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J
jdvorchak
Guest
A little update. I cleaned and replaced O-rings in the carbs. I got an air box from eBay and installed the rack onto the bike. Not as easy as the GS850 I'll tell you, but not bad at all. Pulled the choke and she fired up after about 3 or 4 spins of the engine. Idled about 2k and as it warmed up I pushed the choke all the way in. Idles smooth at about 1k but I didn't mess with it after that. Tried starting it a couple of times later in the day to show friends and family how it sounds. The mufflers and exhaust sound stock and a nice quiet tone. Started instantly every time I tried it. Engine runs smooth as silk and takes the throttle well. I'll have to test ride to see if really has no hesitation but I'm not even close to running it around the block. I'm in no hurry. I have 3 other bikes to ride in the mean time.
So far this bike has been surprising me. For as bad as it looked and knowing it sat outside for years, most of the electrics worked. I had to replace the starter relay (solenoid) and one missing turn signal light bulb and so far that's it. All lights work and even the horn, as pitiful as it sounds, it does make a labored attempt at beeping. I'm sure cleaning connectors will restore it but that would be last on my agenda. I may have to do a relay mod to the horn. We'll see. I just hope my good luck holds. Even the chain and sprocket look good. Used but plenty of life left. Petcock cleaned and new O-ring and it bench tests good. Fuel level sending unit seems to have resistance checks real close to FSM and I already confirmed the fuel gauge works with a shorting wire. I have the head light bucket off and have been cleaning all of the connections I found under there. The PO had plugged the right side turn signal into the wrong connector so when I plugged it into a good 4 way ground the light flashed as normal. One thing that bothers me is I have about .5 volt drop through the ignition switch. Not sure if they are serviceable but if typical motorcycle ignition switch I should be able to remove the key lock/switch and get it apart far enough to clean the contacts. I confirmed it was the switch and not the wiring harness with my voltmeter at the switch contacts.
Anyway the fun continues! This is the part of a revive that I really enjoy. Still thinking of a paint scheme. Originally the tank was black but I already have a black KZ1100.
So far this bike has been surprising me. For as bad as it looked and knowing it sat outside for years, most of the electrics worked. I had to replace the starter relay (solenoid) and one missing turn signal light bulb and so far that's it. All lights work and even the horn, as pitiful as it sounds, it does make a labored attempt at beeping. I'm sure cleaning connectors will restore it but that would be last on my agenda. I may have to do a relay mod to the horn. We'll see. I just hope my good luck holds. Even the chain and sprocket look good. Used but plenty of life left. Petcock cleaned and new O-ring and it bench tests good. Fuel level sending unit seems to have resistance checks real close to FSM and I already confirmed the fuel gauge works with a shorting wire. I have the head light bucket off and have been cleaning all of the connections I found under there. The PO had plugged the right side turn signal into the wrong connector so when I plugged it into a good 4 way ground the light flashed as normal. One thing that bothers me is I have about .5 volt drop through the ignition switch. Not sure if they are serviceable but if typical motorcycle ignition switch I should be able to remove the key lock/switch and get it apart far enough to clean the contacts. I confirmed it was the switch and not the wiring harness with my voltmeter at the switch contacts.
Anyway the fun continues! This is the part of a revive that I really enjoy. Still thinking of a paint scheme. Originally the tank was black but I already have a black KZ1100.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
Thanks hillsy... I'll check those but like I said that's pretty far down on my list of things to do. Realistically if I wanted to hurry I could probably road test it this weekend but I know the front brakes are almost not functioning and need completely torn down and repaired. Fluid looks like coffee and lever is real spongy feeling. I also want to pull the engine case covers and oil pan. I want to see how it looks inside the engine and also want to polish the covers. They are scratch free so should polish up nicely.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
I DO NOT ADVISE ANYONE DO THIS. IF YOU DO DON'T COMPLAIN TO ME...
I drained the oil and boiled the water out. I've done this before on other bikes. For those who don't know yes you can boil water out of oil if the oil is new and no reason to throw it away. This oil had 5 minutes run at most. No miles.
Drained oil into an old pot. Here is what it looked like when I started to heat it on my hot plate:
Getting close to boiling
You know the water is almost gone when the temp goes above 212 F. The temp stayed at 212 for about 10 to 15 minutes then started to rise pretty quickly:
Looks like motor oil now:
Total time was right at 30 minutes from when I put the oil on the hot plate until I turned off the heat.
