bam's 93 ninja 500 rebuild

[bamaland]

hey fellas pretty excited to get started on this one
last night i purchased a 93 ninja 500 which has a blown head gasket.

mods already done:
corbin seat(i think not 100%?)
rear fender chopped
steering dampener(why idk its already there lol)
flush mount signals front and rear.


few things to look forward to:

plastics re-worked and painted
top end engine rebuild
adding in some frame sliders

will think of more as i go along.. feel free to give some suggestions.

heres the pics taken a few mins ago.







and the box of parts it came with

[Snake]

Good looking bike. I didn't know the 93's had drum brakes.
Hhhmm suggestions for mods:
1) Paint the pipes with black high heat paint.
2) Fab a tire hugger.

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by Snake

Good looking bike. I didn't know the 93's had drum brakes.
Hhhmm suggestions for mods:
1) Paint the pipes with black high heat paint.
2) Fab a tire hugger.

yea i was surprised to see the drum brake to lol.

im going back with the stock pipes and header so black is a given

will be working on that hugger soon as i get the motor running again

[00NissanNinja]

Glad to see you got something I almost thought you didn't find a new bike. I look forward to seeing your progress and seeing a drum brake on a motorcycle is totally unexpected to me lol.

[bob138]

Hi,

My last bike / one I will be rebuilding over the winter is a 91 ex500.

Couple things I learned along the way that are important:

1) The 1st gen flywheel is a grenade. You'll need to buy a 2nd gen one and mod it to work with your 1st gen electric system http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,12936.0.html

2) The 1st gen cam chain tensioner sucks. 2nd gen is auto and works great. http://www.ex-500.com/wiki/index.php...CT_Replacement

3) might as well do the valve clearance check while you're at it just to know it was done right http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,122.0.html

Beyond that, be careful with the drum brake. Locked mine up approaching a redlight before. Pretty scary.

All in all the bike is a blast to ride. Like the 250 with a bit of an extra punch. Insurance for me was more than on an 09 250r somehow so take that for what it is.

Anyway, check out ex-500.com tons of useful info there.

Bob

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by bob138

Hi,

My last bike / one I will be rebuilding over the winter is a 91 ex500.

Couple things I learned along the way that are important:

1) The 1st gen flywheel is a grenade. You'll need to buy a 2nd gen one and mod it to work with your 1st gen electric system http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,12936.0.html

2) The 1st gen cam chain tensioner sucks. 2nd gen is auto and works great. http://www.ex-500.com/wiki/index.php...CT_Replacement

3) might as well do the valve clearance check while you're at it just to know it was done right http://www.ex-500.com/index.php/topic,122.0.html

Beyond that, be careful with the drum brake. Locked mine up approaching a redlight before. Pretty scary.

All in all the bike is a blast to ride. Like the 250 with a bit of an extra punch. Insurance for me was more than on an 09 250r somehow so take that for what it is.

Anyway, check out ex-500.com tons of useful info there.

Bob

thanks bob! me and my step dad are taking it all apart right now, having some issues getting the water pump cover off and gotta find where that hidden bolt is to release the head

hopefully we finish today if not tomorrow

[bamaland]

so today i started out by disassembling the bike to remove the head and start the repairs.

my step dad came over to help out (amazing he's usually a lazy bastard lol)

first got off all the plastics, loosened the carb boots and removed the air box.
then proceeded to remove the water pump cover which ended up breaking but already got the order in for another one

finally once all the above was removed we then proceeded to remove the valve cover, cct, exhaust, and cams. all went perfectly well!

loosened the head bolts, remove the 2 hidden 8mm bolts inside the chain gallery and on the rear of the motor facing upwards to the head from the block.

the head was then ready to pull out. here's a few tips if anyone wants to do this without removing the motor from the frame.

once all above is done break the head apart from the cylinder sleeves, continue to remove the rear part of the timing chain guide and push the front one towards where the back one was. then pull the head out from the right side of the bike!

here's 2 pics for now, ill have more up once the machine shop lets me have em back

all in all not bad time wise (done in about 4-5 hours) (thats also including running to the parts store to get some supplies and paint

whilst the head is at the machine shop ill be doing some prep work to get the plastics ready for paint!

i picked up a few cans of self etching primer, gloss red & black krylon fusion paint, and a few cans of triple layer high gloss.

oops! dont forget about the sand paper! i picked up 3 things of paper, 400, 800, 1000

the fender will be staying black, and im still deciding if i should just do all red or have just the top part of my tank black also..

i picked up a can of high heat black paint resistant to 500F+ degrees
will be putting back on the stock dual exhausts and getting rid of the 2-1 and what ever brand exhaust was on there.

things that got ordered today

red weighted bar ends
water pump cover
starter
center stand (didnt have one installed)
thermo switch
thermostat
black extended frame sliders for the rear.(replaces rear pegs)

also picked up a pair of (L) tecknic gloves that are black & red with some white in them.

they are knuckle armored and palm armored and extend past the wrist with plated armor inside to keep wrist breakage incase of a fall.

i plan to find me some nice black and red shoes/boots and a nice black & red helmet to match the bike

[highpsiguy]

See by keeping your temper under control and doing the right thing, even when someone else does just the opposite you have come out on top. I am enjoying following your progress on here and can't wait to see it running and freshened up!

