Update and question

[SC89Venture]

Hi everyone, hope all are well. A couple of months back I had asked for some advice on what do with my 89 Venture, it had fuse panel problems. headlight problems, etc. Thanks to all that responded. Shortly after that I had to go on the down low for awhile, had a medical condition come up and I should be relased from the doctor tomorrow. Anyway, I want to thank everyone that responded to my earlier post. I may end up having someone work on this bike for me, but I am going to do what I can. Pushing the comfort zone, as you may say. I have new tires coming for the Venture, planning on removing the wheels and getting the new tires put on. Should I use a m/c jack for this, or use the front wheel dive procedure found on this site? I also need a new front brake master cylinder, the sight glass developed a leak - actually a section of it chipped out and I lost the brake fluid. Got one coming from ebay with a good site glass.

After these two fixes I am planning on replacing the fuse panel with Skydoc's kit.

 

Anyway, sorry for rambling. My question, is there a good way to use the m/c jack, suck as either side to mount it from? Thanks in advance, any tips appreciated.

Don

[skydoc_17]

Hey Don,

It makes me proud to know that you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone to repair you VR! It makes the ownership of these wonderful bikes all the sweeter, when you affect your own repairs! With that being said, here are a few things that I do when I raise a bike on a Motorcycle Jack for the removal of both wheels. With the bike on the center stand, Remove BOTH Mufflers to allow access to the rear axle bolt. Remove BOTH front calipers from the front fork tubes, (do not disconnect the brake lines) and remove the rear caliper from the caliper bracket, (again, do not remove the brake line) disconnect the speedo cable, it unscrews at the front wheel. I don't usually remove the rear side bags because I have removed a LOT of rear wheels, but you can get to things much better if you remove the rear side bags if this is your first wheel removal.

After the mufflers and calipers are off, I usually loosen the front and rear axle bolts. Then drop the bike off of the center stand and put the bike on the side stand.

Use your Air Ride Controller to raise the bike as high as you can, this makes getting the jack under the bike much easier, and it also helps you put the bike on the center stand easier. With the MKII VR on the side stand, bring the jack in from the side opposite the kick stand. Push the jack under the bike until the support pads show on the kick stand side of the bike. You will be lifting the bike on the exhaust pipes, don't worry, that's OK. With the jack positioned towards the front of the bike slightly, as you raise the jack, (one hand on the right handle bar, as the jack comes up, the bike needs to be pulled upright because it is leaning on the side stand. here is where a "spotter person" is very helpful on the kick stand side of the bike) the front end will raise first. Pull the front axle and raise the jack until the front wheel will clear the front fender. Pay attention to the placement of the speedo drive on the left side of the bike.

Then lower the front fork tubes on to a piece of plywood or a 2X6, (instead of the concrete floor) Reposition the jack to the rear slightly, jack the bike up with your right hand on the handle bar again, pull the bike upright, and raise the jack until the rear wheel clears the floor. Pull the rear axle exiting the right side of the bike, I then use a 2X4 to "lever" the rear wheel until it disconnects from the final drive, then by raising the jack and "leaning" the top of the wheel to the right, you will be able to roll the rear wheel out from under the rear fender without removing it. The bike will need to stay on the jack until you have the new tires mounted. If your jack came with a "safety strap", use it. You can lower the jack somewhat so the bike is not so "shaky" until you are ready to reinstall the new rear tire.

Reverse the procedure to install the wheels with the new tires, rear wheel first, reposition the jack and then the front. With the bike on the new tires, put it on the center stand, install the calipers, mufflers, and side bags. It takes a bit longer to do it this way, but it is much safer than trying to remove the mufflers while it is on a jack. When you start pulling on wrenches while the bike is on the jack, you will see what I mean. After you put your bike on the jack a few times, you will feel more confident about the bike being in the air and will be able to modify this method of lifting your bike, but in the beginning, you will almost "faint" more than once when your 800 pound motorcycle comes off the side stand and you have to pull it upright to square up on the jack! ONLY LIFT THE BIKE HIGH ENOUGH TO GET WHAT YOU NEED DONE!