They sure look bad before they start looking good again....
I drained the oil and boiled the water out. I've done this before on other bikes. For those who don't know yes you can boil water out of oil if the oil is new and no reason to throw it away. This oil had 5 minutes run at most. No miles.
Drained oil into an old pot. Here is what it looked like when I started to heat it on my hot plate:
Getting close to boiling
You know the water is almost gone when the temp goes above 212 F. The temp stayed at 212 for about 10 to 15 minutes then started to rise pretty quickly:
Looks like motor oil now:
Total time was right at 30 minutes from when I put the oil on the hot plate until I turned off the heat.
They sure look bad before they start looking good again....
Bike is looking pretty good to me.
You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about wrenching but one caution about the exhaust header bolts. Those dang things love to seize in the head and many many people bust them off when they go to remove the exhaust. You need to use extreme caution when trying to remove these pesky screws. Hit them with PB Blaster or similar and use a propane torch to heat the screws if they don't turn out easily with a small 1/4" short handle ratchet.
You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about wrenching but one caution about the exhaust header bolts. Those dang things love to seize in the head and many many people bust them off when they go to remove the exhaust. You need to use extreme caution when trying to remove these pesky screws. Hit them with PB Blaster or similar and use a propane torch to heat the screws if they don't turn out easily with a small 1/4" short handle ratchet.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
Thanks Ed for the compliment. My hobby is to buy barn finds and make them safe and reliable again. As near as I can remember this is about the 22nd or 23rd bike I've revived. Mostly UJM but have done 3 Goldwings and a Harley.
Yes I am aware of the perils of exhaust studs and this one has bolts which makes it even worse. PB is your friend and even then there is no guarantee. I avoid pulling exhaust headers like the plague. On this bike there is no reason to pull them. The exhaust is in very good shape. No real dents or holes and sounds like a new bike when running. Middle two headers are a little rusty and dull but I can live with that. I'm not going for a restore here. I'll clean every inch of the bike and put new paint on it. I usually don't paint my revives but this one has very good sheet metal but paint is chipping off. Besides I really don't like the color.
Yes I am aware of the perils of exhaust studs and this one has bolts which makes it even worse. PB is your friend and even then there is no guarantee. I avoid pulling exhaust headers like the plague. On this bike there is no reason to pull them. The exhaust is in very good shape. No real dents or holes and sounds like a new bike when running. Middle two headers are a little rusty and dull but I can live with that. I'm not going for a restore here. I'll clean every inch of the bike and put new paint on it. I usually don't paint my revives but this one has very good sheet metal but paint is chipping off. Besides I really don't like the color.
Recommended. The weeny little rebondeur ancienne in the horn button gives up the ghost when more than a goose's belch is summoned for more than a second.
A relay avoids that.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
I'm waiting on some side cover and pan gaskets so I'm pretty much done with mechanical stuff for now. I finally broke down and bought a cloth buffing pad and some aluminum compound for my 6" bench grinder. I had the ignition cover off to clean the gasket surfaces and decided to try to clean it up a little. I first cleaned it with crumpled aluminum foil dipped in plain white vinegar. Didn't really scrub that hard. Only on the places that still had clear coat but it came right off. Then I put a little bit of the aluminum buffing compound on the spinning pad. I have to caution you. If you do this be sure and wear something you don't like or mind getting real dirty. SAFETY GOGGLES are a must! Wear rubber gloves or other clean gloves. I buy the 9 mil black rubber gloves from Harbor Freight. They are thick and durable like you won't believe. Started to buff the cover and in only like 2 minutes this is what I ended up with:
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Note in the pic of the bike above the ignition cover before.
[/URLNote in the pic of the bike above the ignition cover before.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
With the temps and humidity I'm only able to work on it a few hours a day. I did get all of the gaskets in so I finished up the left side with new gaskets and some more polishing.
chain cover left side before:
Left side with polished alternator/starter cover and chain cover in place:
Tomorrow I'll get started on the right side clutch cover. Igniter cover was the first I did.
I probably would not have taken the time to remove the covers and polish them but all of the crank case covers had evidence of having been removed and someone used RTV to seal them back up. Sorry that is just not me. So for about $20 or $30 I got new gaskets, including new clutch cable and oil pan gasket, I decided to try to polish the covers. I've never done that before but with the bench grinder it was easier than I thought. Not perfect but I think it looks a lot better now.
chain cover left side before:
Left side with polished alternator/starter cover and chain cover in place:
Tomorrow I'll get started on the right side clutch cover. Igniter cover was the first I did.
