| Author | Message | ||
     Theirishbueller |
Alright, next month I've decided to ride from Houston to Des Moines with a friend to visit some family for a weekend. Before I can do that, there are several things that need attention on my 2007 12ss. The shift shaft seal needs to be replaced again, the cam side leaks (under the timing cover), these have both been slightly leaking for quite some time now, manageable. However I finally noticed the leaking rear base gasket, and my bike has always ran brutally hot most of the time. So I'm assumming intake gaskets too. The brakes have been really sticky/weird/inconsistent these days dispite new pads/rotor hardware and bleeding a while back. Needs tires, and I lost a fork seal the other day. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. My plan is to take off work early on friday in a couple weeks and knock out all in a weekend. I don't have a (running) car so my bike has been plan A for about 4 years, mostly why I've been putting most of this of for so long, gotta minimize the downtime. Anyhow, I already ordered a set of pilot road 2's, handling the brakes shouldn't too big of a deal. I said F it and already ordered a 6mm rotor and hardware set from Erik Buell Racing for the front, upon my American Sport Bike order I think I'll just get rebuild kits for the caliper and master cylinder, new Lyndall pads and a super bleeding. That should take care of the front brakes right? As far as the forks go, I got about 33000 miles and I've never touched them, so I'm suprised they made it this long. I'd like to handle those myself, but I don't think I'd have the time (or the tools). Might just take them to a Ducati shop. That leaves the motor. I've got most of the mechanical aptitude (and the service manual) to handle it, but where is everyone getting gasket sets from? I'd like to avoid HD if possible. Since I'm getting to the rear cylinder base gasket I'm guessing I'd need a whole to end kit? Then I might as well do both? Might as well do rering and hone? How far should I go? No case splitting please! Haha. I'm hoping to get it all back together with some James intake gaskets, and retimed to see if I can get rid of some of the heat problems it's always had. So that's the semi plan. Get out of work friday in time to get the wheels/new tires and fork tubes to a shop before they close in order to hopefully pick them up before they close saturday. All the while, finishing everything else by sunday night. I think as long as a actually have everything I need before hand it'll be alright. All around advice? I guess I don't so much need a hand with the work, just the preparation. I'm afraid I'll forget something. (Message edited by theirishbueller on August 29, 2011) | ||
| Gunut75 |
Sounds like ya have your work cut out for you. If you are replacing the base gasket, you might as well do the whole top end. I'm not sure where to get aftermarket gaskets, but I have heard of a few different brands (Cometic, etc) that are available. I know HD sells a whole top end gasket kit that has everything you need in it. If I remember correctly, it's around $100. If your going to do one, you might as well do both. Sounds like you have all the bases covered. A top end rebuild is easy on these motors. You may be waiting for the shops to finish your wheels, tires, and forks. Check the search function on here. There are a few threads about the forks. Those can be done on your own too with a little creativity. Good luck. Keep us posted.  | ||
| Dmp0001 |
If it were me, it would take a miracle to finish all that in a day. You must work fast. +1 on do the whole top end, American Sport Bike has some .030 head gaskets that would bump your compression to 10.3 and wake her up just a bit. good luck | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Thanks guys. Ran across this- http://www.directharleyparts.com/gaskets-seals-gas ket-kits-cometic-gasket-xlbuell-models-cometic-gas ket-buell-firebolt-p-2887.html Says it covers everything from the base gasket up, good price too. I think if I go with that, a set of rings and a proper hone the motor will be good. I wasn't really planning on tackling the forks myself, but I'm thinking about it. Again, worried about having all the correct parts/tools on hand. Dmp0001-It would be a miracle for me too, I'm shooting for the whole weekend, nights included. And a compression bump sound enticing, but it might not help the heat problems I'm fighting. Plus it seems harder to find gasket sets with a .30 rather than a .40, unless I wanted to buy them in addition to a top end kit. Correct me if I'm wrong. | ||
| Dmp0001 |
