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skydoc_17

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Everything posted by skydoc_17

  1. skydoc_17
    Hey Bob, The Odessey battery is an AGM (Absorption Glass Mat) battery, the same as the DEKA. The lithium-iron battries are non fluid filled. They are a solid that releases a gas that creates the electric field as apposed to a fluid transfering the electric field. Earl
  2. skydoc_17
    Hey Jimbob, You were one of the first people I talked to about the R1 Calipers on the front of the First Gen. VR's. So in a way, "YOU Started This" quest to blend modern technology with these wonderful old bikes we all own. Because I have the time and equipment to experiment with many different upgrades to the First Gen. VR's, when I find an upgrade that functions well, solves a problem with our bikes, or just looks "Cool", I try to share it with the other members that have the same bike. I am looking forward to 2011, and the possibility of addressing other issues that are common to us First Gen. owners. Thank you for "pushing" me out of my comfort zone, and opening up a whole new world of possibilities as far as our bikes go. Earl
  3. skydoc_17
    Hey Rob, VR.ORG is a family. And as it is with all families, we accept each other, "bumps" and all. You have a friend here in Pa. I hope that the new year brings you nothing but good things. We can not change the things that have happened in the past, we can only strive to do better in the future, that's why LOVE is a 4 letter word, like work, not a 3 letter word like fun, or sex. Seems like you have to work at it all the time. Earl
  4. skydoc_17
    Well Bill, You made me laugh brother, and that gets you points in my book! I sent you a PM, I'm sure we can work something out when you buy more than one item. Thanks for the belly laugh, Earl
  5. skydoc_17
    Hey Pete, Here is a link to a thread started by V7Goose that has quite a few comments in it. I hope this helps. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=44709&highlight=Dyna+Beads Earl
  6. skydoc_17
    Hey Roy, Both Jean and I would like to express our sadness at the passing of your friend. This subject touches a "heart string" of my own. I begged my Father to retire early and enjoy himself for the remaining years he had on this earth. But being the "workhorse" that he was, he waited till 65 to retire, and to my great regret, had passed by the age of 69. I would give anything to spend a day with my Dad, much the same way that you would give anything to spend a day with your friend. My only solace, is knowing that my Father will live on in my heart, and in my mind. When I have a good day riding, or a good day wrenching on my bike, I take the time to share the moment with my Dad by saying, " boy Dad, I wish you could have been here for that ride, or that task completed," and in a way, he IS there with me, much the same way your friend will be with you........Always. Prayers sent to you, and the family of your passed friend. Earl and Jean
  7. skydoc_17
    Hey Randy, You have asked a VERY Important question about the function of the Anti-Dive Valves on your VR and hopefully I will be able to give you a concise answer. There are actually two different fluid flow paths inside any telescopic front fork suspension system, which is the system the First Gen. VR uses. The first fluid flow path is controlled by the Anti-Dive Valves. So basically, the Progressive Fork Springs replace the hydraulic dampening action of the Anti-Dive Valves with mechanical (greater, progressive spring tension) action. That is why the stock fork springs MUST be replaced with the Progressive Fork Springs (or some other aftermarket enhanced fork springs) for the block off plates to work. You can't remove the hydraulic dampening system without replacing it with another dampening system. In this case, we have replaced it with the mechanical dampening of the Progressive Fork Springs. The actual dampening of the front fork tubes under heavy decell is handled by the second fluid flow path, which still allows the telescopic fork tubes to compress, and remains unchanged because this flow path and the flow path with the Anti-Dive Valves are two different systems. We have replaced the first fluid flow path with a more modern mechanical dampening system, and have not changed the second fluid flow path. The result is no more "pogo stick" affect unchecked spring rebound in sweeper turns, and in the case of the MKII VR's, you have completely removed the massive current draw of the electric actuators in the Anti-Dive Valves. As for the MKI VR's, you have removed the two Hydraulic valves, AND the two brake lines that connect to the front calipers. To say that this decreases the problems with brake bleeding is an understatement! I took a lesson from the 2nd Gen. front fork system (don't tell them