chad's blog

Pushrod Tube Seals on the BMW replaced!

chad — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 05:51:32 +0000

I've made progress on the Beemer's to do list over the past month! My friend Paul introduced me to his friend Tom a month ago. Tom's an engineer, a former Mercedes mechanic, and owner of several toys, including several motorcycles. Best of all, Tom's a patient man who offered to show me how to pull the jugs on my R75 to replace the leaky pushrod tube seals.

I more or less followed the Scot Marburger's instructions, with a few extra tips from Tom. The cylinders looked to be in really good shape–Tom said they looked pristine. I did strip a bolt on the right cylinder head during reassembly which Tom was able to fix with a helicoil. The bike started right up after putting her back together and ran like a champ all the way up La Bajada Hill. I roder her up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin last weekend and she ran great.

I couldn't be happier with this bike right now.

Here's the updated to do list.

~~Replace push rod seals to stop oil leaks.~~
Replace the timing chain, it's stretched.
~~Replace the semi-broken front brake lever.~~
Rebuild or replace instrument cluster. The odometer and tachometer do not work. Speedometer is okay.
~~Gas tank cap is locked in the filler neck. Break the lock or replace.~~
~~Remount or replace the brake light.~~
Reattach or replace front right turn signal.
Repaint the tank, fenders, battery cover, the top is pitted and worn.
~~Weld on kick tab to the center stand.~~
Fix or replace the bench seat compartment lock.
Fix trim on the seat and front bottom corners which are scraping the tank.

It took three ebay purchases before I finally had a suitable replacement front brake lever. Sheesh! Tom drilled a small hole under the gas tank top handle and inserted a pin which locks the top and threaded cylinder in place. It's soooo much easier gassing the bike up now!

I purchased a used tail light housing unit from Re-psycle and put it on last weekend. Mark at Re-psycle was super helpful and knows his stuff.

Next on the list is fixing the instrument cluster. Tom and Paul mentioned that there's a place called Mo-ma in Albquerque that specializes in the repair of gauges and instrument clusters. I'd also like to get a set of BMW or Krauser panniers, so it's back to ebay!

Replacing the foot tab on my 77 BMW R75's center stand

chad — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 21:13:16 +0000

After spending a few weeks riding my new-to-me '77 BMW R75/7, it's time to start knocking things of the to do list. One of the smaller, but most annoying items on the list is replacing the missing tab bar on the center stand. Avoiding burning my hand on the exhaust while trying to pull the spring-loaded center stand down got old in hurry.

The weld which holds the tab on was obviously not strong enough to withstand the stress of pulling the bike up onto the center stand while stepping on the tab. I'm sure my bike's tab was snapped off when a previous owner held his foot against it while jerking the bike back onto the stand. An internet search revealed that this is a common occurrence on Beemers. I've taken to placing my foot on the flat end of the curved center stand bar on the left-side of the bike. I imagine that this method is what the stand's designers had originally intended.

Fortunately, my friend Donald has a welding machine and was willing to help me out. I rode up to his place last Saturday and he made short work of replacing the tab. As stock for the tab, Donald chose a 3/8" u-bolt from the suspension of an old Willy's Jeep he'd restored. Here's what we (but mostly he) did.

Jacked the bike up, unhooked the center stand springs, and removed the bolts which secured the stand to the frame. The bolts seemed really loose and the threads on the center portion of bolt were severely stripped, apparently from rubbing against the spacers.
Grounded off the remaining nub where the tab had broken off.
Drilled a 3/8" hole through where the tab had attached, straight through the other side. The new tab bar will go through the center stand bar to provide weld points on both sides.
Spread open the "U" to create a bend for the tab to clear the exhaust pipe. The size of the u-bolt seemed to be made for this task. It was really easy to get just the right bend.
Before cutting excess off the u-bolt, we put it through the drilled hole and held the stand in place to mark where to cut the bolt on the other side of the center stand hole and a couple of inches beyond where it cleared the exhaust.
Measured again! Cut the u-bolt. Flattened the cut end which clears the bar.
Cleaned the tab and the center stand and welded the tab in place.
Added a few weld beads where the center stand makes contact with the ground. The metal there is getting thin. Gotta be careful here, as the metal here is paper thin!
Painted and reinstalled!

The end result looks almost like what the tab looked like off the factory floor in Germany! Thanks Donald!

