Intro - Hoge's Husa (Australia)

aaron said:

In an earlier post Taffy mentioned there would be no oil feed in that head. At the time I thought that was a reference to the external oil feed I was intending to add. However, now I can see what you mean - there is no oil gallery in the corresponding location.

I assume there must be an oil gallery elsewhere perhaps running through a bolt hole? Will I be able to have this drilled for the 501 located oil feed or is this head swap just not possible? Going to need to address this before I go spending on parts. The 501 head has some minor damage so it will be a toss up between which is the more economical to repair or modify.

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the newer cases still have the oil gallery drilled its just the heads that are different so as far as oil galleries are concerned you can out a new head on an old bike and its the same setup as a stock 04-08

on my 08 I run an external oil line from the oil filter cover to inside the exhaust rocker pin and have modified things there to direct the lube where i want it. as stock it was just splash lubed but i flog the piss out of my bikes on 40deg C + days so the extra oil up there helps

the 02 head has a complex oil feed system as stock and is required as the rocker arms run on bronze bushings

Got talking with another '02 fe501 owner on FaceBook last night who is looking for a head and crank. Sounds like his bike has suffered the same fate, so Garry if you're reading this..good luck mate, lots of help to be found here. Can't promise it's going to be easy or cheap!

Turns out the exhust rocker in the new head has a stripped thread for a tappet adjuster...grrr.

Picked up WP suspension owners manuals in my travels this week. I'm a big lad (>100kg) so I may need to consider upping the spring rates or losing more pork. Frankly, the latter is the better option. I've been gradually accumulating riding gear but I'm leaving the purchase of pants until later, like until I actually need them. At least my head and feet won't be changing size anytime soon.

Read through a bunch of threads on the Yamaha R6 starter modification this morning - so just leaving this here for my own reference so i can find it again. A used R6 starter seems to go for about $110 AUD and there is one listed NEW at $114 at the moment.

http://husaberg.org/electrical/7984-restarter-upgrade-02-650-a-3.html

The saga continues...

may well have a crank, probably thinking about at least my 550 crank. I defo have several heads.

Taffy

Photo upload time!

Here is the FCR - no choke
Various shots of the chewed up original cam side by side with the replacement "08" cam.
Note the ADC stopper was dislodged, I pressed that back in but have yet to weld it (my father took his bottle of Migshield back home - how rude).

I pulled the ADC spring out and modified it. Unwound it to leave approx 12 turns on the spring. It doesn't feel remarkably stronger but I can notice a slight increase in tension.

Would I do better to get a KTM spring? Thankfully there is a KTM dealer a few blocks away from work in Melbourne's CBD. The dude on the parts counter is very helpful.

While I wait for parts to arrive I've been tinkering with a few other little bikes. This Suzuki JR80 came as a non-runner for $400. They tend to go for upwards of $1000. Only needed a carby clean and a few minor missing screws replaced, new levers, fix flat tire, straighten up the brake pedal etc. Let my 8 year old nephew have his first ride but I think the clutch/gears are a bit beyond him to master just yet. I got a Suzuki DS80 (pretty much the same bike) when I was 10 (in 1987) and I seem to remember figuring it out very quickly! I also picked up a 1999 Honda XR70 which is 3 speed semi auto for $150, but it needs rings. I've started cleaning that up and will let him buzz around on that until he can step up to the Suzuki. After that there is a 2000 RM80 to put back together - the engine was a mess but I've resurrected the crank. Some drongo stripped the left hand thread off the primary gear side and the barrel was shot, metal through the engine. Ready to go back together with new bits now.

ADC spring...

Well the hunk of junk valve spring tool arrived yesterday and I wasted no time in removing 1 inlet and 1 exhaust valve from the newer head before work today.

The tool itself bent very easily. I should have remembered to give the valve retainers a quick tap with a plastic hammer BEFORE using the tool, so as to loosen the colletts, but I still think its a piece of crap given how easy it bends. I'll actually chop it up and just use the useful parts in making a stronger spring compressor tool.

nice pics hoges

the valve spring compressor is a crackup .. i made one out of a G clamp

about the rod /crank, I ordered some bits of Orangeberg yestdy

he let me know hes got ex andy caldecotts old stock for the older bikes and quite a bit of rod and big end gear generally

Good to know. I've been squirreling away cash for rod kit etc and as of next pay will be all systems go for an Orangeberg parts order.

Kibblewhite RFS valves and springs ordered and paid for too. Worked out $450 AUD with shipping.

