rdhunt1

I haven't started to look into local race or trackday orgs for the 7 as yet, but do the trackdays typically require car specific helmets? I love my Shoei's for the 2 wheelers on the track or street. Our requirement is Snell that is 5 years old max (well, with a grace year... so 6 max). They have proved their worth more than once! Typical car requiremnts?

Sorry...last pic dominated by the lightened car jack! I love it! What a great idea. Now I am wondering if i should make a rack to hold my Givi saddlebags from the K13??! Even cooler would be the large aluminum cases!

A little wordy so grab a coffee, or a cocktail depending on what time it is where you are. 1996 1700 supersprint Distributor- lucas/aldon with pertronix ignitor. My inspection shows the shaft and bushings to be very good. I have little to no lateral movement in the shaft. Could possibly use another shim to reduce the vertical movement of the shaft but I don't think it is detrimental. I did notice that the weights droop on the pins. They don't seem to interfere with anything but it makes me believe that the weights and/or pins are worn. I didn't remove them since i don't yet have a spare plastic clip that holds the top shaft to the bottom. Scrubbed all parts clean, lubed and reassembled. Also put a new Weatherpack connector on ignitor leads since the wiring by the original AMP was looking pretty rough. That said the limit arm is marked 6º. With a specified static of 14º I should get 26 total. I did try and map the curve with my new whiz-bang timing light with the tach and timing readout on it. I had 16º static and what looked like 28º all in by 3500 rpm... confirming that the 6 is doing what is is supposed to. To those in the know: would you replace the arm with a 9 or 10 to get a full advance number like 32-34 while maintaining the easy start and originally specified 14 static (and the same curve)? Or, grab my jewelers files and make a 9 or 10 through a little trial and error...OR, do most just ship off to a rebuilder and get new (or perhaps improved) springs in the process? OR, just move the static to 20 and learn how to start it like that... Head gasket- After playing with the dizzy last night I decided to do a compression test just to see. Hmmm. 205,205,180,205. Did a quick valve clearance check (all ok) then a quick squirt of wd40. WD40 brought the 180 up to about 195 so maybe a stuck ring on that cyl only...ok, but odd. Maybe been like that for a while? Who knows, my car is only a month old to me and has only done 15k in 24 years. Sure don't think it consumes oil but only have a little over 1k miles on it. What limited I can see with a bend-a-light through the plug hole looks good. BUT... if i wanted to explore a little more and since i haven't yet removed the head, what is the stock head gasket thickness?, and do any of you have preferred suppliers? Looks like Burtons has a MLS and graphite both in 1mm. I would likely go graphite since I have not done the surfacing myself and don't know how good it is. Do the formula ford pieces fit or are they all smaller bore for the 1600? And if i go in this far, and it has stock pistons (which I assume it does) who are your favorite suppliers for forged pieces? Accralite still the go to? Any and all insight welcome Thanks, Ryan

I like it already! Aluminum tubing or steel?

Thanks for the info Alaskossie. I was definitely going to go the route of the pipe cutter... nice and clean. I understand the method of attachment but would still love to see your luggage rack. If the stub shafts are there then they can be used for all sorts of cool stuff. Was even thinking about an extremely light weight trailer hitch since i have an almost finished (homemade aluminum) version of a Unigo single wheel trailer that will attach to my K13.

Pulled the starter last night with the intent of just cleaning the power terminal. Found that the solenoid terminal had a fractured solder joint so that was remedied. Then I started to clean the oily goop from in an around the starter gear and crap just kept coming out. Sooooo.... the front housing had to come off. Good lord was there junk in there! Cleaned it up, lubed the gear splines, shaft, bushing and reassembled. A seven on ramps is still really low, but from underneath I can see the clean lightened alt bracket!! Might crank just a little better now with clean terminals. Moved on to balancing carbs and trying to map the ignition curve but that's over in tech.

I used my old uni-syn last night. Found a slight front/back carb variation, and then a very slight #3 cylinder variation that i fixed with the small bleed screw. All of them seem really nice but the uni-syn does bounce a little. Does your airflow meter Bounce or is it damped? Distributor is next. I used one of the programmable timing lights and tried to map my ignition curve from 600 to 4000. Surprisingly easy and, hopefully, accurate. As well as not enough advance (10 to 12 degrees) I think I am getting some scatter at rpms higher than 4k. It is an lucas/aldon dist with pertronix 1 ignitor.

Yes, similar...but even cuter if possible. I will use the remaining tubes on the body to make a license plate mount so it wouldn't just leave them unfinished. make the insert and attach to car or carrier. Other side maybe slit the tube lengthwise (maybe .5" to .75") and weld/braze two nuts (one with the threads removed) to create a pinch instead of the crossbolt? I would make a step in the insert the same diameter as the tubing and weld around that so it would fit up even tighter when installed since no weld or braze would be in the way What about the attachment bolt lengthwise inside the carrier tube??!! Like a pocket screw in wood? Use a ball end allen to tighten? Quick release pins? Thinking up the cutest way is half the fun!!

