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Project ‘97 Suzuki Across Project

Discussion in 'Your 250cc Projects' started by SukiMan, Jan 20, 2018.

  1. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    Do not, I repeat, do not separate the 2 halves of the caliper. Read the instructions shown before from the manual.



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  2. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    Well it’s a bit late now haha


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  3. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    That’s unfortunate, you really should get yourself a seal kit for the caliper now or take it to a specialist and have them check it out, clean it, fit new seals and reassemble it.
    As Said before, brakes either front or rear should not be compromised.
    The pads look to have serviceable pad material but as said before you should deglaze the disc and have a good look at the pads. If they are contaminated with brake fluid or oils they should be replaced.
    These things just go with owning a 20 plus year old bike.


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  4. Bab

    Bab Well-Known Member

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    I sympathize with SukiMan when the enthusiasm for action exceeds the pace of information / skill sets. It was a tough lesson to learn when I was younger, but I soon realized the benefits you gain by studying the manuals, and diagrams before wrenching. There is a reason manufacturers go to the expense of producing the manuals and the time spent studying them is well worth it.

    I can't find a manual for my bike, but I discovered the exploded views of the various (caliper) assemblies offered in online parts lists extremely helpful. They can be printed off and taken to the bench for guidance, and confirmation of the actual parts. Look carefully at the way the parts go together and it will help define how far you need to go in the dismantling. Any manual whether specifically for your bike or not will help with the understanding of how things work, and often what procedures are used to accomplish the replacement or repair.

    If possible a text or manual geared towards a millwright, or machinist will help with skills such as threading, taping, broken fasteners, measurement etc. Many of us take these procedures for granted, but as GreyImport stated elsewhere it's easy for us to get in over our head, and is important when to admit it, and look for help.

    I have found the research, and the studying / planning around the maintenance and repairing of bikes to be an enjoyable and integral part of the biking experience. I keep notes, drawings, sketches, and photos all as a reference for the future, and even when the bikes change I can still refer to this data bank for answers that occasionally elude me.

    Don't rush it. Grab a manual, grab a beer, take the time to flip through the pages, make notes in the columns if you need to. Read what has been posted here on this forum, regardless what the topic is. You will learn things without even knowing it through auzzmossis (spelling!) Hang in there, it will get easier...
     
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  5. ShaneP

    ShaneP Well-Known Member

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    Bike manufacturers are also terrible for unique technologies, parts and tools. A friend of mine is a bike mechanic and he'd have dozens of tools that only people working on bikes would have. It is a good thing to have a knowledgeable friend help with learning, especially if they can be there in person. But I hear people say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing - knowing enough to get yourself in trouble. We are all bike enthusiasts, who were once as you are, and want to help you grow, so don't be too perturbed, but heed the advice: read manuals, pay professionals when need be and, by all means, feel free to ask us, but remember that the communication can be hazy because we can't see your bike and make educated guesses based upon your information.
    All the best with it.
     
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  6. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    I took my caliper into the Suzuki shop today. They ordered in new seals and pistons for me which cost $73 which I think is a pretty alright deal. I asked the workshop how much it would cost for them to open up the caliper and have a look for me. I put the brakes back on but every time I pushed the pedal down, fluid would come out of the nipple but couldn’t build pressure so I’d say the pistons are pitted, that’s what the mechanic said anyway. Do you think once I get the new seals and pistons I should fit it all myself, or get the shop to do it for me? He said it would cost probably $40-$50 for them to do it just depending on how long it takes etc. I’m more inclined to get the shop to do it even if it does cost me money, I’m getting frustrated with working on this bike now and I would trust a professionals work on it over my own work lol.


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  7. my67xr

    my67xr Bike Enthusiast Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member

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    Yeah just pay them to do it, it's one less job for you to do
     
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  8. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    I can’t take the bike to the shop so I would still have to bleed the brakes myself so at least I’d know that the actual caliper was fine if I got the shop to do it right?


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  9. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    So the novelty of fixing my bike myself has way worn off. I’ve just started a new job and have literally no time to work on the bike now. Plus I had to take off the swing arm to change the fuel tank and I don’t have a torque wrench so nothing has been tightened back on to spec, just as tight as I can do it by hand lol. I’m at the point where I’m sick of it sitting in my carport going no where. So now that I’m working (a lot), I’ll have a fair bit of money. I’m thinking of just taking the bike on a trailer to the Cessnock Suzuki and just getting them to finish the bike. I’m not sure if workshops take on that kind of thing? It can’t all be done in one day they’d need to keep it for maybe 2 weeks. But here’s what needs to be done:
    Oil filter and oil change
    Reassemble rear brake caliper with new seals and pistons (already ordered through the Suzuki in Cessnock so they’ll have them for me, they quoted me $60/$70 to reassemble the caliper and fit it on the bike)
    Bleed both front and rear brakes
    Change flywheel for the replacement one I have
    Check all bolts like swing arm, both wheels, sprocket cover, fuel pump etc.
    remove front wheel to change plastic fender, and also replace front brake disc with the one off my old bike

    I’ll be putting all the fairings back on myself and it will be taken to the shop without the fairings on it. Honestly what do you think it would set me back money wise for getting a shop to finish all that for me? I’m cringing at the thought of it being very expensive lol


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  10. ShaneP

    ShaneP Well-Known Member

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    Expect it to cost $110-150/hour, so it'll add up quick. Maybe they get it done quick, maybe it'll be $1500-2000. I thought you were going to say you were giving up and buying a brand new bike. Or at least near-new, half-priced bike. Ask for an estimate and expect an extra 25%.
     
