What I've Been Working On

[Flyingw]

A while back, a friend brought me his SX for a differential rebuild. He bought it for 300.00. We put it up on my stool and he left. WELL!!!!! When I started looking at it closely, I found so many things wrong with it that I had to get a pad of paper and pen. He was out riding it one day and the left wheel and hub fell off. This is when he decided to have the diff rebuilt so he stuck the hub back on and brought it to me. After a thorough inspection and over a page of discrepancies, I decided to rip the trike apart and fix it. I was just going to fix what was wrong but after disassembly the discrepancy list grew even larger. I had a discussion with the owner telling him he'd spend more time walking back to the truck than he would riding it so we decided to give it a FlyingW makeover. On the surface it didn't look bad but holy smokes!!!!! This is a short list of what I found wrong with it

Wrong rear brake cables
It had an 86 left hub instead of an 85. (this is why the hub fell off. Only two threads on the castle nut)
Rear axle bearings and seals bad
Diff bearings and seals bad
Front axle wouldn't come out of the fork
Tires good, rims totally corroded. We tried to bust the tires off but they would not budge. I got one bead to break loose and the rims was so badly corroded, I decided to abort.
Broke three of the grab bar mount bolts off
Bar control light switch did not work
Tail light broken
Swingarm bearings and seals bad
Swingarm boot wrapped in duct tape
Propeller shaft totally corroded
Rear plastic trashed
Headlight bezel trashed
Every fastener on this trike was corroded
Could not separate the head pipe and muffler. Both were fused together so I had to cut the exh system off

I have the chassis squared away. I ripped the motor apart and found this stuff wrong in the motor

At one point the centrifugal clutch hub nut came loose and slid in to the clutch cover and ground it down. Whoever fixed that and put the same clutch cover back on.
Clutch plates worn beyond limits
All three oil seals leaking oil
Found metal chunks in the tranny (clutch cover)
Three threaded holes in the cylinder the head bolts go in to were stripped
The threaded hole in the stator cover the small inspection plug goes in to was all jacked up
Timing chain stretched
Snapped off exh stud

Today I finally got the engine buttoned up. I loaded it up on my mockup. I decided to run it first on the mockup rather than going through all the hassle of stuffing it in to the frame for its initial engine run. Thankfully it fired right up. Leak check is good so tomorrow I will stuff it in to the frame.

The entire time I've been working on this SX, I have had a guy in Virginia Beach sending me his SX parts for paint and refurbishment so I have actually been two builds at one time except I don't have to assemble the SX in VA. Thank God!!!!

I guess the message here is, with these old trikes no matter how good they look on the outside....ASSUME NOTHING. I thought I'd be done with this thing weeks ago, I was wrong!!!!!!

[lokisbuddy]

Damn u been busy good job

[Outlaw #24]

I am impressed and jealous ! Nice work Jim!

[UPNATM]

Looks killer! Great job man.

[Flyingw]

Thanks guys. It's turned in to far more work than I estimated but I committed to it so I have to finish it and now I've rounded third and heading for home.

[mrtwidster1]

Great to see you doing a project Captain! Goes without saying KILLER work!!

[JasonB]

That's a huge list of stuff to fix man! Your builds always come out so clean though!

[redsox]

great work, as usual. i love working on the sx's. my favorite machine.

[DohcBikes]

. I was just going to fix what was wrong


This is a short list of what I found wrong with it

Wrong rear brake cables
It had an 86 left hub instead of an 85. (this is why the hub fell off. Only two threads on the castle nut)
Rear axle bearings and seals bad
Diff bearings and seals bad
Front axle wouldn't come out of the fork
Tires good, rims totally corroded. We tried to bust the tires off but they would not budge. I got one bead to break loose and the rims was so badly corroded, I decided to abort.
Broke three of the grab bar mount bolts off
Bar control light switch did not work
Tail light broken
Swingarm bearings and seals bad
Swingarm boot wrapped in duct tape
Propeller shaft totally corroded
Rear plastic trashed
Headlight bezel trashed
Every fastener on this trike was corroded
Could not separate the head pipe and muffler. Both were fused together so I had to cut the exh system off

I have the chassis squared away. I ripped the motor apart and found this stuff wrong in the motor

At one point the centrifugal clutch hub nut came loose and slid in to the clutch cover and ground it down. Whoever fixed that and put the same clutch cover back on.
Clutch plates worn beyond limits
All three oil seals leaking oil
Found metal chunks in the tranny (clutch cover)
Three threaded holes in the cylinder the head bolts go in to were stripped
The threaded hole in the stator cover the small inspection plug goes in to was all jacked up
Timing chain stretched
Snapped off exh stud


Is that all?..........


