MarJay's 1995 FireBlade project - lots of small jobs

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Following on from my General Bike Chat thread here:https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=4869068#4869068

where JeffyJeff asked me to document the work I'm doing in Show and Tell, so here goes.

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A week or so ago I took the first steps into remedying the worst of the issues on the 'Blade. The first and most obvious issue was the engine rattle, which if not fixable could well be something terminal. I had a strong suspicion that it was a camchain tensioner issue, but I couldn't be sure until I had done some digging.

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A little context - As some of you might know, my last track bike was a 2007 Honda CBR600RR. As lovely as it was to ride, it was an absolute pig to work on. This bike had a manual camchain tensioner fitted, which was just annoying, and not particularly easy to adjust. I had bought a replacement OEM automatic item from Fowlers or somewhere, and when it arrived it was pre compressed and had a little tool inserted into it (a stamped piece of T shaped steel) to hold the tensioner in place for fitting. Of course, being a compulsive fidget I removed this tool before time to see what happens, and this caused the spring on the tensioner to extend, pushing the tensioner plunger out. It took me a slightly sweaty and tense few minutes to work out how to use the tool to twist the plunger back in, and drop it into place to hold the tensioner back as the factory had intended. This gave me a picture of how Honda designs their CCTs and set me up for the first bit of work on the 'Blade.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=104015

I removed the 'locknut' from the end of the camchain tensioner body (which was suspiciously finger tight...) and looked inside. I could see the slot in the plunger that a flat blade screwdriver could fit into, and I picked out a tiny watchmakers screwdriver out of my toolkit. I turned the plunger about 2-3 turns, and then whipped the screwdriver back out. The plunger popped back with a satisfying 'click'. I then refitted the 'locknut' (lock bolt...?) and tried starting the engine. It's definitely MUCH quieter! This may not be a permanent fix, but it at least shows it's not a big end bearing or something.

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Knowing that the bike was likely salvageable, I placed a few orders for parts on the 27th including the missing bungee hook bolt and spacers and the missing fairing bolt from Fowlers, a new fuel filter and handlebar grips from Wemoto, and a new but suspiciously cheap fuel pump from eBay. All of these items arrived on Tuesday the 30th which is quite efficient during the Christmas period!

I had a solid day on Sunday to work on the bike, so I started with the quick wins. I fitted the bungee hook bolt but have found that the two sides of the tail unit plastics don't quite line up properly. I spent a bit of time trying to get them to line up, but I think one or other or both sides are slightly warped. I should probably check if the subframe is bent (copyright BCF circa 2010) (see fuel pump wiring image if you want to know what I mean).

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I fitted a new bolt to the right hand lower fairing, which was fairly easy.

I then decided to crack on with the bit I'd been dreading, replacing the fuel pump. The previous owner had bypassed and removed it, so I had no idea how it was supposed to go together. I was also affected by my previous experience with my aforementioned CBR600RR, on which I replaced a cracked throttle tube. In order to do that, I had to remove the fairing, the tank cover, the fuel tank, the engine ECU, the steering damper ECU, the air box lid, the inlet trumpets, and the airbox base which took approximately an entire day. As former BCF Member Goose once said: "Damn the Japanese and their tiny hands!".

Turns out, my previous trauma was not relevant to this particular work. The riders seat is removed with two bolts hidden under the flexible rear corners of the seat, and then the tank is removed by two bolts, one under the seat and one behind the headstock. The whole thing took about ten minutes, the majority of which was removing the hose clips and hoses from the base of the tank.

Once off, there is a cavernous gap between the back of the rather small airbox, and the front of the subframe where the seat and tank mount. No airbox removal for this one, because the space is where the fuel pump is contained. I assume, anyway. I did find one image online of the fuel pump in place but it was not especially helpful as it did not show the hose routing or the electrical connections. Luckily the previous owner had given me a wodge of paperwork, an owners manual, a service book (including a little credit card thing with what seems to be the second owners name on it), the original fuel pump, and a replacement he had tried previously (but possibly broke trying to run the bike without the fuel switched on) and crucially both Haynes and Clymer manuals.

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The Haynes manual has a small black and white photo of the fuel pump in place, with no hose routing, and has a line drawing of the fuel pump in place, with a dotted line that fades out showing the hoses on the pump, but no routing. Rats.

I faffed about a bit trying to work out what might go where based on the existing hose setup, and what was attached to the removed fuel pump, and then remembered the Clymer manual. I've never had one of these before, but just assumed they were an inferior American version of a Haynes. It seems that's not *quite* true, as it has twice the number of pages as the Haynes at least, and happens to contain a line drawing showing both the hose and wiring routing for the fuel pump. Phew. I had to do some 3D translations in my minds eye to work out which hoses were actually meant to go where (as they are all pre formed and will only fit one way) and with the help of the Fowlers parts fiche on their website, finally worked out how the pump should probably have been fitted, and how the fuel filter, fuel tap and carb inlet pipe should fit in relation to that.