[bamaland]

today i started cleaning the plastics and prepping them for sanding.
ill have to say i never thought i'd end up spending a little over an hour or more sanding that upper fairing but i sure enough did.

the side plastics were a bit easier and were done in about 10-15mins

heres a few pics of them sanded down ready for primer.

the upper fairing was such a mess i decided to not get to into fixing the cracks and will be purchasing another upper fairing soon enough to match the bike.








they just now got their first coat of primer which still has about 15mins left to dry out before the next coat gets sprayed on. will update with more pics soon as the final priming is finished, then another update when the first base coat goes on.

[bob138]

If you wanna sell that 2 in 1 lemme know. I've been looking for one for my ex500.

Thx

Bob

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by bob138

If you wanna sell that 2 in 1 lemme know. I've been looking for one for my ex500.

Thx

Bob

pm'd

[bamaland]

sorry for the delay! my internet is at peek times (and its cable! i know!)

after giving the plastics 3 costs of primer and wet sanding using 1000 grit several times we were now ready for the first coat of paint!

be advised, usually i use 2 flat base coats but i didnt because then i would have had to run back to the store lol.






so the first coat of red is on! it isn't the best because the 1st can i used wasn't warmed up like i usually have it. the next can is sitting in the sun as we speak getting warmed up.

heres the first rough coat of red!(pics of upper to come)

[bamaland]

today started off pretty slow due to some storm clouds that rolled in but thankfully didn't drop any wet balls :

i headed over to broome's precision machining in slidell,la
broome himself came a took a look at the head and started to clean it and prep it for the machine, but he took a different route.
once cleaned he brought over all his little tools and started checking the head and cyl walls for dips and warping using a valve lash tool at the smallest of sizes he could find not a single dip, he re-checked both head and cyl walls 3 times before concluding no further work was needing done.

i asked how much he said 'its on the house' so i then i ;D and still handed him a $10 and also spoke to him about helping me fab up a tire hugger that will interchange with the ex250/500 he said draw him up some ideas and when im done rebuilding the bike to bring it over or get him a swingarm with a wheel on it and he'll be happy to help this is a big investment for me to do because i know there are alot of ex250(pre-gen's) and ex500 owners that want a tire hugger and want to help them with that

back to the bike! after getting home from the machine shop i placed the head away in storage until i was ready to start putting the motor back together.

i went over the side plastics and upper fairing inspecting for any roughness which there was alot! i walked over to my washing/wet sanding table and went to work

after about 2)10 min sessions of sanding down each of the side plastics using 1000 grit they were ready for a re-wash and sun tan
the upper fairing was again a mess lol, took me about 30mins of wet sanding again using 1000 grit. to get the mass majority of the rough top edges smoothed out. re-wash time and sun tan time

here's a couple snaps of the side's after the sun tan session and 3rd coat of rough red.



sorry for so much glaring, the cam isn't the best and this red is really bright! (it blinds me lookin at it!)

will get a few more pics up of the upper fairing once it's done!


also on a side note, my new teknic gloves came in! here's a pic!

[Raybot]

lookin good so far!

[bamaland]

day #4

sorry for no recent updates, it's been raining for the last 3 days so i havent been able to get much done. in the mean time here's a few goodies that came in over the weekend


extended frame sliders

water pump cover

flush mount turn signals

hardback haynes service manual

center stand

pics will be up tonight.

i finished sanding the first coat of clear which apparently the 2 cans i got were bad.. it came out like snow and came off like soap lol. will be going back to the store to return and complain like hell about these.. will be using a different type of clean this time.

i also decided that along with the black/red paint job.. i'll finish it off with a pair of smoked carbon fiber flush mounts, and brake.clutch levers.

i think it will give it a distinct look to go along with that corbin seat

still waiting on the package kickers(ups) to come along.. 4pm and still nada

and a quick rant to usps!
stupid idiots are to damn lazy to drive 100ft to my house and deliver packages like they are supposed to! do they? no.. instead they leave me with the unimportant **** and take off with the important stuff and not leave any notice!

yes, im a fedex guy... always have been and will be!
/rant


the motor work is about 65% complete, paint work im ready to just say finished lol..


day #5
well today got off to a late start as i had a few morning errands to do.