As always, please feel free to PM me if you have questions, and I am sure that the more experienced jack users will get a chuckle out of this description.

Earl

[sarges46]

Well, when I had a first gen and no jack I used the nose dive technique and it worked great!

 

I then had a jack and that worked great too!

 

I now have a second gen and the nose dive is a no go...unless I am driving into a ditch or something again!

 

 

And I can honestly say that most of what I do myself makes me nervous as all get out...getting started is the hardest. Once I am done its great.

 

And I've made a couple of trips between the bike and here over some job or other at times.

 

Cant help ya with the brakes...that stuff scares me!

[skydoc_17]

Hey Don,

I posted on your thread about your attempt to remove your wheels for tire replacement, BRAVO to you for doing this yourself! I regularly rebuild front Master Cylinders for the VR's, if when you put the new to you one on, if it will not pump up, PM me and I will help you get it going. When you are ready to install the new M/C, PM me and I will help you with the electrical connections. There is a way to do them without removing the fairing.

Good luck with your projects,

Earl

[bkuhr]

Some of the less expensive Motorcycle Jacks, such as the Harbor Freight one that I have, lower in a wierd and dangerious way.

 

The jack instructions state step on release all the way to lower slowly, and step on release lightly to lower all the way FAST! This is wierd in my mind, as you have to step on release thru 'lightly' to get to 'all the way', and by the time you get there, the jack is down.

I have never been able to lower my jack slowley, and just plan on MC coming down, all the way, fast and hard.

 

Skydoc17's procedure has you up and down with wheels on and off. I would just be very sure how your jack works and take precautions. On my 1st gen I can lift both wheels high enough for removal at same time and just leave it up against the saftey stops, straps on of course, and when done come down on the wheels.

[SC89Venture]

Okay, got the new front master cylinder, looks great. Tires have shipped, so I may get lucky and do the deed on Saturday. I have read and re-read the replies numerous times, ready to get home and go to work. Thanks for all the replies, I did practice lifting the bike, only I did it from the left side, will do the right side next time. HF jack does come down quick!!!

 

Again, thanks to all and this goup, I will update as I go.

[SC89Venture]

Okay, it is Sunday night and I made this progress. Right and left muffler removed, removed front calipers, got to the rear caliper and I have one caliper bolt that will not turn. It is the one on the left, looking straight at the caliper. Any suggestions on how to remove this bolt? 12mm 6 point socket just slips, went to 12mm wrench, that baby is locked. Seems like every bolt and nut is crapped up somehow on this bike. Anyway, any good penetrating liquids that can be used on aluminum calipers?

Ideas, suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[hipshot]

Okay, it is Sunday night and I made this progress. Right and left muffler removed, removed front calipers, got to the rear caliper and I have one caliper bolt that will not turn. It is the one on the left, looking straight at the caliper. Any suggestions on how to remove this bolt? 12mm 6 point socket just slips, went to 12mm wrench, that baby is locked. Seems like every bolt and nut is crapped up somehow on this bike. Anyway, any good penetrating liquids that can be used on aluminum calipers?

Ideas, suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

go to an auto parts house and buy a can of "freeze off", made by CRC.

stuff works wonders on "stuck parts".

jmho.

just jt

[skydoc_17]

Hey Don,

When you have a steel bolt in an Aluminum thread, all kinds of bad things can happen.

First off, you need to remove the right side saddle bag to get a good shot at this area. I would try a little heat from a small propane torch or Mapp gas torch right on the head of the bolt for a minute or two. Then grab the bolt with vice grips, (keep in mind this bolt is going to be HOT!) and turn counter clock wise to loosen. If that doesn't work, or the old "smoke wrench" (torch) is not your thing, then take a center punch or a big nail and punch a dent in the center of the bolt head and with a hand drill and the biggest drill bit your drill motor will hold, drill the head of the bolt off! Be sure NOT to drill into the aluminum brake caliper! Remove the caliper by wiggling the caliper back and forth to spread the pads and rock it towards you off of the remainder of the caliper bolt. Now use those vice grips to remove the rest of the threaded portion of the bolt from the caliper bracket. Remember, you will be removing the caliper bracket when you pull the rear wheel off for the new tire, so take the caliper bracket and put it in a vice and work the bolt end out with the vice grips. Option #2 would be to remove the rear wheel, put the caliper and the caliper bracket in a box and send it to me where I will put it in my milling machine and extract the bolt, retap the threads in the caliper bracket, supply you with new caliper bolts and send it right back to you. Good luck with this project, and if you need help with that pesky bolt, please feel free to PM me.

