Having the correct tool makes the job easier...

So, in a fit of stupidity I decided to rebuild the YZ. It's clearly
been neglected for at least ten years.

Part of the rebuild today included cutting one of the shock linkage
bolts off with an angle grinder. Things have siezed pretty solid.

I needed to press old bearings out of various linkage arms. Normally an
utterly hateful job. On this occassion though I decided to buy a press,
admittedly only a weedy one ton arbor press.

Oh my word. It certainly makes a difference. I will probably keep
looking for something second hand with higher pressing capacity but so
far I've pushed about four of the eight or so bearings out. It's a lot
bloody easier than pissing about with a vice... or a hammer.

 

<hyper jealous>

Will it be up to doing the swing arm bearings?

<Checks Ebay>

Wish I had got one when doing mine now.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I'll find out next weekend.

Sorting out the linkage bearings first and then I'll move onto the swing
arm.

I would have bought one of the 6 ton hydraulic ones on ebay but they
aren't available Must admit my buy finger is twitching because it's the
sort of thing I know I will use and as others point out you can't have
too much pressing capacity (some of the bearings needed an 'extension'
on the bar to press out and a couple are soaking in plus gas over the
week because they didn't want to come out).

I think it's the sort of tool you only need once or twice a year but
when you need it, you need it. I don't have the option to take things
to shops to do for me (there, I've justified the purchase!)

 

Where do you get your Plusgas? None of the tool porn merchants at the
NEC on Friday had it, but they all pretty much acknowledged it as the
one true fluid. Good job you can get it on Ebay. The lad swears by GT85,
which seems OK for lubrication, not I'm convinced by its penetration
qualities.

I could offer barter terms against ultrasonic carb cleaning jobs, except
that carriage on a swing arm is likely to be more than on a Keihin or
Mikuni.


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

<PRE-EMPTS PREDICTABLE RESPONSES>

For his bike!

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Pete Fisher wrote:

Forget GT85 and Plus-Gas as penetrating fluids, get yer mitts on some
SPL-100 if you can find it. Expensive but ten times better than
Plus-gas, and infinitely better than GT85

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Inter-Continental Hyperbolistic Missile , CBR600F-W racebike
in the making, TS250C, RD400F (somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

So where might I find it?

<Googles>

Ha, 'Prolong' - spray viagra?

Their website appears to be dead:
http://www.prolong-uk.com/
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

<puts s.47 enquiry on hold>

 

You dirty old man.

 

Local motorfactors sells it.

Where are you based, Shropshire ish I *think*?

 

oh, Harold, how could you say that? Now go feed the horse...

 

Can't find it in the ones round here these days.

ISH. Wolverhampton, though three miles down the road one way you are in
to rural South Staffs and a few further the other way rural South
Shropshire.

In any case my swing arm bearing replacement needs are met for the
foreseeable future having done the YZ250, so long as the lad's YZ85 is
OK when I check it in the spring.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I've got some, which my records indicate came from tooled-up.com

 

Heh. Loz, you beat me to it. Expensive enough to make you selective
as to use, and quite keen on aiming it accurately when it does come off
the shelf. Still, 13 quid a year for penetrant isn't bad, considering
the grief it saves.

Don't forget its USP, though - it will dissolve Loctite if it can get
up the threads. So there's an alternative to burning it out: ideal for
brake caliper bolts.