that!) and improved the dampening action mechanically ten fold, and eliminated the hydraulic dampening action of the Anti-Dive Valves. It's as simple as that. I tested this extensively on my own First Gen. VR before I offered these parts in the Classifieds section. I installed the Progressive fork springs first, noted the "feel" of the new springs, then added the block off plates and rode some more. I can honestly say that the removal of the Anti-Dive Valves had NO adverse affect on the handling of my motorcycle, and the benefits were a tremendous increase in the availability of battery power during the activation of the braking system. As with ALL of the kits I sell on the internet and in the Classifieds, I am the "Crash Test Dummy"! If I haven't used it, I don't talk about it. If anyone has any other questions about this kit, please feel free to post here, or PM me if you like. Earl
  8. skydoc_17
    The installation of a set of Progressive Fork Springs in my 87'VR brought the "New Bike Feel" back to my 24 year old motorcycle. My bike corners and stops like it never did before! Needless to say, this was some of the best money I have spent on the "old girl" in quite some time. The other issue that I have been wondering about is the amount of electricity the front Anti- Dive Units were drawing off of the battery as they activated EVERY time I engaged the front brake. I did notice that my lights would dim somewhat when squeezing the right front brake lever. Well recently, I machined a set of 1/4 inch Stainless Steel block off plates to remove the electric Anti-Dive Units from the front of my MKII VR. I installed them and am glad to say that they worked flawlessly, the front end does not dive when coming to a stop, due to the addition of the Progressive Front Fork Springs. The big improvement was the savings in electrical power that I am saving by the Anti-Dive units being removed. Plus it cleaned up and streamlined the front forks in the process. If this is something that might interest you and you have an MKII VR (1986 to 1993) then try this link for some pics. http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3332&title=first-genmkii-vr-s-santi-dive-block-off-plates-21&cat=22 If you have the MKI VR (1983 to 1985) and are interested, try this link for some pics. http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=3329&title=first-genmki-vr-anti-dive-s-sblock-off-plates-21&cat=22 With the removal of the Electric Anti-Dive Units from the front forks of my 87'VR I have increased battery power to the lighting system on my bike, Cleaned up the look of the front end, and noticed NO difference in the lack of front end dive when coming to a stop light or hard braking since I added the Progressive Fork Springs. Basically, I removed a set of valves that were no longer needed with the addition of the Progressives. If you have questions about the install, please feel free to PM me. Earl
  9. skydoc_17
    Hey Kent, Welcome to the site! It sounds like you will fit (or misfit) right in with this crowd. Going from a First Gen. VR to the Second Gen. RSV seems to be the "Natural REgression". You could not have picked a better scoot to purchase in today's market than the Second Gen. RSV. It basically has the same engine as the VR you had with a few upgrades like a spin on oil filter. And I am sure you remember how to work the Cassette Deck on your First Gen. so you are in luck there. The tranny gearing is a bit taller on the RSV so to keep the RPM's up on hills and under heavy loads, you may need to drop it down a gear, but other than that, you will get many wonderful miles from your RSV. As far as the pics go, when you scrolled down to hit the "Submit Post" or "Submit Reply" button, if you would scroll down a bit further to the "Manage Attachments" button and click that, a window comes up and you can "Browse" the picture files on your computer and attach them to this thread or post. Give it a try. Mostly, try to have fun here, as we do. Again, Welcome to the site, Earl
  10. skydoc_17
    Hey Brian, Here are a few pics of a fairly large switch I installed on a MKII 87'VR. I know this is not the mini volt meter you are trying to install but the switch hole was 1.6" X .8". This location is close enough to the windshield that unless you are sitting at a stop light in a downpour, it stays pretty dry. As I remember, there was enough room for another switch. I have attached a few pics of the install, I hope this helps. If you have questions, please feel free to PM me, and good luck with this project, Earl
  11. skydoc_17
