adkfinn's 5th gen 20yr refresh

I thought I'd start a thread to document my efforts to give my 'new to me' red 1998 5th gen a bit of a refresh and to address any deferred maintenance items on this 20yr old motorcycle. A little recap: I picked the bike up last September from it's second owner, it had been serviced at the local Honda dealer throughout it's life, had a good history, and presented and ran well. The price was right and I managed to put about 1000 miles on it after a checking it over and installing new tires (Bridgetstone T30 evo), and a Battery Tender brand lithium ion battery. 

Here is where it all started for me, my first ride at 12 years old:

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It isn't hard for me to see how I ended up where I have or why my preferences are what they are. Here is the VFR shortly after bringing her home:

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LiPo batteries are truly tiny compared to traditional lead acid or AGM. I picked this up from Walmart for a bit under $100 (ordered online and picked up in store):

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A few things I noticed after riding this bike for a few months: The engine ran well, fuel economy was ok but could likely be better, suspension is quite under-sprung for my weight (240lbs), and the bike was running cool and not getting up to temp, and the regulator was not putting out the correct voltage at RPM's above idle. It started reliably but didn't fire immediately like a well tuned bike should. Over the winter I also noticed a couple of drops of coolant under the bike at one point. After a bit of research I realized that a thermostat replacement meant digging in/past quite a lot of other things/systems, I decided I would address a bunch of stuff in one go this spring. 

Things I have done already (I will try to include some pics and info on these items also later on):

 - new rubber, Bridgestone T30 evos 

 - new brake pads front and rear, EBC HH all around

 - new headlight bulbs - I am running some LED units, but am going to also try some Osram NightBreaker Laser H4's soon (on hand) also

 - clear indicator housings with LED switchbacks

 - clear, LED tail light

 - LED instrument panel swap - currently blue ( I tried red and purple also, they weren't bright enough)

The to-do list:   completed items

 - new tstat, replace cooling hoses and clamps, replace water joint o rings, clean/inspect/flush radiators and water pump

 - new plugs, COP mod

 - PAIR delete

 - injector cleaning and flow testing

 - new vacuum hoses for the throttle bodies

 - refinish or replace exhaust headers, don't forget the new donut gaskets

 - 520 chain conversion, +2 teeth rear sprocket

 - new regulator and wiring (thanks to roadstercycle.com)

 - new braided stainless brake lines, brake system flush, caliper rebuilds if necessary

 - new braided stainless clutch line, slave cylinder flush and inspection

 - fuel tank inspection, fuel filter replacement

 - general cleaning and inspection of the seldom seen areas of the bike and engine, inspection/cleaning/lubing all electrical connections

 - replace suspension with parts valved correctly for my weight and riding style (currently holding out to see what Jamie's in-house rear shocks look like)

Digging in / Inspiration / Resources: Much thanks to this site and VFRWorld and members for covering most of these items already in detail. I have a factory manual that has been invaluable as well. Big shout out to user GreninDenver for his excellent tear down & rebuild thread. 

Getting started - I did not document my tear down very well, nor will this thread be a comprehensive account or real how-to of any work or mods. I am not breaking any new ground, there are good docs and write-ups for all of this stuff already and the authors of those docs are better at it than I am. 

Tear down pics: 

[image: 20180520_113032.jpg?dl=0]

A look under the throttle bodies: dirty but not terrible. I did notice evidence of light weeping around multiple joints and clamps, but the hoses themselves looked pretty good. 

[image: 20180520_113055.jpg?dl=0]

The radiators, side hoses, water pump area didn't look too bad, but could use a good scrubbing:

[image: 20180520_113119.jpg?dl=0]

The exhaust header was looking a bit worse for wear and had the area around the collectors was rusty and in need of attention:

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The rear swingarm area is more of the same, in need of a good cleaning: 

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the throttle bodies look about the same: 

[image: 20180520_113211.jpg?dl=0]

Parts/refurb:

Once I had things stripped down the next step was cleaning. Borrowing heavily from GreginDenver's thread, I grabbed a bunch of different plastic bristled brushes, a few steel and copper wire brushes, and some cans of foaming de-greaser. I opted for some CRC brand heavy duty foaming degreaser, aviation Simple Green mix in a spray bottle, and brake cleaner and carb cleaner. After I stripped the cooling system and exposed the engine valley I started by dry brushing and vacuuming the area, this will save a lot of mess and allow you use much less liquid cleaners later. After dry brushing and vacuuming I used the de-greaser and brushes to go after the remaining filth. Where things were really stuck on or stained I used the wire brushes to really get after it. 

engine valley cleaned (not perfect but as good as it was going to get with my tools and time available):

[image: 20180520_131700.jpg?dl=0]

This is why you should really check and replace the water joint o rings (two on top and two on the left side) while you are in here: 

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Gross.  Believe it or not, these o rings were not showing any exterior signs of failing when they were mounted. After a bit of cleaning with new o rings installed, ready for replacement:

[image: 20180520_154550.jpg?dl=0]

I suspected my Tstat was frozen open based on the fact that the bike was running cool while riding. This was confirmed when I pulled the housing and could see the the Tstat was frozen open at least 1/4". As mentioned in my 'to-do' list, I figured I would replace all the cooling hoses as well given their age and the fact that the prospect of needing to tear the bike down again any the near future seemed wholly unappealing. After a bit of research I decided to try the AS3 silicone hose kit. This kit is complete for 98-99 5th gens ( it may be missing the wax unit hoses for the 00-01) and the price is very reasonable for what appear to be high quality parts. Some progress pics of the AS3 hose kit and stainless steel clamps going on the now cleaned up engine, new Tstat installed, housing cleaned up:

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I would say the fit and design of the AS3 hoses was good. Like others, I did trim around an 1/8" in a couple of places to shorten them up a bit, but I wouldn't call that an issue really. I haven't filled and tested the system so I can't comment on leaks, etc. just yet. In the engine valley pic above you can just see the PAIR block-off plates installed. Much thanks to Mello Dude for making and selling this kit! The parts are well made and and his instructions are spot on. I couldn't resist a bit of polishing prior to install:

[image: 20180520_131803.jpg?dl=0]

I posted some pics of the exhaust header above, but here it is again. I soaked the header nuts in Kroil routinely for at least a week prior to removing the headers. They all came loose without drama, save one where the stud unscrewed from the block.

[image: 20180507_181051.jpg?dl=0]

Looking pretty crappy if you ask me. I have been following the various exhaust threads and my thoughts are the following: I would happily replace the factory header with a stainless steel performance header, given the cost was not intolerable. I am not interested in the current 'off the shelf' replacements that are available, why give up performance if you don't have to? My header is looking neglected and a bit rusty, but it is structurally sound performs as it should. At this point I considered having it professionally blasted and ceramic coated. The best quote I received locally was $250 for blasting/prep, Cerakote Glacier Chrome, and polishing. In the end I decided to blast and paint them myself. It can be done for negligible cost, will correct the rusting issue, and it will save me a bunch of money. Also, if/when a performance header actually becomes available I will feel less conflicted about purchasing it than if I had recently invested significant funds in my factory header. So, I media blasted (thanks to my neighbor for having a stocked garage and letting me use his tools) and prepped, then primed, painted and clear coated my factory headers with VHT Flame Proof products. I've used this line in the past and had acceptable results with poorer prep. I did post another thread about this, but I am repeating it here for the sake of completeness. My paint setup is crap/open air, but my goal is good coverage and rust prevention, not a show quality finish. They turned out well enough for me:

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And here is a teaser of my new end can:

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Next up were the injectors and throttle body. After pulling my parts I looked around for vendors that provided injector service locally and luckily found Jim at Injector Repair LLC. His prices are much cheaper than RC Injector in CA and he is located in the Capitol Region of NY only a few hours away. My injectors went out and came back very quickly and Jim was more than responsive during the process.Total price was $80, which seems like an excellent price. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for fuel injector service. 

http://injectorrepair.com/

An email from Jim the day he sent my injectors back: 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your set of four Honda Keihin injectors flow tested 'good' right out of the box ( after an initial exterior cleaning / de-greasing ), and flow tested at just about a 3.4 % flow balance. A 3.4 % flow balance is good for an used set of injectors. The engine should have run well with these injectors. An Injector Flow Balance of 5 % or under is considered necessary for proper engine performance. When I sell refurbished sets, I try to get them flow matched at one to three percent flow balance. The closer the flow rates of the injectors are to each other, the better the engine will run, and the engine will run smoother and get better miles per gallon. The microfilters had no noticeable debris in them. After removing the filters, there were no deposits / residue inside the injectors, they were super clean on the inside. No debris came out when I back-flushed the injectors. Attached are pictures of some of the multiple flow tests I ran on your set of injectors. Picture # 0100 is one of the initial pre tests ( before ultrasonic cleaning ). The final flow tests improved, and picture # 0103 is of one of the final flow tests. I ran all tests multiple times. The final dynamic flow test ( 12 ms pulse width / 2400 rpm / 25 seconds ) had flow rates of 60 cc.s across the board. The Final injector flow balance improved to close to 0 %. The industry trade term for that is  mint deluxe. They all performed flawless in all the tests. The injectors held pressures over 80 psi without leaking a drop, and their spray patterns were perfect. They are 100% ready to be put into service. Be sure to lubricate the new o-rings with oil (not grease) before installation.

       If you have any questions, give me a call or email anytime.

                  Take care,  Jim
                             Injector Repair LLC
                              518-956-0014

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is one of the attached pics:

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They arrived at my door quickly and well packaged along with a written report of the test results and new o rings. Nice.

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My next step is to clean up the throttle bodies and replace the vacuum hoses. They need a good cleaning:

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Like Seb, I couldn't resist adding some more color, here is a teaser:

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These hoses are "purple" but look pretty much pink to me, not that I am bothered by it. I have no reservations about having some fun with silly stuff like this 'under the hood' where no one will see it but me. After I get the rack re-assembled the next step is  the coil over plug (COP) mod. I've already removed the stock coils, installed new plugs, purchased and prepped the new coils and electrical plugs that need to be soldered in place. 

[image: 20180525_155840.jpg?dl=0]

Nice work! Have those same coolant lines on my 01.

11 minutes ago, Duc2V4

Nice work! Have those same coolant lines on my 01.

Thanks Duc, any issues with leaks on yours after replacement? I have all tightened down pretty good, but saw on the 'Chinese silicone hoses' thread that someone else was having some issues with leaks on theirs.

3 hours ago, adkfinn

Thanks Duc, any issues with leaks on yours after replacement? I have all tightened down pretty good, but saw on the 'Chinese silicone hoses' thread that someone else was having some issues with leaks on theirs.

I did have a small leak but it was resolved by tightening up the hose clamps. Not sure if I didn't do that well enough the first time, they loosened up over the few track days I put in or it was due to "settling in". I believe that it was one of the hoses that connected to the water pump. I have another two days at the track in a couple of weeks, so we'll see how it holds up.

Nice work! I’m nearly ready to tear into my ‘99 for much of the same. I saw a friends O-rings on his water joints and for sure put them on the list. Just waiting on my Honda parts order with them and new tstat and water pump. Also waiting on my AS3 order, but I did get my vacuum hoses. 

I forget, are there any clamps on the vacuum lines on the throttle body? If so, what you use? My silicone lines are much thicker than stock. 

Quick note on led bulbs for the lcd screen; there is a blue filter behind the screen so anything other than blue or white won’t work well. 

After my COP conversion the bike fires first press, like it used to way back when. I didn’t even change the plugs, but plan to when the throttle body comes off. 

I forgot to mention, I'll probably send out my injectors also. I've sent out a couple of 6th Gen sets (not mine) that have both come back with similar good reports to yours. I think the fuel filter in the pump is a really good filter! I never hear of any injector issues on VFRs. I'm only sending mine since they are 20 years and 103,400 miles old!

I use Pro Flow out of Florida cause I used to race with Greg Melka, the guy who co-owns it. Sounds way more impressive than it is. He's a talented, fast, winning racer, and I had a "race bike" and a race license.

And all my parts are here!