I probably would not have taken the time to remove the covers and polish them but all of the crank case covers had evidence of having been removed and someone used RTV to seal them back up. Sorry that is just not me. So for about $20 or $30 I got new gaskets, including new clutch cable and oil pan gasket, I decided to try to polish the covers. I've never done that before but with the bench grinder it was easier than I thought. Not perfect but I think it looks a lot better now.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
A little cooler weather today but raining so I am working on it early before it gets Africa hot and humid here...
Clutch cover before:
After:
I need to pull the oil pan off and clean it out and do the oil pressure mod.. Maybe tomorrow. After that fix the brakes and I'm ready for the first test ride!
Clutch cover before:
After:
I need to pull the oil pan off and clean it out and do the oil pressure mod.. Maybe tomorrow. After that fix the brakes and I'm ready for the first test ride!
J
jdvorchak
Guest
Removed the oil pan this morning. I had to remove the exhaust to get the pan out. Caution! If you do this you have to soak the 8 header bolts with PB Blaster or your favorite. Then I carefully loosened all of the bolts about 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Then I squirted more PB behind the header clamps to get some PB on the threads. After a few minutes soaking I finished loosening the bolts. The all came out easily. I'll be the first to admit that I was lucky that none stuck or broke. I firmly believe that if you take your time, use plenty of penetrating oil and a light touch on the ratchet that it ups your chances of removing exhaust bolts without breaking them. If one of more did not come out easily I would have heated them, to a dull red, before trying the wrench again.
When I go back together, with the exhaust, I'll use high temp copper anti-seize ONLY on the threads! The grey anti-seize will not survive the extreme heat of the headers. I learned that trick from working on old BMW airheads.
The pan has an almost hidden bole right in the left center of the pan so look for it. To get the pan off I sharpened a putty knife to a chisel edge. Flat on one side and beveled on the other. Then carefully inserted it between the crank case and oil pan trying to hit the gasket itself. Light tapping with a rubber hammer on the handle of the putty knife and slow and easy going I got the pan off with no damage to either surface. Another tip. Use PB Blaster on the gasket edges. That will soften the gasket usually enough to insert the sharpened putty knife more easily.
After some clean up I found the pick up screen and the oil pressure regulator. It is to the right of the screen in the following pictures. Or just forward of the screen. Actually easy to spot. It's the only thing hanging down into the pan. I intend to remove the regulator and do the oil pressure mod by inserting 2 washers under the spring. I'll do a separate post on that process because after hearing about the mod I could find no pictures or really anything more than "insert two 6mm washers under the spring". So we'll see how that actually works.
Note the interior was that clean when I opened it up. If you remember I drained a very large quantity of water out of the sump when I changed oil first time. Evidently water in the crank case cleans it! But it's no good for the bearings.
When I go back together, with the exhaust, I'll use high temp copper anti-seize ONLY on the threads! The grey anti-seize will not survive the extreme heat of the headers. I learned that trick from working on old BMW airheads.
The pan has an almost hidden bole right in the left center of the pan so look for it. To get the pan off I sharpened a putty knife to a chisel edge. Flat on one side and beveled on the other. Then carefully inserted it between the crank case and oil pan trying to hit the gasket itself. Light tapping with a rubber hammer on the handle of the putty knife and slow and easy going I got the pan off with no damage to either surface. Another tip. Use PB Blaster on the gasket edges. That will soften the gasket usually enough to insert the sharpened putty knife more easily.
After some clean up I found the pick up screen and the oil pressure regulator. It is to the right of the screen in the following pictures. Or just forward of the screen. Actually easy to spot. It's the only thing hanging down into the pan. I intend to remove the regulator and do the oil pressure mod by inserting 2 washers under the spring. I'll do a separate post on that process because after hearing about the mod I could find no pictures or really anything more than "insert two 6mm washers under the spring". So we'll see how that actually works.
