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97 750 Budget Restore

2K views 21 replies 11 participants last post by  short round 
#1 ·
I'm a novice mechanic looking to dive headfirst into my first bike project with a 97 black 750 I acquired off of a buddy who was getting out of the Marines. I'm not entirely new to bikes I've had a Kawi and Triumph Daytona 675 in the past but I am new to the mechanical work involved in bringing one back to life. My goal is to end up with a good project for the winter before I deploy again, hopefully resulting in either a stock work bike or possibly a bastardized street fighter.


Here is what I know for a fact about the bike.
Mechanically it was sound (previous owner claims) at last shut off but then sat for seven years in a garage in NC. I'll need to drain all fluids and replace the non existent battery. The brakes are completely seized and need to be bled to get the bike to roll better. I'm noticing a small bit of oil under the bike after having moved it to my garage and that needs to be identified. Cosmetically about 50% of the fairing bolts are missing along with the two holding the tank to the front.

Here is what I have no idea on.
Will bleeding the brake lines free up the stuck calipers or is more involved with them? I'm moving in three weeks and a rolling bike is less of a headache.

Can I realistically pull apart and clean calipers having never done so without damaging the brake system?

Do I need to plan on pulling the engine to replace gaskets before a start up attempt? Or is it acceptable to attempt a start up with new fluids having not done a rebuild?

The key will not open the gas tank. No amount of penetrating oil will get the key to engage the lock, it sticks at about 3 o clock. Is there something I'm missing? I have no reason to believe it is not the correct key.
 

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#2 ·
Sup, devil...looks like your bike is at least in better condition than mine. Now, I'm probably about as far along as you with carnal knowledge of SRAD's, though I did find reading a service manual to pretty informative. Now, I can't help with your break issue, but as far as start-up pre or post-rebuild, gotta figure that's dependent on two things really. First and foremost, would be if the pistons are seized. If they're fine, then I'd figure that's personal preference. You could always just run seafoam through it and try to burnout all the carbon buildup on the pistons. As for your fuel door, I figure your best bet would be to take off the whole assembly from the tank with an hex wrench and check the underside to see if the latch on the lock is actually stuck. Just my suggestions. Good luck on the rebuild and Semper Fi.
 
#4 ·
As for your fuel door, I figure your best bet would be to take off the whole assembly from the tank with an hex wrench and check the underside to see if the latch on the lock is actually stuck.
I tried doing that when I first brought the bike home. Not sure if it wasn't coming up as it was still locked or if I just need to work it out. I'm going to try and mess with it again over the weekend.

I'm suspecting the inside of your tank will be full of rust hence the fuel filler cap issue. The last thing you want to do is to draw all that crap into your engine so tank off, carbs out, full clean and pop back on again, while you have the carbs off you can have a little look into the inlets and see what state your inlet valves are in.
I'm going to remove the tank this weekend and have a look if I can resolve the filler cap issue. If there is a ton of rust in there what is the best way to prevent it from quickly forming again once its cleaned out? Beautiful bike by the way!

I'm moving in about two weeks and I'm hesitant to tear into things yet until I can keep an organized log of parts. I'll post some pics of the top end once I get it apart and clean it out.
 
#3 ·
I've just recommissioned a '97 750 as well. Mine had not stood as long as yours (about 4 years) but I assume your issues will be similar.

First the 97 is a carbed bike so these will have gummed up if not originally drained. I'm suspecting the inside of your tank will be full of rust hence the fuel filler cap issue. The last thing you want to do is to draw all that crap into your engine so tank off, carbs out, full clean and pop back on again, while you have the carbs off you can have a little look into the inlets and see what state your inlet valves are in. Any corrosion will probably mean at least a top end strip. I'd have a look at the plugs and do a compression test while you're in there. Stick some penetrating fluid down the bores as well just in case there's a crust of crud at the piston crown. Turn the engine over by hand with the spark plugs out before you try to start it.

After 7 years standing I'd replace as many seals as I could get at. A prime suspect for your oil leak would be the clutch pushrod seal. I'd also to the fork seals even if they look good as they will have gone pretty brittle by now.

To be honest these engines are pretty bulletproof so if you don't fill it with rust by not cleaning the fuel system I wouldn't worry too much about engine internals.

I'd unmount the calipers (persuade with a rubber mallet if they wont clear the disc). Clean up around the seals with brake cleaner and a toothbrush. Use some red rubber grease to get things moving. When you pump the brake any free pistons will move, any stuck ones will not so you can chock those that move and use the brake pressure to move the stuck ones. I use a set of grips with one rubber covered jaw to ease each piston back in after I've moved it, cleaned it and greased it.

Awesome bike and very rewarding if you've brought it back to life yourself, I've attached a pic of mine now that it is done.
 

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#7 ·
Hey there fellow '97 SRAD 750 owner!

I pretty much agree with the post I quoted, especially pulling the carbs, cleaning if needed- and taking the plugs out and turning over by hand first..
Good luck with it.