ASSUME NOTHING.

10-4.......EXCELLENT WORK:beer

[Flyingw]

Ya I felt bad for the guy. He's just getting in to the trike scene and just wanted a reliable trike to ride. That would have been a tall order with this one left the way it was. When he gets it back, he will have just that and another SX will have been resurrected for another 20+ years of riding enjoyment so I'm good with that.

[dougspcs]

Next time Jim less talky, talky..more clicky, clicky!!

We're all glued to the porn, who listens to the dialogue??

:D

[Flyingw]

OH!!!! YOU WANT PORN....... WELL, I'll give you porn. Let me have some lunch and I will give you some porn.

[Flyingw]

In my first post, you can see what I started with. I did take pics as I went so here goes.

Teardown!!

[Flyingw]

It had a Cobra exhaust on it but it was fused together so I cut it off. I don't have a torch but I traded the Cobra for a stock muffler. Another guy (Pervert Larry) sent me a head pipe and heat shield.

[Flyingw]

While I was waiting for my air compressor to arrive, I started with the handlebar parts. Everything taken apart. All hardware was replaced with freshly plated hardware. What needed to be painted got painted. Some things I replated with my DIY plating setup.

[Flyingw]

The carb got rebuilt, all the rubber parts run through my small bead blaster, and more parts plated.

[Flyingw]

I blasted the frame with my portable pressure pot loaded with Black Beauty. Since this was a budget rebuild, I painted the frame with Appliance Epoxy paint. Everything else got powder coated.

[Flyingw]

I finally got my air compressor and got busy blasting all the parts.

[Flyingw]

After the bulk of the parts were blasted, I got busy powder coating.

[Flyingw]

With the chassis parts painted and/or refurbished, it was time to start the assembly. Usually I start with the front end. When I went to install the forks, I realized the steering stem was bent pretty bad but luckily I had a spare so I got it painted up and swapped out. The fork legs got painted with Chrome Zone PC and the forks rebuilt. I swapped out the original headlight bezel and I had a spare set of TRX 300 handlebars so the front end got assembled. I had to make a few repairs to the main harness but it's good to go so it got laid in to the frame.

[Flyingw]

Grab bar, tail light, battery box, swingarm, and rear shock installed. The rear shock body got painted with silver paint and the spring powder coated.

[Flyingw]

I picked up a new plastic tank and put a fresh vinyl cover on the seat. I also finished up the front end.

[Flyingw]

The rear fender showed up and got the rear end finished up after I rebuilt the diff .

[Flyingw]

I had some rims I wasn't using so those got blasted and powder coated

[Flyingw]

With the chassis basically done, it was time to tackle the motor. Disassemble, degrease, wash, and blast the painted parts. The internal parts all got washed.

[Flyingw]

I spent about 4 hours masking the painted parts. Once masking was done, in to the oven they go.

[Keith Salyer]

That is insane Jim. I drug Garret away from the TV to check out this build and I told him Jim is in his garage Right Now.... doing this remarkable stuff and we are stuck in the house wishing we were doing one of our projects. I'm proud of you Jim for doing such a fantastic job. :)

[Flyingw]

I started with the red parts. The owner wanted his motor to like similar to my mockup motor. I changed up a few things but I complied.

[Flyingw]

Thanks Keith. It keeps me off the street and out of the Jiggly Room..

[Flyingw]

Now the rest of the parts.

[Flyingw]

The engine assembly on the SX always begins with the side gear case. Once that's done then the rest is pretty straight forward.

[Chopsaw]

Awesome . I have an 85 250ES stripped down to the frame ,,, cleaning and painting. I was gonna post it up with pics when I get it done , but I think I'll pass on that now LOL . You have " better than new " and I'll end up with " lipstick on a pig "

Nice work as always .

Chop

[Flyingw]

Motor assembled, oil pump primed, and loaded on to the mockup. It fired right up and sounded good. Leak check good. If it wasn't so cold here today, I would run it again so I will wait a day or so before I take it off the mockup and stuff it in to the frame. This is where I'm at now. I still have tires to mount. There ya go Dougie!!!!! Triker porn...