Note the interior was that clean when I opened it up. If you remember I drained a very large quantity of water out of the sump when I changed oil first time. Evidently water in the crank case cleans it! But it's no good for the bearings.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
No it's partially plugged up with crud. It just got too hot and humid out in the garage so I haven't done anything else. Of course I'm going remove the screen and clean it. I am still amazed at how clean this engine is. It's not really that dirty on the outside either. I used my flashlight to look up into the engine and trans as well as I could. Looks good up there too. I had the clutch cover off yesterday and it looked nice and clean as well. But I have to believe with all that water in the oil I probably have a few clutch plates rusted to the steels although I saw no trace of rust on the bolts or springs. When I'm done with the bottom of the engine I'll move to the valve cover and setting valve lash. All in all pretty normal for an old bike revive.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
Yeah now that you mention it, it does. But I think its a combination of recirculated RTV and oil crud. The PO had every crank cover and the valve cover glued on with RTV. Some of the covers, like the stator cover, had a dark colored gasket and it was broken up a little. I'm sure some got in there somewhere. That's why they put the screen on them.... If it gets by the screen the filter gets it. The old filter was pretty dirty but I did examine it closely. I knew there was going to some crud on it. I did look for metal filings and found very little if any as I remember. Also the drain plug has a magnet on it and it was free of metal. I'll know more tomorrow when I pull the screen for cleaning. If it is rust, it's the only rust I've found so far.
J
jdvorchak
Guest
As promised I created a new post in the Performance and Mods section of the Oil Pressure Regulator mod:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...Regulator-mod-with-pics&p=2314032#post2314032
http://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...Regulator-mod-with-pics&p=2314032#post2314032
J
jdvorchak
Guest
Cleaning the old gasket off the bottom of the crank case was an exercise. I don't remember having one that rock hard and stubborn. I hesitate to say what I did to remove the remaining gasket material because I'm afraid someone, with less experience than I, will try it. Took me over an hour before I pulled out the big gun then another 20 minutes to get it clean enough for me. Which is pretty darn clean. I strive to have an almost "just machined" finish. Any way I put the new gasket on with high temp lithium grease on both sides of the gasket. Just in case I have to remove this again. While I was putting the grease, on the gasket, I thought to myself "the next guy that pulls this gasket will thank me". Another note. Those 18 some pan bolts should be torqued to 88 INCH pounds in a crisscross pattern per the FSM. I two stepped it. First pass at 70 inch pounds and finished with 88 inch pounds. Now that is only about 7 foot pounds. No need to get them Godzilla tight.
Got the exhaust installed with the help of my oldest son. He came by to see what I was doing and I put him to work.....Tip on the exhaust. The two half circle shims go on the middle two pipes. I also used high temp copper anti-seize on the exhaust bolts. Filled it with Rotella 10w40 and removed the spark plugs. That sump and pump were pretty dry by the time I finished working on the bottom end. Then I ran the starter in 10 sec bursts until the oil pressure light went out. After the light went out I ran the starter another couple of 10 second bursts to make sure I had oil everywhere it's supposed to be. Then I hung the IV fuel tank and test ran the bike. Smooth as silk and started easily with full choke. This time I confirmed that the tach was working and the generator was charging the battery and no oil light at 900 rpm idle. All good.
Got the exhaust installed with the help of my oldest son. He came by to see what I was doing and I put him to work.....Tip on the exhaust. The two half circle shims go on the middle two pipes. I also used high temp copper anti-seize on the exhaust bolts. Filled it with Rotella 10w40 and removed the spark plugs. That sump and pump were pretty dry by the time I finished working on the bottom end. Then I ran the starter in 10 sec bursts until the oil pressure light went out. After the light went out I ran the starter another couple of 10 second bursts to make sure I had oil everywhere it's supposed to be. Then I hung the IV fuel tank and test ran the bike. Smooth as silk and started easily with full choke. This time I confirmed that the tach was working and the generator was charging the battery and no oil light at 900 rpm idle. All good.
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G
Guest
Guest
This is something a lot of home mechanics could learn. If the manual has a torque spec for a bolt, I use it, period. I always twitch torquing up brake caliper bolts and triple clamp bolts because it seems like way too little torque for the size of bolts, but that is what was designed for and that is what to use.
You're doing a great job on this bike, I am enjoying watching along.
Mark
J
jdvorchak
Guest
Thank you Mark. I put the new clutch cable on it and re-installed the headlight. It's a little on the warm side today but I want to fix the front brakes. I'm sure that will involve removing both calipers and the MC and taking it all apart to clean. The brake fluid looks like Starbucks coffee but no solids in it. I may just get lucky. The tank has a little surface rust so I put a couple of gallons of white vinegar in it and shook it up when ever I walked by it. Hoping it will be clean by tomorrow. Oh... note to self.. move the petcock to on or res BEFORE you put vinegar in the tank.... Garage smells like a salad bar now.
