New guy from Ontario

[Go Go Diablo]

Jesse, you are truly a man of many talents. A motor rebuilder, fabricator, painter, welder, and a movie producer as well.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It's not done as detailed as you offer very often and gives us all something to look forward to when visiting the forum!

Bruce

[jayvee43]

Thanks Bruce. I mean it. I wouldn't have come this far if it weren't for your website and this forum.

I'm sure it will continue to inspire others in the future. It is a Wonderful hobby.

As for me, I am extremely happy with the results so far. I will continue to put it back together the way it once was.

I still need a million things, like the hood, front grill, nacelle, dash, wiring, lights, and lets not forget Fuel tank and BRAKES!!!!!.

Then, I get to play with the "ski-seater". This project will keep me out of the bars, as my wife would say.

Anyways "Keep the rubber side down!".

Jesse

[Roy Teske]

Great stuff Jesse. It's always a thrill to see one of these old motors brought back to life. Look forward to riding with you next year.

Roy

[Barrie2777]

This was really one brought back from the "dead". Great work!

[jayvee43]

Thanks guys, I'm afraid i don't have very much to report. I'm waiting on an order to complete some other critical parts like the electrical and brakes and fuel tank.
SO in the mean while, My wife took a lil video of me opening it up.

(I installed the rear skirt, so no more snow spraying at me) I might wear the skis to nothing.

Video is again crappy, but you can hear the engine roar. I think I like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisfOrc ... e=youtu.be

[jayvee43]

NOT GOOD!!!!!

Turns out my chain case was in worst shape than I had originally assumed. My litle video "joy ride" cost me a tooth on my drive sproket, and upon tear down, i came face to face with the same problem others seem to have had in the past. My secondary clutch was seized pretty badly, it took me several convincing blows (gentle blows) with a 5 Lbs. Hammer to convince it to divorce the jack shaft. Then I discovered the left upper bearing had lost its seal and was obviously dry for years, started to develop a significant amount of loose, and my chain tensioner bushing was also sufering in silence. there was almost no "coper" bushing left.

This brings me to this posting. Yet again with a few pictures. This Diablo project is testing me everytime I spend a little time with it. Should I paint it yellow?

Here is where I was:


Now I have it appart yet again: Here is the few pics of my gearcase as of this morning.






NOW! I have to look into pressing out these "seized" sprokets and arange something to replace them. Hum!!!

[Go Go Diablo]

Gearbox information on the web site and how to get sprockets off without wrecking them (gotta keep as many good sprocket cores as possible! )


http://www.gogodiablo.com/?page_id=218

[jayvee43]

Good point Bruce. I love this information on the gear box. It helps. And I will do everything possible to save the cores of course. I am gonna bring the rest of the gearbox to work on Thursday, and hopefully I will find the time to press them out properly using our 20 ton press.

On a better note: My order came in. Thanks once again to Gogodiablo for parts.

Here's a very rewarding few pictures. Remember I had only pictures of this dash to look at, i estimated the gussets. It looks like this dash came off of my handles.



I couldn't have made these gussets any better.





And finaly I will have brakes. I sand blasted and polished the disc and caliper a little.

[Go Go Diablo]

One thing I would add about the gearbox is you have a late model 500 gearbox. If it had been one of the first made, it would have had two less cover bolt holes and a plastic idler sprocket rather than a steel one.

I know you hated to take it back apart, but you will sleep better knowing when you put it back together, it should be good for you on those trail rides when your are blazing the way for the pack of Hus Skis and Diablo in your wake!

[jayvee43]

Finaly! I finished (fabbing) the handles. Looking forward to paint.

Here`s a couple more showing the new dash mount brackets. For the life of me, I still can`t understand the reasoning from the previous owner to cut off these brackets and weld angle iron underside of the one broken handle he repaired. WHY remove the dash.







There, lastly. Ready for paint.


Slowly, one step at a time. One part at a time. One fabricated piece at a time, i am closer to a proper Diablo rouge.

There`s one thing I forgot to mention i did to my handles. (here i cheated ) When I drove Bruce`s 503 on the afternoon ride in Chalk River, I found the use of the 503`s throttle very comfortable. For that reason I removed my half a moon throttle and fabricated a suitable handle throttle. I was using this throtle on my last video where i broke the drive sprocket.