2 hours ago, KevCarver

I forgot to mention, I'll probably send out my injectors also. I've sent out a couple of 6th Gen sets (not mine) that have both come back with similar good reports to yours. I think the fuel filter in the pump is a really good filter! I never hear of any injector issues on VFRs. I'm only sending mine since they are 20 years and 103,400 miles old!

I use Pro Flow out of Florida cause I used to race with Greg Melka, the guy who co-owns it. Sounds way more impressive than it is. He's a talented, fast, winning racer, and I had a "race bike" and a race license.

And all my parts are here!

I sent both my 5 & 6 Gen injectors Out for cleaning and wow! They were not in the best of shape. I posted the results here after I had them done but don’t recall which thread at the moment but definitely worth the investment. I use RC Engineering in Torrance, California.

Oh wow, that's weird. Like I said, I've had 2 sets come back with great reports and adkfinn had a good report on his too. I don't think I have any issues, just figured with the age and mileage it couldn't hurt.

Turns out I had a miscommunication on the phone ordering my parts and I got the wrong water pump. I'm going to take the opportunity to order some new "throttle body insulators", the rubbers that hold the TB to the heads, since I was reminded that new ones are much easier to install than 20 year old ones.

And to adkfinn, I put Gixxer COPs on mine and CBR COPs on my friend's, and you really gotta muscle those CBR COPs down all the way because of the caps!

Brilliant thread - subscribed! 

18 hours ago, KevCarver

Nice work! I’m nearly ready to tear into my ‘99 for much of the same. I saw a friends O-rings on his water joints and for sure put them on the list. Just waiting on my Honda parts order with them and new tstat and water pump. Also waiting on my AS3 order, but I did get my vacuum hoses. 

I forget, are there any clamps on the vacuum lines on the throttle body? If so, what you use? My silicone lines are much thicker than stock. 

Quick note on led bulbs for the lcd screen; there is a blue filter behind the screen so anything other than blue or white won’t work well. 

After my COP conversion the bike fires first press, like it used to way back when. I didn’t even change the plugs, but plan to when the throttle body comes off. 

Kevin - I haven't installed the new lines yet, but I will let you know when I do. I have seen that others used zip ties to secure them, but factory spec doesn't call for anything and I am not planning on zip ties or clamps. If the lines I bought are too loose for comfort, I am probably going to order some higher quality/more expensive hose like HPS rather than clamping all those little bastards. 

14 hours ago, KevCarver

And to adkfinn, I put Gixxer COPs on mine and CBR COPs on my friend's, and you really gotta muscle those CBR COPs down all the way because of the caps!

The COPs I have (pictured above) are from a GSXR. I can't remember the exact part number but I pulled the info from the big COP thread when I was shopping for them. I have test fit them and the height/engagement with the plug/seal with the valve cover is good. I prefer this style with the 'over' style cap/seal because I think it will keep dirt/water out of the plug hole more successfully than the 'inside' style cap/seal some of the other coils use. 

7 hours ago, adkfinn

The COPs I have (pictured above) are from a GSXR. I can't remember the exact part number but I pulled the info from the big COP thread when I was shopping for them. I have test fit them and the height/engagement with the plug/seal with the valve cover is good. I prefer this style with the 'over' style cap/seal because I think it will keep dirt/water out of the plug hole more successfully than the 'inside' style cap/seal some of the other coils use. 

Bit of brain fade on my part. I saw the caps and assumed they would be more difficult to fit. I have the same ones, but it's the cap-less CBR that are more difficult to fit. Good call, I agree!

No real progress the last few days, but I am planning on getting some serious wrenching in on the VFR on Sunday and will update then. In the mean time, I put a new chain and sprockets on my '81 CB750F. I also cleaned and repacked the wheel bearings since I had the rear wheel off. The bearings looked good but the grease was thick and stiff as all hell. Rode thirty miles or so this am and the bike is sooooo much smoother on the road. Very pleased. 

Here's the old girl after a bath:

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Very impressed with your work so far (glad that my 5th Gen refurbishment thread on VFRworld has helped/been an inspiration).  

It seems that you take the same point of view I do: absolutely will not buy a used 20 year old motorcycle and just ride it around, trusting it to be safe and functional as if you'd bought it off a Honda showroom floor (while adopting an online/forum attitude of willful ignorance, denying the obvious fact that this 20 year old bike might need some lifetime maintenance and upkeep to be safe, much less enjoyable to ride).

I especially like that you posted very large and clear pictures of the decomposing coolant system junction O-rings for everyone to see.  Yes, they're located at the very bottom of the engine "V" and it takes a lot of digging to get there, but it's definitely worth the effort.  How can anyone ride an older VFR knowing that these O-rings are in this sort of condition (possibly even worse)?

While you're at it are you going to disassemble-clean-inspect the rear suspension?  I found two bearing seals failed/destroyed in the shock linkage triangle, apparently due to little rocks having been thrown up by the rear tire coming to rest between the linkage side-plate and the rubber bearing seal.  I cleaned and re-greased all the pivots as I worked through the swinging arm and the shock linkage.  I also replaced the 20 year old "cush drive" rubbers in the rear hub.

And, finally... I can't resist:

[image: Screen%20Shot%202018-05-31%20at%208.46.3]

25 minutes ago, GreginDenver

Very impressed with your work so far (glad that my 5th Gen refurbishment thread on VFRworld has helped/been an inspiration).  

It seems that you take the same point of view I do: absolutely will not buy a used 20 year old motorcycle and just ride it around, trusting it to be safe and functional as if you'd bought it off a Honda showroom floor (while adopting an online/forum attitude of willful ignorance, denying the obvious fact that this 20 year old bike might need some lifetime maintenance and upkeep to be safe, much less enjoyable to ride).

I especially like that you posted very large and clear pictures of the decomposing coolant system junction O-rings for everyone to see.  Yes, they're located at the very bottom of the engine "V" and it takes a lot of digging to get there, but it's definitely worth the effort.  How can anyone ride an older VFR knowing that these O-rings are in this sort of condition (possibly even worse)?

While you're at it are you going to disassemble-clean-inspect the rear suspension?  I found two bearing seals failed/destroyed in the shock linkage triangle, apparently due to little rocks having been thrown up by the rear tire coming to rest between the linkage side-plate and the rubber bearing seal.  I cleaned and re-greased all the pivots as I worked through the swinging arm and the shock linkage.  I also replaced the 20 year old "cush drive" rubbers in the rear hub.

And, finally... I can't resist:

[image: Screen%20Shot%202018-05-31%20at%208.46.3]

Thanks Greg, your thread is a great benchmark. My plan is to keep this bike for the long haul and I want to be able to ride the wheels off of it without having to be afraid of it's condition or any unknowns/what-ifs (willful ignorance is too risky an approach to old bikes for my tastes). Suspension is next on my list after all the work listed in this thread. I am kind of waiting on Jamie Daugherty's new rear shock at the moment, but my plan is to clean/inspect/re-do the entire suspension as well. His rep and reviews are impressive for one, and two, I wanted to keep the scope of this round of work manageable so I figured I'd hold off on it for now. I'd also like to get some seat time on this bike soon, it is such a blast to ride. Thanks for the input about the joints, I will make sure to include them in my suspension maintenance. At present, the stock parts appear to be in good condition and function well despite being a bit under-sprung for my size. Also, I have new cush drive rubbers on hand and am planning on installing them when i pull the wheel to replace the chain and sprockets (also on hand waiting to go on). 

Well played on the Crocs, they are ugly as sin for sure. I wear them around the house/barn like slippers and they are comfy as all get out, but you won't catch me leaving the house with those things on.  

I am continuously amazed by the (undeserved?) good luck/pure serendipity represented by all of the Denso Corp. Stick Coil conversions I've seen on forums over the years.

Warning!! Long sentence follows:

I stand in awe of this common swap/upgrade: a situation where somebody who knows nothing (or next to nothing) about Ignition Control Systems (and the mind-bogglingly complex and interrelated parameters, we're talking super-tech-nerd-black-magic-level electrical measurements and equations) can blithely remove a bike's OEM coils and replace them with late-model Denso Corp. Stick Coils (knowing nothing about the primary and secondary resistance specifications of these coils, or how much they may differ from the OEM coils) while leaving in place on the bike the OEM Ignition Control Box (which still contains Dwell-Time calculations tailored specifically to the recently removed OEM coils) and somehow achieve better-than-OEM results (instead of ending up with a weak spark or overheated, melted-down Stick Coils).

We should be thankful that the ignition systems of older-generation JDM bikes (of all makes: Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha) just happen to have been equipped with OEM coils that had characteristics (primary winding resistance, secondary winding resistance) which resulted in OEM Dwell-Time calculations that are wonderfully/amazingly compatible with the Denso Corp. Stick Coils from late-model JDM motorcycles.

I raise my beer glass in reverence to this good fortune.

57 minutes ago, GreginDenver

I am continuously amazed by the (undeserved?) good luck/pure serendipity represented by all of the Denso Corp. Stick Coil conversions I've seen on forums over the years.

Warning!! Long sentence follows:

I stand in awe of this common swap/upgrade: a situation where somebody who knows nothing (or next to nothing) about Ignition Control Systems (and the mind-bogglingly complex and interrelated parameters, we're talking super-tech-nerd-black-magic-level electrical measurements and equations) can blithely remove a bike's OEM coils and replace them with late-model Denso Corp. Stick Coils (knowing nothing about the primary and secondary resistance specifications of these coils, or how much they may differ from the OEM coils) while leaving in place on the bike the OEM Ignition Control Box (which still contains Dwell-Time calculations tailored specifically to the recently removed OEM coils) and somehow achieve better-than-OEM results (instead of ending up with a weak spark or overheated, melted-down Stick Coils).

We should be thankful that the ignition systems of older-generation JDM bikes (of all makes: Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha) just happen to have been equipped with OEM coils that had characteristics (primary winding resistance, secondary winding resistance) which resulted in OEM Dwell-Time calculations that are wonderfully/amazingly compatible with the Denso Corp. Stick Coils from late-model JDM motorcycles.

I raise my beer glass in reverence to this good fortune.

Amen to that. On a related note, I have a set of the 'CBR' coils and plugs on my CB750F, which is also somehow not only compatible but a huge upgrade from the stock coils and wires. I actually pulled a set of Dyna coils off in favor of the 'CBR' parts. 

KevCarver, 6/2/2018 at 8:10 PM

Can I jump on your bandwagon? 

Kevin this is great and all your work looks very familiar. I am planning on using some 8mm silicone for the hoses you pictured. The stuff I got worked fine for the larger 8mm hoses, but the two short runs are too sharp and they start to collapse when you force the turn. I think I am going to reuse the factory hoses (mine are in decent shape) for those two runs. 

Would you mind pulling your pics and progress pics out of this thread? I am planning on keeping this thread clean and trying to chronicle all my work and farkles on my bike in one place. No offense intended, you should absolutely start a thread to document your refurb also. The more the merrier and it is great to see.

Next up was digging into the throttle bodies. This started with a few good rounds of carb cleaner and toothbrushing inside the throttle bodies and more foaming degreaser on the rack/hoses/etc. Despite looking a bit intimidating, hose replacement was pretty simple once I got into it. There are really only three runs of 3.5mm hose, the 4 8mm hoses that run through the center of the rack, and the two that connect next to the IAT sensor in the airbox. I pulled each of the smaller 3.5mm runs out assembled, then replaced the hoses one length at a time. It made the process quite easy. I would not recommend pulling all the hoses and all the junctions apart and then trying to reassemble it all. If you get confused or need a little help, Partzilla has the factory diagram for the throttle body tubing: https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/1998/vfr800fi-a-interceptor/throttle-body-tubing

After tear down:

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After I had finished rebuilding the hose runs with their new pink/purple silicone replacements:

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New hoses installed and nearly ready to go. If you look closely at the two shorter lengths of 8mm hose, you can see the turns are just too tight for a straight hose to accommodate. They are not totally collapsed in this pic, but the deformation is visible. I wanted to try it and see if it could work, but I ended up reinstalling the two articulated factory hoses after careful cleaning and inspection. 

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Here's the two factory hoses I reused, all cleaned up and treated and ready to go:

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And back in place:

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Here is the aftermath, the small pile of discarded 20yr old hoses, most of which were probably still in usable shape if I am honest (this is before I fished the two 8mm shorty's back out).

