erik
15th July 2007, 09:12
I've converted the bike over to a race shift pattern.
I had to make a longer, bent pushrod to clear the footpeg bracket when the front lever is attached upside down.
To do it properly would require a bit of steel rod with M6 and reverse M6 threads on each end. But I thought I'd have a go at making one with a turnbuckle and threaded rod from Mitre10.
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit%20clutch/070610/IMG_0850.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit%20clutch/070610/th_IMG_0850.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
It worked for a few days and survived a ride down SH22 before the turnbuckle broke while commuting home from work.
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/IMG_0890e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/th_IMG_0890e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Next go I asked my boss to weld the M6 reverse thread from the turnbuckle to the threaded rod. That worked, but the M6 rod was too flexible to be used with a bend in it.
So I got my hands on some stainless steel and last weekend had a go on the lathe at work, trying to cut a thread on each end. I spent all day saturday and only succeeded in blunting the threading tool and getting a sore back.
I thought maybe the stainless was too hard, so found a piece of plain steel and went back that saturday evening for more. I gave up and went home after I snapped the carbide tool insert...
I googled for thread cutting guides and found out you have to use the thread dial indicator to get it to start cutting the thread in the same place (:doh: when I did a brief test before my first attemp at cutting the thread, it seemed like it cut at the same place by itself, but now I know that was just luck) and that you're supposed to put the top slide at a 29° angle.
I ordered another insert on thursday, it arrived friday. But the tip radius was too big for an M6 thread. I stopped by at chevpac on the way to a ride yesterday morning (saturday) because I thought I'd ordered the wrong insert, but that was the only one they had for that tool. So I thought I'd try sharpening a piece of tool steel to the right shape.
So after the ride, I went to work again and had another go and it worked! I did the left hand thread first. When I did the right hand thread, I thought I'd cut it deep enough, but when I removed it from the lathe, found out I hadn't. I've got to get myself a decent tap and die set, but I had a cheap chinese one that was good enough to tidy up the thread. That was at about 7pm and I was glad I didn't have to start all over...
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/IMG_0933e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/th_IMG_0933e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Anyway, I've bent it and fitted it to the bike, it seems to be plenty stiff enough. Now I just have to relearn that up is down and down is up.
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/IMG_0934e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/th_IMG_0934e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Plus I'm happy I've learned to cut threads on a lathe. It's great working at a place with tools you can use. :)
I had to make a longer, bent pushrod to clear the footpeg bracket when the front lever is attached upside down.
To do it properly would require a bit of steel rod with M6 and reverse M6 threads on each end. But I thought I'd have a go at making one with a turnbuckle and threaded rod from Mitre10.
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit%20clutch/070610/IMG_0850.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit%20clutch/070610/th_IMG_0850.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
It worked for a few days and survived a ride down SH22 before the turnbuckle broke while commuting home from work.
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/IMG_0890e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/th_IMG_0890e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Next go I asked my boss to weld the M6 reverse thread from the turnbuckle to the threaded rod. That worked, but the M6 rod was too flexible to be used with a bend in it.
So I got my hands on some stainless steel and last weekend had a go on the lathe at work, trying to cut a thread on each end. I spent all day saturday and only succeeded in blunting the threading tool and getting a sore back.
I thought maybe the stainless was too hard, so found a piece of plain steel and went back that saturday evening for more. I gave up and went home after I snapped the carbide tool insert...
I googled for thread cutting guides and found out you have to use the thread dial indicator to get it to start cutting the thread in the same place (:doh: when I did a brief test before my first attemp at cutting the thread, it seemed like it cut at the same place by itself, but now I know that was just luck) and that you're supposed to put the top slide at a 29° angle.
I ordered another insert on thursday, it arrived friday. But the tip radius was too big for an M6 thread. I stopped by at chevpac on the way to a ride yesterday morning (saturday) because I thought I'd ordered the wrong insert, but that was the only one they had for that tool. So I thought I'd try sharpening a piece of tool steel to the right shape.
So after the ride, I went to work again and had another go and it worked! I did the left hand thread first. When I did the right hand thread, I thought I'd cut it deep enough, but when I removed it from the lathe, found out I hadn't. I've got to get myself a decent tap and die set, but I had a cheap chinese one that was good enough to tidy up the thread. That was at about 7pm and I was glad I didn't have to start all over...
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/IMG_0933e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/th_IMG_0933e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Anyway, I've bent it and fitted it to the bike, it seems to be plenty stiff enough. Now I just have to relearn that up is down and down is up.
<a href="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/IMG_0934e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e118/edorp/bandit/th_IMG_0934e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Plus I'm happy I've learned to cut threads on a lathe. It's great working at a place with tools you can use. :)