Author Topic: The Pepsi Racer (Read 50566 times)

Skunkmiester · « **on:** January 06, 2009, 01:14:43 PM »

Well this supposed Seeley (sold as) is unlikely to be a real one, but the bike and bits with it can be made into something rather nice I think.

Here is the beginning. Churchgate Fairing, Dresda swingarm, twin disc mod, big ally tank, finned engine covers.

Bike, as it was sold.

Once those daft stickers were removed.

Having removed fairing, tank, carbs, battery and electrics.

Carbs as they were.

Carbs soaking in Coca-Cola for 24hrs.

Carbs after a fair bit of bench buffing and a dremel buffing felt or two.

Damage to the lovely tank.
Left highlight is a hefty dent (will need inner skin cutting out so the dent can be accessed).
Middle highlight is deep scratches from tarmac rash (aluminium welding and filing/polishing out).
Right highlight is staining (battery acid or other substance, will buff out).

Closeup of scratches

scothonda · « **Reply #1 on:** January 06, 2009, 01:22:35 PM »

Nice looking job on the carbs, I have to tackle mine soon. This may seem like a stupid question but what does the soaking in coke do?

I'm new around here and trying to learn all this stuff!!!! thats my excuse and i'm sticking to it

Take care

j-conn · « **Reply #2 on:** January 06, 2009, 01:30:27 PM »

i am curious 2.
i need to do a good soaking...

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #3 on:** January 06, 2009, 01:30:59 PM »

Next up is remove engine

Send frame off for bead blast, minor welding & powder coating

Strip head and check pistons / bores / valves etc

Polish covers etc

Polish wheels (in very good condition anyway)

Polish forks, or paint

Find decent headstock

Fabricate new fairing bracket

Sort out the rear sets.

Refresh switchgear

Respray fairing

Fit 4 into 4 straight-through exhausts back on after respraying them

Get tank sorted and polish it

Enjoy a cracking bike by taking it to Portugal for the pre 80's rally

I am thinking of lowering the fairing down an inch or two to improve the looks.

As it is now

Photoshopped as it would look

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2009, 01:41:05 PM »

Quote from: scothonda on January 06, 2009, 01:22:35 PM

what does the soaking in coke do?

It was a bit of an experiment to be honest, Coke has acidic properties and is used in many cleaning operations (drop an old 1 penny in a glass for a couple of days or an old tooth).

I couldn't get any proper carb cleaner soak or yamaha cleaner so this was the next idea.

Before soaking the carbs it was a #$%* to get the petrol varnish off. But after 24hrs soaking and a quick spray of Wynns spray cleaner it just fell off.

Then a liberal spray of cleaner and some elbow grease and buffing, followed by more spray cleaner and the ole air hose and this is the result.

My top tip though is do not polish the carb bodies, I have given myself one hell of a job in the future even if it does look better, I will have to clean them constantly and strip and re-polish every year. Just polish the caps, float bowls, bowl clips and other small bits, they are esy to keep sorted.
Coke may not be the best but in my experience it works and is a lot cheaper than ultrasound cleaning (although probably not as thorough).

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #5 on:** January 09, 2009, 10:56:01 AM »

Well tomorrow it is 'remove the engine from the frame day'.

Soon after it will be, take the head off, 'inspect the pistons and bores day' to see if I have been stitched up even more than I already have.

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2009, 09:33:49 AM »

Well after a few mistakes, a fair bit of swearing, dropping the engine on my finger nail against the frame (some serious new words were invented then). The Engine is now out.

Lessons learnt.
Try to remove exhaust studs (couldn't at the time but will do for refitting the engine).
Remove tappet access covers.
Get someone else to help (had to do it all on my own). Although the engine does not seem as heavy as it looks.

It looks like the cowboy who worked on this before me sprayed the engine in the frame and also used a wire brush on the tappet main cover to clean and semi polish it without removeing the engine.

Looks like I have a fair bit more work to do now than before. It is a real shame that you can't remove the head and barrels before removing the engine, this would have been so much easier. I cannot believe how new bikes have improved as far as maintenance (apart from electrics of course). And also the weight of the wheels is shocking, oh well, it all adds to the fun.

Before removeing the wheels and engine.

