Thursday 8 July 2010

Skorpy progress.

As you might have read somewhere on here, I've decided to get my 1994 MZ Skorpion back on the road. It just needed a new bush or bearing or whatever it's called in the suspension linkage, and new bearings in the back wheel. When I started to dismantle things, I poked a screwdriver at the swingyarm only to find that those little paint bubbles were hiding something slightly more sinister, and a chunk of rust fell off, leaving a small hole. The hole doesn't go all the way through but I'm advised by my fellow MZers to just get it fixed, so I will. Then I thought I'd fit a new chain and sprockets. So I set about loosening the rear sprocket bolts while the wheel etc is still in place, they were easy, but the front one has been giving me hassle for about a week. I've been soaking it in diesel as per instructed, hitting it, jumping up and down on a long bar attached to it and generally getting nowhere quite slowly. I'm sure one day soon, it'll just mysteriously slacken off and the next time I try, I'll be wondering why I hurt my back and shoulders fighting the stupid thing.

So today I ordered a nice new sparkly chain, a gold one you know, and a new front sprocket (ever the optimist!) and a kindly fellow MZer has found a nearly new rear sprocket in his box of bits, and I'll get the swingyarm to a little man to weld it, and oh, I mustn't forget the wheel bearings in all my excitement.



12 comments:

Bantam Cub said...

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the Skorpy back on the road.

I've started buying bearings from these guys: www.bearingboys.co.uk

They do genuine SKF bearings at very reasonable prices. Far better quality than some of the cheap, unbranded ones you get on eBay. All you need is the number from the side of the old bearings and you should find a match. Only used them for metric ones so far, but I think they do imperial as well.

PS Is your e-mail still down?

Anonymous said...

Hurt your back and shoulders working on bikes thats the sort of thing id expect a fellow of 50 ish or something to say not a young lass like you. Itll be arthritis next from aw these wet rainy trips watch yersel lass.Good fun at time no so much when ye get auld.

Anonymous said...

Could just be the way the picture looks, but is the locking tab- washer thingamabob knocked out of the way towards the tenish o'clock side of the sprocket nut? Reminds of a similar thing on one of my bikes that I had a specially ground down chisel to get behind the tabs... boy, rust never sleeps...on those salted winter roads it looks like. Hairy Larry

Anonymous said...

oops, make that the twelvish o'clock side of that nut... HL

Jon said...

Weld the swingarm,do the bearings, sprockets and chain,bang the tab washer down on the front sprocket,mot and ride it. Dont panic if the tab washer looks fragile if you have to bang one tab round two sides of the nut,its cheap and you can replace it next time you replace the sprocket and chain and if you tighten the nut and loktite it before doing the tab it will be ok.Belt and braces and all that. messing with bikes will always makeyour shoulders and back hurt, even in the south where the sun always shines!

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Banty Cub, email should, fingers crossed, be ok now....why, have you sent me one and I didn't get it??

Anon - remember, when you get to my age (90) things start to ache, esp when you've had 2 frozen shoulders for a long...long time!

Larry - that was a pre-tab-washer-bashed-down piccy! And Jon, I hadn't thought of loctite, don't tell me some ****** has welded it on with that stuff!! Mind you, wouldn't diesel have worked on it by now?

Rust....no rust on that part of the Skorpy...people think Cubbie had an oil problem but they should see this!

Anonymous said...

ohhhhh...careful application of heat might be needed to break the bond if they did use the extra tuff stuff . Does anyone know of a solvent that'll do it? Starting to sound dangerous with heat and solvents involved. Trying to get acetone to where it might do any good might not be possible. Good luck on that. HL

Lindsay said...

Aye but at least all that oil has kept the shock from rusting, you'll just have to find a way of directing it on to the swing arm.

Lindsay said...

Just had a better look at the rear sprocket, it looks fine, much better than the front one anyway. Halfords, Autosave and Dingbro all do electric impact wrench's these days, not too expensive either, ask Cameron Autotech if you can use their name at Dingbro for a cash sale. These things are very good for wheel nuts too so keep it in the car and save chipping the nail polish. ha ha ha

Anonymous said...

Use 'halliburton' as a company name for dingbro on a cash sale. been using that name for 10 years now and have no connection with the oil service companies. Dingbro's are getting affie pricey these days so haven't used them for a while.

Lindsay said...

Impact wrench, not the cheapest one out there but had a 4**** review from AutoExpress Magazine last November. reduced from £74 to £34.
Technical Details

Power Source: 12V cigerette lighter plug or battery connector, 4m Cord
Standard 1/2" Socket Shaft
3 digits torque display and settings
Sockets: 2 x double ended 1/2" socket covers 17mm 19 mm 21 mm 23mm nuts
* Min Torque 80N*M;
* Max Torque: 350N*M (258 ft*lb)

url:- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Liftmaster-Impact-Digital-Display-Configuration/dp/B0036YHBMM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=diy&qid=1279030468&sr=8-5

Re cash sales at Dinbro for car parts etc, the last few times I bought stuff there, they phoned my contact to check I was kosher.

Gorgeous Biker Chick said...

Thanks for the tips people, luckily I didn't have to go to the likes of Dingbro, instead, I met UN in the middle of a field at Glamis where he slipped me a bag of tools ideal for the Skorpy job!

Right, an updated post coming up....

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