http://www.nrhsperformance.com/partsgaskets.shtml they know their stuff when it comes to buells | ||
| Dmp0001 |
if you go .030 head gaskets and .010 base gaskets you would end up at about 10.6 comp or if you do .030 head and stock .020 base you would see about 10.3 | ||
| Ducxl |
WOW.If you can knock it out in a weekend that would be HEROIC.In my experience,with both tuber AND XBr(and Ducatis') now,it would take almost that long just to break down the bike.I've plenty of pics of both. Please take plenty of pics for proper placement of wiring that removes. Be careful of proper torque and torque sequence.Forks can be done at specialty suspension shops for about $200. That's the way i go with forks now. TRY to source your parts beforehand.There may be unexpected parts you'll need that you haven't thought of.And that would be a major "screw in the gears". Best of luck to you | ||
| Buewulf |
Wow! That is quite a task to complete in a weekend. I don't have enough experience with these bikes to lend a hand or contribute in any meaningful way, but I'll be rooting for you! If people have detailed pics of the process, I would start collecting them. If you can't afford downtime, make a check list of every single tool and part that you even might need and get them. Good luck. | ||
| Iamarchangel |
Yep, that's an unrealistic time frame but, hey, go for it. Been there, done that, took longer. Engine rotation: there's a good thread with photos over on Buellxb, DIY section. Read the posts because the thread is for removing headers and you need to do a couple more steps for the cylinder. If you're just doing the rear, then don't disconnect the oil lines. Remove the frame and let it hang there. One less mess to clean up. Get an impact driver, the kind you hit with a hammer, for the header nuts. Breaking a stud will ruin your timetable. You'll need round head allens for the throttle body and a short throw 1/2 wrench. Easier to take out after rotation, have to be tightened when engine is back in place. Budget time for removing old gasket. Cylinder nuts are 12 point sockets. Fuel electrical connector is hard to reach. I ended up cutting the clamp and using zipties when I put it back together. Fuel line is fun to figure out. Squeeze and pull, really. | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Thanks for the advice everyone. Most of the parts are in and teardown has begun. I got lucky and borrowed a truck from work so I got to start a day early. Most important thing tonight was to get the wheels and fork tubes off so they could go to the shop for the tires to be mounted and the forks rebuilt. Found out the Polaris shop in Katy also services Ducati, they said they were familiar with the forks, hopefully I get it back before the end of saturday. Wound up being sick today but still managed that and then some, moving SLOW. I'm hoping tomorrow to get the frame/triples/rear section to the point of where they'll come straight off the top and leave the swingarm attached to the motor. Maybe even get into the motor, we'll see. Sound doable? As long as I don't wind up being sick all weekend, I'll manage. I've got until monday night or so to finish. Got some graphite grey frame paint that will go on the primary/timing covers, maybe subframe and tailpiece, we'll see. Also got a large right side scoop, can't wait to be able to put that on. Ended up getting that gasket kit I linked before, NRHS was closed while they were at Bonneville I believe. Got a set of rings and a hone. Only thing I didn't find was James intake gaskets, got 2 sets of stockers. Anyone know where I can get a copy of ecmspy for vista? I've got a cable. | ||
| Buewulf |
Where in Houston are you located? I have a copy of ECM spy running on an XP VM on my Windows 7 laptop. I also have TunePro but have no idea how to use it. | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Oh nice, I'm actually staying at my mothers in katy, fry and I10. I was just going to steal her laptop which I'm pretty sure has vista. I almost forgot about needing ecmspy or something, I suppose I won't need it until I'm setting the timing and the tps reset once it's runnable again. And I got plenty to do before then  | ||
| Buewulf |
I'm on the northeast end of town near Kingwood. Let me know when you need it. | ||
| Buewulf |
Sent you a PM with my contact info. | ||
| Videoninja |
Top end rebuild can be done in a day easily, forks and other can also be done in a day. This task isn't to much for a weekend. Good luck if I were closer I would be there to help but it would take me a better part of the weekend to get there | ||
| Ducxl |
