Another 900 GTS story. The Black Pig

Bob, you are absolutely right, i forgot about the GT, They could not have made many of them ?
The cover was the same as the square case 750 and first pre Bosch 900SS models i suppose ? I sold a Sassi rep a few weeks ago. I'm sure all Darmahs were bosch so the cover Neil saw would not fit.
We live and learn :)
 
Martin,
Is this what you're looking for?
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It came in my box of treasures. Might be available if I rebuild with the E/S.

Just PM'd you about picking up the brake hub next week

Derek
 
We must be due some update pictures soon ? how are things coming along ? I have to say i am seriously inspired to build a 860 special, really depends if i can find the right basis to build on :)
 
Yes, things have slowed down for now and my garage is more or less empty.
- Frame and other painted parts are the powder coaters Mikris in Stroud
- Chome bits are at Classics and Chrome Hinckley
- Alloy cases etc are at MDR Services in Stratford, but are ready to pick up
- Back brake drum is with Martin W but ready to pick up
- Spare engine is still with Cotswold Engine Reconditioners awaiting Flywheel removal.

But I have got all the odd bits back from zinc plating at Brimscombe Platers. 40 quid for the lot. Marvellous!

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Paddy - any news on the painter / paint colour?
 
Glawster said:
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But I have got all the odd bits back from zinc plating at Brimscombe Platers. 40 quid for the lot. Marvellous!
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Yes, it is! I am very interested, I'd like to know if the wheel spindle still fits through the wheel bearings after the plate; Aside from that, I think I will be giving Brimscombe Platers a call.

I think the zinc plating looks great.

Thanks for sharing the results.
 
Vacant Possession said:
I am very interested, I'd like to know if the wheel spindle still fits through the wheel bearings after the plate;
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I'm wondering that too. I've done this before - and had to rub most of the plating off the spindle to get it through the bearings :doh:
 
Paddy - Many thanks. I've spoken to Paul at Barnham Vehicle Services and seen their work on their Facebook site. He sounds like the right man for the job to me. It's really out of the way from my place, but I'll find an excuse to go and drop the tank and sidepanels in.

VP - I'm not sure you fully understand the kind of business Brimscombe plater is! Scroll back through the pages and you'll find a photo of their premises. Does that give you a clue? They may or may not be on the telephone, but it's more a "word of mouth" business. I've only lived in Glawstershire for 20 years so I'm not a local. I usually take my son to act as interpreter. I suggest if you want anything zinc plating send it to me and I'll take it in - no problem. Zinc's not a perfect solution but it does tidy up odd bits very nicely.

Regarding the spindles - all I can say is that I had no problem with my 250 spindles fitting - and if they were too tight it would be easy enough to skim off the unseen plated portion of the spindle between the bearings. I really only got them plated so the exposed ends look tidy. The plater does wrap copper wire into all threads though. All part of the service!
Not every piece is perfectly finished, but I think it's a huge improvement.
 
Glawster said:
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VP - I'm not sure you fully understand the kind of business Brimscombe plater is! Scroll back through the pages and you'll find a photo of their premises. Does that give you a clue? They may or may not be on the telephone, but it's more a "word of mouth" business. I've only lived in Glawstershire for 20 years so I'm not a local. I usually take my son to act as interpreter. I suggest if you want anything zinc plating send it to me and I'll take it in - no problem. Zinc's not a perfect solution but it does tidy up odd bits very nicely.
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They sound like my kind of business; Most excellent! I think I would like a few pints with them :)
Thank you for the offer, I think the answer to that is 'yes please' and credit you with at least one pint for dealing with it :cheers:.
Regarding the spindles - all I can say is that I had no problem with my 250 spindles fitting - and if they were too tight it would be easy enough to skim off the unseen plated portion of the spindle between the bearings. I really only got them plated so the exposed ends look tidy. The plater does wrap copper wire into all threads though. All part of the service!
Not every piece is perfectly finished, but I think it's a huge improvement.
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Okely Dokely, your access to machining tools and your own skills sound they eclipse mine. I think they sound brilliant.
 
WOW! Fan-bloody-tastic! NO - I must not be diverted from a bog standard GTS.

Many thanks Paddy for your excellent proposal for a painter - It's 178 miles from my place but better have a proper job done of it.

Got to go - I've got the electrolysis process with the soda crystals recommended on the other thread by 748kr going in my garage at the moment and the crud that's coming out of the tank is most impressive.
 
I just happened across the edition of Café racer where they tested the GT special. I loved the paint on that.
 
Glawster said:
Many thanks Paddy for your excellent proposal for a painter - It's 178 miles from my place but better have a proper job done of it.

