oldbikerehab

(knock on wood) I've never fallen off, slice, but it sure can be a tough ride home when everything looks like I'm going at light speed in the Millenium Falcon! Must be the fumes. Thanks for the note on Methanol, NE0. I'd wondered what to do with it, besides throw it out, if I have my own still some day. Blume mentions that alcohol fueled engines run cooler and that alcohol racers, dirt track racers, particularly, have been known to remove most or all of their heat fins, since they never idle during a race. . . For efficient running in street cycles, he recommends covering the leading edge of the fins to deflect most of the air and retain some heat in the block and head.

Hmm, sounds like you did it up right. I don't suppose you were lucky enough to have bought the (possibly) defective decal from a nice local shop who'll be glad to sand and prep it for another coat, huh? Oh well, you're in it now and it's still gonna be a freaking awesome ride! But, damn you, setbacks!! BTW, on the plus side of this tragedy, at least you don't have to sand the underside of it again, or it didn't get kicked by a goat, . . . It's gonna be kickin' a$$ and takin' names in no time!

I'm reading David Blume's "Alcohol Can Be A Gas: Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century" and the chapters on small utility engines, two-strokes, and motorcycle engines got me thinking. What are the major performance differences? (For starters. . .) It seems like someone with a good understanding of jetting and tuning could adjust for the octane differences, etc. and go off the grid with their fuel AND their WHISKEY! I'll try to put up a few of Blume's findings from some experiments a little later, but for now, I just thought I'd see if anyone had any good stories or experiences running their bikes on alcohol or other biofuels. Anybody ever have to get home on a pint of moonshine? rum? The Macallan? You can actually read some of the chapters with the amazon look inside feature at this link if you are curious. The small engine and motorcycle section I'm talking about starts on page 421. The pages that are blocked show an alcohol modded Puch moped and some small utility engine mods. http://www.amazon.com/Alcohol-Can-Be-Gas-Revolution/dp/0979043778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371597950&sr=8-1&keywords=david+blume+alcohol+can+be+a+gas

Wow, that's like, a total major bummer, dude! I'm curious to hear what the chemical reaction was, or if it was a faulty product. Do you know the names of the paint and clear coat? All oil or lacquer based, or all acrylic, or a mix? Was the reaction instant after the first coat? So many questions. . . Either way, I hope it all ends up without too much sanding or expense to get a fresh coat on!

Just add clear line from the pump and make it part of your pre ride check, take a look at your next safe stop. Oil in the the line= no problem and the perfect mix as designed by the engineers, assuming you've got the minimum pump stroke set correctly. Premixing seems like an unnecessary pain. I've heard from members on here and old mxers at my local bike shop that the only reason serious racers and riders chose was to disconnect their pumps was to cater to their specific riding and throttling style or racetrack. Easier to do when you have a pit crew. I've yet to come across any evidence of any mass autolube oil pump die off. Not even one drunk guy ranting about how "it all started going downhill in '82, and that's when I told 'em to keep their damn pumps cuz I know what that engine wants!"

A whole lot of degreaser and a pressure washer. Don't be afraid to blast the !@#$ out of it with HOT water for this first round of work. Dirt bikes love pressure washers and it will make your work a lot more clean and fun.

This being the case, my .02 would be to put your first $$ into strictly functional and safety stuff like good fluids, cables, brakes, filters, spark plug, . . . ? Barring any major unseen malfunctions you should be able to get it running and performing like a champ and just have some fun riding pretty much anywhere you want for a while as you get a feel where you want to go with it in terms of aesthetics an street look. Get the engine running like new, then get it looking new, then get it street legal. If you know you definitely want to title it, start that process now. Depending on what state you're in, it can be a lengthy and expensive process.

I would also check out torkorp's awesome thread and consider vinyl as an option if you haven't already. If you're going to beat your bike up much it might be a good option for you if you can find the blue you want.

I sprayed my plastics last year with Rustoleum rattle cans and they are holding up well. The only place I've gotten any cracks is on the back fender and that's more because the metal frame underneath is incomplete and improvised. Side panels still look new and the front fender is still solid, minus a worn spot where my tach cable rubs. The main things are to degrease everything to the max and give it a light scuff with sandpaper before multiple light coats with a plastic primer and then top coat. I also sprayed the bottom of my fenders with rubberized truck bed liner for some added reenforcement since my plastics were old and sun baked and that stuff is still good and solid.

Great work! I sure hope you can get her running before the first riding days of spring or that will be torture! The only downside to having what is basically a new 1976 bike will be that any errands you run around town will take longer because of all the people who are going to stop you to ask about it and tell you what an awesome ride you have.

Man, I feel bad that that thing turned into a headache for you, but glad you got it working! If I had a dollar for every part I bought on ebay that said "fits 1976-1981 dt175", which I then had to modify, return, or throw in my misc parts box. . . Be sure to replace the oil pump line with clear and check the minimum pump stroke if you haven't already. Too much stroke and you just fog the neighborhood, but too little and the piston goes pop. Good job with the fix! Have fun riding!

I like how it says "Assembled in Japan, China, or U.S.A." The listing also seems to say that it is better than the other mikuni replacements, not mikuni. I bought an aftermarket carb for my dt175, (the $30 something ones on ebay) and it's taken new o rings and a lot of tweaking to get it to work. Not to mention that none of the jets etc were stamped with numbers, so there's that. These actual mikuni carbs weren't listed anywhere when I bought mine, but even at around double the money, I'd go for this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mikuni-Carburetor-Yamaha-DT175-DT-175-Enduro-Carb-/150931921829?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23243e5ba5&vxp=mtr Cheaper rarely equals better with moto parts.

Kinda has a HD Sportster look when down to the frame. A bobber would be sharp too. Either way, cool project bike!

Pic #3 is my favorite. The bike has really nice visual lines when all of the fairing stripped off. What are your plans for it? There's a sweet Frankenstein cafe cruiser in there somewhere.

Cool bike! If blackhat's recommendations don't fix the high idle, then check your throttle cable routing. Could it be bound up? The throttle cable should come around the left side of the frame, sitting on top of the clutch cable in a hook, and up to the handlebars. It sounds like you have the carb slide in backwards though. There's a groove that aligns with a tiny pin. Don't forget to make sure the 2 stroke oil tank is full and the pump is working. The bike looks pretty awesome as is! Just a little scrub and polish and it's on its way to being a head-turner. I don't know what your wrenching abilities are, but since it was free, maybe paying for a tuneup by a mech would be a worthwhile investment and get you out on the road and enjoying it sooner. Get a clymer manual, maintain it, and you'll be able to give that bike to your kids some day. If you are mechanically inclined, then dig in and have fun!