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After the hoses were installed, I moved on to the fuel injectors. These went back in easily after a little oil on the seals for lubrication.

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And after all the electrical was cleaned, greased and plugged back in, I reinstalled the fuel rail and the whole assembly is ready to go back on the bike.

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After some checking of hose and electrical alignment, capping of the nipple at the one way valve that runs to the now discarded flapper valve solenoid, and general double checking to confirm everything looks good I dropped the throttle body assembly into the new intake boots. New intake boots makes this go so much easier than trying to reuse the hardened ones that have been on the bike and they are cheap, I strongly encourage you to install new. 

[image: 20180603_141938.jpg?dl=0]

Check out that purple & blue color combo! Snazzy no?

Details: I actually used 4mm hose in place of the specified 3.5mm. A bunch of research and reading lead me to conclude that many others have made the same substitution without issue and I also had a good internal debate about whether 0.5mm made a meaningful difference. There seems to be a lot more 4mm hose available, 3.5mm was less prevalent in my searches, plus there were way less fun colors in the 3.5mm flavor. I can say that the 4mm hoses I ordered engaged all the brass nipples and plastic junctions with grip/tightness greater than the rubber hoses they replaced and I am confident the size difference is negligible for these particular hoses. If I have issues and/or worst case scenario, I will pull the rack and replace it all with 3.5mm. No biggie, now that I have done it once it won't be hard to do again. 

Last hoses to replace are the TB to airbox hoses, which was a quick measure/cut/replace. Out with the old (these were some of the most worn/worst condition btw):

[image: 20180603_140113.jpg?dl=0]

In with the new:

[image: 20180603_140346.jpg?dl=0]

Time to get the airbox back on the bike.

After I had the airbox installed I decided it was time to complete the Coil Over Plug mod. I had read the large thread on the subject previously and done my parts shopping already and had the coils and plugs waiting to go on:

[image: 20180525_155840.jpg?dl=0]

The coils I sourced are just about the perfect height for this application and they have the 'over the hole' seal that I was after. The electrical plugs were from the 08-16 CBR1000RR, I picked up the harness assembly on fleabay for $7, then just unwrapped the wiring and clipped the longest lengths I could to reuse for this mod. The coils came from fleabay as well, and list as 06-07 GSXR600/GSXR750 coils, cost - $25 for the set. Here is the actual Denso part number (and a nice partial shot of one of Mello Dude's @mello dude pair block off plates):

[image: 20180603_183931_001.jpg?dl=0]

I didn't take any progress pics of this work, but I matched up the wiring colors (yes, they match the factory wiring on the 5th gen VFR), stripped and joined (dont forget the heat shrink first!), then soldered. After solder, I coated the joints with Ox-gard, positioned the heat shrink, used a heat gun to shrink it, then taped the entire length from the factory wrap all the way down to the new plug end. My finished product looks like this:

[image: 20180603_183914_001.jpg?dl=0]

This was my stopping point for the evening. Next up, I plan on installing my Super FH020AA Kit from Roadstercycle.com, fitting a speedo-healer, then wiring in a voltmeter and USB charging outlet. After that I'll be cleaning the front and rear of the engine, reinstalling the headers, and fitting the new end can. I have a lot more to do, but the progress feels good and I am getting closer to firing her up, which is exciting. 

excellent stuff and inspiring too.

2 hours ago, adkfinn

Last hoses to replace are the TB to airbox hoses, which was a quick measure/cut/replace. Out with the old (these were some of the most worn/worst condition btw):

[image: 20180603_140113.jpg?dl=0]

In with the new:

[image: 20180603_140346.jpg?dl=0]

Time to get the airbox back on the bike.

How did these two hoses look after the 90" bend they need to have?

1 hour ago, Duc2V4

How did these two hoses look after the 90" bend they need to have?

I tested it off the rack and on and they looked ok. I pushed them out to the side a bit (away from center/straight down) to give them a little more room to easily get over the throttle linkage bar that runs underneath also. They don't come out/down from the air box straight, they end up coming out at an angle less than 90 degrees from the nipple, but didn't seem to collapse. I will double check tonight for any collapsing now that they've had some time mounted. The throttle felt fine yesterday after I had everything mounted, opened smooth and had a snappy return still, but I will double check that also. Here is a crappy drawing to try to illustrate the positioning:

[image: TB%20crappy%20pic.png?dl=0]

Great job.good photos it inspires me to relace my thermostat etc.

Nice work, keep it up!!!

Thanks for the kind words gents, I appreciate the encouragement. 

@Duc2V4 - Your suspicion is confirmed, the airbox-tb lines need to be swapped back to factory rubber. Not because the 8mm silicone lines can't make the turn or that they start to collapse, but that they do interfere with the throttle linkage bar that runs from cylinder #2 and #4 to #1 and #3. It isn't terrible, but you can feel it on throttle return. So, I will be pulling the airbox and re-installing the articulated factory hoses. They are now cleaned up and ready to go back into service.

While I was messing around I figured I might as well plug in and route the speedo healer I picked up. I am replacing my factory rear 43 tooth sprocket with a 45 tooth, and the speedo wasn't very accurate to begin with. I ordered this unit along with my new chain and sprockets from sprocketcenter.com, cost $65. 

[image: 20180604_195048.jpg?dl=0]

As you can see, it is a tiny little bastard. Installation is a simple in-line plug (don't forget to clean and grease these connections) between the bike and the sensor, as so:

[image: 20180604_195012.jpg?dl=0]

I decided for now I would route the little control board back towards the under-seat area for easy access later when I need to set it up. You can see the little green board hangning out in the picture below. Which leads me into the next job, replacing the regulator/rectifier. This was one of the issues that I discovered when I began testing my bike's systems after purchase. My bike had no symptoms, seemed to run and charge just fine. But as I began swapping other parts (LiPo battery, LED switchback indicators, LED taillight) I decided I should dig in and make sure everything was up to snuff. What I found was that the system had acceptable voltage at idle (I can't remember the exact figures... a shade under 13V?), but they didn't climb and were actually dropping a bit at revs. I used 'the drill' - http://vfrworld.com/threads/how-to-fix-common-regulator-stator-failures.39277/ to ascertain that my stator is testing fine, but my regulator is on the way out. Here is the current regulator/rectifier, it is the updated Honda part, #SH689DA, which was the factory upgrade/replacement for the original regulator/rectifier issues. [image: 20180604_195227.jpg?dl=0]

My connections don't look too bad, the stator end plug is a little discolored but the terminals look fine and the plug end has no deformation/etc. I had cleaned and lubed all these connections when I took ownership last fall as an initial inspection and investigative measure:

[image: 20180604_203842.jpg?dl=0]

So long sucka!, goodbye old parts (regulator free to a good home if anyone wants it I guess?):

[image: 20180604_204001.jpg?dl=0]

On deck - a Super Mosfet kit from Jack at Roadstercycle. I opted for the 'FH' r/r and not the newer 'SH' (not sure why at this point, cheapness recommends it?). I didn't like the original orientation of the r/r for this part. The plugs of the new mosfet unit mean either a real tight turn for the wires or interference with the side plate. Also, it seems that heat would rise more easily if the cooling fins were vertical and not horizontal no? I mocked it up rotated 90 degrees (roughly), drilled two new holes in the mounting plate on the subframe and voila:

[image: 20180604_211407.jpg?dl=0]

I re-used the factory mounting bolts (which had to be cut down 3/8" or so since the mosfet unit is thinner at the mounting points, they worked a treat after a quick run through a die to clean the cut threads up) and the aluminum backing plate (it fit without modification). Next up was wiring. Jack's videos cover everything you need to know, I'd refer to his site if you have any questions ( http://roadstercycle.com/Roadstercycle.com Videos.htm ). I tried to take a few more progress pics this time around, since I didn't 'show my work' on the coil mod. That said, I'm no pro at soldering but I felt comfortable with the small amount required for this job. Once I had the r/r mounted, I just began working my way backwards to the connection points. The first bits were soldering the plug terminals on:

[image: 20180604_215147.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180604_220026.jpg?dl=0]

Then it was on to the bike for connection to the stator wires. I always have that moment of uncertainty right before I chop into the factory wiring or make any changes that aren't exactly easy to undo. So, double checked, deep breath taken I then snipped off the factory stator plug and stripped everything to ready it for joining. After that it was just a matter of soldering them up one at a time, ox-gard, heatshrink, then taping it all up:

[image: 20180604_221210.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180604_221455.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180604_223136.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180604_223558.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180604_224725.jpg?dl=0]

This is as far as I gotten. I have yet to decide how I am going to run the red/black wires to the battery. It looks pretty tidy as is, I just need to settle on something. In general this isn't terribly complicated work, but I do find it pretty time consuming. I enjoy it and don't rush it, especially when you have to make decisions that require more than plug and play solutions. 

Years ago, when doing the supercharger-related mods on my  US-based Y2k, I discovered one of the very few things that you can buy cheaper in the UK than in the USA: silicone hoses.  Places like ASH have all kinds and colors.  Including 8mm pre-formed 90-degree elbows.  Are those not available in the 'States at all?  Maybe they just don't do them in purple!

Mods lookin' good, btw!

Ciao,

JZH, 6/5/2018 at 2:59 PM

Years ago, when doing the supercharger-related mods on my  US-based Y2k, I discovered one of the very few things that you can buy cheaper in the UK than in the USA: silicone hoses.  Places like ASH have all kinds and colors.  Including 8mm pre-formed 90-degree elbows.  Are those not available in the 'States at all?  Maybe they just don't do them in purple!

Mods lookin' good, btw!

Ciao,

I honestly hadn't thought about elbows or assembling any of these lengths. I checked out the ASH stuff and see they do offer 90 degree bends in 8mm, but they are short and I'd have to use a hard joint to attach additional length. I try to KISS principle most things if possible and the prospect of joints sounds like more places for the seal to fail and lose vacuum. My factory hoses for this spot cleaned up well are pretty pliable still with no cracks, for now I am going to pop them back on. If I could get once piece silicone hoses with preformed bends at the end I would be interested. 

Great thread!

I'm about to start - over a lengthy period - doing similar work on a spare Y2K motor I have in the garage, for eventual installation in my '99. Already have similar (S3 silicon coolant hoses/iridium plugs...

One question - if anyone knows - if I do all the work to that Y2K engine, including the injection set up, is that a straight bolt in to a '99? I.e. is there anything I need to add/delete to retain the manual fast idle functionality/delete the Y2K fast idle stuff from the equation?

One other question - probably blindingly obvious to everyone bar me - in respect of the throttle bodies, one thing which would slow me down in doing the hose replacement would be losing track of which one went where...how did you solve that issue?  On second thoughts, I just re-read the first part of the throttle body resurrection...I think I should be able to work it out with the provided info. and the partzilla diagram...

The 2000/2001 engines have modified cooling connection to feed the fast idle wax unit. That is the only real difference. So beast advice would be either do the work on the 99 throttle bodies, or remove the WAX unit & replace with the manual choke system from the 99. I'm heading that way as my wax unit always shuts off before the bike is at full temperature & I have a period between 45-60C where if you let the revs drop it will often stall. Never happens above or below those indicated temperatures, so a manual choke would avoid the issue.

Update time - 

Got the R/R all buttoned up and wired to the battery, you can see where I located the circuit breaker in this pic:

[image: 20180606_113544.jpg?dl=0]

Next up was a scrubbing party. There was a pic of the rear of the engine and swingarm earlier in the thread, but just so we can get a nice before and after here it is again:

[image: 20180520_113107.jpg?dl=0]

And here it is after a gratuitous amount of degreaser and scrubbing:

[image: 20180606_174724.jpg?dl=0]

In between looked like this with lots of plastic and brass bristle brushes:

[image: 20180606_141627.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180606_141619.jpg?dl=0]

It cleaned up pretty well. There was lots of tar and gravel, I think most of it was what we call 'cold patch' around these parts, that was really stuck on and had piled up on top of the rear of the engine and front of the swingarm. I used a variety of cleaners including a foaming degreaser, aviation Simple Green, and spray on over cleaner. The CRC Heavy Duty foaming degreaser has been my favorite product during this process. It works reasonably well while being safe and easy on plastic and rubber, it doesn't require rinsing (I have been rinsing it with a spray bottle anyway), and the stink isn't too bad. The oven cleaner I used is almost too strong, it is clear that it would eat into lesser metals if you left if on too long, yikes, makes me even less comfortable getting it on paint/rubber/plastic. It may work for heavy duty parts cleaning in select circumstances, but it won't become part of my regular tool kit. I had read that the aviation Simple Green was impressive and a big upgrade in strength to the regular stuff, but I just don't see it. It works about the same, which isn't to say it is bad, but it doesn't dissolve cut through grease like the heavy duty spray stuff does.