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Pack kit up carefully and send it ?, maybe make the journey to pick it up to be safe ?

that special above doesn't work for me at all :-( If you are going to go over the top on the front then why leave that pencil thin swing arm. Maybe if it had the std SS controls on the bars it might look better but right now it looks like a classic with an ugly Monster front end cobbled on.
Sorry :)
 
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I only said I liked the paint:o I agree that there is an imbalance between front and rear. I think that they shortened the swing Arm. I'd have like to have seen a different line for the seat support tubes (self-supporting would have been best) but it was for a TV show and we know how they distort reality. And that corn's not ripe.
 
I spent 35 years as a production design engineer before i gave it all up to sit on a pile of bits with a dirty van and a buckets of old oil ....
so i can say that zinc plating thickness will depend how long they spend being plated but as a rule of thumb it will be between .00022 and .0005" which in C of E is 2 tenths to one half a thousands of an inch, or 12 hundreds of a mm in Catholic.
I an guessing the reason they were winding the threads with copper wire was to stop them getting battered to death in the plating process for zinc which involves tumbling the items in a large plastic barrel at about 5-7 rpm.
these sorts of thicknesses will not be noticeable on a bearing fit as the shafts are probably not that fine a tolerance in the first place. Also think that for Zinc plating the parts might be acid etched first to clean them which probably removes about the same as they put back on with the plating

this applies to Zinc (BZP) and colour passivate etc , ?Chrome is quite different and can be up to .005 thick ie 10x thicker than zinc. Chrome will also be copper plated first in some instances. HTH :)
 
Ah, that's better. I'm starting to accumulate some more clean and shiney bits.
Vapour blasting and polishing was done by Mark Reynolds of MDR Services in Stratford upon Avon 07761 116557.
He's done a very thorough job and even got a bit too enthusiastic by polishing the rocker covers and breather tube. The more blingy the better as far as I'm concerned.
Only bit he didn't polish which I think should have been done is the outside surface of the front wheel hub. I think this should be polished or am I wrong?
I've already done the clutch cover and gear selector box in my own way...but the quality of finish Mark has achieved is something I cannot. Probably as my little bench polisher has a half hp motor and he uses 3.5 hp.
I still need to get the spare set of cases stripped and cleaned and also the rear brake drum (currently residing with MartinW).
What about ensuring all the blast material is removed. Any smart tips on this? (I don't have an air line..)

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On the inside of the LH crankcase the oil ways are showing through the surface. It was the same before cleaning but it's more noticeable now. It does not look to be "structural" and Pat thinks it will be fine - but has anyone else seen such an effect? Next time I buy from Nigel Lacey I'll send him a photo to get his opinion. I'm hoping to use the other set of crankcases if I ever get them split - as they have the original engine number.

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All of mine are like this - I have 4 sets of cases varying from 76 - 80.

Not worried.

All looks most salubrious for the old girl. You have found some nifty services/suppliers, Derek!
 
That's a relief to hear they are in typical condition VP.
Once you start seeing nice clean parts it gives a bit of encouragement.

Now - a question on wiring. I've just opened the bidding on a brand new 900SD wiring harness from Gowanloch in Australia. It's currently quite cheap, but am I taking a risk that it will be unusable on a GTS? I'll be replacing the electronic ignition anyway. Any comments welcome on this.'ve already bought 3 items this week from Gowanloch as he seems to be clearing out some good stuff.

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It really depends on your own ability Derek ? I think i would make my own loom but then i have done it before. I'm not sure how relevant most of a Darmah loom will be to a 860 TBH.
 
After following 748kr's excellent instructions for electrolytic cleaning of the inside of the fuel tank, I now have a nice clean tank ready for painting.
Taking Paddy's recommendation I schlepped over to Bury St Edmonds to see Paul at Barnham Vehicle Services as he's the painter for Made In Italy motorcycles.
Paul seems like a top bloke. We discussed the different options on how to apply the paint. Straight metallic is the easy and cheapest route, but I decided to go for the silver base coat topped with candy blue. This apparently is true to the original paint method and the tone of the blue paint depends on the number of coats. More = darker. It's a bit pricey but let's hope it turns out well.
After deciding on the colour, Paul showed me another 101 blue paint option in his mixing room. By this time the fumes were so thick I couldn't think straight. Here he is opening another blue can of paint....

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And the clean parts keep rolling in. I'm going to have to start building something before long.

Chrome by Classics and Chrome, Hinckley. Very reasonable price, top quality and a 3 week turnaround. How many Chrome Platers give that level of service?
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Powder coating by Mikris Finishers, Stroud. Good value, pretty good quality (although I think RPA in Bristol might be better) and 3 week turnaround. They also blasted the blue Hammerite off my brake discs FOC.
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And I met MartinW this week to pick up my brake drum - and cast my eye over the famous Eelco's Darmah. Mind you, that trike's something else. Reminds me of when I worked for ICI and used to visit Wilton. Only Martin's trike has more pipework...
 
I have progress envy! It is all looking really good. Paint wise my strategy is similar but in green; You certainly aren't hanging about.

I am looking forward to hearing what your Missus has to say when she see's/hears/experiences it.
 
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