While waiting for some custom-made washers, I started putting things back together. First order of business today was the swingarm. After cleaning it, I took all the bushings out, cleaned the old grease off, and repacked all the needlebearings with blue Maxima waterproof grease.
Once it was all back in place, I installed the rear shock, the swingarm, and linkage, and torqued everything to spec.
It was then that I got the call I was waiting for - my washers were ready!
I've been waiting for these washers ever since I drilled and tapped the stock brass oil lines fittings to accept AN fittings. Initially, my idea was to have the AN fittings welded into the stock pieces, but once I discovered there were brass, that plan went out the window. So I drilled and tapped the brass pieces for AN6 to 12mm adapters, and tried putting it together. Unfortunately, some of the fittings were not deep enough to screw in the adapters, so I went to my local friendly machine shop to have some washers made. We decided on aluminum, made to size.
Here is what I'm working with:
I cleaned the brass pieces with lacquer thinner to remove any oil residue. While this was drying, I annealed the aluminum washers with a torch. The idea was for them to be softer than the AN adapters, so there would be a crush seal.
Once they were nice and hit (white, surface changes texture slightly), I let them slowly cool off.
Then it was time to try the assembly.
And it worked as intended. Just to be sure, I used a bit of Permatex hi temp thread sealant.
With all the fittings made, I replaced the o-ring on the stock fitting and bolted it in place.
Unlike the hard lines running between carb boots, the AN hose has to be routed without sharp angles. Here are two setups I was playing with.
Ideally, the hose would run the same way the stock hardlines did, but I did not care for the hose rubbing against the rubber boots, so I decided to go with the second option, running a 90 degree elbow.
After three different attempts to cut the hose -
Metal blade - too much fraying
Metal cutoff blade on a chopsaw - braided jacket separation from core
I settled on a thin cutoff wheel on the Dremmel. It worked wonderfully. Wrapped the hose with tape, cut it off, and it was time to try my first hose assembly. It had worked much easier than I anticipated. No bleeding fingers, no pushed out hose, no broken pieces. This is perhaps because I used the Russell Performance brand hose and fittings, as I had read those were the easiest to put together.
And my first AN hose in place. Only three more to go :)
Okay, only two more to go :)
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