    I would like to address a few questions about the question of "To De-Link or Not". I too live on a gravel covered dirt road with a steep incline on it at the beginning, off of the paved road, and the linked brakes did not function well for me. When I first got my 87'VR, I dumped it twice in three days at very low speed just trying to get down my drive way. When I De-Linked my brakes, it allowed me to use only the rear brake while coming down the incline so I didn't have the front brake lock up and dump the bike. The other reason I like the De-Linked brakes is because I can use the "friction zone" brake maneuvers described in the "Ride Like A Pro" DVD's for low speed, lock to lock, parking lot riding. As most MKII First Gen. owners know, the left front and right front Brake Calipers have two different size pistons in the Calipers so the braking action on the front of the bike is unbalanced. By De-Linking the brakes and adding the R1 Calipers to the front of a MKII VR I now have Equal, balanced, increased, dependable, braking action on the front of my bike. To answer tx2sturgis's question about the braking action with the Linked Braking System of the MKII VR in a sweeper turn at moderate speeds, I found that the activation of the foot brake in a left hand sweeper (which also activated the left front caliper) was a bit "un nerving" at best, although I do have a tendency to take those turns at a bit faster than normal speeds. With the unwanted activation of the left front brake at those speeds, I was in constant fear of the front of the bike "Washing Out". (Sliding out from under me) With the De-Link of the front and rear brakes, I no longer have that issue. In my opinion, Because the MKII VR doesn't have ABS, If your bike never leaves a paved road, you do mostly "Super Slab" Hi Way riding, you don't pull a trailer, and you don't ride your bike aggressively then the linked brakes on the MKII VR are adequate, If you add any of the above factors then there is a better option. My feeling about a thread that discusses a topic "that has been beat to death" is that every VR.ORG member has the option to close this thread and move on to something else because they personally have all of the information they need about this particular subject. BUT, for the members that are dealing with a Braking issue, or didn't even know that there are options available, or have never ridden a motorcycle with linked brakes, will find this thread VERY interesting and will learn something about a subject that has an impact on their riding style, or their concerns about the addition of a trailer or they plan to do a lot of two up riding. These are the people that will enjoy this thread, and find it useful. For all of the members that already have this issue figured out, I suggest you try the "Back" button, and move on to the interesting thread about "The Christmas Lights on my house" or one of the many "OIL" threads that are currently circulating. This is the time of the year when many members are contemplating doing upgrades to their bikes because they have an extended period of "Down Time" due to the weather. I have the upmost respect for any VR.ORG member that strives to increase their knowledge of these wonderful, complicated, machines. The sharing of information between members is the very best part of this forum. I personally have learned many things about the bikes I own and ride regularly. This site is the best $12.00 I have ever invested, bar none. Earl
  12. skydoc_17
    Boy, that Brad, he's a "frisky" little elf, that's for sure! Merry Christmas Brad! Earl and Jean
  13. skydoc_17
    Hey Micarl, You have brought up an excellent point! In the beginning, I got burned a bunch of times, figuring out a problem, thinking I would get the repair, and wouldn't! I now charge a fee to "Look" at any bike that comes in the shop. The other problem I have had is people bringing in aftermarket Ebay (China) parts to be installed on their bikes. With that issue, I have had to say, "If it is not a factory part, I will warranty the labor, but not the part." All of the Kits and Upgrades I sell are Genuine Yamaha parts, or BETTER, or they are parts I have manufactured using the very best 6061T6 Aluminum or 304 series Stainless Steel. After working in the Aircraft Industry for all these years, I have seen all to well, how much damage can be caused with the use of cheap parts and shotty labor. Because of my location, (small town, hard times) the labor rate I charge is OK for me. I get more bikes in than I can work on most times. When I am well, I work a full time job, and don't rely on the repair income to pay the bills. (except recently) I hope to expand the production of custom machined parts that I offer on another site for 2011 and increase the size of my Machine Shop, and possibly get out of the Motorcycle Repair Business, but that depends on a lot of things, mostly money. Sorry to get off topic here, my pain med must have kicked in! Earl
  14. skydoc_17
