1977 Suzuki RM80B and a 1978 Suzuki RM80C resto/mod builds

rob.boucher.547 9/19/2022 7:59am
9/19/2022 7:59am
I completed a tooling plate to redrill the engine mount holes on the 3rd 78 C that is still apart
I welded the holes shut and milled to thickness needed, then drilled on correct case location
Suzuki used oversized case mount holes on all there
76-80 RM's and undersize shank diameters
resulting in loose/ worn case mount holes

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PTshox
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PTshox 9/19/2022 4:02pm
9/19/2022 4:02pm
If you want that paint to look super.... wet sand it with 1500 - 2000 grit paper. Don't knock it completely flat yet. Cut the surface open. Then put it out where it gets sun. Leave it there. For 3 weeks. It's actually a good idea to do it after the primer/body work too... Let it sit. For like 3 weeks. Give it a lot of time.

So after it's sat for that long... cut it flat with 3000 grit paper. If you smell any reducers/paint while doing this let it dry another week or so then buff it with first a yellow foam pad/ compound and water. Then the black finish pad/polishes. The extra dry time helps let the paint setup for the final wet sand. Paint keeps moving for 30-60 days or so... And bondo shrinks too... Allowing things to dry is really important. And it takes more time then most think.

PPG prices are JUST nuts now adays.
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rob.boucher.547 9/21/2022 5:31am
9/21/2022 5:31am
All 6 of the tanks will sit until 2023 spring, in storage
Yes I always let parts sit as long as i can before finishing
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PTshox
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PTshox 9/21/2022 11:47am
9/21/2022 11:47am
It really makes a difference. Body fillers shrink. Primers shrink.. .and as the reducers come out of the paint - even high solids stuff... it too shrinks. But before you store it... give it a light sand with 1500 or 2000 to open up the paint and let it off gas. It will help. You can make it look like glass if you want to. )
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The Shop

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rob.boucher.547 9/21/2022 1:03pm
9/21/2022 1:03pm Edited Date/Time 9/21/2022 1:10pm
thanks
I have been doing autobody/ painting since 1981
when I bought my first car, 1967 Chevelle, and a relative owned the Chevy dealership, body shop in
town, while going to school for machining/ millright.

The main thing to remember on the stock tanks
when new they had paper thin paint, no primer
and that is what gave the tanks the best look.
raw, cobby look, the paint should not look thick or mint gloss car show
a nice sheen that is it. You should be able to see the rolled marks on the tank seams
The same goes for polishing swingarms
fork tubes, triples, powder coating parts, it just not look right on vintage mx bikes, same with expensive plating.
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PTshox
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PTshox 9/24/2022 9:50pm
9/24/2022 9:50pm
I hear what you're saying. There is a look that ... fits with the rest of the bike from that time frame.

I just like nailing it when you can. And a tank is so darn small relative to a whole car. When I see a tank I think... oh this is small so lets make it perfect.

But I totally get what you're saying.
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rob.boucher.547 10/1/2022 9:33am
10/1/2022 9:33am
3rd 78C engine case set, stripped , new bearings
fresh ppg paint
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rob.boucher.547 10/1/2022 9:37am
10/1/2022 9:37am Edited Date/Time 10/1/2022 9:39am
exhaust port hacked threads by previous owner sometime in its life, 6x1 mm, plenty of material
going oversize to 8 x1.25 in the vertcal mill
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OleTex
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OleTex 10/1/2022 1:55pm
10/1/2022 1:55pm
Man Rob! You are a master restore guy. This will be a beautiful build to see when finished. I suspect the ports on the top ends you have will be polished up real nice 😎
rob.boucher.547 10/3/2022 4:04pm
10/3/2022 4:04pm Edited Date/Time 10/3/2022 4:07pm
I just clean up the ports, and blend the edges.
Setting the timing with a quality dial gauge is
important to great performance, the marks are
not close enough for me ,also repared the spring holes



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Richard Tease II 10/4/2022 11:28pm
10/4/2022 11:28pm
Stop dicking around and finish these beauts 😉
rob.boucher.547 10/5/2022 6:52am
10/5/2022 6:52am
sorry, it will be a year or so yet.
new molds will be made for some of the plastic parts
and a new mold for the seat foam
made here in house
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rob.boucher.547 10/16/2022 11:26am
10/16/2022 11:26am
35 here today, worked on some fork parts
lots of nos items

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OleTex
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OleTex 10/16/2022 5:34pm
10/16/2022 5:34pm
rob.boucher.547 wrote:
35 here today, worked on some fork parts lots of nos items [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/10/16/573300/s1200_3C56E985_A611_4867_B610_7C754BB9045D.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/10/16/573301/s1200_CCC96DCA_928F_4A41_81FC_F01AFFA7C7F7.jpg[/img]
35 here today, worked on some fork parts
lots of nos items

Looking good!
rob.boucher.547 10/27/2022 7:18am
10/27/2022 7:18am
I am not going to pay 4.00 for drain plug, dampner rod washers, made a few to use
rob.boucher.547 10/28/2022 10:36am
10/28/2022 10:36am
Waiting for parts to show up, so work has stopped.
i will start on the mold making this weekend
rob.boucher.547 11/3/2022 10:02am
11/3/2022 10:02am Edited Date/Time 11/3/2022 10:05am
Silencer bushings out of aluminum/copper alloy to fit snug on end pipe and seal up any leaks on all 3 builds - these small hand machined fit parts cost nothing but add quality to these builds
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Pit Row

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Enduro_Malcolm 11/11/2022 7:54pm
11/11/2022 7:54pm
Really enjoyed reading the updates so far, great work!
rob.boucher.547 11/14/2022 11:37am
11/14/2022 11:37am
Parts came in, new crankshaft assembly, all seals,bearings, screws, new clutch/parts
working on silencer repair, cylinder matched to piston
a custom machined the engine mount bushings to reduce the slop suzuki had in all the RM bolt sizes to frame holes



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rob.boucher.547 11/14/2022 11:44am
11/14/2022 11:44am
The metal the silencer is made from, about .02 thick
or .5 of 1 mm
rob.boucher.547 11/27/2022 6:03am
11/27/2022 6:03am
Another 78 C being assembled
Did not notice on the first 2 builds , clutch cover gaskets/ covers are different- and I the gasket kits
have different part numbers, so i did not have
a 78-81 gasket


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rob.boucher.547 11/27/2022 6:05am
11/27/2022 6:05am
All 3 chassis done.
now for all the part fabbing
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OleTex
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OleTex 11/28/2022 1:51pm
11/28/2022 1:51pm
rob.boucher.547 wrote:
All 3 chassis done. now for all the part fabbing [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/11/27/578565/s1200_5C54ADFA_9395_42A7_BDE1_2E96906E0861.jpg[/img]
All 3 chassis done.
now for all the part fabbing
WaaHoo! Those will be two pieces of MX history restored.
rob.boucher.547 12/4/2022 8:07am
12/4/2022 8:07am Edited Date/Time 12/5/2022 8:30am

Since the fuel caps are NLA - had to fab some up all hand made

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rob.boucher.547 12/4/2022 8:10am
12/4/2022 8:10am

In the pipeline to fab from scratch

Shift levers

chain tensioners

seat foam

front plates

seat base

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