Time for new steering bearings? Warning-big picture

[melville]

I think that the bikes with metal turn signal housings(up through '74 I think) had no ground wire since the circuit was completed through the housing and metal stalk to the bike. The later plastic turn signal housings require ground wires to complete the light circuit back to the bike.

Sounds a good theory... except that my '76 with plastic housings didn't have them...

Go figure...

Rob

How did they work, Rob? Was the socket grounding through the bolt?

I added a short brown wire from one of the pod clamp screws to the ground tab on the bulb holder. Ground passes thusly: Frame=>head bearings=>steering yoke=>that locating pin on the steering yoke=>turn signal stalk=>pod clamp=>pod clamp screw=>short brown wire=>bulb holder. All verified step by step with my $3.99 Chinese tool store digital multimeter and confirmed by a happy flashing once it was all hooked up.

[DaveBBR]

Flying an aeroplane is easy too................

landing one...that's harder

[dougie]

I don't like airplanes - when they break, they fall down.
I would rather be on the ground with my nice safe motorcycle.

[Major Softie]

Flying an aeroplane is easy too................

landing one...that's harder

Landing is way easier than flying.

...landings you can walk away from, well, that can be more complicated.

[ME 109]

I'd give my left testicle........prolly my right one too for one of these.
Hmmmm, maybe not. Then I woon have the balls to fly it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO9mEv5Ve54

[Steve78RS]

I'm with you Jeff. I'm no boilermaker but I replaced my steering head races with a quick bead of weld around the old races. Salvaged one to tap in the new races. Couldn't be happier.

I didn't align my forks. Maybe I'm crazy but I've have not had any problems as yet. I've trialed all of Duane's tricks to try and get the wobbles at speed but I not had issues. Maybe I'm just lucky (touch wood).

Jeff. My Dad flew crop dusters all his working life around the hills of Victoria. He only gave the job away a few years ago. One of the longest surviving aerial ag pilots in OZ. He was careful, not lucky. A man after Duane's heart.

Here is a pictue of his plane of choice. An old De Havilland Beaver parked at his home strip at Euroa. Big beautiful radial engine with a massive straight out exhaust. What a glorious sound.


Another of him top-dressing superphosphate near Avenal


My brothers and I always made the comment of "Nice Beaver Dad"

As a very devout Christian he never twigged.

Steve from Dubbo

[Rob Frankham]

It's been a while since I was in there and my little grey cells aren't what they used to be but if my memory serves, there is a short wire attached to the ground terminal on the bulb holder, that goes to a ring connector trapped under one of the screws that tighten the metal clamp so grounding is through the clamp to the metal indicator stalk. Not the most wonderful arrangement but totally typical of the era...

Rob

[Duane Ausherman]

I didn't mean to exclude corrosion, as it is obviously quite corroded. I sort of assumed that all would see it. When we saw corrosion in a case like that, we usually found that the owner was cleaning the bike with a coin operated pressure washer.

The cleaning by that coin machine is cheap and fast. The fixing of the resulting damage isn't.

[Zombie Master]

I have never considered buying a cheap arc welder, or idiot stick as my dad called them - I can bodge enough stuff up as it is without adding another tool to the armory.

Basic welding is not difficult at all.
Welding out bearing races is not difficult, it is all about technique
I could show somebody how to do basic welding in half an hour.

I'll bet most people who say they can't weld and say that it is very difficult, have never been shown, or have never read how to do it.
Flying an aeroplane is easy too................

I found flying quite easy.

Vertical stick welding...not so easy.

[ME 109]

Vertical stick welding...not so easy.

The acceptable amperage range for a given electrode size when welding vertical up or overhead is much narrower than for down hand (flat) welding.
Gotta be just right.......
I could teach you to do a very good vertical up in 1/2 hour also.

Techniques employed to steady the welding hand vary considerably.
The welding helmet must have a clean, correctly shaded (for the individual) lens. If ya can't see what yer doing really well, yer aint got much hope.