[Flyingw]

Don't be wiener Sarah I mean Chopsaw. Post up your pics. Even as a kid, when I took my bike apart to paint it, I did the exact same thing. Everything was washed, painted, and laid out for assembly. I have some serious ADD issues.....but I'm not crazy. My Mother had me tested~~~~

[dougspcs]

That's more like it...that 70s sitar music was playing in my head the entire time I flipped thru the pages of this thread.

Keep it coming Jim!!

[joesouth]

That 250sx looks amazing, and your shop looks like a operating room!:drool:

[aldochina]

agree, awsome stuff as usual! Even though this was a "budget build" lol it is coming along rather nicely. Is that a combo of tin foil and foil tape that you use for masking?? you can cook the hole diff as a unit seals removed I would assume?? cool stuff! Shop is sick for sure

[MRSOUND]

Ok....It's been decided....I'm sneaking my sx into Jims garage. I know he can't resist fixing it up! Then sneaking back in and taking it back when he's done!:twisted:Just love the magic he performs on the sx's.:drool:

[captainweezy]

Ok....It's been decided....I'm sneaking my sx into Jims garage. I know he can't resist fixing it up! Then sneaking back in and taking it back when he's done!:twisted:Just love the magic he performs on the sx's.:drool:

I agree. I'm going to buy one just so he can fix it up for me. I just got a couple of his carbs and they are incredible. Like art work. Almost afraid to install it.

[ATC-Eric]

I LOVE your engine test cart. That is awesome. Your work is always top notch, thanks for sharing man!

[Keith Salyer]

I showed the pics of Jim's shop to my wife and told her I wanted our's to be like that. She told me it was except for the floor covering on Jims floor and the lack of stuff cluttering Jim's shop and also Jim's organizational skills he puts to good use :)

[Chopsaw]

Don't be wiener Sarah I mean Chopsaw. Post up your pics. Even as a kid, when I took my bike apart to paint it, I did the exact same thing. Everything was washed, painted, and laid out for assembly. I have some serious ADD issues.....but I'm not crazy. My Mother had me tested~~~~

My post was meant to show respect for you , and what you do for others , as well as your mechanical skill .
Whatever ,,,

[Flyingw]

Oh man, am I going to wake up one morning and find my garage full of broke down trikes waiting to have a Fly A Rectumy done to them?

To answer you question Aldochina, I use several materials when I mask off. The silicone tape they sell for powder coat masking is crap especially for mask thin edge engine cases. It does not stay down and I end up having to remove PC from the very edges I'm trying to protect. Foil tape you buy in the hardware stores leaves a bunch of adhesive behind and that has to be removed after baking.

The absolute very best stuff I've found is 3M 363 tape. Its a woven aluminum tape with a silicone adhesive. Its good to 600deg. It lays down great, trims clean, stays down through baking, and leaves no adhesive behind. The downside.......... It's very expensive. About 300.00 for a 2" x 60' roll so it's not cost effective but damn it works so good. I recently scored 19 rolls of Saint Gobain foil tape in assorted widths. It's comparable to the 3M tape but the widest I got was 3/4" so I have been laying the case edges with the tape and filling in with either foil tape or aluminum foil. The 3M tape and Saint Gorbain tapes are aerospace spec tapes and are also used in Thermo Plasma Spay applications hence their high cost. The 19 rolls I bought had boogered edges so that's why they were selling them as a lot for cheap but they work for me.

To go further Aldo, if the edges aren't trimmed and an tape overhang is left, PC will buildup along that overhang and you will be left with a jagged uneven edge. The same thing happens when you cook two mated part together. Lots of buildup. I like my edges to be clean and crisp. No further attention will be required after the masking comes off except for a quick flash of Scotchbrite to make a nice neat sealing surface.

[Flyingw]

Take it easy Chopsaw, I'm just bustin your chops!!!!

[yaegerb]

per usual jim, your builds make my ADD-ness look like a 6 year old with crayons. Extremely nice job!

[Flyingw]

Got the tires mounted and wheels on last night. Someone tell my why must they compress tires to save a few bucks on shipping??? I spent two solid hours getting the new front tire on the rim and aired up. The bead was so distorted I couldn't get a good air tight seal. I fought with it to the point where I was ready to set it on fire and then Poof!!!! It finally took air. Do they not realize how much work compressing tires makes for us guys without tire machines or do they not care?

I ran the motor again today on the mockup and it's good to go so now to unhook it from the cart and stuff it in the frame. ALMOST DONE!!!

