{"id":1497,"date":"2011-11-29T18:19:05","date_gmt":"2011-11-29T23:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/192.168.50.23\/wordpress\/blog\/?p=1497"},"modified":"2018-04-07T17:01:43","modified_gmt":"2018-04-07T21:01:43","slug":"project-within-a-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forths.com\/index.php\/2011\/11\/29\/project-within-a-project\/","title":{"rendered":"A Project Within a Project"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the cold weather setting in and my wrist surgery just 10 days away, much of the motorcycle restoration project is on-hold for a while. \u00a0I’m still making progress, though, ordering small parts that I need and cleaning parts that I’ll use again.<\/p>\n

The project is really a series of little sub-projects. \u00a0The latest sub-project was a complete rebuild of the starter motor. \u00a0Since this is a full restoration, components like the starter require restoration, too. \u00a0The starter came apart without argument, and the parts appeared to be in great condition. \u00a0The original grease appeared to be fresh, but when I rotated the bearing the grease peeled away with the consistency of licorice candy. \u00a0So, all the parts were soaked in mineral spirits to dissolve the old grease.<\/p>\n

In a moment of cleaning overkill, I put the bearings and gears in an ultrasonic cleaner to blast away any remaining tiny crud. \u00a0The appropriate parts were coated with fresh grease before the starter was reassembled. \u00a0 The starter was clean and lubed, but I still didn’t know if it worked. \u00a0I grabbed a set of jumper cables, connected them to a battery then hooked the other ends to the starter. \u00a0With a kick the starter pounced to life, spinning with a convincing hum. \u00a0When the engine cases are painted, the starter body will receive a coat of paint to match.<\/p>\n

Still a long way to go with this project, but the starter is ready for service.<\/p>\n