I'm officially an airhead!

chad — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:03:52 +0000

My friends will no doubt say that they already knew that I'm an airhead. In this case, however, airhead referes to BMW R-series motorcycles. I've dreamed about having one of my own ever since reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." I'd forgtotten about that dream until recently, but it recently became a reality.

My one and only motorcycle was a 1981 Suzuki GS650. This bike was my only means of transportation while finishing up my degree at the University of Cincinnati. After graduation, I rode it from Ohio to New Mexico to start my first job. I had a lot of great times riding that bike around Cincinnati and Northern New Mexico, but I didn't maintain it well. Then marriage and parenthood made it harder to find time to ride.

This past Father's Day, Amy and I met up with friends at a vintage motorcycle show. The show featured some beautiful bikes, including Nortons, Harleys, Ducatis, Moto Guzzi's, and BMWs. The show got me thinking about riding again, but I wasn't seriously considering shopping for a bike. A few weeks later a friend from college posted to Facebook that he was selling his BMW R100. I jokingly commented that I'd buy it if he'd ride it out from Massachusetts. He replied that he couldn't and sent a link to a 1977 BMW R75/7 for sale here in Santa Fe.

Okay, I thought, why not look? There's no harm in looking, right? Probably not, as long as my better half didn't object and, fortunately, she didn't! So I started checking Craig's List and after looking at a few, I ended up coming back to the R75 my friend had originally sent me. I bought it three weeks ago and I love it. The previous owner had poured a lot of money into the bike to rebuild the carburators, replace the tires, the points, the condenser, and fuel lines. There's plenty more to do, but it runs well and I love riding it!

Here's the to do list, as of today:

Replace push rod seals to stop oil leaks.
Replace the timing chain, it's stretched.
Replace the semi-broken front brake lever.
Rebuild or replace instrument cluster. The odometer and tachometer do not work. Speedometer is okay.
Gas tank cap is locked in the filler neck. Break the lock or replace.
Remount or replace the brake light.
Reattach or replace front right turn signal.
Repaint the tank, the top is pitted and worn.
Weld on kick tab to the center stand. Done!
Fix or replace the bench seat compartment lock.

Andy "Bubba" Thal, a big guy with a big heart

chad — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:39:01 +0000

My dad called this morning with the sad news of the passing of an old friend. Andy Thal was one of my best friends in high school and is part of many of my fondest teenage memories. He’s the main character of most of the more memorable stories from those years. He was a big guy with a big heart. He never held a grudge and in my mind’s pictures of him, he’s always smiling.

I had lost touch with Andy after our freshman year at the University of Cincinnati but have thought of him often since. When I heard that he had lost his mother last year, I considered trying to get in touch with him. My friend Steve was able to dig up a phone number, but I never called. I regret not getting back in touch with Andy, but will regret not sharing my memories of him even more. I’m thankful to know that friends who ran into Andy in recent years report that he seemed like the same happy-go-lucky guy that we all remembered.

Here are a few memories of Andy that I will always hold dear.

Andy was a Bowie fanatic, through and through. As such, he introduced me not only to Diamond Dogs and Hunky Dory, but also to the first cult classic I’d ever seen and appreciated, “The Hunger.” Yes, I know, what teenage boy wouldn’t “appreciate” that movie. I also remember hearing XTC and The Velvet Underground for the first time while hanging out at Andy’s.

As previously stated, Andy was a big guy. When I first learned that he loved to cycle I just couldn't picture him on a bike, especially considering the number of menthols he smoked. He tried to talk me into going along with him on a predawn ride. I blew him off initially thinking that he'd stand me up while he slept in as late as he could. To my surprise I found him waiting for me at our appointed meeting spot, ready to go. I was in pretty good shape at the time and figured I’d be waiting on him at every intersection along the way, but Andy turned out to be a freakish cycling machine. He left me in the dust. Andy was full of surprises.

I could go on about the rope ladder party, his "green thumb", and the college roadtrips but will instead save those for the next time I see you. In the meantime, here's Andy's obituary and a guestbook to share condolences with friends and family.

I plan on raising a pint in Andy's honor tonight and hope that you will too. If you have a story you'd like to share, I hope you'll leave a comment or drop me a line.

Whistling all the way down to see Andrew Bird

chad — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:57:56 +0000

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Andrew Bird with violin in concert Category:Andrew Bird (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The boys and I saw Andrew Bird last week in his first concert here in Santa Fe. The shows at The Lensic always sound great and this was no exception. As we walked back to the car after the show, Owen commented on how his ears weren't ringing like they were after we saw Rush, and I could hear what he was saying perfectly well. I now have a strong preference for seeing quieter artists in smaller venues, and this show reinforced this bent further.