After

Always wondered why people garages looked such a state during this phase of the restoration, now I know why, place looked like I had slung a couple of grenades in there. Now I just need to prep the frame before sending it off to a firm in Windsor for a bit of welding/bead blasting and then powder coating.

Then strip, check and rebuild the engine.

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2009, 10:55:17 AM »

Latest Update.
Cases split and all internals bagged and tagged ready for inspection.
Cases will be sent off for bead blasting, minor crack in mounting point needs fixing. Then I will respray using either Halfords 5 Wheels or VHT Universal Aluminium. Same for head and barrel, may spray the head in gold, I have seen it elsewhere and liked it.

All stripped

State of the internals

My new favorite tool, have borrowed my Dads in the past, why I have not had my own is beyond me.

Frame will be off to get beaded and painted at the same time as the engine is beaded, so I will have room to sort the forks and wheels etc.

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2009, 10:06:37 AM »

Cases are in with the bead blasters, although I was advised to get them vapor blasted but there is nobody nearby who can provide this service.

After a tidy up of the garage I then had room to sort the frame. This started with grinding down the lower engine mount as per recommendations from people on this forum. Then after that I cut off the rear seat mount as this was the reason that a big chunk had been cut out of the seat unit. Having seen some of the bikes on these pages I don't think I need to weld a replacement, lower brace onto the frame, It should be strong enough.

Next up is hopefully getting hold of a Gordon frame mod from Gordon, this system looks like a god send.. Then more frame cutting and a spot of welding.
Can't wait to get the frame off for powder coating so that I can then start hanging bits back on it.

I will be leaving the exhaust /pillion hangers on the frame as I will be using the original 4into4 exhaust which has had all baffles removed and is shortened and straght through (should sound pretty 'rorty').

In the mean time I will be polishing engine covers, stripping switch gear and getting ancilaries up to scratch for the rebuild.
The spokes will definatley need replacing.

The Dresda swingarm is in very good condition apart from the bearings that unfortunatley need replacing as it seems that some water has got in them and they were a couple of rough spots. I'll order these soon. I will repaint the swingarm though at the same time as the frame so that they match.

Engine mount ground down, prior to a bit of smoothing down.

Frame minus the rear carrier, having just been ground off.

Need to make up a steel bracket that can be welded to the headstock vertically, this will be used as a mount for the faring racket.

Dresda swinging arm all clean and ready for blasting/coating.

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2009, 11:33:24 AM »

Well not much has happened.
I need new bearings for the Dresda swinging arm which Mr Degens has said that he can supply.

The engine covers came up in good condition but are proving difficult to get polished to a good standard, this is mainly because my existing buffing wheel is a standard 150w bench grinder with polishing mop attached. The damn thing stalls on large pieces and it gets a bit frustrating, also my soap is unkown and I cannot be sure that I am using the best available.
Thus am awaiting delivery of a 375w buffing machine with various mops and specific soaps. I have a hell of a lot of kit to buff and this definatley won't be my last restore so it was worth the money.

Petrol tank is being repaired by a specialist for ouch kind of money, but ah well, it is the center piece of the bike so must be perfect.

Just started cleaning up the valves, using?

Yep Coca-Cola. Lets see if it can loosen the burnt on deposits.

Before the use of a good mixer.

Life tastes good.

Still contemplating more changes to the frame, not sure if to cut off the pillion hangers or not. I was going to use the old exhaust fixings on them but would prefer to lose them altogether.

Will probably wait until I get hold of a Gordons frame kit from Gordon and then toss a coin to see if the pillion hangers cop it.

the-chauffeur · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2009, 02:25:03 PM »

Hey Skunk

Good use of coke there. Can I ask how clean it got the carb bodies prior to polishing? I did the float bowls without using a mixer first and it took a fair old while.