i went over the the postal annex building to pick up my package thats been sitting there since the 23rd..yay its a new haynes hard back manual

once i got home i started organizing everything and reading over the manual.

i went to work on the engine, got the head tightened down, cams in position, the bearing caps and oil lines tightened every thing down.. now im on break lol.



the heat isnt to bad today thank god or maybe im just getting used to it again

gathered up all the goodies and took a pic.



as i stated yesterday i finished sanding down the clear on the plastics, well they arent 100% to my satisfaction so i'll be doing some more sanding and adding another 1-2 coats of red and choosing a different type of clear this time.

the main reason i decided to start the repaint is because some how my tank(which i was keeping black) started peeling it's paint why i dont know it was perfect since i got it now there was a huge bubble and flake(it pulled right up primer and all even the paint that was below it!!!) so with still no cause to this mystery i decided to go ahead and paint everything red(minus the frame and front fender)

[bamaland]

seems i missed a few days so to spare the long story and me trying to remember what happened when i'll just post some pics and leave notes


mid-side plastics final 2nd clear coat



front upper fairing final 2nd clear coat



2nd coat primer on tank/tail




first coat red on tank/tail/grab handle






headlight painted(high temp gls blk 2cts)




painted spare windscreen (2cts red 2coats clr)


final clear on tank/tail/grab handle







new gear that arrived since last post
Shark S650 Dest Helmet





Speed and Strength: Twist of Fate Textile Jacket



Carbon Fiber Brake/Clutch Levers

[Snake]

Great progress report. You have some great painting skills.

BTW the date on your camera is off.

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by Snake

Great progress report. You have some great painting skills.

BTW the date on your camera is off.

thank you my skillz are very good and probably 100x's better when i have the correct space and tools i've been practicing body work and paint since i was 15(im 22) just as a hobby and taught myself.

yea i know im just to lazy to fix it lol. i probably will once i get some new batteries for it..

[bamaland]

in a total of 1 1/2 weeks she went from: not running/blown head gasket/ ****** paint


to this 95% complete with little things left to do before i can hear her purr (rebuilt motor/ new matte red paint, low gloss clear)



i think i have my mirrors on wrong somehow.. idk they just dont sit correctly it seems?

things still to come,
3 new pairs of riding jeans and a pair of cordura pants
2nd gen handle bars with clip-on's/raiser's
2nd gen clutch perch bracket
rear brake pedal
new flanges to install the freshly painted stock exhaust
a hydro magnetic tank bag with a 1.5L bltter
drill and install rear frame sliders aka new pass pegs(honda #599)
new black/red hand grips
install front turn signals
change wheels over to my matte red ones to match paint
register, tag, insurance

may have missed something :/ damn sure seems like more than 5% to go to me lmao..

[bamaland]

here it is today after a wash.

got a hint the starter clutch snapped so waiting for the special tool and new assembly to arrive, maybe then i can hear her finally purr.

[Snake]

The bike looks good Chris. I like that you left the front fender black.

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by Snake

The bike looks good Chris. I like that you left the front fender black.

yea i figured it'd look better that way being as the only other things that arent red are the seat,tires,levers,signals it'd give more life to it rather just being a pure red eye sore lol.

but i think once its running and all later on i'll be replacing any plastics that have bad spots and i'll be doing a red wine color when that happens.. i think its just a little too bright lol.

i just found out this whole time we have a 02 yz85 sitting up in the backyard lol
i just finished washing it and it looks great. seems it had a bad head gasket also but ill find out soon enough

just gonna do a rebuild and sell it to make some money to pay off the funds spent on the 500

[actionace]

Just wanted to say good work. Be proud to ride what you built. Can't wait to see how the hugger comes out. I'm another EX250 rider also looking for ways to update the look of the bike.

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by actionace

Just wanted to say good work. Be proud to ride what you built. Can't wait to see how the hugger comes out. I'm another EX250 rider also looking for ways to update the look of the bike.

why, thank you! I'm glad there's a few people who enjoy my nonsense

i got a feeling i wont be doing much work for a little bit.

this morning around 4-5am i woke up shaking so bad my heart was racing and my kidneys were giving me problems again so i may end up back in the hospital for a short while.
i actually thought i was dying this morning. i still dont feel right but after my xanax kicked in im feeling a little better.

ill continue with the updates as much as i can while i can lol.

[bob706]

Originally Posted by bamaland

this morning around 4-5am i woke up shaking so bad my heart was racing and my kidneys were giving me problems again so i may end up back in the hospital for a short while.
i actually thought i was dying this morning. i still dont feel right but after my xanax kicked in im feeling a little better.