  11. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

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    Make a list of what u want done and show them ... ask for a quote .... and go somewhere else if possible and do the same to compare .... most bike places dont like working on old bikes
     
  12. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    I forgot my username and password for this when I got a new phone. Lots has happened. I did end up sending the bike off to a workshop to get finished. Ended up costing me $861 including all the parts they needed. They had it for a month tho which pissed me off. Anyway I’ve had the bike back on the road riding it everyday. Feels amazing to have it back and working. It runs well for its age, my only problem with it now is that it’s losing a lot of power. On my accident bike I could get it to 155 easily on flat ground, 175 downhill. Whereas with this bike, I struggle to get it over 100 on flat ground, only goes to 140 downhill and don’t even get me started on uphill, bitch won’t go blast 80 uphill. So it’s losing power. It feels like there’s a pin in the throttle too, doesn’t seem to turn the entire way like my accident bike did..
    also some asshole stole my helmet off my bike while I was in a Bunnings a couple of weeks ago, had to spend $350 on a new helmet I didn’t even want so that set me back a fair bit. I will post pics of the bike when I download them from my old phone :)


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  13. Frankster

    Frankster Grey Pride...Adventure before Dementia Staff Member Premium Member Ride and Events Crew

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    Take the air filter out and see if that improves your performance.
     
  14. Murdo

    Murdo The Good Doctor Staff Member Contributing Member Ride and Events Crew

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    Check there is not a clamp or something stopping the throttle from being fully opened.
     
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  15. Andych

    Andych Moderator Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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  16. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    That’s a great read. Although I do not want to so much as touch this bike again in regards to fixing it. So I’ll definitely be taking it back to the work shop and getting them to check the carbs properly etc. will also post some pics in a new comment below of it :)


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  17. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    50884e86f013abda898b82559bcfd67e.jpg
    Pic of the finished bike with the skeleton of my accident bike
    55e05be9aeb532a8a8d6160cd9d97bd1.jpg

    I’ve got some more somewhere but I just got a new phone and deleted most of my social media (needed a break) so will take some close up pics tomorrow :)


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  18. Mike Fulcher

    Mike Fulcher Active Member

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    Hey all the best with your bike, I totally agree with the advice you have been given over the brake problems, I know now you have had to pay for them to be sorted out, but look I'm coming up 61, I'm a qualified car & truck mechanic, but I will never work on an engine or bike until I have obtained a workshop manual, this site has a very comprehensive range of free downloads, good on them & as the old saying goes, if everything else fails read the instructions.
    Back to the problems you had with bleeding the brakes, there is a proper sequence to follow when doing this.
    Firstly you must be sure there is no air in the master cylinder, so bleed it at the outlet from the master cylinder first.
    Now there is a two step procedure to do this, unscrew the banjo bolt about half a turn, (place a rag underneath this to catch excess brake fluid, the stuff hates paint), pull the brake lever fully in, then close the banjo bolt, & slowly release the lever, do this until no air bubbles come from the outlet, be careful to keep an eye on the brake fluid level, the reservoirs on bike master cylinders don't hold a lot of fluid, now you do the same at the other end, (slave cylinder) sometimes it can help by, (with closed caliper Bleed nipples) to pump the brake lever several times, hold pressure on the brake lever, & then open the caliper bleed nipple, but don't release the lever until you have closed the bleed nipple.
    All the best.
     
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  19. SukiMan

    SukiMan Member

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    Thanks for the tips :) I learnt how to bleed the brakes but both front and rear calipers needed new pistons and seals and a caliber rebuild, which is why I didn’t do it myself, I got the mechanics to finish it off. They got the brakes as best as they could given the age of the bike, so it’s all good now :) only problem left I have is a lot of power loss which may have to do with the carbies so when I’ve got time off from work I’ll take it into the shop to get fixed up.


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  20. Mike Fulcher

    Mike Fulcher Active Member

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    Go an have a couple of beers, NZ ones of course, I have just had the same depressing problems with my Yam SRX 250, I had just got her up an going sweet when the oil pump gears let go & had a major piston seizure. Thankfully I managed to secure a good second hand barrel & piston from the US via Ebay, & a brand new gasket kit, & oil pump gears via Ali express.
    But I tell you what, they must use some crappy fuel over their in the US, both compression rings where carbon stuck solid in the ring grooves, it took several attempts using both my favorite Blaster penetrating oil & oxyacetylene gas torch to free them up.
    By the way an interesting little trick in using this method, apart from patience, is once you can get one end of the piston ring exposed from the ring groove insert a feeler gauge of around 10 - 15 thou under the ring, & as you carefully heat up the piston, not the ring, remembering that alloy expands quicker than steel, just slowly tap the feeler gauge around as you keep applying heat & penetrating fluid. The rings finally freed up & still had plenty of tension, & after honing the Cyl, bore all will be sweet.
     

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