I too have a '97 SRAD 750- had it about 6 weeks.

Mine runs just about perfect though! I'm the 3rd owner and the first two did some decent maintenance on it. It now has 24K miles on it.

Pics and short write up are in the thread:

http://www.gixxer.com/forums/17-srads-97-00-600-96-99-750/697922-97-srad-750-a.html
 
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#5 ·
I've heard good things about something called Evapo-Rust. Once its done though you've got to be quick or it'll flash rust. The forums I've looked in suggest flushing it out when done and drying out with a hair dryer. Then immediately fill it with fuel or spray it with wd40 or similar. Haven't tried this personally though so best do a bit of research. Good luck mate, it'll be an awesome bike when its finished.
 
#8 ·
Hey guys. I kind of in the same boat. After spending years taxing marines around I retired and got a sweet deal on a 97 gsxr. Just have to give it a little tlc. Missing some hoses on my carburetor before I can test it out and see how it will run. If any of you guys have a pic as to where the hoses in the front of the carburetor are supposed to be plugged in on the carburetor and the air box. It would be a great help. I attached what it looks like now.
 

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#9 ·
Mate, I had a seized piston in the rear calliper - cleaned the dust build-up around it only to find that the dust seal on one side was held in by all the shit around it... Long story short - the seal popped completely and I discovered further shit build-up between the dust and brake fluid seals. So I dismounted the calliper for a rebuild, took the line off and only then figured out that I didn't pop the pistons out... I don't have compressed air handy, do you now any other way of taking the pistons out of a disassembled calliper? Cheers!
 
#10 ·
If you can't un seize the pistons ,I would send them to a company that over halls them as by the time you buy seals, pistons if required and nearly killing yourself trying to 'pop the pistons' with the air line ,then when you put them back together one of the seals will leak ..... :hammer I did mine ,next time I will send them away. Only a bit more expensive and they will be like new. Good luck getting them unseized.
 
#11 ·
Ok sorry for the long pause in updates. We moved and had a new arrival to the family all in the same three weeks....(sound of a sleepless sigh).
But, we're all settled in and I've begun the initial tear down on the bike. After about five or six beers and a can of wd40 I was able to get the fuel cap open without breaking off the key. It's about as bad as I had imagined with the corrosion. Seems manageable so I'm planning to deal with that this week.
Took the tank completely off and was confused for a bit as the main fuel line before the filter wasn't connected. Turns out the fitting on the bottom of the pump was broken. I believe this is why the bike was turned off seven years ago so I'm planning on addressing that issue next.
Does anyone know the most affordable venue to find a replacement pump? I was thinking of hitting up some of the salvage yards around town, but I'm not sure if the effort would be worth the cost savings.
 

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#14 ·
eBay all the way mate - I have been dropping all my disposable income into it since I bought the SRAD. Good news is that it is SOO satisfying when your bike finally starts running as it should.

On the callipers - further to my previous post, I have just done calliper rebuild myself and all is good so far. The metal stock Tokicos are made of is shit, so the grooves where the seals sit corrode and push the seals out, which leads to seizing. Before you disconnect callipers from the lines - undo the mounting bolts and slide them off the rotors, clean the callipers out with brake cleaner and a toothbrush, use lubricants if you need to get the pistons moving, just make sure lube doesn't go anywhere near the rotors (clean them with brake cleaner right away if you have a spillage). Then pump the level/pedal to push the pistons all the way out (make sure that all pistons are moving out and close to coming out before you let any one piston pop out - after that you will have no pressure in the system). It's a good idea to have something underneath the calliper to catch the brake fluid. Breaking the callipers apart is a pretty straight forward job. You will need calliper rebuild kits, A LOT of brake cleaner and a set of picks (the thin dentistry ones work well) for getting into the seal grooves. You may find that the pistons are pitted, if the pitting is above the fluid seals - you can re-use them, if it's below, unfortunately they will have to be replaced. When you re-install the seals, coat the grooves with lubricant (I used silicone) which should stop them corroding again for a while, but make sure it is not left on the outside of the seals and gets mixed in with the brake fluid. Pop the pistons back in and you're done.
 
#12 ·
Congrats on the new arrival,
and making progress.

You can see I have a Blue White '97 SRAD also.
Hopefully it won't be much work and you'll have it wheelying in no time.

Oh yea, Gotta love that 'six beers and a can of WD40'!!
 
#15 ·
the hoses in the front go into the air box at the center front sorta tucked in there where the seam is

then they go down soon as they head back they tee off, then each one plugs into tee's between the carbs, you'll either see the tee's, the nipples where they plug in or the hoses will be tucked in or just laying there, a lot of times they just forget to get plugged back in.. they are about 1/2" in diameter size wise
 
#16 ·
As a warning, if you ever remove that pump from tank, be sure to untighten and tighten the screws in the order and torque specified in the manual.
Its relatively easy to warp the pump mounting surface.

