Just picked up a "tariff-beater" VF700F yesterday. It has been parked since 2002; while under a tarp the whole time, it has still gained some surface rust from the moisture penetration. All of the fluids are present and surprisingly fresh and clean (thanks to a meticulous single PO who owned it since new) but I'm wondering if it's a bad idea to hook up a battery and try to fire it. Should I put some MMO in the cylinders just to be safe? What's the right procedure? My roommate tells me that the bores may be made of rust - a scary thought, but worth considering.
Advice helps, etc etc etc.
Remove plugs, shoot some oil in, let it soak. Turn over by hand a few times. Crank with the starter a little. Put plugs back in... start. Let it warm a little... stop & change the oil.
If the cylinders are "made of rust" your pretty much berkeleyed so the above procedure will be fine or you were not hurting anything that wasn't screwed anyway.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
Remove plugs, shoot some oil in, let it soak. Turn over by hand a few times. Crank with the starter a little. Put plugs back in... start. Let it warm a little... stop & change the oil.
If the cylinders are "made of rust" your pretty much berkeleyed so the above procedure will be fine or you were not hurting anything that wasn't screwed anyway.
The engine has been sealed since it was parked - it is not known that the bores are "made of rust," it was simply stated that it may be the case. I've never resurrected anything that has sat this long before, so I want to cover my bases and take every precaution to preserve it.
It was fantastically maintained until 2002; 8 years may be a while, but at least it was taken care of until then.
I think you will be fine - a little oil, hand turning and then some low RPM cycles on the starter before you give it a rip. Like I said - anything that is totally screwed already will still be screwed but otherwise... it will have had a chance to lubricate the dry bits at an RPM where stuff wont seize if its just a little on the dry side.
That's good advice. I'd drain the fuel tank before you do any cranking. You don't want to draw any old fuel into the carbs. I've revived old Hondas that have sat for a lot longer than that.
I love those 700's. Is it an '87? I always thought that they were one of the best looking sport bikes of the late 80's.
Marvel Mystery Oil in the cylinders with the above cranking. If you can totally remove the tank it would be easier. The petcock will be wonked so just remove it. Eastwood makes Metal Wash which is used to prep metal for paint. You mix the crystal metal wash with warm water and slosh it around the tank, this will remove any jelly, dead gas and rust.
And you have to put up pictures.
Dan
Finally, some updates! Been too busy working on it! Tank is currently off the bike being cleaned; the tires on it are actually nicer than I thought, enough to ride for a few months while I gather the CBR wheel swap parts anyways. I've been stripping screws like mad all over the thing...ugh. Hoping to get the carbs cleaned next week (and I know not to remove them from the intake plenum), and start riding!
Pics:
As you can see...I have too many projects xD
Great bike, and it looks pretty clean! Good luck.
As my 4-wheeled projects are taking all my time I wimped out and brought my 1985 VFR 500 into the shop this week for a little refurbishing. I can't wait to get it back.
Once you get yours running, be prudent with the throttle. Those 700s are fast bikes! Not literbike fast, but still plenty powerful. Same engine was put in the V45 Sabre / Magna. I had a V45 Magna and it was a lot quicker than you'd think.
One more thing to watch for, if there's actually that much rust, is the valve(s) being stuck in the "opel" position even when the cam rolls off of them. Bent three valves on an XS1100 because of it. Would be worthwhile pulling off the valve covers if they are easy to get to while you roll it over slowly by hand.
alex
Dork
6/12/10 7:11 p.m.
Don't ride on those tires, man. Seriously. They're hard as rocks by now, and they're going to be slick as ice on anything but perfect pavement. They very likely look fine, but there's a reason the DOT requires date stamps on tires: they get hard and totally non-sticky over time. You're asking for a low side if you spend too much time on those.
Up and down the block for mild test and tune is fine, but don't go attacking any twisties or lane splitting on those old wheel savers.
And getting the carbs off that bike - or a Magna - is one of the hardest "simple" jobs (ie: "remove carburetors" in Haynes lingo) that I've ever encountered. You get that down pat and you're a better man that I.
