Time marches on

 and in the garage, work is slowing down.

Yes, work on Daysie is not going as quick as I'd like, although things are still moving forward.

Bit of a change to my usual format. This time I took my video out to the garage and videoed stripping down the rear hub and removing he rear suspension and swing arm.

Part 1 was the hub, done over the weekend it all went mostly to plan and was easier than I suspected. It's not completely done as the eccentric adjuster that is used for chain adjustment is seized. To strip it down further, I need a set of manly circlip pliers, and the ones I have aren't up to the job. I ordered a set but until they were delivered, I couldn’t do much else.

None of this was in my plan for this weekend, I was gong to clean up the fuel tank, install the new fuel pump & filter and then do a little painting where the engine paint had flaked off. I cleaned the flaky paint off & prepped the surface last week, and ordered some engine enamel that Sin suggested. Maybe I'll do that during the week if I have time.

Part two of the weekend’s work showed up no real surprises, except most of the bearings looked fine except one of them which needs replacing and one of the bolts holding the drag link to the swingarm was finger tight. That's scary.

I also had another good look at the shock and I think it's rebuildable with a new spring. I was planning on talking with Brook Suspension to see what they could do but a clean looking shock from a low mileage Daytona came up on that well known auction site for £35.00. At that price, it was worth a shot, so I bought it. When it arrived, it just needed a clean and it’s good to go. That saved a few ££’s

One  of the bearings in the swing arm was stuck fast & is going to need a slide hammer, so I've decided to take the whole thing to my tame Triumph mechanic & let him replace the bearings - I know, a bit of a cop out on my part, but I could spend days trying to do it when my tame mechanic could probably do it in a couple of hours. At least it's been all cleaned up now so he won't get his hands too dirty.

It’s time to turn my attention back to the tank, pulling it down from the top of the cupboard, I started to clean out the inside. You may recall the state of the fuel pump & filter, all covered in a rust coloured crud, well the inside of the tank was the same up to a line where the stale fuel was. So, I've been scrubbing away with various stuff trying to clean it. So far, I've used Gunk (engine degreaser), Muck-off engine degreaser, brake & clutch cleaner and parts washer cleaner, all combined with an old toothbrush and to be fair, not much has shifted the stain inside the tank. Then I hit upon the idea that if petrol made the stain, maybe it will remove it too. I have a can of petrol I use for the lawnmower so tipped a little in the tank and with the toothbrush, began to scrub.

Well, it sort of worked, I think it more bleached the stain than removed it, but at least it looks a little better. Toothbrush is fu%&$d. I might go & buy a nail brush later & try again. I also still have the option of steam cleaning it. I have a steam cleaner usually used for the kitchen floor, but it has a hose & nozzle attachment so I might give that a go as well.

I’ve since been advised that vinegar might also be good. I have some white vinegar that I bought to clean out a fish tank, so will give that a go as well.

Other than that, I've removed the rear sprocket from its carrier. I planned on replacing it anyway even though it doesn't look worn, at least not until I hung it up on the wall next to Tabitha's old rear sprocket. They now hang against a white wall and if you look carefully, you can see that Daysie's sprocket is beginning to wear.

I'll order a new chain & sprocket kit next month after I've been paid.

I've attached the front forks with some Autosol (when did that become so expensive? nearly £7.00 from my local hardware shop) and it looks like I might not have to get them re-chromed. There is some pitting but all of it seems to be well above the range of the fork dust seal travel. It's an extra £180 I could do without spending.

While the Autosol was out, I part cleaned a few other bits of the front too. a little bit of the fork tube, they clean up nice but the lower part, including the brake caliper brackets will need respraying, the top yoke cleans up well though. However, its looking more likely I'll need to have the wheels powder coated. Last time it cost me over £200 for both wheels to be done, and the place I took them did a good job of Tabitha's wheels and a few bits from Daysie that I've had done.

I started off by saying things were slowing down in the garage – perhaps I was wrong.