I could not face another day with fibre-glassing, itchy hands and acetone fumes so I wasted a bit of time today looking for my LH rear chain adjuster, the one converted into a carrier for the drive chain oiler pipe. I knew I had to open the spindle hole out from 17mm to 25mm to take the larger S4 rear spindle. It has vanished off the face of the earth, either that or I put it somewhere “safe”. I suspect the latter as the roll of plastic delivery tube which was handily placed with the oiler pipe has also disappeared.
After an hour I decided I may as well make another, rationalising the decision on the basis that in any case I could not think of an easy way to open accurately a 17mm hole to 25mm hole.
Here is the Mk2 – not as elegant as the Mk1 but I had no more 10mm tube. An old clothes horse lost a curved corner in the process.
Next I set about cleaning and masking up the calliper halves (how do you spell that, one “l” shows as a mis-spelling, but it just looks wrong with two?)
Four coats of satin black and they look like this.
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I am still undecided as to whether to scrape/sand off the paint on the Brembo logos. On the basis that: a) they do not make it easy/cheap to overhaul the callipers/master cylinders so why should I advertise for them; and, b) I have better than an even chance I will make a complete Horlicks of it, I am inclining towards not bothering.
During a sleepless night I managed to order 2 sq metres of closed cell black rubber foam in 12mm and 6mm thickness for the seat (closed cell so that water does not penetrate it hopefully) and also some black Ambla to cover it with. Ambla because it is two way stretch unlike ordinary vinyl and therefore is a lot easier to end up with a half decent looking cover. The seat cover will have some sharpish corners where the hump comes forward to the seat pad so I also bought some black piping to finish the edge and to follow the change in contour from side of the seat to seat pad.
From Gumtree I bought locally a second hand sewing machine for £35 complete with manuals and handy hints (c£200 new used only a couple of times) How hard can it be to learn how to use a sewing machine? I shall probably end up buying more ambla when I bugger up the first and second attempts.
Tomorrow back to the fibre glass with may be a bit of light relief machining 4 x 13mm aluminium hexagon bar to make blanking plugs for the “not to be fitted” carburettor heater pipes.