Reviving the Dead: FZ6 not ridden for 10yrs

[EastcoastRN]

Finally getting around to fixing my 06' FZ6, amazingly it cleaned up super nice for not being used. However, not sure where to start or what to look out for in terms of getting her going again. Removed fuel tank and drained fuel, tank pretty rusted out, will include pics, not sure if its salvageable. Fuel pump pretty corroded too, accidentally spliced cable removing it. Buying new charger to see if battery can be brought back to life. No other sign of overt wear and tear I see externally, have new cans of AMS oil to swap out oil and filter. Any other suggestions?

P.S. - Front end is apart because I was in middle of naked conversion before I put her to bed for so long.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gary in NJ]

I like this thread already...and it's just starting...

So the big offender here is the fuel pump - and it looks like you are well on your way on that. There's a 90% chance you might be able to clean and reuse the entire unit...except for the screen. I doubt any rust made its way into the fuel line, but you may want to inspect and blow it out with some compressed air.

Next is the tank. Kreem makes a line of products designed to clean/prep the tank and then protect it. The prep product eliminates rust. Here's a link...you can get this stuff from most moto (on-line and in-store) retailers as well as Amazon. https://kreem.com/tankprep.html

If you haven't cranked it over yet - don't (I assume the dead battery kept you from that anyway). I would remove each spark plug and put a teaspoon or two of light-weight oil (Marvelous Mystery Oil) into each cylinder. This will save the cylinders if there are stuck rings. Let the MMO sit in the engine a few days. Hook up your new battery and crank the engine for 5-10 seconds. You will want to put an old towel over the head because that MMO oil is going to go everywhere. Reinstall new plugs and make sure the caps are seated well.

Don't change the oil yet. Do that after you get the bike started. You don't want to crank this thing over, and prime the oil system all at the same time.

Remove the TB intake boots and spray some carb cleaner into the throttle bodies as you exercise the throttle. This will prevent a stuck throttle situation.

Take a good look at your tires...and check the date. At 10 years old, I would not feel comfortable riding them because they may feel like you are riding on ice as you apply power or enter a turn a little hot (as the tires age, they become hard and don't deform under load).

I would also suggest a coolant change as well as flushing the brakes. Not a lot of effort, but can save you from some real headaches.

I'll think of more things...I have to run into a meeting...

BTW, where in NJ are you?

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Just to add, make sure there IS coolant in the radiator before you try to actually start the bike.

Obviously, when you peek at the intake boots, check for any rodent nests in the air box and elsewhere...

Getting it running will be the first, big step...

Dunno about the tank but cheaper to give the cleaner/sealer a try..

Good luck.

 

[bigborer]

Regarding starting the engine- I'd add to what Gary said that I'd take the CCT cover off and spin the engine at least 5 times (that's 10 times 360 degrees clockwise) with a wrench before cranking the starter.

Good luck giving this bike a new life!

 

[trepetti]

Finally getting around to fixing my 06' FZ6, amazingly it cleaned up super nice for not being used. However, not sure where to start or what to look out for in terms of getting her going again. Removed fuel tank and drained fuel, tank pretty rusted out, will include pics, not sure if its salvageable. Fuel pump pretty corroded too, accidentally spliced cable removing it. Buying new charger to see if battery can be brought back to life. No other sign of overt wear and tear I see externally, have new cans of AMS oil to swap out oil and filter. Any other suggestions?

P.S. - Front end is apart because I was in middle of naked conversion before I put her to bed for so long.

Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the forum.

I have a spare, dented silver tank that you can have if you need. It is perfect on the inside. I am in North East NJ, so transport should not be a problem.

Tom

 

[EastcoastRN]

Wow, thank you so much for the replies! Some updates from yesterday. Fuel pump is confirmed dead. Just too corroded to save, plus the spliced wire makes me nervous. I could repair but the chance of any loose voltage in my fuel tank makes my butt pucker. So new fuel pump it is. Seen a couple on ebay for $200-300 range. Tank is definitely salvageable, I cleaned it out with hot water and then wiped with rag. I scrapped off some areas of rust, even where it looked dense and it was shiny silver underneath. Hoping some vinegar water and ball bearings can clean it up. Thank you trepetti for the offer. I may take you up on that! Gary, I agree on the tires and will definitely seek replacement before riding thank you for all the other advice as well. Townsend, I checked airbox, no rodents or even spiders/bugs/etc. Still very clean. BigB, if I take off cover do I have to drain oil first? I put APE cam tensioner on many years ago but cant remember if I had to drain oil before opening that cover.

 

[Gary in NJ]

Be sure to send a run video.

Where in NJ? I’m in Warren County.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Re that Cam Chain cover, no, you don't have to drain the oil. You can do it on the CC and no oil will come out..

I wouldn't drain it even IF it did leak-Your getting oil slowly all over the internals but more so,
slow turning over by hand is insuring a piston doesn't hit a stuck open valve, distributes the oil put in the spark plug hole. Obviously if it stops turning (by hand), STOP... Should there be ANY locking up, I'd pull the valve cover and make sure valves are closing, etc. *** You'll probably be ok but can cause lots of damage if a piston meets a valve...