Andrew, the consumate whistler, was challenged by the thin air here at 7,200 feet. Fortunately, he paced himself, took time to hydrate, and completed a great two hour set. When he was done, he looked a hell of lot healthier than the weathered and worn Todd Rundgren, who I'd seen a few weeks earlier.

The stage was lit with slowly morphing primary colors. Three intricate polygon spirals slowly spun above the stage projecting shadows alongside silhouettes of the band on the expansive white backdrop. Andrew's trademark two-headed phonograph horns sat spinning upon amplifiers at the center of the stage behind the band.

Andrew didn't speak much, just a few comments here and there. He did comment on how subdued the audience was, but apparently we weren't as comatose as the crowd in Mesa, AZ the night before. Andrew's music attracts a calm listening audience who won't jump up to dance when he plays one of the few upbeat songs from his catalog, like "Break It Yourself."

I've know that Andrew makes extensive use of playback loops, but didn't fully appreciate his mastery of them until seeing him use them on stage. He started the show alone playing and recording a pizzicato rhythm on his violin, then playing the recording back on loop while layering a bow-played and whistled melody over the rhythm. Owen and Ryan were both impressed by Andrew's ability to whistle and play a xylophone in unison.

I had hoped to hear Darkmatter, Tenousness, and one of my favorites, Natural Disaster, but these didn't make it into the set. I really enjoyed hearing "Effigy", "Scythian Empires", "Give It Away", "Fatal Shore", and a fun cover of "Bein' Green." What I enjoyed the most was the band gathering around a single microphone to play bluegrass and blues covers.

I believe this is the set list, same as what he played in Mesa, AZ the night before. If you like Andrew and haven't seen him, I highly recommend catching one of his shows.

Carrion Suite
Sifters
Nyatiti
Danse Caribe
Desperation Breeds...
Polynation
Eyeoneye
Bein' Green (Kermit the Frog cover)
Lazy Projector
Acoustic Old Timey
Give It Away
Effigy
Trials, Troubles, Tribulations (E.C. Ball cover)
Dear Dirty
The Crown Salesman
Orpheo Looks Back
Plasticities
Lusitania
Scythian Empires
Fatal Shore
Tables and Chairs

Encore:
So Much Wine (The Handsome Family cover) (acoustic)
I'm Goin' Home (Charley Patton cover) (acoustic)

Opening night of Rush's Time Machine Tour

chad — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:19:45 +0000

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Music

It's been a long time, about 17 years, since I last saw my favorite band. I sort of lost touch with them after becoming a husband and a parent. Their tours have stopped in New Mexico, so I don't have a good excuse for missing them during recent tours. I could go on about my Rush hiatus, but I think I'll save that for another post.

One of my son's friends came over one day about a year ago sporting a Vapor Trails tour t-shirt. His mom had taken him to see the show, how cool is that? This was the seed germinated with the news that Rush was to open their time Machine Tour in Albuquerque.

So we went and we had a blast. This was the set from Ryan's and Owen's first real rock show, Rush! Also, pictures!

Video: A World without Rush. Rash!

Spirit of Radio
Time Stand Still
Presto
Stick It Out
Working Them Angels
Where's My Thing?
Faithless
BU2B (Brought Up To Believe, new!)
Freewill
Marathon
Subdivisions

Break, due to their "advanced age"

Video: Time machine. Moving Pitchers of Beer!

Moving Pictures for the first time in it's entirety

Tom Sawyer
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Limelight
The Camera Eye
Witch Hunt
Vital Signs
Caravan (new!)
Drum solo!
Closer to the Heart (Alex acoustic solo intro)
2112: Overture
2112: The Temples of Syrinx
Far Cry
Encore:
La Villa Strangiato (circus music intro!)
Working Man (reggae version!)

Video: Paul Rudd and Jason Segel sneak backstage and run into Alex, Geddy, and Neil.

A new hobby, restoring a 1954 Chevy 3100 Pickup

chad — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:12:11 +0000

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Hobbies

Two weeks ago I took delivery of yet another project, a 1954 Chevy pickup. It's a 3100 1/2 ton, to be precise. She's mine in trade for a web site I put together a few years ago for The Service Station down in Albuquerque. She's not pretty, but I absolutely love her.

