear.

Good idea to dump - and I hate to be sounding too loud of an alarm if it's not warranted. But the fact that the DOT 5 was in the system - and at operating temperature - is concerning. Flushing - and I mean really flushing with a lot of fluid - is a good thing. But is it too late? I don't know. If it was me, Id' do a little more research before riding it again. Seals, when exposed the wrong stuff, can swell pretty quickly. I tested this myself a while ago with some old seals, they swelled very noticeably (like 150% of normal size) when soaked in engine oil and WD-40. No effect at all with brake cleaner. I did not test DOT 5 fluid. I would consider rebuilding at least the master cylinders and the calipers - then you have to wonder about the ABS pumps too.

Again, I don't know for sure whether you have a big problem or not - so flush it and then do your research - maybe call a dealer or trusted service advisor who may have seen this before.

[Bill]

I'll be watching things very carefully from here on.  Pushed 750 ml of DOT 4 through it this morning very aggressively.  Careful bleeding after yielded solid lever and pedal feel.   Checked the bleeder bag again this morning and there was a clear delineation between the two types.  I also looked at pads, noted and will check after a month for a stuck caliper piston.

[Laitch]

Checked the bleeder bag again this morning and there was a clear delineation between the two types.

I think you're in the clear, so to speak, Bill and am glad you flushed it so thoroughly. Use of DOT 5 in our bikes is unquestionably controversial.
Here's a seemingly, hellishly researched view of brake fluid types. Notice, though, he's not talk about braking with only two wheels in a downhill twisty.

At the end of the day, you won't go wrong using DOT 4 if changing it every year or two, unless, of course, you slosh it on the paint and don't wipe it off in a hurry.

[Bill]

Laitch, that was quite a read !  The one positive result of all of this is that the brake system is well and truly flushed  :yes . When I get the parts collection bike [non abs] together I will have DOT 5 fluid for it.  Won't go bad on the shelf....  Also from that read I will trash all the opened but unused DOT 3&4 !  It just doesn't keep once opened. 

One read gave me an new term ... suggesting that DOT 5 lacked LUBICITY hence unsuitable for ABS systems.  That source covered it self with 'citation needed'

[rbm]

the dot 4 can keep if you can store it in a collapsible container where you can expel all the air.  There are plastic accordion containers you can get.

[herseyb]

It was a beautiful weekend here in Cheezeconsin, so I rolled Herr Rudolf Serger out of my storage locker, put the battery back in and the trusty steed started right back up!  Yeeehah!  did about 200 miles this weekend after topping off low coolant.   

[johnny]

greetings herseyb...

saturday... im rolling the driftless... are you in...

j o

[Nine80seven]

The reason water absorbing brake fluid is used is to soak up any water in the system and expelling it with the annual flush.  the label usually has the info. 

[herseyb]

I'm down for some driftless bricking... Except, it's spring work weekend at my commune.  PM your itinerary and I'll see about getting my chores done early.

[Bill]

Glycol based fluids , DOT 3,4 and 5.1 are hydroscopic by nature not design. DOT 5 however is Hydrophobic and will prevent absorption of water from all avenues including through the rubber brake lines which glycol types don't.  The link Laitch posted on this is a good read if you have the time.

http://www.buckeyetriumphs.org/technical/Brakes/Fluid/Fluid.htm

[Chaos]

found out a Ural 2wd final drive easily fits in my saddlebag. 

[Nine80seven]

Cool.  So, got my RS in pieces all winter and am about ready to reassemble, question:  how many here leave the crazy foam rubber pieces off the bike?  They can be put back on but can't figger why they were there in the first place.  Looks like air management but I'm running without all the other plastic air management pieces anywhoo.  I think I'd rather have the air just flying right on through and out the back.  Blocking it up with that dam at the third throttle body seems, well, I don't get it.  I had an early standard K100 way back and don't remember these foam pieces on that bike. 

[slipring]

Before getting into motobricking I dove deep into backpacking (week long, 40 to 50-mile trips in Colorado and Wyoming).  The gear that I optimized for backpacking - it tuns out - is perfect for motorcycle touring!  Here's a few photos from a recent tour of the Iowa's Loess Hills:

Right case:  stove (yellow);  tent (grey);  sleeping pad (green);  pillow (blue)


Left case:  camp chair (adapts sleeping pad) (red); sleeping bag (yellow); extra water (clear);  just-in-case towel (light blue);  backpack/duffel (blue)


Trunk:  water (grey);  food (purple);  misc supplies (orange)


Ready for 1/2 mile camp site hike-in at Iowa's Preparation Canyon State Park

[Laitch]

I opened a package of parts from MAX. I installed a new clutch cable, replaced the caps on the throttle housing, opened the tank to check the fuel screen and replace the fuel filter. The vibration isolator is in good condition; there was zero sediment in the tank so the screen and the tank needed no cleaning. The pump assembly ring wasn't latched and the pump was loose but the tension of the fuel hose had been keeping it relatively stable in its well. I oriented the ring and latched the assembly securely. I also put in my tank bag the part BMW quaintly calls a "contact ring" for use when my travels take me into thin air for the first time on this bike.

Really, going into the tank was almost pointless, although I'm glad to have secured the pump. It only mattered to me though; the bike didn't seem affected. I'm convinced that as long as I run this bike far and often, it'll clean itself like a cat. This bike gets a steady diet of 89 octane (AKI) gasohol.

