The Solvol Autosol arrived the other day. That is good stuff. Slap it on, work it in, then buff away and your aluminium or chrome comes up with a lovely deep shine. Applied with an old tooth brush into nooks and crannies it works just as well. Shiny, shiny, my precious…
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| Good gear. |
So where are you with all the rest Andy? What’s this about polishing stuff? That should be at the beginning or end and since this project started some six months ago or more, is this evidence of slow progress? Procrastination? Bang on with all counts. It is going slow. I do procrastinate.
I wanted to finish off the head but I have run into a cleaning problem. I don’t want to knock out the guides before having the casting cleaned but there are very few firms around here who can do that sort of thing. Luckily I found Peter Clark in a village nearby. He featured in an issue of Café Racer magazine:
…and was mentioned as a very helpful chap who runs a Ducati race preparation workshop in Paulhan. He gave me the following advice:
- Don’t be tempted to sandblast because it renders the casings porus and makes life difficult.
- Vapour bead blast instead http://www.motalia.com/Html/Blasting/what_is_it.html
Armed with this I’m getting enquiries out.
It seems like it’s taking an age, but I want this bit done properly.
On other areas, I have checked the gudgeon pin fit in the small end (I couldn’t remember if this had been looked at back in 1993) and it is a lovely smooth play-free fit. Looking at my planning sheet I inspected the studs and crank casings with a view to a rinse and blow through just to be sure. That’s when I found the bodged banjo bolt.
This one’s not mine, but a previous owner. Evidently someone has stripped the thread out of the oil pump outlet side and reworked it with a 7/16” BSF thread. The connection is made with a raised flange set screw that has been drilled to serve as an oil union bolt. The problem with this is that it leaves precious little material after the holes are drilled and this one has sheared. What I really need is a bolt with just enough shank to provide the extra material needed. Thinking cap time.
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| Shear bodgery |
Meanwhile I occasionally stray into the workshop as I wait for the kettle to boil in the kitchen and if I do, I usually polish something. Such lovely shiny things…
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| Precious... |