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I fitted the ebay tastic Chinesium fuel pump, re-using the mounting rubber from the previous owners attempt, and ensuring that both the top and bottom slots in the rubber were mounted over the clip. No bolts here, just a T shaped stamped metal bracket top and bottom, that the rubber slot in the mount fits over. I suppose this passes for light weight in 1995, this is not considering the massive waste of space under the tank and between the exhaust downpipes and the front of the engine...

I went to connect up the fuel pump, but initially could not find where the cable goes. After more checking of the Clymer manual I found that the cable on the pump is far too short. I returned to the previously fitted fuel pump that the owner had given me, and found a strange lump about where the connector is on the new ebay special. I peeled back the electrical tape and discovered one of those awful snap electrical connectors... They had cut the cable off of the OEM fuel pump and used it to extend the cable for the replacement fuel pump...

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So at present the tank is off, the fuel pump is fitted in the way I *think* it should be using the Haynes, Clymer and Fowlers drawings, and I've ordered a 2 pin Honda style connector so I can re use the OEM cable but build an extension so any new pump that I buy (if the Chinesium one turns out to be bad) can be quickly swapped out without any crimping or soldering.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_0148.jpg

I'm on hold until such time as this connector arrives in the post, but I did also notice that the existing fuel pump control module (it's not a relay, but it's not much more advanced than a relay apparently) has a misspelling of the OEM manufacturers name... The manufacturer being Shindengen

This is the OEM part (not currently fitted to the bike):

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_0157_200.jpg

The currently fitted part has Shundengan written on it in the same font. Could this also be a chinesium copy perchance? I think so.

Still to do:

Rebuild the front brake calipers - The front brake is the style that you need to send an email to it and it may slow the bike down within 24-48 hours...

Check the Regulator Rectifier. The indicators changed speed when the bike was revved on the test ride. The faffing with the fuel pump meant that the bike didn't run so I was not able to put a multimeter across the battery terminals to test the charging system.

Check the right hand dipped beam bulb - The previous owner said that the right hand dipped beam is intermittent, and if you touch the connector on the back of the bulb it sometimes comes on or goes off...

On checking the headlight, I found the main beam switch sticks on. I tested it at the weekend, and have not been able to unstick it this time... I might need a new left hand switchgear. That would be very annoying.

The handlebar grips are REALLY worn, so I've got a new set to fit

Thermostat - The bike seemed to take a suspiciously long time to warm up when I test rode it. It was cold that day, and I've not really run the bike for any period of time since, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Left fork top - It's mullered, but I do have a set of fcuked forks from ebay for no money with a pair of clean fork tops. I'm not sure how much work it is to dismantle the forks and replace the tops...

Rear shock. It looks a bit like something dredged up from the bottom of the thames, but it felt like it did have some damping left. I discovered why the front end felt so hard... one fork had ALL the preload wound on, and the other was showing one ring. I set this back to 3 rings showing as per the owners manual. I also reset the compression damping adjusters which were both wound in quite far. I usually manage well with softer suspension setups due to my slight frame, so I'm going to hold off on doing anything more on the suspension until I've taken it for a further shakedown ride.

So, with a fair bit of work to do - watch this space!
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

A copy of the actual honda manual would be handy for you.

Among other things, they have detailed diagrams of the routing of hoses, cables and wiring. They also give you the order of operations to get bits on and off, which are sometimes counter-intuative. The example I give being the rear shock on my VFR which first tells you to remove the seat, battery and starter relay. This is because it comes up and out through a hatch in the bottom of the battery box.

It also has very detailed specs like camchain wear measurements and which lubricants/sealants to use on what fittings and torque specs for everything.