Earl

[Evan]

While you have far better advice from others than I could give, I will share my own recent experience. Had a similar problem a few weeks ago when I removed the rear caliper to change my brake fluid. In my case, I think the problem arose because the end of the bolts protrude a bit and the threads were dirty. I was finally able to remove the bolt without breaking it but I found filings on the bolt and threaded hole that the bolt goes into. After I cleaned both with air, I was able to thread in the bold with no friction at all. I wondered if the problem could have been avoided if I cleaned off the protruding threads before I started to remove the bolt.

[SC89Venture]

Thank you Hipshot, Earl, and Evan. Man, I got the bolt out. Wow what a rush.

First of all, the head of the bolt was still intact enough to get a good grip. I did not explain that in my haste. Did the following today. Went and got a can of PB Blaster, soaked it and let it sit. Came back a couple of hours later and hit it again with the PB Blaster, and gave it a good rap on the head of the bolt with the trusty hammer. Came out tonight with a proper Craftsman socket, 12 mm, 3/8" extended persuasion bar, 12" pipe, and worked slowly and steady until it came out. Threads are not to bad. Note to self: Friends don't let friends use Harbor Freight sockets, it completely rounded out. Now I am going back to Earls instructions and do the next step.

Thanks again everybody.

Don

[hipshot]

"i love it when a plan comes together"!!!!!

lol

you probably did the most good, for your predicament, with "the trusty hammer" trick!

just jt

[SC89Venture]

Yeah, I love it when a plan comes together if you can call it that. Man my arms are sore today from wrenching on that bolt, lol.

 

Going to try to get the wheels off tonight, but it may end up being tomorrow.

[SC89Venture]

Okay, Friday update. Found out the rear axle nut was already loose, eeks.

Got the bike up on the jack and removed the front wheel. Man these things kind of teeter totter don't they? Glad I had straps to secure the bike with. When front wheel came off, I lowered it (fast) but could not move the jack from under the bike. I don't have the Class system (yeah I am no class) but thought that maybe I am not supposed to remove both wheels at the same time. So I took the front wheel and had the new tire put and just re-installed it. At least the front wheel bearings seem okay. very smooth rotation, could feel no bump from a bad bearing. Got the speedo oriented right, that was kind of a trick also.

Anyway, I am going to attack the back wheel now. I am thinking I can get it high enough to remove, with the front wheel on, maybe?

[SC89Venture]

Got the rear tire done today, now we have new front and rear tires for the Venture.

H/F jack worked great, now I know why you need to remove the right rear bag, so you can get the torque bar off. Got new bolts for all the calipers, everything went back without a hitch. Also replaced the front brake master cylinder, put fluid in it and tied the brake lever all the way back. Ran out of time so I will let it sit overnight that way, will re-check brake fluid level later.

 

Found out why I don't have brake lights with front brakes, wires were not hooked up. So we will see what we can do about that tomorrow.

 

Thanks to all the encouragement from everybody, I am way more intimate with this bike now. Possibly a tune up in the future and fix non working turn signals?

 

Oh yeah, will put brakes pad on right front, other caliper sets were in good shape with lots of pad left.

 

I did start it up before I put the mufflers back on, sounded good except all the missing and backfiring. After I put the mufflers back on, it got better, but like I said a tune up and carb sinc are in the future.

 

Don

[hipshot]

if you just like to "tinker", these MKII's are superb.

the more you tinker, the slower those 2ND gens become!

just jt