Topic: Terry's Boneyard Barn find Budget Suzuki T500 Reanimation.

[grcamna2]

Terry,I know you'll miss that Smooth Running VFR750.
The T500 fuel tank looks very solid;that's classic Japanese iron.

[Terry in Australia]

+1 to stripper is terrible. My Citrus Strip that I use is fairly good if you give it time. Some that I've tried don't seem to do much. I've found that straight Simple Green in my ultrasonic, heated, takes paint off too. It also works cold but takes a lot longer.
Nice looking tank, very sound.
Maui has had a huge Covid spike too. Tourists here don't seem to think there is a pandemic. We just stay away.
One mainland group we know of has planned a 100 person destination wedding here for early September. Really? I bet the wedding pictures will not be masked people grouped together. Rules are tightening, we wonder how long they will go until they restrict tourism again. Maui is hooked on tourism like a junkie.

Yeah mate, we've been lucky here in Melbourne, because people don't come here in winter, it's too cold. Sydney is a real problem, it seems that so many people there don't give a sh1t about anyone else so ignore the rules, hold big parties and not wear masks. Absolute dickheads.

Speaking of dickheads, a group of 60(?) Jews in St Kilda were busted holding an engagement party this week, no masks of course, and 3 of them were tested positive for Covid. Unbelievably, one of them was a doctor! He's lost his job and may be an ex-doctor shortly. Not picking on the jews, but it seems that the biggest offenders here are "New Australians" as Aussies used to refer to immigrants from all countries, they really seem to think that our laws and regulations don't apply to them.

I'm fully vaccinated and my family will all be soon, but I still have to stay home and not ride my bikes while we're all locked down, so the sooner these idiots start doing the right thing and stay the fcuk at home, the sooner I can ride my bikes. That's really all I care about.

Back to the Suzy, my wheels from the US are getting delivered today, and my Titan Performance exhaust system will be shipped out from England today, so I should have it soon. I better take my frame over to the blasters and get it ready.  

[grcamna2]

Terry,I know you'll miss that Smooth Running VFR750.
The T500 fuel tank looks very solid;that's classic Japanese iron.

Hello Terry,Have you located an original T500 OEM toolkit yet ?

[Terry in Australia]

Terry,I know you'll miss that Smooth Running VFR750.
The T500 fuel tank looks very solid;that's classic Japanese iron.

Hello Terry,Have you located an original T500 OEM toolkit yet ?

G'Day Bill, no mate, not yet. I think I've seen one or two for silly money on Ebay, but I've concentrated on buying what I need to build a bike, and I'll pick up all the peripherals as funds permit. The sale of the VFR has paid a large lump off the T500 bill, but won't cover all of it, so it's good that all the expensive parts are paid for.

[grcamna2]

Terry,I know you'll miss that Smooth Running VFR750.
The T500 fuel tank looks very solid;that's classic Japanese iron.

Hello Terry,Have you located an original T500 OEM toolkit yet ?

G'Day Bill, no mate, not yet. I think I've seen one or two for silly money on Ebay, but I've concentrated on buying what I need to build a bike, and I'll pick up all the peripherals as funds permit. The sale of the VFR has paid a large lump off the T500 bill, but won't cover all of it, so it's good that all the expensive parts are paid for.

I found a complete 17 pc. T500 OEM toolkit on Ebay for $79 with free(USA?)shipping.I'm not too swift when it comes to cut and paste whatever but it's item #154454874400  seller name 'dvr-cfp'.

[Alan F.]

That item number is a good lead Bill, here's the link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154454874400

[grcamna2]

That item number is a good lead Bill, here's the link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154454874400

I put it in my Watch list on My Ebay.The seller in Beaverton,OR. just sent me a special offer of $69.95 shipped.
This is a complete kit,a good addition to that classic vintage Suzuki T500.

I wonder what fasteners that swivel socket tool is used with on the bike,the cyl/head nuts? I imagine it's turned by that one,long tool with a hole through it at the top:a type of T-handle system.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, I bought it. I was really trying to get thru one day since I saw the T500 on Ebay a few weeks ago without buying anything, but oh well, at least I have a toolkit now and can cross it off my list.

[grcamna2]

Thanks guys, I bought it. I was really trying to get thru one day since I saw the T500 on Ebay a few weeks ago without buying anything, but oh well, at least I have a toolkit now and can cross it off my list.

