TOPIC:

There are articles in GeN#7 and #8 about the top end strip down I did on the Nordwest when I fitted the Frigerio 604 cylinder and piston. You will be used to wrestling with a large piston/rings after the XT660 though.

Has the new cylinder come ready with the steel bushes for the studs inserted?

The garage is sadly not heated, but the dutch winter has been kind the last few years, no doubt it will be again this year.

For the forks I could probably suspend the bike from the garage ceiling, since I don't have an engine crane. And otherwise an empty case of beer as a paddock stand.

The new cylinder sadly did not come with the studs...(Edit:bushes). Are these a nightmare to replace? Or do they just pop out of the old cylinder with some heat?

The bushes 72degrees mentioned are there to locate the head onto the cylinder and cylinder onto the crank cases, they can usually be persuaded to come out gripping them carefully with pliers and rotating and pulling at the same time.
John

Greyeey wrote:

For the forks I could probably suspend the bike from the garage ceiling, since I don't have an engine crane. And otherwise an empty case of beer as a paddock stand.

Suspend from the ceiling is good and then have a full case of beer alongside to help.
John

So the bushes won't be that big of an issue then. Just some careful persuasion the get them out and back in again.

The full case of beer will come in handy when working on bikes, at least all the previous times it did.

The first hurdle would probably cleaning the carb, because I suspect half a foam airfilter to be somewhere in there. We do have an ultrasonic cleaner somewhere but I have no idea which solvents/cleaners to put in there except for water. My first idea was to just use a full can of carb cleaner and some compressed air to clean it.

Here in darkest Africa I've never had chance to see or use an ultra sound bath, but many on here swear by them, so cant recommend a solvent, The best I can do is use an aerosol carb cleaner and air.
John