Next up  - new fuel filter. I think that 26k mi is a solid service life for a part like this and that a new filter was prudent. I know most folks don't replace this part, especially since it is in the tank and not readily accessible like in-line filters on older bikes, but I figured I'd knock it out as a part of my 'address all the deferred maintenance' plan. So, grab some soft towels and flip that tank over. I had drained almost all the gas prior to removing the tank from the bike already, so here we go:

[image: 20180606_220131.jpg?dl=0]

Back off the six nuts and pull the assembly. I used a small impact for this because it was easier than trying to wrestle the tank and break them loose at the same time. I am a one man show, but if you had a helper this would be easier to do without an impact. Anyhow, new parts - a new Honda fuel filter and gasket since I assumed the old one would be hardened after 20 years of heat and gas exposure. 

[image: 20180606_220738.jpg?dl=0]

Out with the old and in with the new:

[image: 20180606_221643.jpg?dl=0]

While I had the tank opened up I had a peek... not too shabby, nice and clean inside. If you notice in the pic below, there are some flecks of debris in that gas, I pulled this all out and discovered it is little paint chips. Not sure how they got in there, the paint isn't chipped around the hole for the pump/filter assembly. If anyone has an idea, I'd love to hear it. Have they been riding around in the tank since it left the factory? That is amusing thought. I also flushed the filter sock and pickup area with come carb cleaner while I had it apart. There was a little bit of the same paint flecks here also.

[image: 20180606_220816.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180606_220751.jpg?dl=0]

After the fuel filter replacement I decided it was time to re-mount the exhaust and get those parts off the work bench. So, with new copper donuts in hand I got her lined up, put all the nuts on finger-tight to make sure alignment and fitment was good and cranked it all down. This went off without a hitch, despite the tight workspace at the rear of the engine. I used a variety of extensions and ratchets to access and engage those four nuts. Of course, I managed to scratch up the paint on the exhaust a bit, but that seems to be par for the course with headers. The VHT Flame Proof paint needs to be heated to cure, and the shade-tree way to do that is to re-attach the exhaust and run the bike. Since I haven't done that yet, this paint seems to stay a bit soft. 

[image: 20180606_174743.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180606_174755.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180606_174729.jpg?dl=0]

Please ignore that ugly ass Showa rear shock. I am not planning on devoting any time to it's appearance since I plan on replacing it soon anyway, ditto for the brake lines.

Edit: Question for the masses: Are there any good aftermarket replacements for the oil cooler lines? The right side is showing as NLA from Honda and the left is $100... I figure that you could run braided stainless lines in lieu of the hard lines, but I am not eager to go that route. What have others done? Mine are looking pretty skanky and I'd like remedy that. I thought about pulling them, media blasting and powder coating but it seems like a lot of work for oil lines to me. Any thoughts appreciated.

Update - it does look like you can still find the right side line from a few vendors, also priced at ~$100. What are these things made of? The material seems to be not only rare and expensive but also very prone to corrosion. 😉

One last fun job for the day:

[image: 20180606_113505.jpg?dl=0]

The grips were due for replacement and I wanted to try a pair of shorty levers. The trial price of a $25 pair from fleabay seemed to be just the ticket. I will say, these levers seem to be well made and feel pretty damn nice, especially given the low cost. They did arrive assembled incorrectly, I had to swap the lever portion from left to right in order for the 'vfr' logo to be right side up, but it was an easy fix. 

[image: 20180606_134727.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180606_134736.jpg?dl=0]

Looking good! 

How long do do you think before she’s ready to roll? You’re going at a good pace. My rebuild is taking significantly longer.

Stray 

15 hours ago, Stray

Looking good! 

How long do do you think before she’s ready to roll? You’re going at a good pace. My rebuild is taking significantly longer.

Stray 

Thanks Stray. If I'm honest, I am trying to hammer it out so I can be rolling sooner rather than later. I am itching to ride the bike and that is a big motivator. I have been riding my CB750F a lot, so I am not bike-less, but I am enamored with the VFR... it sings the song of my people. I also need to finish this up and tackle a bunch of home projects that are piling up. Ideally - I'd like to be done in another week or so if I can devote enough time to it and there are no major hiccups in the process. That said, here's what is left for the current round of work (at least what I have planned):

Maintenance:

clutch - drain/disassemble/clean/replace master cylinder piston seals & diaphragm/replace slave seals/install new braided line/refill/bleed

brakes - drain/disassemble/clean/replace all three master cylinder piston seals & diaphragms/inspect caliper piston seals - replace if necessary/install new braided line/refill/bleed

drivetrain - clean front sprocket area/install new sprockets and chain

 - finish reassembly

Misc:

- adjust idle rpm

- perform starter valve sync

- install stompgrip and a new tank pad

- adjust sag/suspension

- ride the living bejeezus out of it?

This is what I can remember off the top of my head. The parts pile may say something different. 

The oil cooler pipes may be a problem and a replacement would have to be fabricated to fit both the sump and the oil cooler. Mine were absolutely shot to pieces - they were originally chromed and it had flaked off leaving a rusty ugly mess. The crimped joints to the flexible hoses were also manky and discoloured. The solution? I scoured fleabay and got a pair from a breaker in the US, so no rust, in good condition, and cost me a fraction of a new part.

M1962, 6/8/2018 at 1:17 PM

The oil cooler pipes may be a problem and a replacement would have to be fabricated to fit both the sump and the oil cooler. Mine were absolutely shot to pieces - they were originally chromed and it had flaked off leaving a rusty ugly mess. The crimped joints to the flexible hoses were also manky and discoloured. The solution? I scoured fleabay and got a pair from a breaker in the US, so no rust, in good condition, and cost me a fraction of a new part.

Thanks for the info and like you, I already have my feelers out on fleabay. Mine aren't terrible yet, but they will be on the short list for future replacement. Worst case, I will cough it up for two new ones and have them powdercoated before they ever see a drop of oil. What a silly thing for Honda to cheap out on... 

I'm really interested in your cleaning materials though. I have a spare engine that I bought for taking to bits and practicing valve clearance checks etc, and the casings are really grimy. I've used all sorts of things to try and bring it back, but no real success. It still looks rough. Some of your brand names won't be available here by the way.

Thoughts and questions - Will the full oil cooler and lines from the 6th gen fit right up to the 5th Gen? This seems like it might be the way to go... snag an extra row of cooling capacity and newer/more readily available lines. Can anyone confirm? 

Also, I noticed that the 8th Gen oil cooler is much bigger, has anyone tried to fit that sucker? I would imagine you'd struggle to make it play nice with the cooling hose and headers without some a very custom mount or more serious work. 

28 minutes ago, M1962

I'm really interested in your cleaning materials though. I have a spare engine that I bought for taking to bits and practicing valve clearance checks etc, and the casings are really grimy. I've used all sorts of things to try and bring it back, but no real success. It still looks rough. Some of your brand names won't be available here by the way.

Happy to share some more details:

The main degreaser I am using is from CRC, it is this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/CRC-Heavy-Duty-Pro-Degreaser/821986826 . It looks like this particular flavor might be discontinued, but there appears to be an equivalent replacement (probably just re-packaged I'd guess): https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Heavy-Degreaser-Aerosol-Clear/dp/B0013J1UEM . You can see the full details here: http://www.crcindustries.com/products/heavy-duty-degreaser-19-wt-oz-03095.html ... it looks like CRC makes a whole bunch of other degreasers also, but I haven't tried them. This stuff works very well. Combined with brushing it was almost all I needed. Heavy grease came up well, baked on tar needed a brass bristle brush or a stronger chemical. Hoses clean up really well with minimal brushing. Safe on plastics/painted surfaces/rubber/etc. Nice balance of strength and risk of use. 

The oven cleaner (which I tried based on the reported success of others and I think what GreginDenver mentioned using): https://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Off-Heavy-Duty-Oven-Cleaner-Regular-Scent-14-5oz-Can/25162098 . This stuff is STRONG. If you use it, be very careful with it on/around painted surfaces, plastic, rubber, etc. It is the kind of stuff that perhaps a bit too strong to leave for very long on soft/lesser metals. We are talking  your rag comes up grey/metal colored when you wipe it off strong. 

Simple green aviation: https://simplegreen.com/industrial/products/extreme-aircraft-precision-cleaner/ but it appears they've also been playing around with the packaging on this one as well. Nice light degreaser, I mix it in a big spray bottle (50-50), safe on everything, not strong enough for heavy oil or grease. I am not sure if I would rate this as any different/better than the regular Simple Green product. 

Brushes - Primarily a couple of plastic bristled dish brushes, found in the household cleaning aisle, run of the mill stuff really. One softer and one firmer. I also used a couple of small metal bristled brushes. One steel and one brass. Just like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M34Q848/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . I used another spray bottle of just water to rinse as I went along. I am working in my Barn (timber floors) so I didn't use a hose to minimize the amount of water. I also went through a whole bunch of cotton rags, etc. 

Hopefully this will give you some ideas and a jump start in your search for cleaning materials. Best of luck!

Great bit of work adkfinn, kudo’s. Brings back a lot of memories.........

12 hours ago, adkfinn

Happy to share some more details:

 Many thanks indeed for the comprehensive reply.

13 hours ago, adkfinn

Thoughts and questions - Will the full oil cooler and lines from the 6th gen fit right up to the 5th Gen? This seems like it might be the way to go... snag an extra row of cooling capacity and newer/more readily available lines. Can anyone confirm? 

Also, I noticed that the 8th Gen oil cooler is much bigger, has anyone tried to fit that sucker? I would imagine you'd struggle to make it play nice with the cooling hose and headers without some a very custom mount or more serious work. 

The 6th Gen oil cooler pipes are a completely different shape so I don't see how they'll fit without some specialist bending tool use. The OEM oil cooler is fine. I don't see the need to change it for something bigger - seems like an unnecessary 'upgrade' where the effort expended won't provide a worthwhile result. You may be better off removing the oil cooler and straightening out any bent fins if it's a problem.

M1962, 6/8/2018 at 6:17 PM

The oil cooler pipes may be a problem and a replacement would have to be fabricated to fit both the sump and the oil cooler. Mine were absolutely shot to pieces - they were originally chromed and it had flaked off leaving a rusty ugly mess. The crimped joints to the flexible hoses were also manky and discoloured. The solution? I scoured fleabay and got a pair from a breaker in the US, so no rust, in good condition, and cost me a fraction of a new part.

Why not blast and powdercoat the hoses you’ve got? I took mine to the sandblasted and sprayed them black. Look like new! 

15 minutes ago, Stray

Why not blast and powdercoat the hoses you’ve got? I took mine to the sandblasted and sprayed them black. Look like new! 

That is essentially what I have just decided. I grabbed a used set off of fleabay this am and will be blasting them and sending them to a friend for powdercoating (in an attempt to achieve the longest lasting finish I can). 

No real updates or progress on the bike since my last update. Life/work/other projects have claimed most of my time the last bunch of days and nights. I am waiting on the master cylinder rebuild kits from Partzilla and am planning on digging into the brakes and clutch in earnest once parts show up the end of this week. 

Stray, 6/12/2018 at 3:02 PM

Why not blast and powdercoat the hoses you’ve got? I took mine to the sandblasted and sprayed them black. Look like new! 

That's a good idea. I suppose it depends on what 'look' you're going for with a refurbishment. For me I wanted the bike to be as 'factory' as possible, so all the parts I replaced were either OEM or good quality secondhand - like the oil cooler pipes. Mine's still a work in progress after 3 years, but the aim is to get it as close to showroom as possible.