[atc007]

For what it's worth Jim. My 25 years of wrestling with those pancake tires is this. I use one of 3 things on the beads,,assuming they are not being mounted on a top fuel car..IE, Zilla,banshee,R etc.. Plain old 10w40 oil{best},dish soap,or hand wash goo on the beads. They are all thicker than the standard wd,etc.. Obviously,valve core out,a lock on type air chuck. Pump the tire in and out as fast as you can while airing. The surge of the air you're ramming in will seat the beads. It is an intense workout on some,others,,right away. But it works every time. And being the hick I am, I've done it MANY times below freezing. I bet yours are toasty and warm before you start. But then again. You could always just get /or build a cheetah :) Beautiful work as always Jim.

[Flyingw]

The way I do it... Vaseline on the tire bead and rim bead, air chuck locked on to the stem, set the opposite bead as much as I can, then manipulate the valve stem side up and down. Usually works but on this tire, the bead looked like the tilt a whirl and when I would pull the low side up, the up side went down. I had set the tires in the house a few hours prior so yes they were warm. Just one of those tires that resists being mounted but I finally got it.

[Scootertrash]

You do some nice work W!

[Stonewall]

What about Murphy's Tire Mounting Compoundhttp://www.jtmproductsinc.net/murphys_tire_tube_mounting.html?

It also works pretty good to wrap a ratchet strap around the tire and tighten it down.

[Flyingw]

Tried that too Stone. No dice

[trike savior]

nothing works as fast as a little ether in the tire and a lighter. For lighting: run a little spray of ether down the sidewall or go old school and hold lighter in front of can, aim at the tire and spray. some might say dangerous but works everytime. and the only way to do large tires on the job site. admittedly I have lost arm hair a few times.

anyway, looks good W. get us some pics in action when you can.

[Flyingw]

Ya I stay away from procedures like that. Knowing my luck, I'd blow the tire and myself up. Safety First!!!

[oile]

I use the Murphy's tire soap it works great then also you can reuse it over and over

[Flyingw]

Well crap!!! I had traded the Cobra exhaust I cut off for an ES exhaust system. It don't even come close to bolting up. I have never tried the ES exhaust on an SX but I always heard it does fit.... It don't. Now I have to find an exhaust system. I'm going to check with my local guy tomorrow and see if he has one. Other than that, its complete except for the engine skid plate and filling the diff with oil. Here it is basically done.

[trike savior]

LOL, I seen a pic on the site here some where of a sign with a 3 wheeler that said "safety third". maybe I give that a different meaning. tire blowing up is pretty much impossible unless you fill the tire with a whole can. worst thing I have ever had happen was on a bobcat tire when it was really cold out and the tire was super hard. instead of the explosion seating the bead, it came out of the tire and straight at me. lost some arm hair on that one.

if you need any parts let me know. would be happy to help.

[Outlaw #24]

Here I go, I shouldn't tell but, Back in the DAY , The very first aftermarket tires and wheels I had to mount 8" turf tamers, same thing as you , except I was at a gas station because I didn't have a compressor. Had ether and squirted it and the wind kept blowing the match out so I used a Bic, (about the time the were introduced), lighter! I burnt the heck out of my hand. Raced with a burnt hand! I was mounting go kart tires on a Suzuki 60 and the stock split rim broke apart ! I was lucky to have a hand! But I raced like that that night too! Jim they developed this band that closes the gap Between the wheel and the rim and it works great I don't know who makes it or where to get it but it's the deal. I would think the Ether Bunny could do it!

[Zach]

Wow dude you do some excellent work, beautiful trike.

[Motorgidd]

Wow, extremely cool build, nice work!

[Nason]

I still haven't closed this build off my phone. It's been over a month now. I sure am seeing how much work goes into it doing my own. My only complaint on this build is there's no good finished pics?? Do you have any shots side on Jim?

[Flyingw]

Not sure what you're asking. Do you need side shots of something?

[Nason]

Just the whole finished bike. Your few side on were closeup on motor and rolling chassis. Just wondering if you had any others of this beaut!
On the ground finished product

[Flyingw]

I only took a few pics of the finished trike but I asked the owner to take a bunch of pics and email them to me. I'll post them when he does.

[Nason]

Right on Jim!

[Flyingw]

Here ya go Nason. This is what the owner sent me.

[Flyingw]

few more pics

[jakep53]

wow very nice work it looks amazing!!!

[MattDragontamer]

Kick ass, nothing like the sx.

[86125m]

I hate to say this but the whoever fixed the clutch and put bad parts back on was probally the honda dealer they are known to have jury riged thigs to work to save money.