Some good progress today but a few problems raised their head.
First I gel coated the patterns that I do not think need to have divided moulds, tool tray, headlamp shell and inner ring, front infill panels, belt covers, drive sprocket cover. These will probably need a second gel coat and will need overnight curing before this can be applied.
Next I fitted the rear tyre using the same method as for the front, I was expecting this to be harder than the front but it literally fell on when I applied the washing up liquid and tightened up the cable ties – no right knee to ease its passage and definitely no tyre levers. I managed also to get the bead to seat on the rim and the whole job took less than 20 minutes.
I thought I would mount the rear disc and check the alignment of the brake hanger and calliper mounting. With the disc requiring 10mm spacers the disc attachment socket cap screws supplied with the wheel were too short so I found some 8mm bolts the right length and bolted on the disc. Here are my problems:-
The bolt heads touch the brake hanger only just, but they do. If I use the correct shallow headed socket cap screws I get about 0.47mm clearance so that should be OK.
The second issue is that on the original brake anchor plate the calliper is mounted outside the plate which means that the disc clears the plate by no more than 2 mm, I have about an 8mm gap and so the disc will not run central to the calliper by about 5 or 6 mm. Arguably the pads should centralise and it will not matter that the pistons on one side are further exposed than on the other but it does not feel right and there is a danger when the pads are worn one piston will pop out or more likely the brake will not like working like this and will bind. This will require some creative thinking and or the purchase of a 6 hole disc with a 15mm offset.
Finally, and this has been hatching for some time, I thought about gaiters for the front forks. I have always thought it odd that your car will not pass MOT with a split steering rack gaiter but it is perfectly OK for a bike to have no protection on the fork tubes. The situation is worse with USD forks because the exposed stanchions are nearer to the muck and stones coming off the road surface.
I found on ebay a machine slide protector for about £9 which when cut in half should do both legs. Not sure yet if I can get it to work with the mudguard attachment clips but nothing ventured…..?
