GETTING MY LD150 ON THE ROAD

[Oldiron1955]

The first stage of getting my 1955 LD150 running, I've taken the carb off and plan to take it apart over the weekend. The LD hasn't run for approx 15 years, to me it looks OK from the outside (but what do I know) to be honest I'm not sure when I pull it apart what I'm going to be looking at. I know the basic parts and where they go and how they basically function, but I'm not sure what will be considered good, bad, or what will need replacing!

This last photo was taken shortly after I'd taken the carb off, I'm thinking the liquid that came out has saved the internals over the years?

Anyways, if you could all please take a look at the photos below and tell me what you think. Has anyone got a step by step guide to cleaning and rebuilding these carb? If not, I will take photos of my step by step progress as I go and with all you're help & instructions we can log this for future users.

I've got to start somewhere? Just learn as you go, is my approach.

Oldiron.

[jbcollier]

I would change the needle and jet (atomizer) automatically. Everything else just needs cleaning and freshening up with new gaskets and seals. Take ALL the jets out and make sure they are all clear as well as their passages. Make sure the float floats.

[Scooter Paul]

Find someone that can clean the disassembled parts ultrasonically. There will be gummed up passages. Failing that carb cleaner and copper wire for a DIY solution. I use CC's near Guildford.

Paul.

[Oldiron1955]

Carb dismantled in preparation for cleaning there's still a few bits & bobs to remove. It appears to be OK apart from needing a good clean & soaking. When I opened the carb it had more of the Oily liquid inside, this may have saved the carb internally over the years?

[Oldiron1955]

I'll definitely need a gasket set and "O" ring seals
One carb bowl machine screw ls different from the other
Air mixture screws, needle and jets look OK maybe just a soak, clean and some copper wire will do the trick!

I want it to look dull when finished, any suggestions on what to soak the carb in?

[Oldiron1955]

Stripped, soaked and poked a guitar string in every hole, sprayed with carb cleaner then blowed out with compressed air. I'll loosely rebuild and give them a good spray of WD40 since I won't be putting it back on for a while, I'll need advice on setting them up once installed.

[911hillclimber]

I have just done the very same on my TV Series 3 Dellorto carb, all the same, same situation and materials. (ie 15 years etc)

Stripped mine and it was all dry inside, but old 2 stroke slime in many places, some quite solid.

Soaked all metal stripped parts in clean cellulose thinners for a few days.
Aggitated and 'scrubbed' the lot with stiff paint brush, huge amount of rubbish came out.

Poked at all the holes/passages and corners with 0.6mm MIG wire so similar to your guitar strings.

Rinsed out in fresh thinners again (found just a little debris) and a good 80 psi blast down everywhere.

WD40'd the lot and wiped dry with clean lint free paper towel.

Re-assembled with fresh gasket set and a few new jets to suit the engine.

Graham.

ps
Have done a similar carb using a new small Kerry ultrasonic bath with a small amount of cleaning concentrate from Kerry. (one hour cleaning)

Removed a lot of rubbish but tarnished slightly the surfaces, and when rinsed and dried a little surface corrosion appeared as the surfaces were so clean after.
Years ago I cleaned some old Porsche triple weber carbs the same thinners way, same zinc diecasting materials etc and they worked a treat.

[Oldiron1955]

Carb is cleaned and loosely put back together until I'm ready to reattach.

[Oldiron1955]

Now for the next stage.
Rather than starting a new topic each time I take on another challenge I've retitled my original topic (LD carb rebuild) this way it keeps a running log of getting her back on the road.

[Oldiron1955]

Bars, Cables & Wires.

First the handlebars.
I removed these last week along with cables and the trashed wiring loom, problem here is removing the original grips without damaging them! The only reason for wanting to remove the grips is to service everything internally & externally. Do these just pull off? If so I mustn't be pulling hard enough!

[Scooter Paul]

If they are rock hard you'll need to soften them with boiling water. Then get a WD 40 can with extended wand between grip and bar. Sometimes a thin screwdriver is needed to open up a gap. Squirt the WD40 in and work it around the circumference. They will slide off easily then.

Paul

[Oldiron1955]

Paul's tip worked. A squirted WD40 between grip & sleeve allowing it to penetrate overnight, then placed the grips in a jar of boiling water to soften for a few minutes they slipped off easily.
I'll soak the part in something nearer the weekend just to remove the grime, then assess which parts need replacing.

[Oldiron1955]

I'm no further on with installing wiring, first hurdle!

I bought a flywheel puller tool to remove the flywheel and replace L.T socket, but closer inspection of the inner threads shows the PO has damaged the first few threads making it impossible for me to remove the flywheel by insert the normal removal tool!

With limited depth is there anyway of using a thread chasing tool or another device to remove??

[Oldiron1955]

Also no further on with the new cables, another wee hurdle to get over and another tool to purchase.

I need to replace the rear brake operating cam, the splines are damaged. The splines got damaged years ago it's PO drilled a hole through the rear brake lever control and brake operating cam, to keep the brake operational.

Just another make-do job to fix!

[911hillclimber]

Ref: flywheel thread.

I've face a few issues like this on my TV3, but not the flywheel I admit, but the method might help you.

In the past I've 'made' a tap to correct the first damaged threads.

Take the tool you have and assuming you accept it is dispensable:

One end, hacksaw a cut along the first 6+ threads along the axis of the puller, like the flute of a normal tap.
Then carefully file on side of the cut right down to the root of the threads of the puller or beyond so when the puller is inserted the 'flute' presents a clean edge to cut/reform the pulley first threads.

Mine had a lot of corrosion down those threads and the cut in the home made tap will clear the rust out as it is screwed in.
The success of this is depending just how damaged the wheel threads are of course.

Take it slowly to get it started and one turn in, 1/3 back to clear any swarf etc. Once firmly established WD40 to help clear the rust off the remaining deep threads.

If this fails then the approach is much higher risk.

3 leg hub puller with lots of heat applied to the steel hub, or to actually remove the first 2 turns of the damaged thread with a dremmel or similar until the tool will enter. There is a lot of thread in the hub, you can afford to loose the first few turns as it is a fine form thread.

[Oldiron1955]

Rear hub came off easy with the new puller tool.

After a quick clean everything looks OK to me and moves freely, should I consider removing, inspecting, replacing anything else in this area???

I will be replace all fluids at a later date.


911hills has got me thinking on my best approach to getting the flywheel off.

[Steve J]

It all looks good to me - if there's any evidence of the hub oilseal leaking, it might be worth replacing it, otherwise I'd leave well alone. I'm not sure if it's my eyes, or the angle the photo was taken from, but is the lining starting to come away from the left-hand brake shoe?

[Oldiron1955]

No sign of any leakage, hopefully I don't spot anything after last nights cleanup! The photo of the brake shoes does look sus I'll take a closer look this evening. Attached photo is just before I removed the shoes.

[Oldiron1955]

There's nothing wrong with your eyes Steve!
The lining had come away from the shoe, with very little pressure the lining came clean off.

[jbcollier]

Change the oil seal while you're in there -- save your new shoes.

Removing the flywheel:

The tool you need is an internal thread file. Use it to clean up the damaged threads enough to get the puller on. The reason the threads are toast is because the DPO didn't thread the puller all the way in before trying to remove the flywheel. Always back out the puller screw first before threading in the puller.

Internal thread file:

http://catalogue.facom.com/en/categorie ... oring-tool