M1962, 6/9/2018 at 3:21 AM

The 6th Gen oil cooler pipes are a completely different shape so I don't see how they'll fit without some specialist bending tool use. The OEM oil cooler is fine. I don't see the need to change it for something bigger - seems like an unnecessary 'upgrade' where the effort expended won't provide a worthwhile result. You may be better off removing the oil cooler and straightening out any bent fins if it's a problem.

M1962, I did notice they were quite different when I was looking at the 6th Gen oil lines. I still wonder if they would fit.... The engine is the same, the exhaust is the same, it looks like the cooling setup/hoses are very nearly the same.... I may grab a cheap used set some time just to investigate it further. 

adkfinn, 6/17/2018 at 3:36 PM

M1962, I did notice they were quite different when I was looking at the 6th Gen oil lines. I still wonder if they would fit.... The engine is the same, the exhaust is the same, it looks like the cooling setup/hoses are very nearly the same.... I may grab a cheap used set some time just to investigate it further. 

Adkfinn, someone on this site fitted 6th gen lines to his 5th gen. If memory serves one was a bit of a fight as 6th gen cooler hangs lower (and is bigger) so the newer lines struggle to reach the older cooler. 

Anyway, he got them to work in the end. 

You could fit a 6th gen cooler (or even better, RC51 cooler) which would be less of a stretch for the shorter 6th gen lines? Just thinking out loud. 

Of course it wouldn’t be strictly stock but it is an improvement and I suppose 6th gen lines aren’t stock either on a 5th gen. 

Stray 

20 hours ago, Stray

Adkfinn, someone on this site fitted 6th gen lines to his 5th gen. If memory serves one was a bit of a fight as 6th gen cooler hangs lower (and is bigger) so the newer lines struggle to reach the older cooler. 

Anyway, he got them to work in the end. 

You could fit a 6th gen cooler (or even better, RC51 cooler) which would be less of a stretch for the shorter 6th gen lines? Just thinking out loud. 

Of course it wouldn’t be strictly stock but it is an improvement and I suppose 6th gen lines aren’t stock either on a 5th gen. 

Stray 

This is good info Stray, thank you.

18 hours ago, KevCarver

Did you see my 103,400 mile filter? 26k is nothing! 🙂 But it would be interesting to see what yours looks like inside if you decide to cut it open.

Kevin - I did see you post about filters and have been enjoying @ducnut 's FB thread on refurb also. I would humor and cut mine open, but it is already gone with the trash. 

I recently scored an RC49 oil cooler and lines from Japan. The RC49 is the 5th Gen Police bike made from 2001-2008. There are a number of differences between the Police bike and a regular 5th Gen, including the use of a 3-row 'cooler, and - I'm hoping - similar/identical oil lines to the regular 5th-Gen. We'll see when next I do an oil change/have the fairings off, and attempt the swap.

I suspect that another Viffer enthusiast has the same idea in mind, as I saw another one on the site I use, and it, too, was snapped up.

As for the RC51 'cooler, I also have one of those, and reckon there'd be more mucking around to fit that, as the LHS hose connection is more angled than the Police bike's one or the 6th Gen, as far as I can tell.

That said, I'll keep the RC51 cooler for when we - eventually move to a year-round warmer climate.

just go big

[image: vfr cooler 2.jpg]

[image: vfr oil cooler.jpg]

8 minutes ago, keef

just go big

[image: vfr cooler 2.jpg]

[image: vfr oil cooler.jpg]

Personally, I like it! That said, I'd be considering ceramic-coating those headers to reduce heat soak.

Is that run in series with the original 'cooler, or as a stand alone unit?

Those headers ARE ceramic coated, just old and dirty. They are now also wrapped. It's stand alone - I had an RC51/SP1 mounted there, but went even bigger when my custom front mount  radiator couldn't keep up. I've now gone back to a TL1000R rad.

12 minutes ago, keef

Those headers ARE ceramic coated, just old and dirty. They are now also wrapped. It's stand alone - I had an RC51/SP1 mounted there, but went even bigger when my custom front mount  radiator couldn't keep up. I've now gone back to a TL1000R rad.

Wow, they must be dirty, as they look stock to my (admittedly jaundiced) eye. 

Still, coated and wrapped, they'll definitely not be affecting the cooler too badly.

When I mounted the RC51, I had the original lines modded (shortened) by  a local hose shop. 

For the generic aftermarket oil cooler, I had a mate weld AN fittings to the OEM engine fittings, then made up the braided lines.

Sebs idea though, not mine.

Something to remember though, double thick cores are better at high speed, and not so great at low speed. I learnt that with my custom rad.

10 hours ago, keef

When I mounted the RC51, I had the original lines modded (shortened) by  a local hose shop. 

For the generic aftermarket oil cooler, I had a mate weld AN fittings to the OEM engine fittings, then made up the braided lines.

Sebs idea though, not mine.

Something to remember though, double thick cores are better at high speed, and not so great at low speed. I learnt that with my custom rad.

Keef, this is good stuff. Thanks for all the info. 

Brief update - 

I haven't had much time to work on the bike, but I managed to make some progress on the clutch master and slave. Fluid drained and slave cylinder pulled:

[image: 20180617_115703.jpg?dl=0]

Not as bad as some, but a bit scuzzy no less. Both seals looked to be in good shape, despite 20 years of service (they were getting replaced regardless). The piston looked a bit janky and needed some clean up:

[image: 20180617_115709.jpg?dl=0]

A bunch of brake cleaner, some polishing, and a fresh gasket and the slave is ready to go back on the bike (I somehow missed adding the larger piston seal to my parts order, it should arrive today). I am also swapping all the bleed nipples over to speed bleeders during this work in an effort to save myself some pain when I refill and bleed the clutch and brakes after this work is completed. 

[image: 20180617_131856.jpg?dl=0]

After this I moved on to the master cylinder... a bit chunky in the bottom:

[image: 20180617_132052.jpg?dl=0]

After a good clean out:

[image: 20180617_140913.jpg?dl=0]

I also replaced the piston set (sorry no pics, I was short on time). I pulled what I assume to be the original piston and master cylinder seals, and they looked to be in serviceable condition. I think I could've saved the money and reused these parts for now, but who knows how many more years they had in them. At least now I know I am good for another 20 years (given proper maintenance and fluid changes). At this point I've reinstalled the master and run the new Goodridge line and I am just waiting on the larger piston seal in order to install the slave cylinder and wet the line. While I had this apart I also pulled the front sprocket cover, cleaned the mank out of that area, checked the chain guide plate to make sure it was in spec still, and installed my new 520 front sprocket. I will snap/add a pic later perhaps. 

Last night I had a few hours so I dug into the rear brake. I had to start somewhere and since I am keeping my linked brakes (for now) I decided the rear looked a bit easier. No tear down pics (again, feeling a bit pressed for time), but here is the rear caliper after I popped the pistons out:

[image: 20180621_180221.jpg?dl=0]

The pistons actuated by the rear pedal were cleaner than the center piston area. The fluid was slightly less burnt looking and I suspect the rear master has been flushed more often than the front link. The pistons and seals are in good shape and only needed a wee bit of cleaning and polishing:

[image: 20180621_180253.jpg?dl=0]

I ran through the cleanup of the pistons and caliper quickly and then reassembled it to get it ready to go back on the bike. Everything went back together buttery smooth. Note the new speed bleeder nipples.

[image: 20180621_183849.jpg?dl=0]

I remounted the caliper, installed the pads, and ran the new lines. Some general thoughts: The fluid was clearly old, burnt looking and in dire need of a full flush. There wasn't much crystallization or solids present, something I was pleased to find. I had been second guessing not ordering new piston seals and pistons, but based on what I found, I don't think it was remotely necessary. My plan for this weekend is to finish the brake line install, master cylinders (all 3), and caliper clean up. 

adkfinn, I found that trying to vacuum in new fluid with speed bleeders installed was a tough challenge, although it did help to have the vacuum line, it still required that I press the pedal or pull the lever to open the check valve. Perhaps it was due to the Mity-vac not having enough vacuum pull to open the check valve or something else but just thought you might like to know. On my last flush fill, prior to installing the speed bleeders, I used the OEM and Mity-vac to get the lines filled and then put the speed bleeder on, then bled the lines. It worked out better that way for me.

49 minutes ago, Duc2V4

adkfinn, I found that trying to vacuum in new fluid with speed bleeders installed was a tough challenge, although it did help to have the vacuum line, it still required that I press the pedal or pull the lever to open the check valve. Perhaps it was due to the Mity-vac not having enough vacuum pull to open the check valve or something else but just thought you might like to know. On my last flush fill, prior to installing the speed bleeders, I used the OEM and Mity-vac to get the lines filled and then put the speed bleeder on, then bled the lines. It worked out better that way for me.

Good to know Duc, thank you. I haven't trashed any of the clutch/brake parts I've pulled off the bike yet and have been bagging the stock bleed nipples. If worse comes to worse I guess I could pop them back on (fingers crossed it won't come to that). I am not opposed to pumping via the lever to refill the system, but thought that at least the speed bleeders would ensure I don't back flush any air while doing so. I am hoping that eliminating risk at the slave/caliper ends will allow me to just focus on the masters. We shall see.

You generally do not split the calipers when servicing them.  Were there any gaskets or o-rings to be replaced?

Ciao,

3 hours ago, JZH

You generally do not split the calipers when servicing them.  Were there any gaskets or o-rings to be replaced?

Ciao,

Good to know JZH. There were no gaskets or o-rings, just pull the three bolts holding the caliper together and voila. I only did this because it seemed like there wasn't enough room/clearance for the outside pistons to be removed without doing it. The factory parts fiche doesn't indicate that anything was missing from my calipers, fwiw. 

https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/1998/vfr800fi-a-interceptor/rear-brake-caliper

Question time: What tool are you all using to pull/install wheel bearings on these bikes?

Reason - After tearing into the rear hub, it is apparent I need to replace the bearings. They are notchy and don't turn as easy as they should, so now replacing all the bearings has been added to the 'to-do' list. I ordered Honda parts (it looks like others have had decent results from All Balls and other third parties, but I stuck with factory). While I wait on parts to arrive I need to get my hands on a decent bearing puller set. What do you have that works well? All suggestions are appreciated. 

1 hour ago, adkfinn

Question time: What tool are you all using to pull/install wheel bearings on these bikes?

Reason - After tearing into the rear hub, it is apparent I need to replace the bearings. They are notchy and don't turn as easy as they should, so now replacing all the bearings has been added to the 'to-do' list. I ordered Honda parts (it looks like others have had decent results from All Balls and other third parties, but I stuck with factory). While I wait on parts to arrive I need to get my hands on a decent bearing puller set. What do you have that works well? All suggestions are appreciated. 

For front wheel bearings I have a Harbor Freight bilnd bearing puller and it works just fine. However, the rear hub might need something different, due to the larger ID of those bearings, well at least the HF kit doesn’t go that large if I recall correctly. The HF kit uses a slide hammer as the means of extraction but there are kits that have adjustable ID “claws” and a screw type extraction method. This type of puller is a bit more cumbersome to setup but works really well for bearings like the rear hub. Either type of puller should be rentable at an auto parts store.

Oops, almost forgot, installing the front wheel I have a HF kit for that too but for the rear, a bearing press or home made version of one would probably be better/easier. When sfdownhill and I were working on his swingarm, since I didn’t have the right tool for removing the rear hub bearing, we took it to the local Honda shop to have them removed and installed. Don’t recall what he ended up paying but can say it was a hell of a lot cheaper than what potential damage we could have done to the swingarm, had we tried to “hack it”.

33 minutes ago, Duc2V4

For front wheel bearings I have a Harbor Freight bilnd bearing puller and it works just fine. However, the rear hub might need something different, due to the larger ID of those bearings, well at least the HF kit doesn’t go that large if I recall correctly. The HF kit uses a slide hammer as the means of extraction but there are kits that have adjustable ID “claws” and a screw type extraction method. This type of puller is a bit more cumbersome to setup but works really well for bearings like the rear hub. Either type of puller should be rentable at an auto parts store.