Damn, I hope your feeling better. Bike looks really good though. Only thing is that exhaust tip is pointing the wrong way and that drum brake is throwing me off

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by bob706

Damn, I hope your feeling better. Bike looks really good though. Only thing is that exhaust tip is pointing the wrong way and that drum brake is throwing me off

im alright for now i tried to chill outside and walked down the street to the mail box and even that has me feeling out of breathe. it really sucks but ive been living with these problems for 22 years of my life (thx dad! )

anyways my stock exhaust clamps and a new thermo sensor just came in via usps. im gonna try to get the stock exhausts back on today if i can handle being outside a little longer..

[bob138]

I assume the special tool you need is the flywheel puller. You can use a sparkplug thread chaser. The 18mm side should work. Then just brace the flywheel with something so it doesn't spin.

Bob

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by bob138

I assume the special tool you need is the flywheel puller. You can use a sparkplug thread chaser. The 18mm side should work. Then just brace the flywheel with something so it doesn't spin.

Bob

its ok, i just went ahead and purchased the tool. it should be here tomorrow. hopefully by then ill be a little better and can handle being outside

[bamaland]

hi everyone! feeling a whole deal better today! got rushed to the hospital late last night and they quickly started taking care of me after hours of pain killers and antibiotics i can atleast walk now! i figured i best not push my luck by trying to work on the bike anymore atleast not today lol.

but felt i should update you guys

today my 2nd gen clutch perch came in and to my surprise it came with the clutch switch/sensor too

my stock exhaust clamps and thermo sensor came in today also.

all my new jeans/pants shipped today along with my new tank bag

the seller i bought my boots from on the 29th finally decided to contact me after i put in a claim with paypal. hopefully he wises up and sends them as i really want these boots lol.

here's the tank bag i bought! and yes blatter is included


i didnt need anything huge just something to hold little items and something to keep some good ole water in

[Grn99Kawi]

I dont even like the EX500.. but I like yours!

One question.. is the exhaust can upside down? The outlet is pointing up.. maybe you can loosen the clamps and rotate it 180^?

Nice job

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by Grn99Kawi

I dont even like the EX500.. but I like yours!

One question.. is the exhaust can upside down? The outlet is pointing up.. maybe you can loosen the clamps and rotate it 180^?

Nice job

yea i figured out the ex500 imho looks best in matte colors.

yes the can is upside down i could rotate but it was just for fitment pics. im putting stock exhaust back on.

thanks - Chris

[bamaland]

ok today my flywheel puller came in! boy am i happy to have bought it.. this sucker is heavy (3-4lbs) it seems like they used high quality derlin to make. i sure as hell would hate to get peg'd with one of these that's for sure! so for all you that don't have this tool i highly recommendyou search on ebay for it from heartland products. shipping was pretty fast (3 days) it's also pretty long, my middle finger is about 4" long or more and it's the same length. i'm going to have fun with these new tool

there are more pictures in the album, due to a few requests im going to try and keep the pic's as few as possible.

also in the pic is the 2nd gen clutch perch, and exhaust clamps i mentioned yesturday.

[bamaland]

and the culprit has been found!!!



thankfully i was smart and went ahead and ordered a new starter clutch while i was waiting for the puller to arrive. so hopefully come tuesday/wednesday(ups never shows up before 7pm ) i'll be back on the road again! well.. atleast she will be running by then i should say lol. still gotta get her reg'd and insured!

[bob138]

You're gonna wanna order a 2nd gen flywheel and mod it to work with the 1st gen pickups. Save yourself the hassle now. Mine started to blow apart so I did the swap.

Bob

[bamaland]

Originally Posted by bob138

You're gonna wanna order a 2nd gen flywheel and mod it to work with the 1st gen pickups. Save yourself the hassle now. Mine started to blow apart so I did the swap.

Bob

already done!

[bamaland]

well finally being able to take the heat today i got around to a little more organizing and removing the 2-1 and installing the newly painted stock exhaust. i'll have to say with the stock exhaust back on the new rear frame sliders are extremely sturdy! and are not slippery as they would seem to be. i was able to stand up all the way on them and lean side to side and they wouldnt even budge or acknowledge i had all of my weight on them.




also as a side note, since i plan to never use stock rear pegs again i went ahead and basically chopped off the locking pegs on the rear brackets. yes, i literally took my handy little axe and chopped away after 3-4 swings on each they popped right off.

[bob138]

Holy 5 gallon bucket of soy sauce.

Bob

[bamaland]

^ chinese is the ****!

[sharky nrk]

Project seems to be going well, nice to see some love for the 500.

[bamaland]

thx sharky!

today my xelement denim jeans arrived and later followed by my 2nd gen clip-on's and handle bars.




tomorrow the main part arrives along with my new phone

probably thursday/friday i'll be doing a big review of all the gear i have so far. so keep an eye out for that!