    Our local Yamaha dealer (11/2 miles away) charges $55.00 US per hour. The local Honda dealer charges $75.00 an hour. If the bike is more than 5 years old, the rate goes to $150.00 per hour. The winger's in the area LOVE this dealership. I charge $30.00 an hour currently, and I don't mark up the parts for the VR.ORG members. The Suzuki and Kawasaki dealers both charge $60.00 per hour. But will not work on bikes over 10 years old. The only thing I will not work on is a Harley. These owners don't like their bikes sitting next to "Jap" bikes in the shop! I am not as "quick" as I used to be with repairs so I have adjusted my rate. Usually, money is not as big an issue as a quality repair is. I would rather take my time and do a good job than "rush" a bunch of bikes thru and have them all come back. Since I have a "one horse shop", (Me) it is easier to keep the quality high. With a group of mechanics, it would be more difficult. Earl
  15. skydoc_17
    Hey Cliff, Thank you very much for the kind words! When I do a repair or upgrade to one of my VR's, I usually take pics of the process, and because I have a "soft spot" in my heart for anyone that tries to keep one of these wonderful machines running. Because I work on a lot of VR's here at my shop, I see more problems than the average VR owner would see in the normal maintenance of their bikes. I try to pass on any information I have about a problem I have encountered and been able to either repair, or come up with an upgrade so that a pesky problem can be dealt with once and for all. I too have been able to keep my own bikes running as a result of the information other VR.ORG members have shared with me so this is my attempt to repay the members that have helped me. If my posts keep just one VR on the road, then the effort was worth it. Thanks again for compliment, Earl
  16. skydoc_17
    Hey Dan, The reason many companies have stopped selling the oil filter magnets is if a group of metal particles gets trapped in a localized area of the oil filter, it causes the pressure to rise in the oil filter and causes the oil filter to go to "Bypass Mode". Which means that the oil filter is no longer filtering the oil at all. It would be much better to collect metal particles at the drain plug, where that can be examined at every oil change. This would also allow the oil filter to do it's job for the entire life of the filter without it going to Bypass. In theory, the oil filter magnets were a good idea, but in reality, I don't think anyone thought about the problem of collecting the particles in a filter that basically "stops working" when pressure levels rise. The magnetic drain plug is the way to go. Earl
  17. skydoc_17
    Hey Mark, I am always impressed when a VR.ORG member "Thinks Outside The Box" to keep their VR running! THis is one of the few "good things" about winter, it give us time to get some major repairs and upgrades done on our bikes. Don't forget that Radiator Drain while you are in there! http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1724&title=first-gen1983-1993-radiator-drain-upgrade&cat=22 Outstanding repair on a tough area to work on. Earl
  18. skydoc_17
    The Larger Casino's keep up to 5 "chip sets" on hand just for this reason. They will "Retire" that chip set, and it will be replaced with another design. A new chip set runs about $40,000.00 but that is small beans compared to 2 million. Basically, all the thief got was a Hellofa' POG collection! Ya' can't fix stupid! Earl
  19. skydoc_17
    Hey Gary, The issue you mentioned is somewhat different. What you have is a metal thermostat housing and a plastic housing top, that sits extremely close to the right exhaust header pipe. Over the years, the plastic housing top gets warped and begins to leak because of the tremendous heat generated by the exhaust pipe. Also, your plastic water pump "Tube" is not leaking, the coolant is leaking from the thermostat housing and running down to the tube. This problem will NOT go away, and is only going to get worse as time goes on. The reason being is that you have a plastic part that is not physically flat any more because of the heat, and is not sealing the thermostat housing area any more. To get a shot at the thermostat housing you will need to remove the right exhaust header pipe, (unless you have the hands of a 10 year old girl!) and the radiator side grills as well as the radiator grill. When ordering parts, be sure to get the housing gasket, the large O'Ring, AND a new thermostat housing top. Yamaha makes an excellent thermostat, (and expensive) so if yours is functioning properly, it is OK to reuse it. While you have everything removed, take the time to replace the O'Ring on the radiator drain as well, you won't regret it. This will help you with that project: http://www.venturerider.org/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1724&title=first-gen1983-1993-radiator-drain-upgrade&cat=22 I have attached some pics of this project. You don't want that plastic thermostat housing top opening up while you are a long way from home! (don't ask me how I know) If you have questions about the install, please feel free to PM me, Earl