Here is the bike trailer my father and I have been building. He's been making horse floats for years and I credit all welding to him. It started out as a 6x4 trailer he got at the local tip. The floor was totally eaten by rust, even so, I put a piece of ply in there and we just used it around the farm and I once did a road trip to Adelaide and came back loaded with Mazda rotary engines. Decided it was time to re-create it so out came the grinder and I was left with a useable axle/springs and hitch/A-frame. The rest of it is new steel (Duragal - galvanised).

I roughly copied the dimensions of the old 6x4 but added an extra foot into the front to make it 7x4 internal and an extra 6" either side for the perimeter tie rails. I left the axle set as per the 6x4 measurements to make it easier to reverse without jack-knifing. The bike channels are now retained by Riv-nuts so they bolt-on/bolt-off. Still need to get a ramp folded up. That will be held down by the two gold coloured wing nut thingymabobs (spare wheel retainers salvaged from a Mitsubishi Magna). Just kinda made this up as we went without a plan but I'm very happy with how it turned out. Aim has been to sell it when finished to fund the Berg!

aaron said:

Well the hunk of junk valve spring tool arrived yesterday and I wasted no time in removing 1 inlet and 1 exhaust valve from the newer head before work today.

The tool itself bent very easily. I should have remembered to give the valve retainers a quick tap with a plastic hammer BEFORE using the tool, so as to loosen the colletts, but I still think its a piece of crap given how easy it bends. I'll actually chop it up and just use the useful parts in making a stronger spring compressor tool.

Click to expand...

The tool is fine. Put the closed side in a vice and let the lower side rest on the table. Use correct attachment to go around the spring retainer. Tighten slowly and when tight tap the top of the tool with a hammer.

Kibblewhite kit arrived from eBay seller "atv_zone". That was fast!
$269.95 USD plus $39.95 shipping = $309 USD ($450 Aussie)

96-96000 Kit includes:

1x Titanium Intake Retainer (2pcs) 96-96001
1x Intake Valve Spring set (2pcs) 96-96002
1x H.T. Steel Intake basewasher (2pcs) 96-96003
1x Intake spring shims (2pcs) 96-96035
1x Titanium Exhaust Retainer (2 pcs) 96-96036
1x Exhaust Valve Spring set (2pcs) 96-96037
1x H.T. exhaust basewasher (2 pcs) 96-96038
1x Exhaust spring shim (2 pcs) 96-96039

Separate packet
2x Intake Valve 96-96004
2x Exhaust Valve 96-96007
4x Valve stem seal 6mm 700-100029


Starting to feel real now! I also pressed the ADC stopper back into the timing gear and welded it on the back side.

Despite having my own Mig welder I don't have my own gas to run it. My dad left his bottle of Argon/Migshield at home and it would have been a 140km round trip to go get it so I had to hunt around for another bottle. Luckily Total Tools are now doing a bottle swap-and-go program. $330 later I had gas to do the job. $200 of that is a deposit on the bottle. Ah, the silver lining is at least I can practice my welding whenever I want now.

awesome ! my argon ran out today .. be great if there was a swap and go over here ...

that nitride coating on the KW valve stems looks fantastic

bushmechanic said:

awesome ! my argon ran out today .. be great if there was a swap and go over here ...

that nitride coating on the KW valve stems looks fantastic

Click to expand...

*looks closer at unboxed bits* hmm me gusta!

I was considering sending the springs over to Rohan at Isotropic Superfinishing for a bit of this action!

I have a good friend in the rotary scene that puts a hell of a lot of work through Rohan and I've had valve springs, oil pump gears and other assorted engine internals done before for a token amount because they're just going through in a batch rather than individual pricing. Anyway, wouldn't cost much for a few bike bits to get the bling treatment.

Not much to report lately as work/family issues were big priorities over the past 4 weeks.

Earlier today I picked up my freshly reconditioned cylinder head with a 3-angle valve job and the Kiddlewhite valves/retainers/springs all set up. Cost me $140.

Work continues....

Aaron,
Who did the head work for you?
I'm on the southern side of Melbourne (Peninsula) and the only company that did quality wok on small engines was WideLine Engineering (Harry Bell) but he packed up the business to travel Australia. I know that Eastern Jet Ski's is tooling up to do the current generation of multi cylinder 4 stroke jet ski engines but isn't really motivated to do single cylinder stuff at the moment.
Rod

Duggan Balancing
50 Newlands Rd, Reservoir VIC 3073
(03) 9469 4550

I've had a few odd jobs done there over the years. They mainly specialise in V8 performance and this is the first motorbike job they've done for me.

