The do & don't of home maintenance !!!!

[MotT3]

Well recently being trying to track down rough running on the Sprint... I am making progress but not cured yet ??

But a short list of the do's & don'ts of the maintenance I have done so far...

Don't...brake off one of the mounting lugs for the body work before you have even done anything constructive !

Do...repair broken mounting lugs with Araldite and hope it works ?



Don't...break off the fuel selector knob even though you have read a million times on this forum "they all break"

Don't...then phone your local dealer for a replacement and have them let you know it is not available on it's own you must purchase the whole fuel tap assembly at £66 quid (probably plus vat too!!)

Do...keep hold of your broken selector knob when the break including the bit that broke off to save you from running around in a mild panic trying to find the bits in the garden !!!

Do...repair your fuel selector with Araldite..also fill the void in the rear of the knob like you should have done ages ago when reading about how they "all break" !!



Don't forget when you have the carbs off for a clean to also pull the fuel filters at the hose unions on the carbs rather than thinking a quick spray up with carb cleaner will do..

Do...then set these aside and fit inline fuel filters.



Don't...twist and force you new fuel filter into the fuel line so much that it looks like this



and won't pass any fuel..as you will only know this when the bike is fully assembled and your miles from home :-/

Do...flush your rusty fuel tank and seal it

Don't...do this when you have a full tank of fuel which you have to drain...double don't.. syphon it out as you WILL get a full gob of unleaded fuel complete with RedX fuel treatment !!! bit tart slightly cheeky but full boded :-0

& finally...

Do...if you have a faulty HT lead check all the others carefully as another may need replacing..this will allow you to cure a potential problem further down the line that may manifest itself as fuel related and so overt a LOT of ham fisted spannering....

Sheeesh ever had one of those days !!!!!

[banzai7863]

Hey Mot,
So, you have been having a fun day of bike maintenence, huh? Sorry to hear about your mishaps, and we have all had one of those days, that's for sure.
It seem as if most of our headaches came from being hasty. We all hate it when our bikes are down and can't wait to get back on the road, but the most important thing to keep in mind when doing any project, is not to rush it. Especially when you have to take a whole component off, such as your carbs. While you have them off anyway, you might as well check out every aspect of the system, i.e. diaphrams, o-rings, filters, vacuum lines, etc. As you are now painfully aware, it is much more efficient to spend more time on inspections, before you reassemble, as not to have to pull things apart again.
We have all done it and probably more than once. Just take a little more time in the process, instead of rushing to get everything back together. You will enjoy the project more, have better results and do much better on your next blood pressure test. LOL. Best of luck in your future projects.

Originally Posted by MotT3

Well recently being trying to track down rough running on the Sprint... I am making progress but not cured yet ??

But a short list of the do's & don'ts of the maintenance I have done so far...

Don't...brake off one of the mounting lugs for the body work before you have even done anything constructive !

Do...repair broken mounting lugs with Araldite and hope it works ?



Don't...break off the fuel selector knob even though you have read a million times on this forum "they all break"

Don't...then phone your local dealer for a replacement and have them let you know it is not available on it's own you must purchase the whole fuel tap assembly at £66 quid (probably plus vat too!!)

Do...keep hold of your broken selector knob when the break including the bit that broke off to save you from running around in a mild panic trying to find the bits in the garden !!!

Do...repair your fuel selector with Araldite..also fill the void in the rear of the knob like you should have done ages ago when reading about how they "all break" !!



Don't forget when you have the carbs off for a clean to also pull the fuel filters at the hose unions on the carbs rather than thinking a quick spray up with carb cleaner will do..

Do...then set these aside and fit inline fuel filters.



Don't...twist and force you new fuel filter into the fuel line so much that it looks like this



and won't pass any fuel..as you will only know this when the bike is fully assembled and your miles from home :-/

Do...flush your rusty fuel tank and seal it

Don't...do this when you have a full tank of fuel which you have to drain...double don't.. syphon it out as you WILL get a full gob of unleaded fuel complete with RedX fuel treatment !!! bit tart slightly cheeky but full boded :-0

& finally...

Do...if you have a faulty HT lead check all the others carefully as another may need replacing..this will allow you to cure a potential problem further down the line that may manifest itself as fuel related and so overt a LOT of ham fisted spannering....

Sheeesh ever had one of those days !!!!!

[wiayeman]

DO have a few pints and a packet of tabs

[ivincent]

Just remember tomorrow is a new day.

[BadTriumph]

Good man to share your mistakes so that we might learn from them... And maybe even have a chuckle since we've all been down that road a time or two ourselves.

[KitNYC]

I feel for you, man! As has been said, thanks for sharing.

Cheers, better luck next time around,
-Kit

[Roden]

Hey Mot, sounds like an average day in my life!

Mate, the fuel knob is available on its own, I got one about 6 months ago - $15AUD.

That dealer is having a lend of you I think...

Cheers,

Roden

[Sydtrip]

Likewise, I paid less that AU$20 from a dealer for the fuel knob.

Just remember tomorrow will be better Mot. I'm sure it's nothing a ride on the Speedy won't fix.

[daytona 750]

i paid about 12 quid for mine

[daytona 750]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOOK-RARE-GENU...1%7C240%3A1318