Keep on with that build.

andy750 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2009, 02:43:09 PM »

Looking good so far and looking forward to more!

good luck
Andy

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #12 on:** February 03, 2009, 04:40:10 AM »

Hi,
the coke does not seem to completely clean the valves but it does make the carbon dead easy to remove. I could just mount the valve in the chuck of the pillar drill and gentle touch the valve with a bit of wet and dry and after 2 minutes on the buffing wheel they came up nice and polished.

lordmoonpie · « **Reply #13 on:** February 03, 2009, 04:43:04 AM »

Quote from: Skunkmiester on February 03, 2009, 04:40:10 AM

Hi,
the coke does not seem to completely clean the valves but it does make the carbon dead easy to remove. I could just mount the valve in the chuck of the pillar drill and gentle touch the valve with a bit of wet and dry and after 2 minutes on the buffing wheel they came up nice and polished.

Have you tried HP Brown sauce instaed of coke - works just as well and smells great too....of course it may not be available in the USA

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #14 on:** February 03, 2009, 09:03:51 AM »

Apparently HP sauce used to be the polish of choice for Firemen to polish their poles with (no sing at the back).

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #15 on:** February 08, 2009, 09:57:01 AM »

Got the engine back from the beadblasters, they company blasted with aluminium oxide so I will be spending a fair while cleaning and blasting with air to ensure that nothing is left where it shouldn't be. I have ordered the VHT paint so will be painting them this week hopefully.

Came up quite nicely I think.

I did make the stupid mistake of leaving a transmission bearing in the cases so thats one screwed bearing to replace.

My old buffer was not man enough to polish up the side covers etc, at 150W it had to go.

Replaced it with a 370W buffer from Ebay, works a treat.

Side cover part way through polishing.

I started these pieces without wet and drying them and going up the grades. I will spend some time with 800 and then 1200 grade and have another go at polishing.

Spent today grinding off the pillion rests and airbox mounts and then tidying up the frame.

Then started on the top yoke, long way off finishing obviously.

Need to pick up the tank this week as it is now finished. More bloody polishing.

ianmck · « **Reply #16 on:** February 08, 2009, 10:49:15 AM »

Hi don't know if its of any interest, but there is an alluminium top yolk on e-bay, about 4 hrs to go, enjoying your project, if you do yhe barrels in gold please post a pic, good luck ianmck

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #17 on:** February 09, 2009, 11:06:17 AM »

Tank all repaired, looks great, just needs more blasted polishing and a couple of new decals.

Won't be doing it for a bit as I can't see the point in polishing it up to a good finish and then letting it dull for a couple of months.

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2009, 01:43:16 PM »

Took this morning off from work so that I could paint the engine.
Very pleased with the results, VHT Gold for the head and VHT Natural Aluminium for the rest. Excellent paint, went on very easily and has a terrific finish, it is also solvent proof. Now that the paint is hand dry I need to get it in the oven to bake for an hour, I think that the oven is big enough.

Now comes the fun bit of putting the bits back in (grown ups lego), grinding the valves in and wondering what that part is thats left over at the end and realising that you need to split the cases again.

BlindJoe · « **Reply #19 on:** February 12, 2009, 03:12:17 PM »

That thing looks sharp man, good job!

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #20 on:** February 12, 2009, 04:44:57 PM »

Shazam!! That's looking good.

andy750 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 13, 2009, 07:48:51 AM »

I like the gold! Although I would have done all the fins in gold - very sharp!

cheers
Andy

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #22 on:** February 13, 2009, 10:03:46 AM »

Thanks guys.
I know what you mean Andy but I didn't want to over power it. As it is the gold is a bit darker than I had hoped for.

I'm also considering changing the colour scheme of the bike now. Instead of a red frame, I may go for black, and for the fairing I may keep it white but with cadmium yellow stripes with black edges.

May need to try some photoshopping of the original images to decide.

andy750 · « **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2009, 01:03:12 PM »

I think the black frame with the gold engine would look pretty cool...the fairing also sounds interesting...what fairing do you have? Quarter fairing? Curious to know how you will attach it (as I am thinking of doing the same).

good luck with it,
cheers
Andy

Skunkmiester · « **Reply #24 on:** February 14, 2009, 03:20:42 AM »

Hi Andy,
the fairing is the full size Churchgate fairing as shown in the first few pics of this thread.

It was secured by a horrible strap system which looked pretty crap to be honest.

I will be welding a couple of brackets to the front of the headstock so that I can make up a bracket like on a modern bike.

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Author Topic: The Pepsi Racer (Read 50566 times)

scothonda