Oops, almost forgot, installing the front wheel I have a HF kit for that too but for the rear, a bearing press or home made version of one would probably be better/easier. When sfdownhill and I were working on his swingarm, since I didn’t have the right tool for removing the rear hub bearing, we took it to the local Honda shop to have them removed and installed. Don’t recall what he ended up paying but can say it was a hell of a lot cheaper than what potential damage we could have done to the swingarm, had we tried to “hack it”.

Thanks Duc. I was looking at generic slide hammer style kits and the like. In general, I am rarely opposed to buying the proper tool for the job (unless it is so expensive and singular in it's use that I can't justify it). I will check out the HF offerings and Amazon to see what I can find. I don't have a press, but will double check to see if my neighbor has a press in his garage. I have used the 'tap it in with a large socket' trick for bearings before with success also. 

Edit - Any thoughts on the following:

slide hammer / puller - https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4579-9-Way-Hammer-Puller/dp/B0015DMNIS/ref=sr_1_19?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1529854332&sr=1-19&keywords=bearing+puller

bolt/press style - https://www.amazon.com/OrionMotorTech-23-Piece-Adapters-Replacement-Installer/dp/B01FLVOAZI/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1529854332&sr=1-9&keywords=bearing+puller

2 hours ago, adkfinn

Thanks Duc. I was looking at generic slide hammer style kits and the like. In general, I am rarely opposed to buying the proper tool for the job (unless it is so expensive and singular in it's use that I can't justify it). I will check out the HF offerings and Amazon to see what I can find. I don't have a press, but will double check to see if my neighbor has a press in his garage. I have used the 'tap it in with a large socket' trick for bearings before with success also. 

Edit - Any thoughts on the following:

slide hammer / puller - https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4579-9-Way-Hammer-Puller/dp/B0015DMNIS/ref=sr_1_19?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1529854332&sr=1-19&keywords=bearing+puller

bolt/press style - https://www.amazon.com/OrionMotorTech-23-Piece-Adapters-Replacement-Installer/dp/B01FLVOAZI/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1529854332&sr=1-9&keywords=bearing+puller

Both of those kits look like they’d do the job. It also looks like the one in the top link, does the screw type removal, which seems like a really good deal for the cost. The one in the lower link seems to be perfect for the larger size rear hub bearings.

I actually made a bearing extraction/insertion tool using a long bolt, some washers, a couple of sockets and some nuts. It was good for removing and installing the swingarm pivot bearings on one of bikes but wasn’t usable more than the few uses. I’m sure if I got some good quality nuts, bolts and washers, it could have withstood a few more uses. Might be harder to find the right size for the rear hub though. 

The prices these are listed at seem to be decent and might be worth giving them a try, but before I commit to buying some tools online I like to see if I can find the manual to make sure what I think it will do, is shown in the manual. Not always possible but sometimes careful searching on the internet, you can find the manual. Although not always a fan of HF products, they do often have links to the product manuals on their website, which is cool.

I replaced some bearings on a friend's bike and IMO that slide hammer/puller kit from Amazon won't do the trick. You need a

dedicated blind bearing puller for motorcycle wheel bearings most times. There usually isn't enough space between the inner

race of the bearing, and the spacer to get those hooks to work well. In all honesty I've not had the best of luck with blind bearing

puller either. I have made my own which works better than any others I've tried, even though a bit unwieldy.

I used a shaft that will fit through the inner race of the bearing, and cut a slot in the end perpendicular to the shaft length, about

2 inches deep. Insert the shaft nearly to the inner race of the bearing you want to remove, use a wedge to expand the shaft by

driving it into the slot, I usually use a small chisel. Then you just drive the bearing out.

And don't disparage the socket to drive in a bearing. I worked as a mechanic at a can manufacturing plant for about 40 years, and

we used sockets sometimes because they were the best fit for the bearing. And I've found that I'm more likely to get a bearing

started crookedly using a bearing tool, rather than a simple hammer and drift to get the bearing started. Once started a bearing

driver is good to use, although I like the fact you can easily tell when a drift driven bearing is seated.

This all JMO of course, and fell free to ignore part or even all of it. No harm, no foul.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input. I have a few days to figure out tools, new bearings won't be in hand until the end of the week at the earliest. 

I just changed the rear hub bearing in mine a couple of weeks back. It can be done with a drift quite easily. This is my process.

1. Remove hub.

2. Remove left side bearing spacer.

3. Remove outer dust seals from both sides. I just use a large flat blade screw driver to lever around the seal & lift it out, they are just soft pressed in place.

4. Remove the split rings locating each bearing in place.

5. Clean any grease away & add some thin oil or release agent to the outer groove between bearing & hub, allow to soak for a while, go get a coffee !

6. Repeat 5 for the other side & let gravity do the rest.

7. Mount hub on/in a soft jawed vice left side down, do NOT clamp with the vice, there is a raised lip around the bearing holder, mount so that this is just clear of vice jaws.

8. Warm the hub with a hot air gun, while release agent soaks in, go get a beer 🙂

9. Use a drift (or your chosen tool) & drift out the left side double ball bearing.

10. Fully clean & inspect the needle bearing it may not need replacing, but its hard to tell !

11. Turn hub over & repeat drift, the lip on the needle bearing is tiny, so you may do better to pry out the rollers & the cage & use the inner lip of the bearing shell to drift on. YMMV.  I used the inner seal as a drift point until the outer had moved enough to get a good purchase.

12. Clean the bearing pockets thoroughly, get rid of any corrosion, or scrapes from the drifting process.

13. Remove inner seal from the needle roller shell & reduce the outer of the shell diameter by enough that it slips into the bearing pocket just past the spring clip groove.

Note - Honda did NOT use a larger diameter dust seal, so if you use the old bearing to fully seat the new one it will be stuck in the hub too ! So it must lose a little diameter to do this. I just turned half the bearing outer down with my mini lathe by 0.5mm.

14. Grease the bearing pockets & the outer shells of the replacement bearings.  You can put bearings in a freezer over night & heat the hub before installation. This does work to some degree, YMMV.

15. Tap in the new bearings using the turned down old bearing shell as the tapping point. I find gentle taps in a circular motion work for this with a 1lb lump hammer. You need the mass to stop it bouncing. If you have a very large vice or a bearing seater, these are even simpler to use.

16. Replace both spring clips in groove to stop bearings moving outwards.

17. Fully grease the needle roller bearing with appropriate grease, these are supplied dry !  Add extra grease to the shoulder of the inner & outer seals. You want to pack the needles & cage with grease, roll it round. You will never get it full, hence the extra grease in the shoulders, this will act as a reservoir & as the bearing cools after use it will be drawn into the rollers.

18. Clean/inspect &/or Replace, then reinsert the outer dust seals & the left side bearing spacer.

Rebuild into swingarm.  Hope this helps.

Job jobbed.

Have fun

39 minutes ago, Mohawk

I just changed the rear hub bearing in mine a couple of weeks back. It can be done with a drift quite easily. This is my process.

'

Thanks Mohawk! Bearings and tools arrive today/tomorrow. I am going to try to tackle it this weekend and your instructions will be a handy guide. 

Finally have an update... current status - rear is complete and reassembled and front brakes are in process. 

[image: 20180703_084701.jpg?dl=0]

I pulled the sprocket carrier in order to replace the drive bushings. The area wasn't too dirty, but the bushings were looking and feeling pretty hard and brittle. I cleaned these parts up and in doing so discovered that the carrier bearing was feeling stiff and also quite notchy. I pulled one of the side seals, flushed the old grease and shot a bunch of new grease to see if that would help, but no dice. This put things on pause while I ordered and waited for new bearings to be delivered. 

[image: 20180623_143245.jpg?dl=0]

Old rubbers:

[image: 20180623_143239.jpg?dl=0]

Once the bearings came in I could get back to work. I used a hand sledge and a drift to knock the old bearing out. I ended up using a big socket and my neighbor's hydraulic press to install the new bearing. The tools I ordered were the following:

motorcycle bearing removal tool: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MAPN42/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This was of no use on the rear bearing as the included removers are too small for the ID of carrier bearing. Other/larger sizes are available from the manufacturer, and I may order one in the future, but didn't need it this time around. 

motorcycle bearing driver set: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CU8ZSLQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Again, the supplied sizes are too small for the carrier bearing install. I was able to use this tool to remove the bearing as one of the included sizes worked. Overall I like Motion Pro, I have some of their other tools and they are useful, well designed and work well, but this kit was still kind of a miss for this part of the project. 

I also inspected/felt/assessed the other bearings in the rear. From what I can tell the second roller bearing and needle bearing on the axle are in good condition. This was a bit of a nice surprise, but they are rolling freely and smoothly. So, for now at least, I did not replace them even though I have new parts on hand. 

Everything all cleaned up with a new bearing installed ready to go back together:

[image: 20180701_113318.jpg?dl=0]

With the new 520 chain and sprockets (+2 teeth on the rear) on:

[image: 20180701_154352.jpg?dl=0]

Also, I had been waiting on the larger seal for the clutch master cylinder. That came in with some other parts so I was able to complete the slave cylinder refresh and reinstall it along with the front sprocket cover:

[image: 20180701_154407.jpg?dl=0]

Weekend update - Front calipers flushed/inspected/reassembled, all brake lines replaced, master cylinders cleaned and replaced, clutch refilled and bled. I refilled the cooling system and ran the air out (no leaks so far with the AS3 hoses installed). Nothing very pic worthy here, the master cylinders all looked ok, no major build up or debris. Installing the master cylinder rebuild kits seems to have amounted to a 'piece of mind' only job, which isn't the worst thing in the world I guess. 

Last night I knocked out a few little details that I had been wanting to tackle before taking my wife for some parking lot practice on the '88 Shadow I fixed up for her last year. I had installed LED's in my gauge cluster late last fall and last night I completed the job by reversing the appearance of my LCD display. I also wired up a cheap USB outlet/voltmeter:[image: 20180709_192609.jpg?dl=0]:

Then I decided it was a good night to give my fairings some love before reinstalling them. A light compounding, lots of polish, and a few coats of wax later:

[image: 20180709_192452.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180709_192425.jpg?dl=0]

That Bearing Removal tool is exactly like what I made, works the same. I think you'll be a lot happier with that than the

one with fingers.

I would have replaced the needle bearing in the rear hub myself, since you had the new parts and had it apart. JMO.

1 hour ago, FJ12Ryder

That Bearing Removal tool is exactly like what I made, works the same. I think you'll be a lot happier with that than the

one with fingers.

I would have replaced the needle bearing in the rear hub myself, since you had the new parts and had it apart. JMO.

You are probably right, but for now I just re-greased it and am going to run it. I'll have another chance to do it soon(ish) when I do the suspension. I'll be taking a hard look at all the bearings and linkage during shock replacement so I can always tackle it then. I was hoping Jamie would have his new 'in-house' rear shock ready before I completed this round of maintenance, but at this point I will probably ride the rest of this year and plan on tackling the suspension as a part of next year's spring maintenance. 

Finally have a progress update - 

She's all wrapped up for now. Goodridge brake kit fully installed and bled, Sargent seat and quick release pins installed, light smoke dumbo signals with switchback bulbs and a matching taillight to finish things off. The bike is now fully reassembled and ready to roll. I've ridden a few hundred miles since completing my work, mostly short local 'shake down' rides and everything feels great. My thoughts so far (in no particular order):

Good:

- The cheapy adjustable levers are great, I have been able to pull the levers in quite a bit (pos. 3 of 6, 1 being closest to the bars), they seem like a great bang for the buck mod. 

- +2 teeth on the rear sprocket is a noticeable change, a bit more grunt down low. This change seems like a no-brainer, you are still no where near running out of gear on these bikes on the street. 

- I find the Sargent very comfortable (I haven't taken any long rides with it yet, admittedly). The foam is nice and the shape/profile change keeps you planted pretty well. The biggest improvement is that it doesn't push/slide me into the tank as much. I've got an 8hr round trip planned for this weekend, I will find out how it feels on a longer ride in a couple of days and will update.

- Brakes are much improved. Lever feel is very good, linear and precise and they feel like they have more power.

- PAIR removal has completely resolved the pop/backfire on decel that I was present with the TBR can that was previously installed. The music of decel is now just the healthy burble of the engine, thanks again @mello dude!

