Mk5Centurion

Cheers WF - i've got a similar installation planned when i get all my painting done. Whilst i'm waiting for bodywork and caliper work (hurry UP Ewan!), i've been tackling some frame bits. When i first started the zed project i began stripping the scabby painted frame parts; first a couple of coats of NitroMors and then a wash down. After that i used successively finer grade wet and dry to sand the metal down - one side: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo016.jpg The other side is much the same! Added 8 coats of primer (from a can) and then left for 48hrs and then smoothed down with 1200 grit, this is during the primer process: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo019.jpg I wanted a dark grey metallic finish, so i'm using Ford Mercury Grey Metallic. I've built up 6 coats so far (almost the whole can!) but i might do a couple more. This was done yesterday morning so its has 24hrs to dry....i'll check it later on and see if its worth throwing on another couple of coats - after 3 coats: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo025.jpg I've taken the rear caliper apart - all the bits came from Wemoto yesterday to sort it out, its in the most god awful condition: http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo024.jpg Was going to tackle it last night but my sister and brother in law landed round so i'll get round to it tonight. I was going to paint the front calipers and changed my mind....till i saw the nick of the finish on the rear - a nice gold should look nice?! Thats it just now

Just a quick update: Caliper fronts are away with my brother just now to have the mounting holes enlarged and the rear halves that i've still got have been rebuilt with new seals. Spent yesterday afternoon (in a freezing cold garage!) taking the old carbs off and putting the new ones on - had to disassemble the throttle set up to get some slack in the cables but got there in the end. New ones were popped in place and airbox put back on and thats where i left it 'cos it was getting dark and i wanted my tea! This morning: New plugs fitted and cables (ignition coils etc) tidied up, fuel and breather pipes connected to tank and fresh fuel lobbed into tank as well, freshly charged new battery fitted - hey presto and the old girl is living and breathing again after being sat for almost 3 years!!!!!!!! Am well chuffed (and ahead of schedule too) Will get some of the scabby frame and chassis parts cleaned up later and maybe treat the old bus to an oil change too. Also have plans to install a heated grip and accessory circuit as well - watch this space! Big thankyou to WalneyFrankie and Colin and everyone else who reponded to my other questions - cheers!

If you have a ZZR 600 you'll have 4 pot Tockico's fitted as standard (as mine were) and they are utter garbage, soft, spongy and a pain in the a**e to bleed. There is a popular brake mod amongst owners that you can find here: http://www.zzr-international.co.uk/foru ... =13&t=1142 It involves fitting 4 pot Nissin's from either a Honda Fireblade or CBR 600RR - the mounting holes are the same distance apart. I'm in the process of doing it just now...... it WILL be worth the wait! HTH

Cheers chaps

Whilst rebuilding the new calipers i've managed to shove a couple of the pistons right flush into the caliper body. I take it if i put them together minus pads and connect up to the lines and m/c i can just pump them back out?

Ok folks, its only fair that since i've been posting a wee bit in here recently that you should see how things are going with my old bus. This poor old thing has been kicking around for years generally being neglected, so this winter i've been trying to sort out a few bits and bobs with her - i only hope the pictures upload ok. The general state of things just now (also got a new garage to play in as well! ) http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo007.jpg Some scabby paint http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo008.jpg Newly painted subframe http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo0041.jpg Got some new bodywork - my brother has been painting it up for me and has finished the belly pan (not best picture though) http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo002.jpg The carbs are totally gummed up (most likely) so i bought some off evilbay and set about stripping and cleaning them, once the old ones are off and the new ones fitted i'll clean the old ones and flog 'em Before http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo001.jpg After http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo004.jpg A popular mod amongst ZZR owners is to junk the rotten o/e calipers and replace them with Honda Nissins; I got a set from a 1995 Fireblade (RRS) and got the master cylinder and assorted gubbins too - they require a wee bit of modification, if anyone is interested i can post a link to the forum where i got the gen from. All the gubbins http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo005.jpg Checking the holes line up (btw, i'm geting the M8 Honda holes drilled out and re-tapped at M10 to fit the o/e mounting bolts) http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo006.jpg My little helper http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad266/samcrow_photo/th_Photo0038-1.jpg Thats it for the moment, in rebuilding the calipers just now; have split them and left them soaking overnight to de-grease them but i think i'll give them a coat of matt black high temperature paint before i rebuild them with new seals etc.

