What did you do to or for or with your Laverda today?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'd left the race bike 2 or 3 weeks back just going pop-pop rather than starting. Whilst wanting to check if fuel was getting to both carbs by loosening float bowls, one of the main jet holders sheared when I tried to tighten the bowl up, so two reasons to look into carbs.
I started by the side without the broken main jet holder and found nothing particular apart from the fact that I'd obviously never had a look in the carbs, one of the bowl gaskets was sealing with some clear gasket cement which I've never used. Pilot jet a bit dirty. 60 pilots, 160 mains, 50/2 slides, K2 needles, 36 mm PHB carbs, maybe bored to 38; some signs of boring, didn't measure. Nothing extravagant for a TT2 engine I think.
Had a look at second carb: Choke jet blocked, cleaned out by immersing 1/2 hour in acetone. The remains of the main jet holder came out by pressing a screwdriver against it and turning, good! It had obviously been partly sheared for a while since most of the section where it broke off was oxydised. Rest of the carb was ok, pilot jet a bit grubby.
Both mixtures screws were at 1 1/2 turns. Put 3 turns on, we'll see.
Will try to start it next week end, have no more time today.

This machine has always been a pig to start and a push start only job since it was bought without starter motor or starter clutch. These engines heat up so much that you can't afford to leave them running 10 minutes before going out on the track so ease of starting is a must.

I'm of course very optimistic, it will start next week end, then I could start running it in at our local track day in 2 weeks time!

Ciao
Paul
 
Had a great Fathers day out at scarborough olivers mount circuit for the barry sheene festival which also included 4 laps of the circuit in a classic parade must remember to sort the front brake out as it is definately required for the hairpins and the chicane!!!
 
Put the cleaned up starter motor back in the yellow peril, total cost $2.50 for a new seal, instant start now.
New tyres, new head bearings, all I need now is to get it registered.
 
I've been pondering the "fluffy" low end running of the Jota and am tending to think the Bosch ignition is the main culprit...once it hits 3K it runs strong (ok the A12 cams are next...)  I spent some time working out the mounting of some Dyna coils and reviewing the wiring for the DMC. I'll make the coil mounts  and fit the DMC and see how it goes...I had to recall that 90% of carburator issues are ignition related.
 
Gave the engine building room in the Breganzane shed it's inaugural blast. Tom the Wrecker (along with Vince of the forum) did all the framing and ceiling mezzanine work to build this room in my shed last year, and after a lot of interior fitting out here and the rest of the shed it's getting toward finished.
Meanwhile Tommy's original 1-owner 1980 Jota had a stretching/receding valve, so it was deemed time to freshen up the top end of the old girl, and an opportunity for me to repay Tom for all the help he's given me on the shed build.  It's a real pleasure working on a bike like this, all it's history known, and basically untouched.  It was the first time the head had been off.

Ready for a barrel.
P1060291.jpg

Lovely machining work by Red as ever.
P1060293.jpg

TTW Revealed!! Cams dialled in and putting the lid on.
P1060295.jpg

Craned the lump in and it starts to look like a bike again.
P1060297.jpg

After a brief test ride and a few celebratory Peronis.
P1060298.jpg


As you can see, Tom did all the work and I just stood around taking photos and drinking beer.  Bike sounds really crisp, and we're both looking forward to seeing how it goes.

One more customer bike to reassemble and the ICR racebike can finally get some attention.  I'll post pics of the rebirth of Eddie's rusted pig 1200 as it goes together, along with the rebuild of a very different big triple I've been conducting recently.

Cheers
SteveB
 
redax5 said:
you need to get some oil stains on your floor, that workshop is way to clean  :D

very jealous
Click to expand...

Stuff the stains Red, I'll take it just the way it is. I could put up with a huge, clean workshop. Hell, I'll even let him keep his bikes in it  :LOL:

On a more serious note - try and avoid heaving the triple up on a block of wood. I have a seriously haemorrhaged disc from 30 years ago that says it's not a good idea. Use a thin piece of checker plate instead. Bit slippery, but better than a slippery disc.  ::)

Jealous too...

Pete
 
Poffer said:
On a more serious note - try and avoid heaving the triple up on a block of wood. I have a seriously haemorrhaged disc from 30 years ago that says it's not a good idea. Use a thin piece of checker plate instead. Bit slippery, but better than a slippery disc.  ::)


Pete
Click to expand...

I use a sheet of masonite which used to be a builders sign. Painted side up to catch any oil without it soaking in and rough side down is anti-slip on the floor.
 
