I like the look of the bronze cerakote, ebay can be strange, it all depends on who's looking for what at the time. Said it before, but always surprised by what a thoroughly good job you make of it.

Thank you for the kind words.
I do attempt to make each one better than the last.
All comments gratefully received
I've got the engine in the frame now but not had a chance to take photos.

Got a bit of a disaster to report
Got the barrel and head back on, all going well until I went to torque the head bolts, and front right pulled through.
Took it all apart again, and went to put an insert in but broke the tap, what an amateur
So at best it's spark erosion or EDM as it's called now, or at worse new cylinder, vapour blast, respray and rebore.
If we can salvage the barrel I'll get all four inserts done, feel like such a dorftrottel!

Ouch.
That EDM sounds expensive.

Quick update.
After what I thought was a breakthrough I took the barrel to a spark eroding machine shop near work.
A very knowledgeable man educated me on the intricacies' of the process, and that in a blind hole you need a die sinker EDM, and that Cheshire Wire Erosion had such a machine.
A couple of days later I was passing so dropped it off.
When I get it back, hopefully all sorted I'll post some photos.

Picked the barrel up, Cheshire EDM removed the tap with no damage to the thread.
The original issue is still there, in that the cylinder head bolt doesn't thread in enough to make contact with the cylinder head before the bolt bottoms out/goes tight.
Next course of action is to drill the helicoil out and insert an insert, something like a time-sert. Might get all four done when and if I can find somewhere.

Barrel is now sorted. All threads now have an equal depth and torque to the required 29NM
Put two new timeserts in left side.

Now back to finish building the engine, and I can't find the cam chain tensioner spring

Well it's been a long time since I posted any progress.....
It's busy time at work, holidays etc.
So here's a catch up post, I haven't been totally inactive.
I wasn't happy with the pock marked lower engine mount so I sourced another and had it coated. It didn't have any rust at all.

The observant will see the issue with the magnesium cases originally fitted to the 1VJ....corrosion.
But maybe not the titanium barrel nut

Got the oil system up and together, apart from the oil strainer. I may have to rob one from the white 1VJ or 3D print one, maybe some sort of washer as packing.
I had the pipes replated but I'm gathering together another set to send to the XT500 guy who refinishes them with new oil lines.


Had the oil tank powder coated in correct gloss, it was full of rubbish when I cleaned it before sending, now mounted.


Brand new genuine Yamaha decompressor and rev counter cables.