I'm not a gear head, but I love this truck and am going to learn all I can. Here's a little of what I do know so far. She's powered by 235-c.i. straight 6 cylinder engine. In 1954 Chevy introduced hydraulic lifters and a pressurized oil system to some of their 235s but I'm not sure if this is case with my truck. The "bull nose" grill was unique to the '54 and '55 1st series models. This was the last full year for the Advanced Design trucks which most folks picture when thinking of classic pickups. In the second half of '55, Chevy introduced some major design changes and the first V8 engines in their trucks. I'll never know all that this truck's been through but I've enjoyed imagining what times were like for past it's previous drivers. At one point the truck was in the service of the Texas State Highway Department. I've imagined the truck driving on the first Eisenhower-era interstate highways. I'm sure it has bounced along plenty of straight as an arrow tar-and-gravel state highways. The original seafoam green paint job was painted over with a quick and crude silver coat. Paul from the Service Station bought the truck from someone over on the East side of the Sandias, Moriarty I think. At the time, the truck had been sitting just outside a barn for several years. The bed was in pieces and had been prepped and primed, but never reassembled. Paul had had this truck for 7 or 8 years now. He was kind enough to have the transmission rebuilt, new glass installed, and he threw on a new set of tires too. He spent a bit of time to get her running, and in my opinion, she runs pretty well. Here in the summertime with the choke out she starts up on the first or second try and idles nicely. Amy and I have driven around the neighborhood several times and are getting a feel for the clutch. If you don't let it out quick it's herky jerky time. A few oddities, at least for someone who's never driven anything this old, include:

Turn key then push button ignition
Gas tank's in the cab, behind the back seat
Battery is in a box under the cab, below the passenger's feet

The cab isn't much to look at, it's covered by a kaleidoscope of past paint jobs and rust. While I hope to get her looking like this someday, right now I just want to put her back together and tool around town on the weekends. With this in mind, here's the game plan:

Sand off some of the surface rust that's formed on the bed sides and re-prime.
Seal the wood planks for the bed, assemble, and install the bed.
Wire up the taillights, fix the turn signals.
Fix the parking brake, it doesn't stay engaged.
Fix the windshield wipers, motor may need replacement.

I'll register and insure her once these things are addressed. I picked up a pretty good how to book which distinguishes between restoration and renovation projects. This is definitely a renovation project and even if I had the time and money to do a frame up restoration, my garage is too small to store the parts and my marriage would likely fall into jeopardy if I spend too much time on this. I'll post updates as I go. Owen's volunteered to help and after we get her road worthy, we'll start work on prepping and priming the cab, fenders, and hood. The cab interior will need a lot of TLC, but a seat cover will have to do for now. Wish us luck.

Forgot that this site existed

chad — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:08:52 +0000

Wow, I almost forgot that this site existed, despite adding it to my Facebook profile. It's probably quite obvious that this site hasn't been updated in a long, long time. The photo album is broken too.

Well, no promises, but I'll try to get thing fixed and updated by year's end. In the meantime, look me up Amy and I on Twitter (mangoblossom, ckieffer), Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Pictures from 2007

chad — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:37:45 +0000

Family:

Family

Favorites:

Hobbies

We were pretty busy this year, but you wouldn't know it by looking at our photos. I finally got around to uploading nearly a year's worth of pictures from things we've done since Thanksgiving last year.

New pictures include albums for New Year's Eve in Durango for Bob and Jane's 60th wedding anniversay, Owen's t-ball season, Owen's 6th birthday, some shots from around the yard, and few other odds and ends.

I finally picked up a DSLR that I'd been wanting for a while and I plan to make picture posts to the site a bit more regularly :)

2007 Fantasy Football Draft Results

chad — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 01:37:22 +0000

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It's that time of year again. Fantasy football time! This is my fourth year in a Yahoo! league with the same core group of guys. I had a strong first year, a sophomore slump, won it all, and just barely limped into the playoffs last year.

Our league drafted players this past Sunday. I normally just let go with the standard preseason ranking list but this I decided to participate in the draft live. It took a while, but was fun. I drew the seventh pick and feel like I may have taken a big chance by choosing Leinert and Losman, but we'll see. Overall I'm pretty happy with my team, but tell me what you think. My guys are marked in orange. If you haven't drafted yet, feel free to download and use my Excel spreadsheet of possible picks (see below).

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