Excellent  Will shipping be possible to your FL. address ?

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, I bought it. I was really trying to get thru one day since I saw the T500 on Ebay a few weeks ago without buying anything, but oh well, at least I have a toolkit now and can cross it off my list.

Excellent  Will shipping be possible to your FL. address ?

Yes Bill, I told the seller that he needs to put his name and address on the box, the knob who sent the engine cases didn't and they're still sitting at MyUS.com's depot in Florida. Hopefully they'll release them soon........

[Zunspec]

Restoration 101, Terry.

Always check if it's still available from the Main Dealer

TOOL KIT (09800-21028)  Old Part Number 09800-00123   £27 GBP. (Robinsons Foundry (UK))

Cheers  Geoff

[ekpent]

 They listed the tool kit I think for a 1968 so might have been priced at "Cobra" money.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Geoff, I did take a look at their site earlier for other parts a couple of weeks ago but got frightened off by the 500 dollar (AUD, $365 USD) fuel petcock and the $120 air filter etc. The tool kit was a bargain, by comparison, but with shipping to Oz, probably not much cheaper than the used one. I'll see what my local Suzuki dealer has got, but if he's as expensive as Robinson's Foundry, I'll be sticking with Ebay.

Anyway, I didn't get any bike work done yesterday as I had a big job to do for my day job, but I had some deliveries, so happy. The wheels and tyres arrived, they look great and the tyres look almost new, but there is a little cracking on the front tyre, so I'll have to buy new ones for the Roadworthy inspection sadly. I'd love to be able to buy some old style tyres for it, rather than modern tyres, even though modern tyres stick to the road better.

T500 Thursday 19 Aug 2021 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

The clowns at MyUS.com had thrown the speedo/tach assembly, without any packing material, into the same box as the wheels and tyres. I'd worried that they'd do that the arseholes, apparently Florida has the worst Covid-19 numbers in the US, so I'm guessing that MyUS.com in Sarasota are hiring anyone who can throw something into a box at the moment, although to be fair, they were happily smashing my purchases per-covid. Somehow they'd survived the trip from the US without damage.

T500 Thursday 19 Aug 2021 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And my lightly used Jonsered chainsaw that I bought online from a pawn shop in Sydney arrived too. I was worried that the chain brake was jammed on, but I was just being too gentle with it, so over the weekend I'll chop up the bigger branches that I pulled off the roof of my house a couple of weeks ago and give the wood to Spotty for his open fire. Hopefully some more stuff will turn up today.

T500 Thursday 19 Aug 2021 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

 

[grcamna2]

The wheels and meters look wonderful Terry.I really like Jonsered chain saws:they were what I worked on(I worked for a grain store who also sold new Jonsered chainsaws)as my first job in 1973 after getting my working papers when I was 16;I was getting my own wage and glad I wasn't working for my Father anymore.Those Swedish saws were very rugged.

Terry,I believe your model Jonsered is made in USA.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Bill, I just wanted a cheap chainsaw and for what I paid I could have bought a bigger new Chinese one, but I'm sick of Chinese crap. I saw that Jonsered are made in the USA, and they're related to Husqvarna, so figured they must be pretty good. This one looks like it's done about 5 minutes of work, so hopefully it'll be fine.  

[jaytee-nz]

Terry, Stihl bought Jonsered out many years ago and from then on all Jonsered's were Stihl machines with different outer plastics (I used to own a lanwmower / chainsaw shop years ago and we sold Jonsered machines). So you shouldn't have any problems with it.

[Terry in Australia]

Terry, Stihl bought Jonsered out many years ago and from then on all Jonsered's were Stihl machines with different outer plastics (I used to own a lanwmower / chainsaw shop years ago and we sold Jonsered machines). So you shouldn't have any problems with it.

Thanks John, that's good to know mate, Stihl and Husqvarna are both great brands, I don't know much about Jonsered, but as long as it's not Chinese, I'm happy. I think mine needs a service though, it fired up easy, then died just as quickly so I'm not sure what the issue is? I'll pull the plug and fill it with fresh fuel tomorrow, but that's about the limit of my chainsaw expertise?

[grcamna2]

Terry, Stihl bought Jonsered out many years ago and from then on all Jonsered's were Stihl machines with different outer plastics (I used to own a lanwmower / chainsaw shop years ago and we sold Jonsered machines). So you shouldn't have any problems with it.