There was a guy around, CCMhunt, known as the carb ninja, which would be the perfect guy to buy that petcock replacement, fix your carbs if they need some work, and fuel pump gasket if you will need one.
That guy is not around here anymore, maybe you can find him through google or another forum..
 
#17 ·
As a warning, if you ever remove that pump from tank, be sure to untighten and tighten the screws in the order and torque specified in the manual.
Its relatively easy to warp the pump mounting surface.
Yikes ok thanks for the tip, I wish I would have known that ahead of time. I removed the assembly this afternoon. It went smooth though, I doubt I warped anything (He said with panicked optimism). The tank is in rough shape at this point. I suspect the archaic gas I just removed had a fair bit of water in it before storage based on the corrosion. I snapped a picture of the pump as reference to how bad it was. I'll pick up some stuff to clean the tank this weekend and just eBay a new pump assembly next paycheck.

eBay all the way mate - I have been dropping all my disposable income into it since I bought the SRAD. Good news is that it is SOO satisfying when your bike finally starts running as it should.

On the callipers - further to my previous post, I have just done calliper rebuild myself and all is good so far. The metal stock Tokicos are made of is shit, so the grooves where the seals sit corrode and push the seals out, which leads to seizing. Before you disconnect callipers from the lines - undo the mounting bolts and slide them off the rotors, clean the callipers out with brake cleaner and a toothbrush, use lubricants if you need to get the pistons moving, just make sure lube doesn't go anywhere near the rotors (clean them with brake cleaner right away if you have a spillage). Then pump the level/pedal to push the pistons all the way out (make sure that all pistons are moving out and close to coming out before you let any one piston pop out - after that you will have no pressure in the system). It's a good idea to have something underneath the calliper to catch the brake fluid. Breaking the callipers apart is a pretty straight forward job. You will need calliper rebuild kits, A LOT of brake cleaner and a set of picks (the thin dentistry ones work well) for getting into the seal grooves. You may find that the pistons are pitted, if the pitting is above the fluid seals - you can re-use them, if it's below, unfortunately they will have to be replaced. When you re-install the seals, coat the grooves with lubricant (I used silicone) which should stop them corroding again for a while, but make sure it is not left on the outside of the seals and gets mixed in with the brake fluid. Pop the pistons back in and you're done.
Thanks for the walk through! I'm picking up some fluid tomorrow and I'm going to at least try freeing the brakes up and flushing the system in the evening. I've my eye on some rebuild kits so that should be in the works shortly as well.
 

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#18 ·
Got a fresh battery on it this afternoon and tried to turn it over. Success! No lag and sounded like with fuel it would start right up. Going to get the tank cleaned out, a new pump on it and confirm that it'll run before I tear things down further to paint the frame.
 
#19 ·
Ok next question.

While working on cleaning out the tank I've been trying to track down a new fuel pump body to mount a new fuel pump onto. This is proving to be much more difficult than I had originally planned. I've tried multiple venues online and called MIDS in SC, no luck (still hoping for a random ebay win but I'm either missing the target entirely or not looking in the right categories). Looking at the level of corrosion on the body as well as the vertical piece next to the pump ( which I believe are the floats?) I am seriously doubting if it will work properly. Is there a way aside from simply soaking it in WD40 or CLP to restore the piece back to a point where putting a brand new pump on it wouldn't be a waste of time?

Side note, finding a lot of little issues with work done by previous owners with the body. For example, an aftermarket undertail was put on, apparently by a kindergartener armed with a swiss army knife and some decking screws.
The rear lights are shot, or the previous owner intended for them to twinkle, either way they're a whole bag of nope. Leaning more towards getting confirmation that it will run, pulling it apart as a learning experience, and rebuilding as a street fighter, possibly with the K3 tail swap.
 
#22 ·
I'm new as well! It's a great place to lurk and learn a ton of info. Sorry I haven't posted much the last few weeks.

I gave up trying to replace the fuel pump body and decided to salvage the one I had which was in pretty rough shape. Of course, as soon as I did several popped up on Ebay but by that point I was committed. I bought a small thing of Evapo-Rust and soaked the whole assembly in it for about ten hours. I didn't have quite enough so I needed to shove random stuff into the bucket to displace the fluid and get it to cover the whole thing.

The end result wasn't perfect but with an AP brush, copious amounts of CLP, and beer I was able to clean it up enough to work with it. I attached replaced the pump, pump seat, filter, and petcock and in the end it was worth the fifty or so dollars I saved not replacing the entire assembly.

Now I've got the tank filled up with a gallon of Evapo-Rust and a whole mess of bb's. I periodically go out to the garage to shake it around, hopefully knocking more and more rust out (we'll find out tomorrow evening how well it worked).

I picked up a few supplies and my intent is to spend Saturday seeing if I can get her to start up, even if it's only for a few minutes. I'm heading out again for about three weeks on Monday and I need to know what I'm looking at in terms of work. If all goes well and it runs I can start moving onto cosmetic things, which is likely where I'll destroy my budget entirely :grin2:
 

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