- The high mount Black Widow end can is exactly the look I wanted and it seems to be a nice quality, well-made piece. It sounds pretty good, definitely different than the low mount TBR can it replaced. Like others, I wish BW had opted for a higher quality logo on these, as opposed to a sticker. A nice stamped plate would really finish it off better IMO. 

- The stompgrip pads work exactly as advertised. I slid forward a lot when braking with the stock seat and no pads/grip aid. Stompgrip certainly gives you more grip, sliding forward is no longer an issue and I feel a bit more connected to the bike. 

- All the less visible work (vacuum lines, coolant lines, thermostat, COP mod) all seem to be working perfectly, no issues or leaks. The bike certainly feels hotter (the old thermo was frozen most of the way open) but it is now running within normal operating temps. I see the same quick climbs in temp at stops, but it cools quickly and settles into 172-175 deg F while cruising (which is 50-70 on B roads here in VT, ambient air temps 75-85 deg F). 

Not as Good:

- The VM I installed is showing 14V around 4k rpm, it climbs a bit from there but I haven't seen higher than 14.4V. While I think this is fine/functional I don't think it is optimal. I am going to double check my grounds at some point to see if I can improve these figures. When I did 'the drill', the stator tested fine both hot and cold so I haven't touched it, the factory upgraded RR failed, so the new RR is the FH unit from Jack at roadstercycle, so I'm not sure what else to check. I have cleaned all the connections I've touched so far (spray cleaner, a little wire brushing if necessary (none have really needed it), and either oxgard or dielectric silicone paste). The VM is a cheapy and is just piggy backed into one of the headlights at present with posi-taps, I will wire it with a relay from the battery some point soon. I will double check the voltage figures with a multi-meter at the battery to confirm the readings. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be appreciated.

- The suspension (still stock) really needs to be replaced. I am not a small human and even after adjusting the stock parts, it is only adequate. I am looking forward to DMR's in-house rear shock becoming available, but at this point I will ride it for the rest of this season as is and hopefully tackle the suspension in the spring. 

Thanks everyone for the help along the way and for the people who documented their work as a reference for others, esp @GreginDenver for the excellent VFRW refurb thread. 

Here's a few photos, all cleaned up and ready to ride:

[image: 20180826_153844.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180826_154054.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180826_154008.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180826_153948.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180826_154029.jpg?dl=0]

Awesomesauce!  Thanks for the detailed thread.  Looks great. 

Looks excellent, very nice job.

My voltmeter shows between 13.5-13.9 volts while running, and has every since I installed the new battery, VFRness,

and updated regulator/rectifier. Doesn't matter if high beams are on, voltage stays the same. The more unnecessary

voltage you generate, the more voltage has to be dumped by the R/R. Personally I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. 

I did all that about 20,000 miles ago.

But that's JMO.

10 hours ago, adkfinn

Finally have a progress update - 

Not as Good:

- The VM I installed is showing 14V around 4k rpm, it climbs a bit from there but I haven't seen higher than 14.4V. While I think this is fine/functional I don't think it is optimal. I am going to double check my grounds at some point to see if I can improve these figures.

@adkfinn.....  you cant get much more optimum on the volts at 14.0v to 14.4v...  

BTW - Great job!  :fing02:

Thanks for the info and kind words FJ and Mello. I thought the peak voltage the RR would allow was 14.6? 

10 hours ago, adkfinn

Thanks for the info and kind words FJ and Mello. I thought the peak voltage the RR would allow was 14.6? 

I wouldn't be concerned with getting to 14.6v....So 14.0v to 14.4v is excellent, great, outstanding, whoo hoo good :cheerleader:

So go ride that beautiful machine :beer:

16 hours ago, mello dude

I wouldn't be concerned with getting to 14.6v....So 14.0v to 14.4v is excellent, great, outstanding, whoo hoo good :cheerleader:

So go ride that beautiful machine :beer:

Thanks Mello. Not to worry, I've had the bike out everyday this week. A few people at my office asked if I bought a new bike, and they were surprised when I told them it was 20yrs old. I took that as a nice compliment. I am in love with this machine. My wife has begun calling it 'the mistress'. Like so many others here, I find the VFR800 to be an amazing machine. The V4 with gear driven cams... simply put, it sings the song of my people. 

What a great piece of work. Inspirational indeed. So nice to see another well looked-after VFR

For info my Gen5 battery voltage sits between 14.0 to 14.4 too. It will drop to 13.0v at low rpm after a long ride when the r/r is hot.

Great job (great thread) btw I look forward to reading about your suspension mods in time.

Z

Looks Great! and thanks for the detailed picture thread along the way.    

1k mi update - 

Everything is working great. No leaks from the new coolant hoses, the bike heats and cools well. I am getting better gas mileage for sure. I haven't calculated it yet but consumption is noticeably less at 100mi. 

Long ride report: The Sargent seat is a keeper, very comfortable, no monkey butt, and the profile helps mitigate the 'slide into the tank' that I experienced when braking hard. I can fit my rain layers and a spare visor under the rear cowl now as well, which is great. 

One thing I need to undo : the LED high beam indicator. It is way too bright and I find it quite bothersome, like a little blue flashlight in your face. I am not a fan of bright dash lights at night (I turn them all way down in my vehicles as well). It will be swapped back to the incandescent bulb during the off season. Other than that the LED gauge cluster swap and reverse LCD mod is perfect at night.

In it's natural habitat in NH last week:

[image: 20180906_192118.jpg?dl=0]

gig, 9/3/2018 at 7:44 AM

Looks Great! and thanks for the detailed picture thread along the way.    

Thanks for the kind words Gig, but the work I've done is nothing compared to what you've accomplished with your 5th Gen. How did the rear wheel conversion fare so far?

2018 at 9:54 AM, adkfinn, September 11

Thanks for the kind words Gig, but the work I've done is nothing compared to what you've accomplished with your 5th Gen. How did the rear wheel conversion fare so far?

Its great! The 19lbs lost of rotational and unsprung weight is great, the brakes i like better, and the aesthetics are outstanding, Thx for asking

Hi adkfinn,

I have removed the throttle bodis to replace the thermostat and like yourself replace all the water hoses thoguh now i seem to be stuffed.

There are are four small hoses two each side whioch plug into air filter housing. On the left hand side of mind the right hand hose has a very small plactic t-junction connector with nothing connect to the t. Any ideas what should be attached here?

[image: P1040798.JPG]

13 minutes ago, kentguy55

Hi adkfinn,

I have removed the throttle bodis to replace the thermostat and like yourself replace all the water hoses thoguh now i seem to be stuffed.

There are are four small hoses two each side whioch plug into air filter housing. On the left hand side of mind the right hand hose has a very small plactic t-junction connector with nothing connect to the t. Any ideas what should be attached here?

Kentguy, 

That does not look familiar to me. What year is your VFR? I used the diagrams on Partizlla for reference. The air box ( https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/1998/vfr800fi-a-interceptor/air-cleaner ) and the TB tubing diagram ( https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/1998/vfr800fi-a-interceptor/throttle-body-tubing ). Are you saying that hose #14 (#2 cylinder throttle body) in the second link is T'ed off with one line running somewhere else and one end of the T open? I don' think that the cylinder numbered hoses on my TB were connected to anything, but I will double check. If you check the air box diagram in the first link above, there don't appear to be any either?  This is the closest pic I have showing mine just after take-off:

[image: 20180520_113211.jpg?dl=0]

Yes it is the two hoses that connect to the side of the air filter housing so this is the right hand one on the left hand side that has this t-connector in it. i have added a video if that helps and thanks for the quick reply.

00002.MTS

48 minutes ago, kentguy55

Yes it is the two hoses that connect to the side of the air filter housing so this is the right hand one on the left hand side that has this t-connector in it. i have added a video if that helps and thanks for the quick reply.

00002.MTS

That is def the TB tube for #2 cylinder, and you are right these should be hooked up to the airbox. The factory manual has an image of this in the Starter Valve Sync section on page 5-85. I need to doulble check that I have these reinstalled correctly on my bike, so thanks for that. I still don't see any mention or indication of a T junction on this hose in the manual, nor was there one my bike, so I can't help with that little mystery... perhaps if you post up the question as a stand alone topic another member will have more info. Good luck! 

21 hours ago, kentguy55

Yes it is the two hoses that connect to the side of the air filter housing so this is the right hand one on the left hand side that has this t-connector in it. i have added a video if that helps and thanks for the quick reply.

00002.MTS

Kentguy, 

I thought of something that might be worth mentioning - Does your bike have a Scottoiler or other auto oiler that uses a vacuum line to control oil feed? I don't have first hand experience with these, but understand that you 'T' them into an existing vacuum line on the bike. Could that be what yours runs to? Is the other end of the additional line hooked up to anything?

ok have realised that was something that was put in to feed a scotoiler.

So the collection of hoses that have all the t-pieces in what on the air filter housing does that connect to please?

Looks fantastic.

Love your work.

Will need to take some of this as advise and give mine a good clean.

Looks great on the outside but I'm sure its filthy on the inside haha

Damn that looks good.  

2 hours ago, Headhunter

Damn that looks good.  

Thanks for the kind words. I am impatiently waiting for the long New England winter pass so I can get her back out on the road. I do have a few little projects planned for this year... 

[image: 20190210_164223.jpg?dl=0]

Is that Jamie's new product?

I got one of his last 929 shock conversions and it's a revelation. Not just because having a properly spring shock is important for a fat man, it was also damned close to right on setup, too. He does good stuff.

6 hours ago, MooseMoose

Is that Jamie's new product?

I got one of his last 929 shock conversions and it's a revelation. Not just because having a properly spring shock is important for a fat man, it was also damned close to right on setup, too. He does good stuff.

Yes, that is one of Jamie's new BD40 rear shocks that he is building in-house. I hear you on the fat man comment, I am looking forward to having this bike set up properly for my weight. 

Yeah, I think these are sprung stock for folks like a 145lb  Japanese man.

That remote reservoir looks nice. Easy to fit and adjust. Glad to see someone can get one, even if they're not listed on his site yet.

15 minutes ago, MooseMoose

Yeah, I think these are sprung stock for folks like a 145lb  Japanese man.

That remote reservoir looks nice. Easy to fit and adjust. Glad to see someone can get one, even if they're not listed on his site yet.

Moose - the shock reeks of quality materials and craftsmanship. It is a really nice piece, well made and very substantial. I expect it will perform as good as it looks, I've yet to find any criticism of DMr, only accolades for the work he does. Admittedly, Jamie's site is still a bit out of date, but he is very communicative via email. I was on the email list of interested parties and he sent out a launch email before the holidays with a bit of a discount, which is when I pulled the trigger. I sprang for the fork cartridge kit as well. I am really looking forward to getting a leg over these new parts, I am hoping it is transformative.  

He rebuilt my forks last year. The cartridge kit actually has more adjustability, but I have very few issues with my front end. It's like the bike just sort of squats, then stays there, when you brake, and it provides a lot of feedback I didn't get from the stock + racetech springs setup that was on the bike when I bought it.

You're going to be stoked at the improvement.

MooseMoose, 2/11/2019 at 1:36 PM

Yeah, I think these are sprung stock for folks like a 145lb  Japanese man.

Just not the seat height of the average Japanese male...😄

adkfinn, 2/11/2019 at 2:01 PM

Moose - the shock reeks of quality materials and craftsmanship. It is a really nice piece, well made and very substantial. I expect it will perform as good as it looks, I've yet to find any criticism of DMr, only accolades for the work he does. Admittedly, Jamie's site is still a bit out of date, but he is very communicative via email. I was on the email list of interested parties and he sent out a launch email before the holidays with a bit of a discount, which is when I pulled the trigger. I sprang for the fork cartridge kit as well. I am really looking forward to getting a leg over these new parts, I am hoping it is transformative.  

The folks that buy his stuff really like it. The folks that buy other stuff are looking for a fancy brand name. (You know who you are...😉)

I've had a really slow start this year, just like the weather in Vermont. Just to give you an idea about how far behind we have been: Ice fishing lasted into the third week of April this year, ice-out on a lot of ponds was the end of the first week of May, and we got over 2" of snow on May 14th.

