Losh's 1976 Yamaha RD 400

[Lex]

Did you get your leathers sorted, or lend somebody elses leathers?

How did the left hand hold up?

 

[Deuce]

What track is that again.
I've seen it on YouTube before. "griffs rear mount turbo" takes his HQ there for club days.
I hope your hand was okay.

 

[losh1971]

Symmonds Plains, North Tas. I was able to get a piece added in to my leathers Fri night. Bloke arrived at his shop at 7pm and i left there at 11.30pm.
As for my hand it really didn't hold up I called it quits early as I was really struggling to pull the clutch lever after a while. My last set I struggled bad which was the time I had hoped to push it a bit harder. For the whole day I never hit sixth gear. I need to see about a hydraulic clutch but also need to make sure it fits in the period or I won't be able to use it in a race meeting.
I had a bit of an issue with the rear brakes locking on, right near the end of my second set. Had to crack the nipple and suck some air into the line. I'm hoping the issue is a sticky caliper.

 

[losh1971]

I have another practice/ride day this weekend. I have been working on getting my weak hand stronger with the hand squeeze thing. I can do 70 of them now in one go. Hopefully i can last the day. Need to look at the rear brakes and figure out why they are locking on. Hoping i can just grease the caliper pistons, otherwise I have to send my seals to Power Brakes and get them matched.

 

[Deuce]

Floating caliper? Check alignment.
Single sided fluid with sliders for off side? Maybe lube the slides
Or is it a mono block caliper? Then look at piston seals.
That's my ideas.

 

[losh1971]

Twin piston fixed caliper. Gonna dismantle the caliper and grease the pistons. Failing that i need to send the seals to Adelaide and get Power Brakes to match some.

 

[losh1971]

Think I have found the problem with the rear brakes. Looks like one of the seals has swollen. Don't suppose anyone knows which way i should refit the seal flared edge to the pad or flared edge to the inside of the caliper? Ride day is tomorrow and I'd like to still go out if i can. Fitting the seal in the right way might get me through a day. Tracking down a seal kit will be a nightmare that's the only thing.

 

[losh1971]

So I shaved a tiny bit of the edge that was wider made no difference. Stupid thing is I have never had the issue until 2-3 months ago. I have found a seal kit in the UK that I will order but 4-5 weeks to arrive is not going to help me this weekend. It's like the pistons are not releasing. The pads should be fairly loose on the disk but my rears are quite tight. If I release the pressure with the bleeder screw they loosen up. FIIK what to do. Wondering if I give the practice day a miss, really in two minds now. Sucks a bit because I mixed all my fuel, so can't dump it in the ute. Then again I'd save 90 bucks in track fees and another 40 in ute fuel getting there and back. Trouble is I really need to get track practice as I am stupidly slow on Symmons, unlike I am at Mallala.

 

[afstruct]

Dam , don't have your dilemma..
Obviously I don't know what it's really like.
I know I personally would be airing on the side of caution but whether that means doing the track day ( to get time out there) but not go flat stick is possible/ worth it?

 

[losh1971]

Dam , don't have your dilemma..
Obviously I don't know what it's really like.
I know I personally would be airing on the side of caution but whether that means doing the track day ( to get time out there) but not go flat stick is possible/ worth it?

Yeah, it's not dangerous really as you rarely use the rear brakes anyway. It's remembering not too, is the hard part. I just tore down the MC and put it back together. Seems to have made no difference. Trying to track down an MC and caliper kit from the same place but lucking out. Parts are not overly exi but freight alone from two different suppliers works out roughly $80.