Which brakes? ...and headlight brackets

[Robbo]

Both the front calipers are seized on my F2, I am wondering if there are any other calipers that will bolt on - maybe a 4 pot caliper from a slightly newer or bigger bike?
Has anyone got any experience with this? My neighbor has a 4 pot set from a CBR900 or something? He seems to think that they might fit - any ideas?

Secondly; I want to fit a single headlight but I have not brackets or headlight. Some brackets on ebay are going for over £50 per side! Will any F series brackets and headlight fit? Does anyone have one they might be interested in selling?

Due to the amount of work/time/money that I don't have this winter I'm putting my PRR into cafe trim whilst I save a little to get the tank and bodywork done properly. I have started making a seat and going over the bike bit by bit, with the aim of riding it this summer. I gave the carbs a really good clean (solid varnish inside) and she wants to go but seems to be only firing on 3 cylinders. In the mean time I need to work out the mess of a wiring loom, get the headlight, brakes, indicators and seat all done so I can at least take her for a test ride.

[kifer]

I would just kit the calipers you have push mine out with grease gun,
on head light side i I used rap around fork clamps then made ally brackets with slight kink in to fit width of lamp that way you can have lamp at what ever distance you want from headstock hope this helps.

[Robbo]

Have you got any pictures? Sounds great

[kifer]

Not sussed out putting pics on here yet mates going to show me, If you want send your mail address use [ send PM ]
and I will take pics tomorrow and mail over to you, Best I can think of at mo Cheers

[pauliexjr]

Not sussed out putting pics on here yet mates going to show me, If you want send your mail address use [ send PM ]
and I will take pics tomorrow and mail over to you, Best I can think of at mo Cheers

Sorry, bit of a thread hijack, easiest way to put up pictures is get yourself a Photobucket account.

Go to www.photobucket.com and register (it's free).  You can then upload pictures from your pc to your Photobucket album. When you want to insert a picture into a message open up your Photobucket account in a second browser and put your mouse pointer over the picture you want to paste, a dialogue box opens up below the picture, left click the 'IMG' code box at the bottom, it will say 'Copied', come back to your sohc topic and right click to paste the link, you should then get your chosen image appear when you post your message.

[SteveD CB500K0]

Or read the "Newbies Start Here" thread...       (I know, I never do either)

http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,1825.0.html

[kifer]

Cheers Lads,  Will have a go this weekend may be show a pic of my wheels I am very basic when it comes to computors.

[kifer]

Robbo, pic of bracket wil pollish when have time
these where solid after being stood for 20 years

[LesterPiglet]

+1 on greasegun
+1 on photobucket.

[Robbo]

Tried with a compressor as I don't have a good greasegun but no joy, now I can't seem to bleed the buggers to try and pump them out with the master cylinder.

Headlight brackets look good, I'm half tempted by some John Tickle numbers tho.

Even though I gave my carbs a bloody good clean with carb cleaner and the compressor they still don't get fuel to the cylinder so I recon I'll have to buy some new carbs kits too...
Good job I'm moving house, I'd spend time worry about it otherwise!

[kifer]

Hey Robbo don't get stressed walk away things will be easier another day [ thats what I do. ]
I put grease gun direct into caliper pipe union using a compressor fitting, sometimes helps if you push piston in a couple of mm first don't know if anybody else does this but seems to work for me.
Carbs/ seems funny all cylinders are dry ?
Good luck with house move PROPER STRESSSSS!

[Robbo]

Thanks mate, sound advice!

On the plus side I have managed to make my seatbase at work and it's looking pretty tasty. I'm gunna cover it in raw leather so it gets darker with time, not quite sure how I'll do it yet but I'll put my head to it once I'm all moved.

I've got to use my workshop as storage for a few weeks so I'll attack it with a fresh head then. I didn't check the cylinders but I could only get the bike to start by spraying carb cleaner on the filters, even then it would only got for a second. It runs with a petrol soaked rag across the filters too for a bit. It's funny as the main jets seem fine as do all the float needles. I must be missing something...

[Robbo]

I manage to get the pistons out! I took the m/c off the bar and just used about 7" of brake line attached directly to each cylinder and after much pumping it came off.

Quick question though: On other bikes I have had when you pump the level it takes more fluid from the reservoir, this seemed to get it back from the hose (almost as if a one-way valve somewhere wasn't working properly) It seemed like an awful lot of pumping for not much movement at the piston (If I had a Mrs she'd say the same... )

Any Ideas?

Bike is starting to take shape, I have sanded my 400/4 tank back to bare metal and cleaned up or stripped off most of the paintwork elsewhere. Got a set of headlamp brackets, original Honda no less, and a John Tickle pair too - when I get a lamp I'll decide which look best. Seat is just waiting for foam and leather.

Still not had it running without a petrol-soaked rag even though I have cleaned, checked and balanced the carbs(by eye) many times - it just won't start yet. More investigation needed this weekend.

[hairygit]

If you didn't bleed the system after changing the hose set up, that would explain the time it took to pump the pistons out, as you were effectively compressing the air in the system, and that is what forced the pistons out, and that is why the fluid was returning to the master cylinder

[Robbo]

I did bleed the system, didn't take long as I could hold the calliper above the mc and there was only about 6" of hose. Once the calipers are back on the bike I'll have a good go at bleeding them an setting them up