Alright, So Three big things have happened recently in the build. The first is about my attempt at making my own soda blaster. Next I have an update from the paint department, and finally, I managed to find some more junk on the web to put on the bike.
Last weekend I decided I was fed up with washing parts, then rinsing then drying them only to find the stuff was still dirty, so I went in a different direction and searched the web for a better way to clean parts that involved less work. What I found was a how-to on building your own soda blaster. You can click here to find out more about what it is and how to build one.
Here is my home made soda blaster: 
Overall, It worked alright. I would not recommend doing this on anything other than carbs and petcocks, It simply is not powerful enough and from what I have heard for some reason paint does NOT adhere to surfaces that have been soda blasted. Anyways, here is the before and after of the petcock I cleaned.
Overall, It worked alright. I would not recommend doing this on anything other than carbs and petcocks, It simply is not powerful enough and from what I have heard for some reason paint does NOT adhere to surfaces that have been soda blasted. Anyways, here is the before and after of the petcock I cleaned.
Today I was able to get a few coats of primer and paint down onto some parts. The engine brackets, swing arm seals, the brake rod, and gauges all got a good few coats of black, while the rear brake stay, and the seat cowl were primed. The cowl needs a number of cracks filled that I hadn't noticed before, and the brake stay needs to be cleaned. To me, the paint process is a BIG sign that the project is finally moving toward completion.
Since the day I got the bike I knew the whole exhaust needed replacing. Finally, after a number of weeks of searching I managed to get my hands on a pair of CL360 exhaust pipes.
They are "Scrambler" style meaning that they run along the side of the bike, above the crankcase. More about the pipes later once they are delivered. I also managed to get a set of rearset levers which will allow me to move the footpegs backwards, making for a more comfortable, sporty riding position.As far as my time schedule goes, I really do not have any clue how much longer it will take to get this bike back on the road. For the time being though, I'll keep myself busy cleaning, painting and purchasing stuff for the bike.
Next week should see the arrival of the exhaust, and the beginning steps of mocking up the bike (something I should have done BEFORE I had torn it to pieces). Stay tuned!
Next we have the frame. Although nothing has yet been cut, stripped or repainted, I have managed to clean it which was a big task in itself. 
At the same time, I took a stab at cleaning the engine. The results were not as spectacular and it will need another cleaning. In order to clean the engine off using a pressure washer, I had to seal the exhaust ports somehow. My solution was to pack the ports with a rag, then sandwich a plastic bag between the cylinder block and the exhaust flange. I did something similar with the intake ports, simply packing and wrapping with a plastic bag. Its not a perfect solution but it works. 
and After: 
Finally, here is a picture of what the PO did to seal the tachometer cable port on the rocker cover. He probably thought he was being a genious, I think otherwise.
A replacement rocker cover has already be purchased and is awaiting cleaning and intstallation. In the next few days I will have pictures of the seat cowl I have been working on, and I must say I am quite proud of it. I will also try my hand at a bit of soda blasting. Don't worry if you've never heard about it before, I will cover it in the next post.
Posts