R U Dun Yet?? I've got some key parts on hand you'd never consider.Like P/N C0033.02AB?? | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Well as you probably could've guessed, not quite done. Got the motor together yesterday and threw the chassis back on last night. Which ended up working pretty well, having the forks already out, motor sitting on some wood and pulling the whole chassis off the top. What ended up taking longer than I thought was the massive amount of cleaning I had to do, it was a mess from leaking for so long from so many places. I'll see what I can get done after work today, I'm exhausted. | ||
| Ourdee |
Don't forget to order pizza and take a break. | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Alright, update. I did end up getting the bike back together and running. Pretty well too, even without checking the timing and testing the tps. Buewulf was even nice enough to come by and try hooking it up to his laptop with ecmspy but we couldn't get it to hook up. But it was still running better and crisper than before the rebuild and I'd managed to pile on 800 or so miles. But...on the way home from work yesterday It blew out one of the o-rings between the pushrod cover and the head. I was going to be leaving for Des Moines last night! I got home from work, changed clothes and went out to back all my bags up and give the bike a quick once over before I went and got some sleep (was gonna get up around 1am and leave). But then I saw the oil everywhere on the right side, must've just let out as I was pulling in from work. Trip canceled. I guess I should consider myself extremely lucky it happened now, the last bit of riding before starting the trip, rather than 500 miles in. Too bad because the motor was feeling pretty strong, I'd JUST changed the oil to royal purple the day before. The front wheel sure seemed to come up more going into 3rd gear, i don't remember it doing that so much before the rebuild. Now I get to spend another whole weekend working on my bike, great. I think I'll just rotate the motor this time, since I don't have to pull the jugs. It's the intake side on the front cylinder that let out, but I guess I'll pull both heads and do them all. After putting 800 miles on it, should I put new head gaskets on again? Anyone have any suggestions on where I could find these parts here in Houston? The pushrod cover o-rings, intake (preferably James this time), exhaust gaskets and rocker cover gaskets. The rocker cover gaskets in that kit I linked before didn't even come close to fitting. So I had to reuse mine, don't want to again. Any small harley shops or something that would be better than mancuso or whatever? | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Well at least I'm pretty familiar with the bike now Got the motor rotated and the heads off in about 4 hours. Turns out Mancuso harley has a top end gasket kit, and a clutch lever, mine has worn out the copper pivot bushing and is eating through the aluminum (about to break). I think I'll get it back together tonight or tomorrow. I must've put those o-rings in wrong because 3 of them were torn. I'm sure glad I was set on putting as many miles on it as I could before starting my trip, that could've been a nightmare! | ||
| Buewulf |
Well it sucks that you had to cancel your trip but good that you found the trouble at home instead of in the middle of a rural Arkansas twisty road. Hopefully the 2nd go around will get it done! | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Man, you got that right. I ended up getting it running again that day, just put the o-rings in the head first (unlike on the pushrods covers first like the manual says) so they wouldn't bind and tear. Giving the trip another shot in 2 weeks, hopefully it holds together this time! On a very unrelated note...anyone have any suggestions on riding 1100 miles, getting about 8-10 hours of tattoo work on my right arm, and riding 1100 miles home in a 3 or 4 day span? This is going to be intense. The vista cruise I put on sucked so I took it off, guess it'll just be the cramp buster. | ||
| Dhays1775 |
i've got the cramp-buster for when i have the little lady on the back and i love it. makes it way easier. just sayin. | ||
| Theirishbueller |
Thanks, I went ahead and picked one up at cycle gear. I'll have to try it out on the way to work, it's about 45 minutes sometimes. Ought to get familiar with it before the trip. I also hacked up my grip trying to put that vista cruise on, they were kind of worn out anyways. So I think I'll find a new pair somewhere around town. Maybe thicker, is there ANY way I can get a pair of Buell traction grips? |