[Vespa no more]

Got the shits with it.

So near and so far.

Starting problems: runs and then cuts out after approx 5mins. Refuses to restart until the next day. I'm thinking electrical. If it were a carburettor machine, I would have thought fuel supply (ala float jammed, fuel bowl not refilling).

The nots:
battery good (new and tested and fully charged), fuel good, fuel pump working (newish), fuel injectors serviced, earth connection good, Deoxit-ed the ignition module lead and the 4 wire lead rhs behind tank, Was working well.

Possibles:
Pulled distributor, brushes low but within specs (5.25mm and 7mm), cleaned connections,... when testing output into battery MM went to 0 (zero). Not sure that it is recharging battery, but this is not relevent at the moment (CTEK charger connected and battery fully charged)
Spark plugs not new but cleaned, gapped and light blue spark. Was yellow until I deoxited the 4 wire connector on RHS.
Unable to get starter motor out (first attempt) left it in. However starter motor works strongly when battery fully charged.
Crankcase ventilation hose has minor crack... tapped up... on order... but bike has run well with it in this condition
Have been playing around with the choke cable adjustment and idle screw but nothing dramatic... very close to specs in Clymer manual
Red light on dash - first occured when I pinched the electrical lead under the RHS foot peg mount. Rexamined this, only one wire exposed, heat shrink and tape used to cover this. However, light still on.

Took it in to get legal and bike worked well. Failed on two "small" issues (Hall sensor seal leak and throttle cable)... Bike started doing its thing after me trying to loosen cable tension (revs were rising on full lock). But my thinking is that this shouldn't affect much other than the take up of the throttle.

When starting, I need to have the choke initially in position 1 then back to 2 and it will start. Needs to warm up before it will freely respond to revving.

I'm thinking that it is electrical. Will take the fuel injection rail out and confirm fuel out of injectors.
Are there any electrical things that heat up, overload and switch off. Or should I just go an buy a fuel injector relay?

Christ... I can hear Laitch (selecting one of 2 or three imogees) and adopting that tone "And have you deoxited the relays?" uhm... not yet.

Had to walk away for the sake of sanity.

So I'm out of excuses and have had to return to marking essays on Huck Finn (yes I am in Arsetrayah) - and the last one was largely plagarized.

Busted.

Went to print out Bert's excellent flowcharts and printer has gone phut.

Any quick ideas?

regards

Guy

[Chaos]

Bad hall effect sensor can work fine when cold then cut out when hot.  you can test it with a hair dryer http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,363.0.html

[The Mighty Gryphon]

+1 on the hall effect sensor.  It's one of the only things on the bike that fails when hot and works again when cooled off.  I'm guessing it takes about 20 minutes to get hot enough to fail. 

Once it quits, can you get things running again by spraying a bunch of water on the front of the engine to cool things down?  if that doesn't do it, then the problem may be in the ignition controller at the front of the frame under the tank. 

[Laitch]

I'm thinking electrical.

On a K-bike, something electrical is usually the problem, around here anyway. Don't buy anything yet until your printer is working or you can follow Vogel's lead on a screen.

Have you given the starter relay a smack or two with a screwdriver handle, Guy? If that gets things going, it indicates a problem, and helps relieve stress, too. Tapping a failing relay gets response now and then. The only time my bike has had an intermittent shutdown was when the Jetronic plug wasn't making a firm connection because its latch was unsprung. Unplugging it, replugging it and increasing latch tension fixed it.

As far as testing the Hall Effect sensor goes, this test was the easiest for me to understand.

Could it be the Hall Effect sensor? 

Yes.............to test: remove the T-shaped cover in front of the engine (be careful with the gasket).
With a cold engine, heat up both HES with a hair drier....start, then the engine should stop much
earlier...if it's one of the HES that is the problem.

[TrueAce]

My first thought ,too, was starter relay, particularly if it is the one contact as opposed to the dual. I have experience a stuck relay after a couple of starts, then nothing, thinking the thing was welded, come back, it's cooled down, and it starts. You can do a ND I by removing the housing. I have bought multiple relays until I thought to take it apart and inspect or clean the contacts. I think the dual contact relays are much superior to disparaging the heat which can weld a single contact.

[TrueAce]

My first thought ,too, was starter relay, particularly if it is the one contact as opposed to the dual. I have experience a stuck relay after a couple of starts, then nothing, thinking the thing was welded, come back, it's cooled down, and it starts. You can do a ND I by removing the housing. I have bought multiple relays until I thought to take it apart and inspect or clean the contacts. I think the dual contact relays are much superior to disparaging the heat which can weld a single contact.

[Bill]

Set about removing my LT fairing so I could check various components for my rich running issue and then install the like new one from the parts bike ..... Discovered the following:
     1. A main fairing bracket compromised by rust.
     2.  Seized cooling fan.
     3.  How tightly packed everything is ....

My parts bike has:
        a free wheeling fan   :2thumbup:
        a good fairing bracket.

Working theory on 'running rich' is that the PO removed thermostat to compensate for the dead fan, causing the engine to run cold.  The FICU then keeps the mix rich to compensate.  As I have to drain coolant to re and re the fan I can check for the thermostat and also get at the temp sender to check values.

First time having the K this open so I can now get familiar with where everything is ....... maybe I'll find that elusive 'Altitude ' plug  :yes