  20. skydoc_17
    Hey Stephen, Inside the water pump, there is a ceramic seal, (much the same as a seal in a swimming pool pump) The seal retracts from the mating surface when Temps. drop. A small amount of coolant weeps from the hole in the pump housing when this happens. Unless this happens when the temps. are up to riding temp., or you see a LOT of coolant on the ground on a warm to hot day, then this is a bit pesky, but not a major concern. The impeller you are speaking of, actually moves water thru the water pump and the engine. The early MKI VR's used a plastic impeller, which would decompose over time and reduce the amount of water that would circulate thru the engine. The symptom of that plastic impeller would be overheating. So if you are going to remove the water pump to address this problem you will need to replace the seal as well or the leak will still be there when you are finished. (A new impeller alone, will not solve the leaking problem) There is one more thing I want to mention here, I consider myself a pretty fair mechanic, and I have only been able to manage a 60 to 70 percent success rate at rebuilding these water pumps! The MKI water pumps are the worst! Because of play in the impeller shaft, and the quality (or lack of) of the impeller shaft itself, even replacing the seal does not guaranty you a leak free water pump. 28 years of heat, and water on an aluminum water pump housing, and a low quality quasi-stainless steel impeller shaft don't leave you much to work with on that rebuild. Most VMAX owners replace the water pump with a new one because they have too much money invested in their engines to risk overheating do to a leaky water pump. I don't attempt to rebuild water pumps here at my shop any more. I guess what I am trying to say here is, wait till spring when the weather warms up, and if you start seeing a BUNCH of coolant coming from the water pump at that point, then you may want to examine you options then. I am not saying that this condition is "Normal", but it is to be expected from a 28 year old motorcycle and most of the First Gen. owners see this very same thing at one point or another in the colder states, or when the temps. dive in the warmer ones. I would say you are OK for now, just keep an eye on the coolant overflow bottle and top off as needed. Earl
  21. skydoc_17
    Hey Mel, Karl, (ic23b) has hit the problem. The steering rack is binding when the unit is cold. This is a known problem with these vehicles. A fluid change MIGHT allow you to limp thru the winter months. To drain the most fluid from the power steering system, Look for the power steering rack unit, (close to the fire wall, running horizontally from one side of the truck to the other) You will see two combo rubber, metal lines running to the rack. The line coming from the power steering pump is the "inlet" line (this line exits the pump lower on the pump unit), the other line is the "outlet" line, (this line returns to the pump unit higher) The outlet line is the one you want. It has a compression fitting which connects the line to the rack unit. Crack the nut (use a good quality wrench of exactly the right size, most likely metric) and start the truck and move the steering wheel back and forth a few times. This is going to be an extremely messy project, a large pan under the power steering unit will catch a fair amount of fluid, but have a LOT of rags or shop towels handy to clean up with. The entire power steering system only holds 2 qts. of fluid if I remember correctly but it will seem like 20 gallons when you start the truck and the pump engages. A minute or two of run time will pretty much clear the power steering system. After that let the truck sit for 10 minutes to allow gravity to clear the last drops of fluid to run out. Tighten the nut on the outlet line, fill the reservoir, start the truck, warm it up, and recheck the fluid level. Fill as needed. My source puts the cost of a new (rebuilt) steering rack at $264.00 plus a deposit until the old rack is returned. The rack replacement is an excellent SUMMER TIME job, but is not much fun laying in the snow. Doing this replacement in your driveway with hand tools will take pretty much an entire day but will save you a few hundred dollars on labor. A front end tire alignment will be needed after the install to verify both your front tires are pointing in the right direction. If you need parts or have questions, please feel free to PM me. Good luck with this project, Earl
  22. skydoc_17
    Hey Bob, I am really glad to hear that you have returned to your "Roots". I thought for sure you would be parting old "Goldie" out, now that youhave moved on to a 2nd Gen. That was always such a good looking bike that both Jean and I are glad you took another run at it. Ya' Done Good, Bob! Keep us posted. Earl and Jean
