Another WRX saved from the scrap heap!

I can now too, that was quite a while ago.... I have to admit, there were a few years I was unplugged on my Husqvarna history. I've reformed in recent years.

Start of day:

Nearing end of day:

I did get the radiator shrouds on there before calling it a day.
At some point, PO replaced the machine type bolts with tapered heads on the rear drive sprocket with hex-head bolts, so I'll be heading back to the bolt store some time next week. Replacing the NyLoc nuts on the back side seems like a good call too. They're cheap, and having nuts fly off of the back wheel because the nylon insert was worn out seems like one of those preventable tragedy things.

At some point (forgot about this earlier) The M8 bolt with the oversized head in the rear brake (attaches to the stay arm) was replaced with a standard M8 bolt with 13mm head (at least it's metric). This makes stay arm adjustment a pain. Are the M8 bolts with M17 head easy to come by, or a Phil item?

After sleeping on it, I realized if I lay a bead around the head of the bolt I can solve my problem for the cost of a little gas and wire. Doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough to hold the bolt in place and not chip off.

Any ideas why they used the over-sized head bolt for this? I'm sure there's a reason, seems like Husqvarna did everything for a reason, but it induces a bit of a hassle.

the bigger head has more contact area and likely holds up better than a smaller one. keeps it from getting rounded out

be designed to avoid the hubs cracking with wider spread of the stress field. chattering brakes slam that stay arm around a fair bit.

Both of these make sense, Maybe a simple bead along the edge will be a little short. I guess a thick bead followed by a bit of grinding will be in order.

So close I almost don't want to leave and go on that paid trip to Hawaii for a week....

A little front end work, but as it sits, I could throw gas in it and run to the end of the alley and back, but I've gotta' get packing before my wife shoots me!

WTH GO'S TO HAWAII IN SEPTEMBER THAT PRIME RIDIN WEATHER GO RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR WHEN IT REALLY COLD

When the boss is pickin' up the tab? WTH doesn't?

I'd like to be out riding just like the next person, but I can't just pick a day I happen to have off and get my boss to buy me a ticket to Hawaii the way I can pick a day I happen to have off, pack up and head to a trailhead.

Also, I live in Western Washington, weather is rarely a problem, just put on a sweatshirt and rain gear when it's cold or wet out. I'm not racing anyone, so a little wind drag doesn't hurt anything. The biggest barrier to riding in winter is that some of the state ORV trails close for a couple months.

To have such problems....

I drive I-5 in WA and I would definitely dig it !

Went to get the speedo going on the WRX today, finally noticed the WRX front hub is different from my 86 WR front hub.
It looks like the '85 WRX calls for the VDO speedo drive unit and the '86 WR calls for the Veglia speedo drive unit. Can anyone confirm this?

I happen to have a VDO speedo drive unit in my box o' parts, so I should be able to pop something on regardless (though that would mean my "enduro clock" instead of a true speedometer, also I'll have to find a matching speedo cable). All-in-all, that really works out, since I've got one working VDO and one working Veglia drive unit (one currently on my '86 has loose legged washer).

Sloppy front axle aside (side-to-side movement due to no speedo drive unit), I decided to ride the WRX around the block. Ran through all of the gears effectively, tons of power, time to go get those trail permits and schedule some mayhem!

It did take my shoe off twice while starting (I will fully admit that when doing a test start while working on the bike I'm usually wearing street shoes and do kick with the toe rather than hook the arch and go for a stronger kick), so I guess I shouldn't start the WRX without cycle boots on.

kick with your toe? and serious bike i seem to get kickbacks when being half hearted, and the foot slips off slamming the lever back. i usually try to kick hard while up against top dead with the arch and keep the foot on the kicker after starting

The PO on my '86 had pushed the timing up a bit beyond factory setting resulting in near perpetual kick-backs (in my younger years I didn't have sense to reset the timing to where it should be, I have since). Workshop shoes had a way of lasting about a month when I would kick the way you describe above (hole in the sole), so I got into the habit of kicking with the ball of my foot (rather than the arch) when I would start the bike while/after working on it. At a younger age I could consistently start the bike with minimal kick-back events this way (in fact, I started my '86 first kick a couple weeks ago this way). I'm not sure if it's lack of practice, or maybe just an unfamiliar bike (or one that hasn't really run in a while), but I didn't do so hot today.

I do start it properly when out riding, i.e. wearing motorcycle boots that don't get wrecked after a few kick-backs.

Picked up trail tags today, and took care of a few odds and ends.
I do believe it is time to call up my buddy Jorge and schedule a ride!

Sweet!