Date: 28-03-24  Time: 10:53 am

Author Topic: Basic servicing guide by Alan and others..  (Read 23052 times)

John Silva

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Basic servicing guide by Alan and others..
« on: 01 January 2011, 07:07:07 pm »
Originally posted by Alan Sherman on 19/06/2003


Get a Haynes manual! The servicing is detailed in the first and second sections. Also there is a checklist page that you can photocopy and keep in your records as a service history.

Start of with:
Chain tension - requires a torque wrench (18 from Halfords), 24mm on offside and 27mm on nearside the rear axle nut 12mm socket and spanner for the torque arm nuts and adjuster bolts.

Spark plugs:
Use the tool in the tool kit to get them in and out, buy a wire gap tool from Halfords for about 3. Also a brass brush to clean the plug with whilst you are there. No need to change the plugs unless they are broken.
Before removing the spark plugs don't forget to blow the dirt out around the plug recess. The dirt wont drop in the cylinders when you pull them out.

Oil change:
17mm RING* spanner for the drain plug, an old washing up bowl to drain the oil into (Park the sidestand in the bowl and don't worry about oil getting on that). 3 litres of 10W40 semi synthetic oil is fine (You could use synthetic if you wanted though). I get mine from Hein Gericke, Motul stuff that comes with an oil filter and air filter (Except I got two oil filters coz they didn't have any air filters and I have a K&N filter anyway!). Also go to ASDA and get a funnel and plastic measuring jug for about 1 to put the new oil back into the engine.

Oil filter change:
New filter (Yam official is about a tenner if you didn't get the Hein Gericke oil above), filter removal tool - I got the three pronged type that gets tighter as you turn it - will fit the Fazer plus any future bike I get (About 5), your washing up bowl from before.

Air filter:
8mm socket, 5mm Allen key to remove tank.
5mm allen key to get side panels off
Phillips screwdriver for top of airbox.
Check filter, if dirty replace with either the free one with oil, Yam official (About 17 I think) or get a K&N that will never have to be replaced, but might need cleaning after about 30-50,000 miles. Guess what I did.

Carb balancing:
Morgan Carbtune tool, borrow off someone local first, or its about 50 from them direct or busters. Tools as above to remove tank, 12mm socket (I think) to displace the bar across the top of the engine. A selection of screwdrivers of varying lengths and thickness of shaft to reach the carb balancing screws!

Tightening nuts and bolts:
Selection of sockets from 8mm to 27mm, torque wrench, extender bar, then spanners for the ones you can't get a torque wrench to. Oh yeah - copper slip for the threads so they don't corrode in there.

Brakes:
Brake fluid to top up if required (Not had to do that yet), available anywhere. Bleed tube, jam jar and 8mm spanner for bleed nipples.
Socket to remove calliper, brake and clutch cleaner in an aerosol to clean out the brakes, plenty of rags. Allen key to remove the back brake pads. Toothbrush is useful for cleaning out the crap.
Rubber grease for the pistons on re-assembly, copper slip for the back of the pads, pad pins and threads.
Torque wrench to put back together.

Clutch and other cables:
Usually your fingers for the clutch cable. Poss needs adjusting at the gearbox end. 12mm socket and a Phillips screwdriver.
Accelerator cables - couple of spanners.
Oil (You probably have at least one spare litre of the stuff from the oil change)

Tyres:
Pressure gauge (3), footpump. Screwdriver to hoick glass and stones out the rubber.

Bearings:
Swingarm / suspension linkage, headset, wheel
Explains in the Haynes manual how to check for play. If you find play get someone else to sort em out (Well that's as far as I will go)


Bucket, sponge and car cleaner or the fancy autoglym stuff!

Jobs a good un!


Disclaimer - all the usual shite applies

A list of the tools you'd need in a more usable format:

Screwdrivers
A selection of cross head and slot, always use one that fits snug into the screw otherwise you'll round it off

Metric socket set:
From 8mm to 27mm. Extension bars useful. try and get the 6 pointed star ones, or the ones that drive on the face of the nut. These are more secure and less prone to rounding than 12 pointed star ones

Spanners:
Metric combination set from 8mm to 27mm - better quality ones will fit better and tend to slip and therefore round off nuts less.

Torque Wrench
Lidl or Argos do an OK one for the 20-170Nm range. You need no tighter, less is just snug tight with your hand (try the torque wrench on its min setting to get a feel of anything less). Should have an adaptor to fit your socket set if the drive is a different size.

Allen Keys:
Set from 3mm to 10mm sizes

Pointy Nose Pliers: For the front brake pad retaining pins.
Brake Bleed tube and a Jam jar to bleed into
Block of wood about the thickness of the disc - useful when pumping out the pistons.

Oil filter removal tool
Old washing up bowl to drain oil into.
Plastic funnel to refill oil
Plastic measuring jug, 1 litre is a good size.

Wire plug gap measure
Brass brush

Morgan Carbtune to balance carbs (About 50 from them direct). Also a long screwdriver that fits between the carbs to the adjusting screws. I use an 8inch flathead driver.

Tyre Pressure gauge
Footpump
Tread depth gauge (Optional really as you can gauge tyre wear by the tread wear indicators)

Grease / lubricants:
Aerosol brake cleaner
WD40
Engine oil (Any decent brand oil, semi or fully synth 10W40) Must be 4 stroke motorcycle oil, not a car engine oil.
Bearing Grease (Bearings)
Copper Grease (Backs and sides of brake pads, plus general threads)
Rubber grease (Calliper pistons)
Possibly brake fluid (Dot 4 if topping up, DOT 5.1 if replacing)
Possibly Distilled water and antifreeze.
==============================================

A few more words from Jam E Dodger:

So to the point. First and foremost get a good toolset. Crap bad quality tools are just going to wreck everything they touch.
Buy a T-bar type flexi-jointed plug spanner, you can get these from Halfords. Warning do not over tighten the spark plugs, cause you'll strip the threads. I'd call it finger pressure on the plug spanner. Better to find a plug slightly loose than over tight is my philosophy.
Yes, read and use the Haynes manual, but also refer to the Yamaha Owners Manual.
If you've got any problems then ask on this forum, there's plenty here that can advise.

Last thing take your time, and allow plenty of time to do the job. Cause I've had occasions where it's taken the best part of an hour to remove a single corroded screw. This one was on the Fazer radiator cover, and it took a set of grips to remove it.
==============================================

So armed with this information, you should be able to do some basic looking after of your bike yourself...failing that seek out the club bike doctor

--
*edit: clarified oil plug spanner - use a ring spanner / socket only as an open-ended spanner is sure to slip and round the bolt.
« Last Edit: 07 January 2011, 08:00:53 pm by John Silva »
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