Exactly this. I have experienced one flat while on the road with bikes for the past 29 years. My k13 that I bought new in 2017 has 21k without any tire issues. Heh, my new to me seven only has 15,xxx miles since 1996! bball7754 - yup, agreed! I will try the carrier-ectomy in the near future and will post pics when i do.

first drive with the 65 pilots changed out for the 50f8. Idle and run quality is drastically improved! Off idle throttle response is significantly better than with the 65's. Did get increased popping on decel. Small hesitation around 3k. Switched to 50f9 but ran out of time for further testing.

It rained for a day up here and cleaned the roads off good enough for a test drive with the new wheel, diff, and alternator bearings. The difference in noise is really astonishing! Previously sounded like I had straight cut trans gears like one of my racebike primaries, so much so that I used earplugs on the trip to bring the car to WI. Now... Little to no perceptible unwanted drivetrain noise. Just intake, exhaust, and what I believe is one loose valve. Now I really cant wait for my complete bushing kit from Bruce!

Yessir! I have one of the small compressors and complete patch kit tucked in the rear side panels of my K1300S. Seat pops off with the key and gives access to the small torx that removes the panels. Have only had to use it once, but it worked perfectly! Even easier to fit in a tool roll in a 7.

Has anyone made it so they can remove/replace the rear tire carrier? Love the look without it, but also love the originality of it being there. My thinking - Cut the carrier off about 1" away from the frame. Make a double ended guide pin with a flange in the middle (flange would be the same dia. as the frame tube) to go inside the tube on the carrier. Weld it to the tire carrier, around the flange, and get it stripped and powdercoated. Use two cute pins or crossbolts to keep it in place when installed then make a slip in license plate holder when it is not?? Would this be the equivalent of 7 blasphemy??!! Would I be excommunicated?

PM sent to be in line for the brooklands.

repost from up above....maybe my pics were still to big... Rear bearings were a little suspect so they came out as well. The scoring on the balls is kind of interesting... That far in may as well pull the diff...This was the ring gear side carrier race. The other carrier was about the same. Pinions were better but scarred from hardened bearing material sloshing about.

Come to find out I have 3.9:1 rear ratio. Still marked with the axle sticker and counted teeth to confirm. Is that common for a supersprint with a four speed? Reassembly of the diff went well. Feels beautiful compared to before, marking looks ok. Backlash fell right back to where it was before disassembly at about .008 to .009". Anybody know if this is correct? I think the original carrier bolts are toast. I have read that they are supposed to be 65 ft/lbs. They took 50 ft/lbs just fine. Anything over that started to take way to much torque wrench rotation. Threads in the cast iron look excellent. Bolts are slightly different lengths, and I can see where one is necking/stretching. They are 'T' marked on the head which I think is about an 8.8 here in the states. M10x1.0 x ~45. Cant find any small head bolts that will fit (all 'normal' bolts have wrench size 17mm, when these are 14mm) I did find m10x1.0x50 12.9 socket head cap screws. Head diameter is identical to the OE lockwasher. Even a touch longer to utilize all the thread in the housing. If i have to shorten them a bit to be perfect, so be it. The head is about 4mm taller than OE, but can spin'm down if there is clearance issues. EDIT: Come to find out the carrier bolts on a Morris live axle aren't metric. I am now convinced they are 3/8-24. That should be easier to find! EDIT #2: ARP bolts inbound. That'll be a cute surprise for whoever opens the diff after me.

Brake backing plates were getting a bit rusty so they got a respray before reassembly. OE black diff housing paint had all but disappeared so it got cleaned off and resprayed in high temp "cast iron". Looks nice. easy to clean. Pulled the alternator to have it tested and give it a refresh. Sooooo, I may have gotten bored and lightened the alternator bracket that nobody will ever see. 21 to 14 oz!!! 28% weight reduction!! Should have just made a new one from aluminum. Before and after.

It is white up here in s'consin so the front to back once over is well underway on the 7. Front wheel bearing inners were pretty toasted, so inners and outers were replaced. While i was up there the front calipers got split, cleaned and new seals. Took some harsh chemicals and a stainless brush but the end result is pretty sweet! Rear bearings were a little suspect so they came out as well. The scoring on the balls is kind of interesting... That far in may as well pull the diff...This was the ring gear side carrier race. The other carrier was about the same. Pinions were better but scarred from hardened bearing material sloshing about.

NA 2.5L at 134hp/L...sweet! Cant wait to hear it at full song! NA 333hp in my pals stock z4m is a treat. I cant even fathom with 1/3 the weight!

