engine build - slowly but surely

[Dick Eastman]

more pics:

[Dick Eastman]

more pics"

[Dick Eastman]

I made the mounts for the speedo , a Sigma 1009 STS. Gives speed , avg speed, max speed, odo, trip odo, trip time , and current time; it's wireless, and like the one I had on my Kaw. The fork mounted sensor counts wheel revolutions, so the front tire rolling circumference must be programmed in. On my Kaw, the factory speedo read 60 mph, when the Sigma showed about 56mph. This addition will be small and unobtrusive, and mounted easily below the tach.

[DJM]

Neat!!

[Dick Eastman]

Neat!!

Thanks.
I finished the head light installation, and started on the tank. I double-sided taped some 80 grit onto the mill table and worked the bottom edges flat; I then made two alum bars to bolt to the bottom of the tank so I could mill the necessary frame clearance at the rear bottom edge of the tank - easier than trying to saw/grind this in. The tank was made by "Glass From The Past". It is well done, and will require minimal hand work. He sent me two pans for Hondas - I chose the one for a CB350, and he mated an Aeromachi tank profile to the pan. Once I have the tank located on the frame, I will weld mounting points on to match the three M8 bungs in the tank [which he also placed to the locations I gave him from the pan he sent]. He also put the petcock bung where I wanted it - a 1/4 18 NPT. This sets in a little "well". He also sealed the inside with Caswell resin, impervious to gas and alcohol. This is the same resin used by oil companies to coat the in-ground tanks at gas stations.

[Dick Eastman]

Finished the fork brace, a typical dog-bone style, 6061 alum. I still need to come up with dust seals

[Dick Eastman]

I finished the tank mounts, and started on the steering damper installation. I had to come up with a way to mount the damper as close to the top clamp as possible, which meant eliminating the upper clamp nut and washer. I milled off the nut threads of the stem below flush with the clamp, then bored a clean-up in the stem , both ends. I turned up an alum plug for the top, which incorporated a locator plug for the damper, and fit closely to the bored hole in the top of the stem. I threaded the bottom of the plug to receive an 8mm threaded rod, and made it long enough to protrude thru the bottom of the stem to accept a S/S plug in that end, which fit the bore in the bottom of the stem - put a S/S acorn nut on this. This ass'y allowed the top clamp to be drawn down, while providing a locator for the damper.