The Pastor
19th August 2006, 09:37
I was on my way to unitec the other day, when my bike started to overheat.
I thought, "no problem thermostat prob broken and cooling system need a good service"
I got home and found that in order to get to the thermostat I had to remove a faring. No problems there I thought.
To remove the fairing I had to remove the tank. Also not a problem... I thought.
Then I find that the two bolts that hold the tank on are stripped.
I spent 2 days of trying to get the bolts off. No success. Then I found that I could get the mounting bracket off (so at least I could get the tank off, with the bracket attached to the tank).
So after a lot of fidling in very confined spaces I got the tank off. (but not the bracket off the tank..)
I thought I'd grind the heads off the bolts and pull the bracket off the tank, but was a bit worried that petrol and sparks = boom. SO after spending ages getting all the petrol out, then giving it a good wash out with water I get the grinder out and remove the bracket from the tank.
And then I found that the bracket didnt allow access to the nuts that the stripped bolts went into.
I thought, there stripped so bad IF I angle grind them heads of the bolts I can just push them out, but the bracket stopped the bolts from being pushed out. I thought I can just take the bracket apart and re weld it back up, So I did that (welded some new nuts onto it as well for good measure)
Get back home to find that it is now 3mm out. So I fixed it(ish) with my hammer.
Give up on the bolts and remove the faulty thermostat and wash out the cooling system (sooo much thick brown sludge in there...)
I refit the now modifed bracket to find that the side faring which clip into the tank are 3mm out. SO i shave 3 mm off this rubber thing that goes between the tank and mounting bracket. Then I find that the washer guide things that go into the rubber are 3mm out... So i shave 3mm off them.
Then I find Im missing a rubber cap that goes on the other end of the tank. Start to make one up out of gasket maker (it seems to work very well, just drying it atm)
So hopefully by monday My bike will be working again, ALL FROM TWO BOLTS!
I thought, "no problem thermostat prob broken and cooling system need a good service"
I got home and found that in order to get to the thermostat I had to remove a faring. No problems there I thought.
To remove the fairing I had to remove the tank. Also not a problem... I thought.
Then I find that the two bolts that hold the tank on are stripped.
I spent 2 days of trying to get the bolts off. No success. Then I found that I could get the mounting bracket off (so at least I could get the tank off, with the bracket attached to the tank).
So after a lot of fidling in very confined spaces I got the tank off. (but not the bracket off the tank..)
I thought I'd grind the heads off the bolts and pull the bracket off the tank, but was a bit worried that petrol and sparks = boom. SO after spending ages getting all the petrol out, then giving it a good wash out with water I get the grinder out and remove the bracket from the tank.
And then I found that the bracket didnt allow access to the nuts that the stripped bolts went into.
I thought, there stripped so bad IF I angle grind them heads of the bolts I can just push them out, but the bracket stopped the bolts from being pushed out. I thought I can just take the bracket apart and re weld it back up, So I did that (welded some new nuts onto it as well for good measure)
Get back home to find that it is now 3mm out. So I fixed it(ish) with my hammer.
Give up on the bolts and remove the faulty thermostat and wash out the cooling system (sooo much thick brown sludge in there...)
I refit the now modifed bracket to find that the side faring which clip into the tank are 3mm out. SO i shave 3 mm off this rubber thing that goes between the tank and mounting bracket. Then I find that the washer guide things that go into the rubber are 3mm out... So i shave 3mm off them.
Then I find Im missing a rubber cap that goes on the other end of the tank. Start to make one up out of gasket maker (it seems to work very well, just drying it atm)
So hopefully by monday My bike will be working again, ALL FROM TWO BOLTS!