ANNA. (Annanother GT550!)

[Alan H]

Starts on the button (quick press!) now and seat and tank fitted. Changed the cheapo chinky GS1000 tap for the original, but stripped & fitted a refurb kit which seems to have sorted the original leak. Tried the bike down the street - only about 75yds, but gears ok, brakes ok, smoking well, but irregular power despite 4 litres of e5 in the tank. Runs better on reserve, so it appears the reserve is about 4 litres then!
Must get a number plate tomorrow so I can nip out for a few miles shakedown. Might put some oil in the forks first......

[Alan H]

Fitted the number plate when I found the safe place, and filled up with e5 for a steady pootle. Kept to 4k rpm and a nice 12 miles was done. Clutch cable went awol, and a couple of other jobs to tittivate, but otherwise enjoyable.
Whistle see how enjoyable it continues to be.

[Alan H]

Managed a good day's fettling yesterday - good job there's an awning in front of the garage though - one to keep some sun off the bikes, and t'other to keep rain off them. Some very heavy showers here yesterday - (Monday)!
Anyway, stripped another petrol tap - swapped for pies from Ade's Suzuki emporium - and a few other tittying up jobs that crop up during 'shakedown'.
Basically, the clutch cable maladjusted itself so although it adjusted back ok, the clutch was 'heavy' despite light oiling the cable. I wondered if something had moved or come loose on the actual clutch. Whipped the clutch cover off and took the pressure plate off to confirm the centre nut & tab washer were ok, then remantled it all. When I refitted the tacho cable, the engine side connector spun. Bugger.
Took the points plate off and checked that the 6mm bolt that locates it was ok and of course it wasn't.
Fortunately I found a spare (or mebbee the original?!) and nipped it up. Fired up the bike and a timing side rattle had stopped too strangely.......
The forks had been a bit boingy so I took the bars off, removed the rubbers from the fork tops and the tops were circlip type but looked like they hadn't seen any attention for a long time, plus there wasn't much fork oil and gawd knows what it had been in it's original state. A bit of wd40 and light application of a percussive engineering tool unrusted the plugs downwards, but they come out upwards of course. Drilled a 4mm hole halfway through the plugs and used an easy out to loosen the plugs so they could be removed ok. I do prefer the early type forks with threaded tops, but hey ho. Whipped the caps into the lathe & redrilled the hole to 5mm and tapped them 6mm as it's a pita to refit them after the forks are oiled up.
Flushed the crappy oil out & checked springs ok.
Refitted the plugs with new O rings & put 150ml of 20w50 in each leg through the 6mm tapped hole via a syringe & fitted a stainless button head stud with fibre & flat washer in. It'll save somebody else doing it anyway!
Nice fork action now with damping!
Tank fitted & a couple of litres of e5 in, and fired up nice. Rain getting heavier so put everything to bed. When it stops raining, it'll be out for another run and there's a new clutch cable ready, which might get fitted anyway.

[Alan H]

Well, long time no update, so sad to say after the previous post and it stopped raining, I took Anna out for a spin and 'it' was an absolute pig to start. Eventually rumbled into life & started away. Pulled well, ran well, handled well, braked well - actually all seemed well. The fork 'upgrade' worked to and handling was back to normal. Nipped up to the local Texaco & filled up with e5 so I could go on a decent run and - pig to start again. Bugger.
Decided to go local and off we went - as normal - kept revs down to 4000 in respect of the new crank & rebuild and the bike pulled well. Everything seemed fine except for the starting.
Now I'm usually in the habit of 'bike out, check fuel, battery & tyres, then kit & crash hat on, start up & sod off, so all had been ok except for the starting (with new plugs). Anyway after a few miles to a mate's, pulled up & had a cuppa & chat then tried a start. Eventually ran, so headed home. Very odd. Smoking on all 3 pots and pulled well, but this bloody bad starting.
Got home after a total of about 20 miles & got bike kit off then went to start up.
Oh bugger sounds like 'another' noisy engine, mainly behind points area.
Phone Uncle Baz & he suggested getting Anna on the trailer as is so he could hear it run.
Left the bike there (& the trailer) & after another bad starting session, he reckoned that it was cylinder related. Hmmm.
Anyway, came home & went on hols.
In the meantime Baz & John had the exhausts plus head, cylinders & pistons out & measured pistons & ring gaps - which were out of spec, considerably. Now during my strip & rebuild, I polished the pistons & cleaned the ring grooves which had been quite well carboned, but didn't think anything of it and as Anna usually started and ran well, left well alone & didn't check the ring gaps. Anyway Dr. Baz prescribed a rebore to +0•5mm and sent off for a set of Mitaka pistons from Japan & had the bores done to the pistons. Rebuilt & good starting restored, but then I ended up in the horsepingtile (see other thread).
So when I get out of here and the bad leg let's me drive down to Baz's, I can pick it up & get it home.
- See next exciting episode 'soon'........ 

[Alan H]

Nipped sarfwards today & called in at Ade's with pies & pick up carb stuff for Bluesmokebaz who had Anna - now rebuilt & running. Starts on the button and now at home, so if it keeps sunny tomorrow, the local air might be well polluted by a good dose of 2t smoke. Whistle see.