So if I wanted to know about the hose and cable routing for the fuel system on a VFR, I'd have this diagram.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Yes, Good idea Stinkwheel! I have managed to obtain a copy of the Honda workshop manual. It seems the line drawings from the Clymer manual may actually be a rough reproduction of the drawings in the Honda manual... Naughty naughty Mr Clymer. It's obviously inked in a different way, but the cutoffs to all the hoses and so on are absolutely identical, and the exploded diagrams are all from the same isometric perspective with the same distance between the components...
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

jeffyjeff · World Chat Champion Joined: 02 May 2020 Karma :

If you need to source any electrical connectors or terminal pieces during your restoration, I can recommend this source: https://www.vintageconnections.com/. They specialize in connectors for old Japanese motorbikes that are high quality and mate up with the OE connectors on your harness. Likewise the terminal inserts. If I remember correctly, they sell terminal crimpers for a professional repair. I sourced parts from them some years ago when I was doing a similar project on a 5th generation VFR.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Something to add - I found the original fuel filter was 'kinked' and the output side nozzle was bent over a bit from the centreline. I wonder if this is why the bike has suffered from fuel flow problems? The brand new OEM style fuel filter may well have been a great investment! We shall see.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

A removal from the to-do list:

I unscrewed the left hand switchgear and sprayed it with some silicone spray, and used a flathead screwdriver to manipulate the main beam switch. I was not particularly optimistic about it, but it seems the main beam switch now works as it's meant to.

An addition to the to-do list:

The rear brake light switch doesn't appear to be very effective. It's present and correct, and connected but pressing the rear pedal has no effect on that 'ol stop and tail. The front brake does but you need to hang on the lever pretty hard to make it work. Well, a bit like the front brake I guess?
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Given how universally shite motorcycle brake light switches are, you might want to consider fitting hydraulic ones? Especially if you're doing brakes anyway.

I fit them to all my bikes once the standard ones go on the blink. They come as a banjo bolt with a built in pressure switch and a couple of flying wires to hook into the loom. Not had one fail yet and I've been using them for years.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

blurredman · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Karma :

Always love a pictures in such a thread. Smile

I didn't know steering dampers have ECUs? Shocked

____________________
CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Update: I pulled off the long cable from the previous fuel pump, and crimped on a 2 pin Honda connector to the free end. I noticed the insulation colours were different on one end than the other? So I hope that the pinout from the cable is correct. I then connected up the fuel pump.

I noticed on the previous fuel pump there was a huge sticker that said "Warning: do not mix up the polarity as it can damage the pump".

So I was a little concerned about the wiring when I re-connected the fuel tank, but after a bit of fiddling to connect up all the hoses onto the base of the tank I went for the fire up. After about 30 seconds it fired and ran! It then took an absolute age to warm up, but once it did, I turned off the choke and it idled nicely. The engine doesn't sound too rattly. There is a very subtle noise but I think that's probably the clutch.

Woo!

I also fitted a missing top hat washer to the rear tank mount, and to the left seat bolt.

Still to do:

Check regulator rectifier

clean and perhaps rebuild the brake calipers

replace clutch cable

check thermostat

Replace left fork top

A few other odds and sods like the rear brake light switch and replace the clutch cable

That seems so much more doable now! Smile

____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

I had a bit of a brain worm - I remembered I needed to secure the new fuel pump cable, and had to take the seat back off to do that. With the seat off I also decided to check the regulator rectifier, seeing as the bike now starts. A solid 14.85v at all revs seems OK to me, if a tiny bit on the high side but I'll keep an eye on it.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

I am wondering if I should try to get hold of a period end can for the bike. A nice Micron or something would go quite nicely. I did do some digging and it seems there aren't many about, but oddly enough Quill still exist, and still produce a relatively cheap oval can for the 1994 'Blade...
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

At the weekend I had a look at the front brakes. The calipers are in great condition, and the pistons seem fine despite a bit of dirt on them. They all move, but not equally freely, and when you pull the brake, only one piston on the left hand caliper moves. It then meets resistance, when the rest start to move, which I can't see would be good for braking efficiency. This behaviour implies gunk behind the seals, so I'm going to order a rebuild kit and rebuild them. The right hand caliper is better, but still not great.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_0185_117.jpg

This'll be the third time around for me doing this, and so I'm basically an old hand at it now. The fact that the pistons do move means that I should be able to remove them easily and re-use them. I did have to buy a Torx socket set in order to undo the bolts that hold the caliper halves together.

The main issue with it is that it's incredibly messy work... Confused

Worth it though for a 900cc sportsbike - It needs good brakes.

This now leaves the following work:

Rebuild brake calipers and refit, with new fluid. Check master cylinder is working ok (I think it is).

Replace clutch cable - part not yet ordered

replace handlebar grips - I have the parts, I just couldn't be arsed to do it this weekend.

Replace left fork top. Not essential, but a nice to have if I want to be able to adjust fork rebound damping.

I also need to keep an eye on the following (but not necessarily do any work):

Thermostat/cooling system

Regulator Rectifier

Rear shock

Check service items, I think it had a service middle of last year, so I don't think it really needs it.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

Not much progress this week as I was out all weekend. I did place an order from Wemoto for a new brake light switch, front brake caliper rebuild kit and a few other odds and sods, so hopefully I can tear down and rebuild the calipers next weekend.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

I had a whole Sunday to work on the 'Blade this weekend, so I made the most of it.