Working on getting some oil stains Red, although after 3 coats of epoxy paint, they just wipe right off...  Tell you what did  make a mess, doing the first fire up with the pipes pointed at the workbench, which promptly got covered in about half a kilo of carbon blown out of the exhausts.  Will point the next one out the door! :)
Pete thanks for the tip, the wood was mainly used only when we had the engine out and moving the chassis about the place, but I take the point.  I am trying to be not too fussy about the floor, it will get scratched as it gets used, but at least for now I'm trying to avoid it where possible, ie centrestands.  I have some 3mm MDF under a couple of others, does not really affect the centrestand heave.
 
Poffer said:
On a more serious note - try and avoid heaving the triple up on a block of wood.
Click to expand...

I reckon Steve should knit little booties for the centre stand feet if he's that precious about marking the floor  :D

One thing I find a bit awkward is putting the bike on the centre stand when it's on the bike lift. You need to get up and stand on the edge of the lift table while heaving the bike onto its centre stand. It's all a bit precarious and could go pear-shaped very easily. I have visions of me lying on the floor with a bike on top of me. Or even worse, the bike falling off the stand the other way and setting off a domino effect with the other bikes in the shed.

This doesn't appear to be a problem for TTW as Steve hasn't provided him with a bike lift. Made the poor old bugger kneel on the concrete floor.

Anyway, I came up with an idiot-proof and non back-straining method: I now have a piece of rope hanging down from a ceiling truss in the garage, above the back end of the bike lift.

The procedure goes like this:
Wheel the bike onto the bike lift and secure the front wheel in the wheel vice thingy. Once the clamp is tight, the bike will stay put without having to hold it.
Jack the lift up to its highest position.
Tie the rope to the grab rail on the back of the bike (or something else solid if no grab rail) so that there's no slack in the rope.
Slowly lower the lift. The rope holds the rear end of the bike up as the table drops away from under it. The rope will stretch a bit as it takes up the load. You may also hear creaking from the roof framing if your garage is anything like mine. (Creaking is OK. Cracking isn't)
The bike is actually quite stable dangling in this position because the front wheel is still clamped (bike pivots on the front axle) and the rear end is suspended from above its centre of gravity.
When the lift table is low enough so that there's enough room under the bike, flip the centre stand down.
Jack the table up again so the weight is now on the stand.
Don't forget to undo the rope! (and hitch it up out of the way while you work on the bike).

Using this method made it a dead easy to put the Kawasaki 1300 behemoth on its stand. A hard enough job on a flat floor (300kg bike).

You just need to be confident that your can hang a couple of hundred kilos from your workshop ceiling. Don't try it if you have a little tin shed with flimsy framing!
 
Dellortoman said:
This doesn't appear to be a problem for TTW as Steve hasn't provided him with a bike lift. Made the poor old bugger kneel on the concrete floor.
Click to expand...

The bike hoist had another, even more dismembered Laverda on it and Super-Tommy declined the offer of moving it so we could assemble Jolly Jota on the hoist.  Actually, I have two hoists in fact.  After I finally bought my one another really well made one came along at a good price so I got that too.  Is still stored at a friend's place... it's on the list for once the workshop fitout starts to reach the finished stage.  I'll have one hoist for ongoing projects and one hoist free for short term use or otherwise just parking.  That's the plan anyhow.

As for stands, my blue hoist has a very sturdy front wheel clamp and is enough on it's own in normal circumstances, and a race stand at the back for security if required.  I also bought a little scissor lift jack which I use to jack up the frame rails for lowering the ctr stand if required, quite a handy little jigger.
img8426.jpg

Cheers
SteveB
 
A friend just rang to say he'd dropped my engine off at Red's place for me.
I reckon Red will be so pleased to see one of those rare 120? Laverda triple engines that he can't wait to open the box and get to work on it.

 
From what I can see and that isnt much at the moment,it looks like a Dentists Office.Tom and Red would have to be the hardest working blokes I have ever struck.I had a great time doing what I did at The Dor,still recon THAT bedroom is a dream.Looking good for Laverdas both north and south of me.
 
Dellortoman said:
A friend just rang to say he'd dropped my engine off at Red's place for me.
I reckon Red will be so pleased to see one of those rare 120? Laverda triple engines that he can't wait to open the box and get to work on it.
Click to expand...

I reckon yer right, he's been twiddling his thumbs for a few days now that Jotaman's POS is outta the way............ :o :o :o :o :o :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top