Hmm, interesting. I had just adjusted the valves before I noticed the hiccup but very confident they are set to perfect .022" and .024". Granted, they were set cold. Weak springs is a new one to me (hell, most of my toys don't even have cams and valves!!) but logical enough. I have seen a torque wrench type tool that can check spring pressure while the spring is still installed. I'll see if anybody I know has one. Otherwise... leak down wouldn't hurt. I am actually resisting the temptation to pull the head, just for a look see. I don't know if it is the totally flat head or the one with a little bit of bowl to it. Likely stock. (whichever was stock on a 1996 supersprint) Having just had the carbs off for a through once over it is plausible a chuck of crap got in the idle circuit. Usually quite scrupulous but those are some tiny little passages.

Keep it coming...please! Exactly the experience/advice i'm looking for. I did grab both 50 f8 and 50 f9 on saturday. The switch from 65 f8 to 50 f8 was drastic!! The crap 1/4 throttle response is 100% gone and the intake is beginning to sound nice and crisp! I think it may even be a bit lean now. I get hiccups through the intake when the car is cold. Interestingly, the hiccups seem to be through the two forward venturies on each carb. I will likely try the 50 f9 since Elise111 said they were a touch richer based on afr. Huge improvement already! I did find that i am not getting very good response from the #3 cylinder mixture screw. I took it and the #2 out to compare and didn't see anything of significance. No damage or bends. No length or diameter changes between the two checking with good calipers. Possibly plugged?? Investigation on this will continue. You can definitely alter idle speed with the other three. #3 cylinder, not that much. Next question for those still willing to share... best source for distributor cap/rotor? Lucas dizzy, with Aldon sticker and Pertronix ignitor inside. Do I need to get serial/model ##? I have read the Aldon modded dist may not have the best curve for the Supersprint. Thoughts ?

The 65s sound rich to my yet untrained crossflow ear. The not crisp running seems to be about 5 to 25-ish % throttle. I'll see what Pegasus has for me. (quick looks shows f8 and f9 in stock sizes by 5's...sweet)

My 1996 7 supersprint is new to me so it is getting a very thorough once over. New carb kits from Peagsus installed save for the needles since they are aftermarket pieces and not viton tipped. Likely work fine, but so should my current viton. I wrote down my baseline for all jets in both carbs. Both float heights were VERY incorrect and not consistent side to side. Now set to AEAP (as exact as possible!) by eyeball and calipers to 12.5mm and 25mm with gasket. All jets are as suggested for the supersprint save for the large idle jets. I have read that stock should be 45 and most switch to 50's. Mine currently has 65's. Upon startup with fresh gaskets and float levels the car seems to already be running better and settles into a smoother lower idle than was possible before the new bits and float reset. I made sure the independent 'idle' screws were all closed and I will go through a full balance and airscrew reset this weekend. My question is.. are there ANY other Supersprint owners out there with idle jets this big on a stock 135hp? At idle it smells rich and stumbles at the 1/4 throttle mark and sounds like it is trying to clear up. Once past say 3k it is nice and clean sounding. What say you general public? Is this a common change or was a previous owner trying to counteract some other issue with big idles? Worst case i will grab some smaller from pegasus and give it a whirl but wanted to check in with the knowledge base beforehand. Thanks for any and all...useful...input! Ryan

Oh don't go there!!! I had a '99 Donzi ZX28 from '15 to '18. Twin stock 350's with bravo1's and labbed props up here for lake michigan and winnebago. I never thought 64mph could feel so f'n fast!! Beautiful ride trimmed up with the hull aired out! It liked to be touched...cleaning, maintenance and was work, but i really enjoyed it. Ex wife decided we had had enough fun with it and said we should sell it, and filed for divorce two months later. I miss my boat more than the Ex and frequently look about for a Donzi Classic 22 or a Checkmate Pulsare. Next one wont have twins. Safety for lake Mi, but that lake is rarely really nice to boat on unless you are longer than 28', so ill stay inland. Spent a fair bit of time looking for a whaler for my cousin that lives up on Winneconnie (linked to winnbago). Dauntless, Nantucket, Montauk. He lusts after one like i do a 7! Birds of a feather!

Well look a that!! Very Cool! Thanks Eric The heater was...adequate... on the way home. I did bring along a heated motorcycle vest that did get used for a few hours. I have since massaged the doors to fit tighter against the body to reduce the drafts. This alone made a noticeable improvement. Once home the heater core o-rings decided it was time to give up so the heater box was disassembled to be cleaned as I replaced them. I spent some (too much) time making a new foam surround to seal around the heater core. The old one was likely original and disintegrating. This made a drastic improvement in heater core efficiency due to reduced blow-by of fresh air around the sides of the core. I'd say it is at least 50% better than it was. The air is much warmer when it is forced THROUGH the heater core! List goes on and on for new owner tinkering. Last night I pulled the tops of the carbs to get a baseline on all jetting to see if anything is out of the ordinary. Now I just need to find out what stock is supposed to be. I'll throw that question over in tech.