Guys, I'm quite irritated. I've been working on a 1974 GT750 Suzuki water baffalo for about 9 months. I normally restore 1 or 2 old vintage bikes for my collection every year - this being my first water cooled one. The delay so far has been finding a decent set of factory pipes that could be cleaned and then chromed (this is a 2 stroke). The 1974 is a 1-year only design and my quest for NOS seems impossible at any price.
I finally got a nice set cleaned and repaired from the 3 sets I'd purchased. Those have come back from the plater and look 90% satisfactory. I will keep looking, but I decided it was time to start riding and enjoying this bike - I can keep my eyes open for those new pipes while making smoke going down the highway.
Well, not so fast. Yesterday while installing the pipes and getting the oil pump primed for the first start, I look up and see white residue and green fluid on what was supposed to be a perfect radiator. It is the original that I took hours to straighten every fin and then afterwards had the local shop clean by acid boiling and then pressure testing. He knows I do restorations and always pay more for the extra time and care not to damage my pipes and this radiator. He's cleaned-out several sets of pipes for me before they go to the chrome shop. I then washed that radiator with hot soappy water and rinsed until perfectly clean. When dry, I applied 2 coats of Eastwood's Epoxy Gloss Black paint - I love powdercoat, but it would insulate and that's not good when you're exchanging temperature.
With 0 pressure and before the start-up this darn radiator is leaking in 2 places. He will never, never get another radiator to do for me. Do any of you know and have tried a restoration shop for radiators? I don't want a simple repair, I want a full restore - glossy and perfect.
Here is what was not supposed to leak - certainly not after all of the work, time, and money I put into it.
Thanks,
Gordon
I finally got a nice set cleaned and repaired from the 3 sets I'd purchased. Those have come back from the plater and look 90% satisfactory. I will keep looking, but I decided it was time to start riding and enjoying this bike - I can keep my eyes open for those new pipes while making smoke going down the highway.
Well, not so fast. Yesterday while installing the pipes and getting the oil pump primed for the first start, I look up and see white residue and green fluid on what was supposed to be a perfect radiator. It is the original that I took hours to straighten every fin and then afterwards had the local shop clean by acid boiling and then pressure testing. He knows I do restorations and always pay more for the extra time and care not to damage my pipes and this radiator. He's cleaned-out several sets of pipes for me before they go to the chrome shop. I then washed that radiator with hot soappy water and rinsed until perfectly clean. When dry, I applied 2 coats of Eastwood's Epoxy Gloss Black paint - I love powdercoat, but it would insulate and that's not good when you're exchanging temperature.
With 0 pressure and before the start-up this darn radiator is leaking in 2 places. He will never, never get another radiator to do for me. Do any of you know and have tried a restoration shop for radiators? I don't want a simple repair, I want a full restore - glossy and perfect.
Here is what was not supposed to leak - certainly not after all of the work, time, and money I put into it.
Thanks,
Gordon