The last time I went there I needed an RM80 crank fixed (primary drive retaining nut was stripped by previous owner) and they sent me to an engineering firm down the road. Gasgep Industries were unreal! They CNC cut a new LH thread and made me a nut for $100 and it was ready in less than 24 hrs. Could not speak highly enough of that place!

I also ran a big job through North Geelong Engine Reconditioners last year (Landcruiser turbo engine - about $7k worth of work) these guys have a great machine shop and are not the cheapest but their work is spot on. Probably too far for you though!

I'll ask around as the dudes I know building cafe racers may have some useful leads. I'm doing a little XR70 rebuild for my nephew - since he can't get the hang of the clutch on the JR80 yet - anyway the barrel is scored and my hone is too big. Its a really simple job and I just need a no ******** place that is semi local to clean it up. Otherwise I'm looking at a Chinese "88" kit for it but would rather keep it all Honda genuine.

<sigh> Lots of half-finished projects laying around at the moment. Need to get back into fixing up my RX4 coupe too.

very brief update:
A little package arrived from Germany today containing part # 800.36.001.000 which is the later "black" lower timing chain guide. I got the upper guide/blade with the head but was missing the lower one and the guy I got the head from seemed reluctant to pull it from his cases. No idea why although he did say he'd chuck it in if I bought some EGO hand guards from him. Well, maybe I will, later.

I got sick of looking at my cracked fenders and put the later model yellow fender on the front and the blue plastic rear went on. I've seen a new sticker kit from SCRUB designs which I quite like.

I've been tinkering with other things and started a bit of work on one of my project cars (RX4 sedan). I've also bought myself a classic 1974 Honda Trail 70 (aka "Dax") in need of a total restoration but with a view to getting it street registered. Its coming over from Western Australia (Mandurah) courtesy of the seller's parents who live in Victoria. Can't argue with free freight from one side of the country to the other but I'm forced to wait a few weeks.

Wow. You might just see my berg up for sale. Lol

I lashed out and bought the Scrub designs graphics. $160 AUD.
Changed my plastics around a little bit. I've got a much newer and brighter (2005?) yellow front fender and changed to a blue rear plastic. As it is a little faded I'll experiment with blocking it back and bringing it to life with a heat gun.

Doesn't run but will look amazing!

Hey Aaron

I've been restoring my plastics too. Had a go with a heatgun and some old plastics I had and failed royally. My technique probably. But I've been getting awesome results from wet sanding with plastic conditioner, going from 180 all the way to 1600grit. It's slow and painful but my fender and shrouds look brilliant. I was only intending to paint afterwards but I don't see the need now.

Also, I've been using a polyurethane based rattle can to redo my fork and heel guards. VHT wheel paint. I've used it on my husky and it's unbelievably durable stuff with a great satin black finish.

I had my first attempt at plastic restoration yesterday although I decided that if it was going to be trial and error then I'd best trial on something other than the berg. I'd watched a few vids of the process so thought I'd have a go.

I've got a little Honda XR70 here that I'm restoring for my nephew and the factory white plastics were looking a little sad. The graphics were peeled and scratched and being white seemed to have asbrobed the red mud the bike was last ridden in before it lost compression and was parked up. It was a $150 bargain on facebook which basically just needed a piston/barrell. Although I've given it a full clean up, painted frame, tires, ProTaper bars etc. He struggled with the clutch on the JR80 so this XR70 should be a good starter bike and he can step back to the JR80 to learn clutch and gears.

But I digress, scrubbed them down in sugar soap, used a medium foam sanding block and started with 400 grit wet and dry on the tank. Without much work I had flattend the least of the scratches. I'm still struggling to remove the discolouration but maybe I just need to persist or step back to a 180 grit. 400 was almost too conservative to start with.

The heat gun was borrowed from a friend but didn't come with any nozzle attachments which provide better control. I trialled the heat on a section of the rear fender under the seat where any mistakes won't be seen. It did "gloss-up" nice and easy and I think I've got the confidence to get them looking reasonably OK.

The side pods are really scuffed so I think I'm just going to get some vinyl wrap or sticker-bomb the sides.

On the berg the blue rear fender is only lightly faded and not even chalky so I think that will come up fine although it looks like the SCRUB designs kit will mostly cover it anyway.