Starting, ESPECIALLY LONG TERM dry starts causes the most wear... "Pre-lubing" everything (slow hand cranking with the added oil in the cylinder) is the safest/best thing you could do.

If possible, I'd take a bore scope and peek down the cylinders looking for cylinder rust before lubing or turning anything... You can get them fairly cheaply, (under $80). I have one and use it maybe once or twice a month but that's working on other small engines(checking cylinder bores)..


.

 

[Ohendo]

Someone posted the link below for a replacement pump, might be a cheaper option. No sender included, though.

https://www.highflowfuel.com/i-2390...fuel-pump-for-yamaha-fz6-fazer-2004-2009.html

Here’s the thread:

https://www.600riders.com/threads/aftermarket-fuel-pump.59545/

 

[EastcoastRN]

I have a scope I bought off amazon for like 60 bucks I had used to check out drainage pipes last year. It connects to your cell phone. I will try popping that in to look around. Magic mystery oil ordered already. Battery is on charger/tender to see if I can at least charge it enough to get some use. I want to make sure electronics/starter are good before I really put more money into getting it going. I wont crank it but I want to at least see if speedo lights up. Hopefully within next week or two Ill have everything all setup. I will definitely get a run video going and I actually live in Middlesex County.

 

[EastcoastRN]

Fuel sender unit and fuel screen ordered. Going to remove radiator and check spark plugs this week, will include pics . Pics of TB and Valves just as update, look pretty clean. Fingers crossed no other problems. Ordered contact cleaner for the electrical connections as well.

 

[Gary in NJ]

Everything looks nice and clean. The valves look perfect. How many miles are on this bike?

 

[EastcoastRN]

20+k miles, before the long storage I had valve clearances checked, all were good. I also used seafoam to clean the fuel system and valves.

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

The cylinders are what I'd be concerned (maybe too strong a word) about..

You don't want any surface rust in there but so far, so good, super clean!

.

 

[EastcoastRN]

Pics of piston heads and plugs, plus coolant. Let me know what you guys think. It looks like everything is clean but you all know way more than me.

 

[Gary in NJ]

I wouldn't hesitate to reuse those spark plugs. I might clean them up...but that's me...they don't show any signs of wear. The photos of the cylinder "look" good, but the scope shot doesn't really translate well. Based on the condition of the plugs and how squeaky clean the valves look, I'm sure everything is fine in the combustion chambers.

While the color of the coolant looks nice and green, that doesn't tell you anything about it's ability to perform it's primary purpose under extreme conditions. It's a consumable...I'd change it. Be sure to use distilled water from the supermarket or simply buy coolant at a 50:50 ratio. If there is any scale in the cooling system, a good flush is worth the effort as it will protect the water pump and radiator from failure.

 

[EastcoastRN]

Updates with pics: fuel pump still enroute. Going to oil and turn cylinder heads today manually. After several days on battery/charger tender. Battery is holding appropriate voltage (12.7 to 13.2 based on videos Ive watched indicates full charge), obviously not sure it will last in long run but enough to get bike going for sure. Lastly, I attempted tank cleaning with vinegar and it was a massive, messy fail . So rethought the process and deciding to use metal rescue bath and seal holes in tank with Oatey PVC test plugs and duct w/ zip ties on breathers. Top hole measures 4.25 inches without cap and bottom 3.25 inches. Oatey 4inch plug works on top, the 3 inch plug on bottom needed the addition of two flat rubber bands around the rubber plug to properly seal but it worked like a charm. No issuses as currently degreasing with mild soapy hot water. Will send new pics of tank internals once finished. Oh, wing nuts are my agitators to help descale.

 

[Gary in NJ]

You're on the right track with the tank. I do think you'll want to put a protective coating in the tank as there will be a lot of bare metal. The ethanol in fuel is very corrosive and it will not be kind to bare metal. I'd hate to see you get a pin hole down the line.

Static voltage doesn't tell you much about the condition of a battery. It can hold good voltage without a load, and then collapse under load. The battery will need to maintain a minimum of 11VDC under a starting load to start the bike (and keep the ECU alive during the process). For the sake of good order you can bring the charged battery to any autoparts store and ask to have the battery load tested.

 

[EastcoastRN]

Looking at the different sealers, it looks like red-kote tank sealer might be the easiest to apply after removing the rust. Have you had or heard of any experiences with that?

 

[Gary in NJ]

I've used a similar product in the assembled fuel tanks in my aluminum aircraft. The ribs were riveted to the skin with a layer of polysulfite (ProSeal) and after a few days I coated the entirety of the inside surface with a product similar to (but different) Red-Kote. Red-Kote will work, but you MUST follow the directions perfectly. If the polymer doesn't adhere in one spot and pulls away, the entire thing will come loose.

The sloshing compound I used in my airplane has been in place since 1993 with never a failure or leak.