First job:

Replace the non functional rear brake light switch. I considered Stinkwheel's suggestion of using a banjo bolt switch (which I have used before on other bikes) but I decided against it because this bike is so original. Plus a replacement switch is £7. I removed the seat and the connector for this was on the right hand side next to the subframe rail. The cable routing was a bit odd, but easy to copy. It took a bit of fettling to get the pull spring back into place, and to get the switch to come on when the pedal was pressed, but it was relatively easy to do.

Here's the old switch. I'm surprised the bike passed an MOT with that there. I don't think it's likely it failed in the few months in between the MOT and now...

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_0209.jpg

Here is the old switch in place, not an exciting picture really:

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I then decided to swap the clutch cable. One end of the cable has a curved steel guide that would be a faff to pull through the area under the tank where the cable was routed. I had a brainwave towards the back end of last week so after I disconnected the cable at either end, I then tied a piece of string to the flexible end of the cable. I pulled it through from the handlebar end and left the string in place. I cut off the string, and then tied it on to the new cable, and used the string to pull it back through into place. The difference in clutch feel after having a new cable was night and day, and I'm so glad I did it. The old cable had bits of insulation making a bid for freedom from the cable guide at the handlebar end, so I suspect it was well overdue being replaced.

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I then moved on to the big job, the brake caliper rebuild. I got a TRK rebuild kit from Wemoto and I laid out everything I needed to do the job.

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I had cracked off the torx head bolts while the calipers were on the bike, so I then just needed to remove the calipers (one at a time so as not to confuse parts) and place the free end of the brake hose in a jug cable tied to the fork leg. I then took the calipers to my bench and dismantled them. The brake pistons put up a fight but I was able to remove them without damaging the outside surface which would have wrecked the new seals had I done so. The seal grooves didn't *seem* too dirty, but I brushed them out with a brass brush on my dremel as I did with my KR1S brakes. I then reassembled the calipers on the bench (including pads, pad pins and springs) and fitted them.

I then refilled the brake fluid with new fluid and bled up the system using my Draper vacuum bleed tool to start it off. What I find with this bit of kit, is that it's good for starting off but it tends to be a bit aggressive when just getting the last bits of air out of a system. I think it's so powerful that it drags air between the threads on the bleed nipples making it look like there is loads of air in the system. The metal fairing stay on the 'Blade provided a good place to hook the vaccum bleed tool so the air bubbles could be seen rising in the clear vacuum tube.

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Bleeding did not take long, as the system has a bleed nipple on the double banjo on the master cylinder. I alternated between left caliper, right caliper and banjo bolt and after two vaccum bleeds and a single manual bleed on each I felt pressure at the lever. I gave it one more manual round and the brakes feel decent, at least in my garage.

So this leaves:

Replacing handlebar grips. A horrid job that I dislike immensely, I did not want to ruin the day by attempting it. Given another free day with no other jobs to do I will do it, but it doesn't stop the bike from being rideable.

Replacing the mullered fork top. As with the grips, this won't stop me riding the bike and it needs some time to work out how to disassemble the spare fork leg, and to swap the parts without causing too much bother.

So now the project is semi on hold until the weather improves, or I feel the urge to do the last couple of jobs listed above.

I need to keep an eye on the reg rec, the thermostat and how the bike handles when I test ride it, but it probably won't be until closer to Easter because the bike is on SORN now, so I don't want to tax it until the weather improves.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

to v or not to v · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Nov 2020 Karma :

you could always fit grip puppies rather than going through the hassle of new grips.
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current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
Moto Guzzi V7.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

You get little self-powered digital LED voltmeters you can hook into a switched live somewhere. I built one into the fusebox cover on my VFR (you can see it from the riding position but it's not in your face). I find it quite reassuring.

They are cheap. Like a fiver for three cheap.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Display-BI-TOOL-4-7-30v-Voltmeter/dp/B07P8NNLWH
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

MarJay · But it's British! Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

The wemoto ones look ok. I got a set for Mrs stinkwheels CBR6. Haven't fitted them yet though. They don't exude a cheap and nasty vibe although I haven't checked how straight they are (although that's always a lottery whoever you get them from these days).

Not fitted them because it failed its MOT on a warped disc and we needed it to go away on so I ordered them that day, sight unseen before I'd even picked the bike up. Turns out it had a stuck piston. I kept the discs because it'll need some before terribly long and they wont be getting any cheaper.

I plan to fit a pair to the VFR too. I like that they are actual round discs, not the wavy shit everyone keeps trying to sell me.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.