Is there anything i should/shouldn't use to hold the edges of the carb diaphram down before i pop the vacuum covers back on. I had to "peel" them out of the groove to get them out, but aside from the small tab on them they are a bit reluctant to stay in the groove long enough to put the vacuum cover back on. Ta.

Does anyone know if the brake lever is the same on a CBR 900 RRS and RRV? (1995 and 1997 respectively)? Or could you point me in the direction of an online parts catalogue?

ZZR-600 fitted with the cr*p Tokico calipers.....upgrading to Nissin's from a Fireblade, its a popular mod amongst owners as the mounting holes are the same distance apart as the stock Kwak's. The holes need rethreading from M8 to M10 to use the original bolts but my engineer brother has a tap and die set.... Lucky for me the Nissin's came with all the hoses, master cylinder, lever and mounts that i'm going to replace the entire front brake setup

I've bought some replacement calipers from evilbay and intend to give them a good clean up; i was looking at buying a seal kit to replace the old ones.....does anyone have any tips about splitting the caliper and getting the pistons out? or just general caliper clean up tips would be appreciated. Ta muchy

Measuring 12v across the terminals so it must be ok

Its not something i've got Colin - i can get a hold of one though. What should i be doing?

I bought a new battery (Varta) for my old ZZR600 bus, charged up fine on the optimiser and sitting pretty with the "Charged and Maintaining" light on. Subsequently I unplugged it from the charger, and now that I've rebuilt the bikes carbs the battery is back on the charger - where its been for the last 2 days and it still only says "Charging" and not "Charged". Surely it should be charged by now?

Ditto for me

I would imagine that acerbis or someone else would do the plastics for a common model like that; WalneyFrankie will be along soon - he is a fountain of much knowledge. Pop into newbies and say hello if your staying!

Project ZZR part 56; plugs - check, air filter - check, new battery - check, fresh petrol - check, leak in petrol tank - bu**er. Tis a small leak - what can i seal it with? Ta

Looks like you got the weather then; glad you enjoyed your trip...there are very few places nicer than the far north. Aren't we the lucky ones.....

Dumfries - sunny?

Genius sir - i thank you!

Project ZZR has rumbled around to under the tank: Whilst checking over my pipe work i've discovered some that need replacing; one in particular needs doing - its one of 3 that join together at the back of the airbox (closest to front of bike) its 230mm (9 inches in old money) long, 5mm internal diameter and has a brass spigot thingy in it. Now the brass bit looks like its too big to come out and go into a new piece of pipe - is this a special part that i'll need to get (dealer perhaps?) or am i missing something with it? Bike is 1991 D model. Muchos gracias

I do like to think I bring a certain touch of class to these establishments I'm sure you do...i know some of the lassies that work in the Rumblin Tum....classy isn't a word i would use to describe some of them

Hopefully the weather will be better than it has been - fingers crossed for you! p.s - try to get over to Applecross, very nice btw

Abbington services is actually a pretty good starting point,got decent country roads from every direction, lead hills ,the 702,the roads to lanark are pretty decent then you got the back roads to peebles etc. That and the fact i can get anything i want to eat / drink from burger king or the services cafe for 1p as i used to be a coach driver very true I'm on teh 702 at least 4 times a week but there's no real bike stops, maybe the Glen cafe at St Mary's Loch or the Rumblin Tum in Moffat and Peter's in Biggar is quite good. Trouble is there's usually at least one granny bus parked outside them as well The Glen and the Rumblin Tum? Sheesh, you cannae hide money.....

Bex, ross - cheers for that. Will let you know how i get on...