Now that things have finally warmed up I've begun riding and working on the bike. I ended up spending some time on my CB750F in order to make sure it was in good running order before I began tearing down the VFR again. The F ended up needing a new regulator/rectifier and I had to replace the terminals & plug between it and stator. Everything else tested fine (yes, Honda had charging system issues in the early 80's as well... it seems to be a pattern). 

On to the VFR - suspension work is in progress, pics to follow. I've also fitted the late 5th Gen EMGO mirrors and a few bits from Pro-Bolt. I wish I had gotten in on the first round of the new US header, my work on the factory header was wasted, it looks like trash already. I'll get some pics tonight and get them up soon. 

Just Wow! Your machine must be better than right off the assembly line. Seems perfect in every way.

This thread is a road map for creating the perfect VFR. Best gen in the fastest color.

Congratulations.

adkfinn, 5/29/2018 at 8:54 AM

Parts/refurb:

Once I had things stripped down the next step was cleaning. Borrowing heavily from GreginDenver's thread, I grabbed a bunch of different plastic bristled brushes, a few steel and copper wire brushes, and some cans of foaming de-greaser. I opted for some CRC brand heavy duty foaming degreaser, aviation Simple Green mix in a spray bottle, and brake cleaner and carb cleaner. After I stripped the cooling system and exposed the engine valley I started by dry brushing and vacuuming the area, this will save a lot of mess and allow you use much less liquid cleaners later. After dry brushing and vacuuming I used the de-greaser and brushes to go after the remaining filth. Where things were really stuck on or stained I used the wire brushes to really get after it. 

engine valley cleaned (not perfect but as good as it was going to get with my tools and time available):

[image: 20180520_131700.jpg?dl=0]

This is why you should really check and replace the water joint o rings (two on top and two on the left side) while you are in here: 

[image: 20180520_132607.jpg?dl=0]

Gross.  Believe it or not, these o rings were not showing any exterior signs of failing when they were mounted. After a bit of cleaning with new o rings installed, ready for replacement:

[image: 20180520_154550.jpg?dl=0]

I suspected my Tstat was frozen open based on the fact that the bike was running cool while riding. This was confirmed when I pulled the housing and could see the the Tstat was frozen open at least 1/4". As mentioned in my 'to-do' list, I figured I would replace all the cooling hoses as well given their age and the fact that the prospect of needing to tear the bike down again any the near future seemed wholly unappealing. After a bit of research I decided to try the AS3 silicone hose kit. This kit is complete for 98-99 5th gens ( it may be missing the wax unit hoses for the 00-01) and the price is very reasonable for what appear to be high quality parts. Some progress pics of the AS3 hose kit and stainless steel clamps going on the now cleaned up engine, new Tstat installed, housing cleaned up:

[image: 20180524_211338.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180524_230300.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180524_230242.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180524_230231.jpg?dl=0]

I would say the fit and design of the AS3 hoses was good. Like others, I did trim around an 1/8" in a couple of places to shorten them up a bit, but I wouldn't call that an issue really. I haven't filled and tested the system so I can't comment on leaks, etc. just yet. In the engine valley pic above you can just see the PAIR block-off plates installed. Much thanks to Mello Dude for making and selling this kit! The parts are well made and and his instructions are spot on. I couldn't resist a bit of polishing prior to install:

[image: 20180520_131803.jpg?dl=0]

Hi

adkfinn, 5/29/2018 at 10:08 AM

I posted some pics of the exhaust header above, but here it is again. I soaked the header nuts in Kroil routinely for at least a week prior to removing the headers. They all came loose without drama, save one where the stud unscrewed from the block.

[image: 20180507_181051.jpg?dl=0]

Looking pretty crappy if you ask me. I have been following the various exhaust threads and my thoughts are the following: I would happily replace the factory header with a stainless steel performance header, given the cost was not intolerable. I am not interested in the current 'off the shelf' replacements that are available, why give up performance if you don't have to? My header is looking neglected and a bit rusty, but it is structurally sound performs as it should. At this point I considered having it professionally blasted and ceramic coated. The best quote I received locally was $250 for blasting/prep, Cerakote Glacier Chrome, and polishing. In the end I decided to blast and paint them myself. It can be done for negligible cost, will correct the rusting issue, and it will save me a bunch of money. Also, if/when a performance header actually becomes available I will feel less conflicted about purchasing it than if I had recently invested significant funds in my factory header. So, I media blasted (thanks to my neighbor for having a stocked garage and letting me use his tools) and prepped, then primed, painted and clear coated my factory headers with VHT Flame Proof products. I've used this line in the past and had acceptable results with poorer prep. I did post another thread about this, but I am repeating it here for the sake of completeness. My paint setup is crap/open air, but my goal is good coverage and rust prevention, not a show quality finish. They turned out well enough for me:

[image: 20180520_113141.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180520_113148.jpg?dl=0]

And here is a teaser of my new end can:

[image: 20180330_192843.jpg?dl=0]

adkfinn, 5/29/2018 at 8:54 AM

Parts/refurb:

Once I had things stripped down the next step was cleaning. Borrowing heavily from GreginDenver's thread, I grabbed a bunch of different plastic bristled brushes, a few steel and copper wire brushes, and some cans of foaming de-greaser. I opted for some CRC brand heavy duty foaming degreaser, aviation Simple Green mix in a spray bottle, and brake cleaner and carb cleaner. After I stripped the cooling system and exposed the engine valley I started by dry brushing and vacuuming the area, this will save a lot of mess and allow you use much less liquid cleaners later. After dry brushing and vacuuming I used the de-greaser and brushes to go after the remaining filth. Where things were really stuck on or stained I used the wire brushes to really get after it. 

engine valley cleaned (not perfect but as good as it was going to get with my tools and time available):

[image: 20180520_131700.jpg?dl=0]

This is why you should really check and replace the water joint o rings (two on top and two on the left side) while you are in here: 

[image: 20180520_132607.jpg?dl=0]

Gross.  Believe it or not, these o rings were not showing any exterior signs of failing when they were mounted. After a bit of cleaning with new o rings installed, ready for replacement:

[image: 20180520_154550.jpg?dl=0]

I suspected my Tstat was frozen open based on the fact that the bike was running cool while riding. This was confirmed when I pulled the housing and could see the the Tstat was frozen open at least 1/4". As mentioned in my 'to-do' list, I figured I would replace all the cooling hoses as well given their age and the fact that the prospect of needing to tear the bike down again any the near future seemed wholly unappealing. After a bit of research I decided to try the AS3 silicone hose kit. This kit is complete for 98-99 5th gens ( it may be missing the wax unit hoses for the 00-01) and the price is very reasonable for what appear to be high quality parts. Some progress pics of the AS3 hose kit and stainless steel clamps going on the now cleaned up engine, new Tstat installed, housing cleaned up:

[image: 20180524_211338.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180524_230300.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180524_230242.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20180524_230231.jpg?dl=0]

I would say the fit and design of the AS3 hoses was good. Like others, I did trim around an 1/8" in a couple of places to shorten them up a bit, but I wouldn't call that an issue really. I haven't filled and tested the system so I can't comment on leaks, etc. just yet. In the engine valley pic above you can just see the PAIR block-off plates installed. Much thanks to Mello Dude for making and selling this kit! The parts are well made and and his instructions are spot on. I couldn't resist a bit of polishing prior to install:

[image: 20180520_131803.jpg?dl=0]

Hi adkfinn,   Nice thread. thanks for posting all this. Could you possibly post a link to GreginDenvers thread on polishing up the aluminum parts? I searched, but could not find it. Thanks. Ross

Just now, RossR

Hi

Hi adkfinn,   Nice thread. thanks for posting all this. Could you possibly post a link to GreginDenvers thread on polishing up the aluminum parts? I searched, but could not find it. Thanks. Ross

Sure thing! It is actually stickied in the 5th Gen forum on VFRW: https://vfrworld.com/threads/refurbishing-my-99-5th-gen.52488/

10 minutes ago, adkfinn

Sure thing! It is actually stickied in the 5th Gen forum on VFRW: https://vfrworld.com/threads/refurbishing-my-99-5th-gen.52488/

Thanks. Much appreciated. I bought a '99 with 66,000km on it and plan to do a lot of what did, so your thread is really great for me.

2019 updates (fun stuff first):

I replaced the 'condom' mirrors with some late 5th Gen EMGO replacements: 

[image: 20190620_173335.jpg?dl=0]

Forgive the mess. I know this doesn't cover any new ground - but I found that either between the different mirror or the positioning I have a lot more rearward visibility. I snagged them on Amazon for cheap with prime shipping. I wish the mirror bodies were smooth like the early 5th gen mirrors, but it is still an improvement overall. I needed to order different mounting bolts since the heads of the factory bolts for my '98 were too wide to fit in the recess  on these mirrors. Who doesn't like to do a little shopping at Pro-Bolt? Not me. 

[image: 20190620_173328.jpg?dl=0]

Sorry for some pics not being in great focus. I try to snap pics quickly and don't really take the time to review each one to ensure it is perfectly crisp. This is wrenching after dinner on week nights, there's no time for that, I'd never get anything done. While I was scouring Pro-Bolt I decided I'd replace my gas tank lid bolts since a few were starting to get rusty/crusty:

[image: 20190620_173318.jpg?dl=0]

All better. 🙂

On to the not so fun stuff:

If you've read this thread you know that last spring I pulled the exhaust, sandblasted the entire thing myself. I spent hours... I was thorough and the pipes came out clean and very evenly 'scuffed' which should've helped ensure adhesion. I cleaned them after with air and multiple acetone wipes. Afterwards I used the full boat of VHT Flameproof products - primer, paint, clear. I don't have a paint booth so it was done open air, but I was careful about temps and humidity. After multiple coats of primer, paint, clear they looked pretty good. You've seen this pic before:

[image: 20180520_113141.jpg?dl=0]

After installing them I performed the 'on the bike' cure as per their specs: https://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-flameproof-coating (bottom on page). Well my friends, I don't know what went wrong but here they are a year later:

[image: 20190620_173208.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20190620_173158.jpg?dl=0]

FAIL. I am disappointed that the considerable time spent was essentially wasted. I honestly don't know if it was something I did or if this is really just a poor product... Either way I am waiting to put down a deposit on set of Wade's stainless steel performance headers. This just won't do. I am an amateur for sure, but I have prepped and painted bumpers for my jeeps, ground and painted the frame of my 4Runner, etc. in the past with good success. I had used VHT Flameproof on the header of my CB750F a few years earlier and it didn't hold up very well, but I knew my prep work was lacking in that case, and the area that failed is the downtubes that get sandblasted by the tire while you ride.

Based on this experience I can say with conviction that I won't be using this product any time in the future. If anyone has used it with success I'd like to hear it, or if you think you know where I went wrong, please chime in as I would love to learn from my mistake(s). 

Here's some of what is left of the paint that was still on these headers:

[image: 20190620_173251.jpg?dl=0]

[image: 20190620_173150.jpg?dl=0]

One other fun item - the PCIII that I picked up used last year is now programmed (with one of Hispanic Slammer's Staintune files from this site until I find a place to give it a custom tune) and installed. For anyone else running one on a 5th Gen, did you find that the cable is just a tad short for easy, clean mounting? This is about as far back I can get mine with the cables run and ziptied along the main harness inside the frame:

[image: 20190620_173304.jpg?dl=0]

Yeah, I found the same issue with the cable for the PC. Where you have yours is where mine ended up.

Regarding the paint of the exhaust. I have had a similar experience with a whole range of bbq/vht/exhaust paints. None of them work very well. I just accept it will a never ending task of regular maintenance. Stainless is the way to go IMO.

Go to SS on the exhaust or have it thermal coated, paint is useless on high temp variation parts, and it can’t expand & contract sufficiently without cracking.

Thanks for the input. I am hoping there ends up being a second run of 5th Gen headers from Wade. If not I'll probably end up giving the lextek set a go. 

Initial thoughts on the PCIII and 'Staintune' file from this site - The bike seems be running a bit leaner than stock based on odor, engine temps, etc. My buttdyno says that it feels a bit less snatchy at lower revs and a bit more grunt from the mid rev range up. Placebo? perhaps. I am looking forward to getting the bike on the dyno and in the hands of a real tuner.