Tear Down Tech Tips?

luke11
Profile picture for user luke11
Posts
669
Joined
6/4/2018
Location
Worcestershire GB
Fantasy
2280th
luke11
Edited Date/Time 11/8/2021 6:13am
I’m sure plenty of you have torn bikes down to the frame on numerous occasions and can do it with your eyes closed so I’m looking for some tips.
Planning on tearing my bike down to the frame in Jan. (mc250f) just to give it a thorough re-grease, re-powder coat the frame and do some other bits and bobs. Although I regularly work on my own bike and have taken almost every part off at some point I have never actually completely dismantled a bike.
Main questions are, how on earth do you remember how everything goes back together? How do you remember which bolts were for which holes? How do you organise all your parts together in your garage?
Any tips would be appreciated.
|
kb228
Profile picture for user kb228
Posts
6161
Joined
1/31/2018
Location
Mansfield, OH US
kb228 11/8/2021 4:05am
11/8/2021 4:05am
Get you some quart and gallon zip lock bags and a sharpie and group all the parts together. And most importantly a service manual
4
Daniel816
Profile picture for user Daniel816
Posts
218
Joined
4/22/2012
Location
Winnemucca, NV US
Daniel816 11/8/2021 4:06am
11/8/2021 4:06am
I have a few Rubbermaid totes I keep around to store parts. All hardware goes into Ziploc bags and I write in marker what its for...…left shroud.....exhaust.....sub frame. If its a short project I have some old muffin tins I use. If its something new I haven't worked on, I'll take pictures on my phone then email them to myself so I can pull up a bigger version on my lap top.
tobz
Profile picture for user tobz
Posts
3900
Joined
3/5/2007
Location
Adelaide AU
tobz 11/8/2021 4:06am
11/8/2021 4:06am
Loose bolts, etc: push bolts through cardboard, you can write or draw on the cardboard for what they were for/layout that were from.
3
CPR
Profile picture for user CPR
Posts
4385
Joined
10/4/2018
Location
AU
CPR 11/8/2021 4:07am
11/8/2021 4:07am
luke11 wrote:
I’m sure plenty of you have torn bikes down to the frame on numerous occasions and can do it with your eyes closed so I’m looking...
I’m sure plenty of you have torn bikes down to the frame on numerous occasions and can do it with your eyes closed so I’m looking for some tips.
Planning on tearing my bike down to the frame in Jan. (mc250f) just to give it a thorough re-grease, re-powder coat the frame and do some other bits and bobs. Although I regularly work on my own bike and have taken almost every part off at some point I have never actually completely dismantled a bike.
Main questions are, how on earth do you remember how everything goes back together? How do you remember which bolts were for which holes? How do you organise all your parts together in your garage?
Any tips would be appreciated.
I just use compartmentalised containers and seperate bolts as they come off. Same with the larger parts, store the bits from each section together.
But I have seen novices just use a sheet of cardboard and push the bolts through a hole and write next to them what they are. Can’t go wrong that way!
2

The Shop

See All »
RussB
Profile picture for user RussB
Posts
851
Joined
7/12/2014
Location
GB
Fantasy
1164th
RussB 11/8/2021 4:34am
11/8/2021 4:34am
As already suggested, use a storage method of your choice to separate out the sub assemblies. Put bolts in a sealable box or bag as there's nothing worse than knocking over an tray of bolts.

Another tip is start with a clean work area and give yourself plenty of room to lay stuff out, and not just chuck into a pile.

Photos before disassembly is a good idea, particularly with regards to wiring loom routing etc which is important to get right when building back up, especially on the 4 strokes.
1
T-Fish
Profile picture for user T-Fish
Posts
3062
Joined
12/14/2009
Location
Sparta, WI US
Fantasy
335th
T-Fish 11/8/2021 4:58am
11/8/2021 4:58am
Make sure you protect your VIN when you blast the frame, or you won’t have a VIN when you’re done.
1
Daniel816
Profile picture for user Daniel816
Posts
218
Joined
4/22/2012
Location
Winnemucca, NV US
Daniel816 11/8/2021 5:05am
11/8/2021 5:05am
one more too, a lot of times I use my lift as a work bench, so I will put down butcher paper which gives me another surface to lay out parts, label things, do any math i need. Then when I'm all done just pull it up and throw it away.
1
McG194
Profile picture for user McG194
Posts
3411
Joined
9/7/2017
Location
Palm Coast, FL US
McG194 11/8/2021 5:32am
11/8/2021 5:32am
tobz wrote:
Loose bolts, etc: push bolts through cardboard, you can write or draw on the cardboard for what they were for/layout that were from.
Even as a professional tech I would do this. I worked on Harleys and for something like a primary cover I would have a piece of cardboard with the holes punched in mimicking the general shape of the cover. Some screws were longer some shorter, I never mixed them up. If you plan ahead, you can write torque values down on the board itself. If you really want to get fancy and it's a bike that's a keeper and you will do the job a lot maybe copy some of these.

https://www.denniskirk.com/jims/complete-hardware-organizer-742k.p28390…
1
Zesiger 112
Profile picture for user Zesiger 112
Posts
2199
Joined
3/4/2013
Location
Pink Hill, NC US
Fantasy
2058th
Zesiger 112 11/8/2021 6:11am
11/8/2021 6:11am
Plastic bags are good, a bin organizer is the way I do it. But really the best way to do it is to take the part off the bike and then put the bolts back in the part. Leave them there until you need to work on that specific part. That’s way you’ll have 5 bolts on the bench with the part instead of 100




7
vtec_
Profile picture for user vtec_
Posts
68
Joined
9/16/2021
Location
Columbia, SC US
vtec_ 11/8/2021 6:13am
11/8/2021 6:13am
make sure you wash the bike off real good to make sure no dirt stays behind when you dissasemble things

mud likes to cake up in crevices under the gas tank and other places you normally dont see
1
SilverSpurs
Profile picture for user SilverSpurs
Posts
561
Joined
2/5/2021
Location
Sarasota, FL US
SilverSpurs 11/8/2021 8:59am
11/8/2021 8:59am
Paint, don't powder coat a rider.

Powder has lot of drawbacks that are not always immediately apparent.
1
jevyguy
Profile picture for user jevyguy
Posts
474
Joined
12/1/2011
Location
Mona, UT US
jevyguy 11/8/2021 10:03am
11/8/2021 10:03am
Take pictures of cable and wire routing.
1
Hammer 663s
Profile picture for user Hammer 663s
Posts
2321
Joined
6/2/2016
Location
Forest Grove, OR US
Hammer 663s 11/8/2021 10:32am
11/8/2021 10:32am
I set up a folding table to place parts on, then clean them and move them to a storage bin system, usually bagged and labelled. Take your time, don't hurry. If you are in a rush you didn't plan it well.

Use your air compressor to clean as you go - blow off everything before you tear it down, and use appropriate brake/carb cleaners as you go along with teardown. Make reassembly so easy when all the parts are already clean.

Hammer 663s
wiedeman
Profile picture for user wiedeman
Posts
112
Joined
6/19/2021
Location
Osceola, WI US
Fantasy
3168th
wiedeman 11/8/2021 10:35am
11/8/2021 10:35am
SilverSpurs wrote:
Paint, don't powder coat a rider.

Powder has lot of drawbacks that are not always immediately apparent.
I second this. Unless you are going to run frame guards I would not powder coat. I powdercoated my steel frame yz and after 10 hours it had started to wear off where my boots were rubbing and looked awful.

Post a reply to: Tear Down Tech Tips?