Thanks John, that's good to know mate, Stihl and Husqvarna are both great brands, I don't know much about Jonsered, but as long as it's not Chinese, I'm happy. I think mine needs a service though, it fired up easy, then died just as quickly so I'm not sure what the issue is? I'll pull the plug and fill it with fresh fuel tomorrow, but that's about the limit of my chainsaw expertise?

Terry,it's actually a Poulon brand.

[Zunspec]

Thanks Geoff, I did take a look at their site earlier for other parts a couple of weeks ago but got frightened off by the 500 dollar (AUD, $365 USD) fuel petcock and the $120 air filter etc. The tool kit was a bargain, by comparison, but with shipping to Oz, probably not much cheaper than the used one. I'll see what my local Suzuki dealer has got, but if he's as expensive as Robinson's Foundry, I'll be sticking with Ebay.

Hi Terry,  Robinsons price for the new petcock is std. for this part (if you can find it).  For genuine OEM spares they are no different to others.  I bought my tool kit when they were £21 GBP, the same on Ebay ("Very rare original T500 Tool Kit") I've seen fetch well into three figures  . 

Tyres - I fitted a pair of Metzelers to mine for the old style look.  Ribbed front and block style rear, I'll look up exactly what they are if it's of interest.  For performance I'd fit a set of Avon's, although you'll be hitting ground clearance issues on just about any contemporary rubber.

Cheers  Geoff

Edit - Metz ME11 3.00 x 19 Front.  Metz ME77 3.5 x 18 Rear

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Geoff, I did take a look at their site earlier for other parts a couple of weeks ago but got frightened off by the 500 dollar (AUD, $365 USD) fuel petcock and the $120 air filter etc. The tool kit was a bargain, by comparison, but with shipping to Oz, probably not much cheaper than the used one. I'll see what my local Suzuki dealer has got, but if he's as expensive as Robinson's Foundry, I'll be sticking with Ebay.

Hi Terry,  Robinsons price for the new petcock is std. for this part (if you can find it).  For genuine OEM spares they are no different to others.  I bought my tool kit when they were £21 GBP, the same on Ebay ("Very rare original T500 Tool Kit") I've seen fetch well into three figures  . 

Tyres - I fitted a pair of Metzelers to mine for the old style look.  Ribbed front and block style rear, I'll look up exactly what they are if it's of interest.  For performance I'd fit a set of Avon's, although you'll be hitting ground clearance issues on just about any contemporary rubber.

Cheers  Geoff

Edit - Metz ME11 3.00 x 19 Front.  Metz ME77 3.5 x 18 Rear

Thanks Geoff, and thank God I don't need a petcock! I'll check those tyres out mate, I feel quite confidant fitting older skinnier tyres on Suzukis after installing the Michelin on my T350 front wheel a week or so ago.

[ekpent]

 Another option on the petcock is to buy a cheaper one that you manually turn on and off and ditch the expensive vacuum set up. Mine was a leaker,probably needs a rebuild but have an aftermarket for now.  I bought some Echo chainsaws that I have been happy with, made in Japan and start every time.

[Terry in Australia]

Another option on the petcock is to buy a cheaper one that you manually turn on and off and ditch the expensive vacuum set up. Mine was a leaker,probably needs a rebuild but have an aftermarket for now.  I bought some Echo chainsaws that I have been happy with, made in Japan and start every time.

Thanks Eric, I bought a new manual petcock for the T350 (because I didn't have the OEM one) and I suspect strongly that it doesn't shut off at all, by the amount of 2 stroke fuel that dribbles on the floor of the patio hours/days after I fire it up or ride it? I've had leaky vacuum petcocks too, so maybe this one is just a dud?

I have 3 chainsaws now, a Solo (my grandfather bought it not long before he died in 1983) a McCulloch (a German Dolmar in Mac clothing) and now the Jonsered. Oh, and my Chinese pole saw, a dangerous POS that I wouldn't trust as far as I can throw it, but it was useful when the tree fell on my roof, so I won't throw it out just yet.    

[PeWe]

I was sure that Jonsered was a Swedish brand. I think they have closed.
Jonsered is a small city in south Sweden.

[BenelliSEI]

Terry..... Those wheels look great! Nice progress (as usual).

[MauiK3]

I have a trusty old Jonsered, which is a dead ringer for a Husqvarna. Works great.
Terry, do you soak aluminum parts in your acid bath?