  23. skydoc_17
    Jean and I have had the pleasure of having Dave Wells play for us when we visited him and when he visited us this past year. If I remember correctly, he even went down south to attend a "Pick-In" with some heavy weight Guitar talent. Not playing a guitar myself, he sounded excellent and is getting better all the time. Dave is welcome to brighten up any camp fire I have in the future. My hat's off to him. Earl and Jean
  24. skydoc_17
    Hey Tommy, V7Goose is "Da' Man", when it comes to your 2nd Gen. scoot, but I will try to to throw a few tidbits your way. If you have not put a new set of plugs in your bike since you started the Seafoam bath, then I would try that. Carbon (soot) that is washed from the valves and intake system by the Seafoam has a way of finding itself on the end of the spark plug. As far as the reving between shifts goes, Your throttle cables most likely need a good lubing. On the right handle bar, just ahead of the throttle, is the box that holds the run/stop switch and starter button. Remove the two screws from the bottom, separate the two halves of the switch GENTLY! You will see the push and pull cables that actuate the throttle. I start out with WD40 to loosen the old lube that has dried up in the cable housings. Insert the little red straw in the cable housing, squeeze off a blast of WD40, and repeat this several times. make sure to do both cables. Roll on the throttle a few times after a few blasts of the WD40 to move the lube thru the cables. You should start to feel the cables moving MUCH better after a very short time. I then use a throttle cable lube, (or in a pinch, 3in1 oil) to oil both throttle cables. After that I use the WD40 to lube the pivot points of the Carb. linkage, followed by a dab of the 3in1 oil. If your bike doesn't get ridden regularly, (this means almost every day) then 2 OUNCES of Seafoam to a FULL tank of gas will help keep your Carbs. Clean and help it to run more dependably. If you went a little "crazy" with the Seafoam in your quest to get your Carbs. cleaned, and you are NOT taking your bike up on the freeway to find the rev limiter then definitely have a good close look at those spark plugs. (In other words, change them) If this doesn't smooth out your bike and warm up those "cold cylinders" then the Seafoam still has some cleaning to do. Which means take that bike up on the freeway and find the rev limiter in the first three gears until you get those Carbs. cleaned out. If you baby this motor, it will run just like a baby, not like the beast it was supposed to be. It's 15F here in Pennsylvania, and snowing! Unless it's 15 and snowing there, I would be riding this bike ofter enough to keep the Carbs. from gumming up, but that's just me. The more often you ride, the quicker this issue will resolve itself. Earl
  25. skydoc_17
    Hey Dan, As with other threads like oil and such, opinions vary about the use of the different types of manometers for a Carb. Sync. The "Mercury Stick" type are very accurate, but hard to come by these days because of shipping issues (Mercury = BAD to ship!) and cost. Manometers that use other liquids can be a bit messy and have a tendency to allow the fluid to be sucked into the engine thru the vacuum ports. Some members prefer to use a "bank" of four analog Dial type Vacuum gages mounted on a manifold. I personally use the Carbtune Pro. It was in the price range I wanted to spend, it functions well if kept clean, and it is transported easily, which is very important to me because I do a fair amount of "on the road" Carb. Syncing. The important thing to remember about ANY manometer is that the function of this instrument is to BALANCE the vacuum between each of the four cylinders on your engine. The actual accurate measurement of the amount of vacuum in any given cylinder is not important in regards to a Carb. Sync. (although it does play an important part in other diagnostic tests of your engine) You merely need a measuring instrument that will connect to all four vacuum ports for ease of setting, and all four gages need to read the SAME amount of vacuum measured form the same vacuum source. I have seen people successfully use a coke bottle and a length of clear aquarium air tubing. If you have the money and the availability to purchase a set of mercury sticks by all means have at it, but unless you plan to be every VR.ORG's "new best friend" and do endless Carb. Syncs. at Maint. Days and Meet and Eats all across the country, the few times a year you will actually set your own Carbs. would dictate that a manometer in the $100.00 to $150.00 price range would be plenty of spending power for a tool you will only use two to three times a year your self. Just my thoughts, Earl
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