so...this week I shipped the carbs off to be refurbished. I also located a radiator shop in the area that also works on gas tanks. they are going to acid wash the tank and then reline it. also weld up a patch on the holes. 250 for the carbs. 160 for the tank. Not bad all things considered.
this weekend I'm working on cleaning up the brake and clutch hydraulics. I started with the rear brake system. it was the worst. the they stuff which pretended to be brake fluid was crap. it started out VERY milky. I had some old brake fluid which I used for flushing it, then used some good fresh fluid to finish it off.
Front brake was not too bad. just needed new fluid and bled. cleaned up pretty quickly with my granddaughter helping hold the vacuum pump and bottle.
I tried bleeding the clutch and it was a no-go. I pulled all the lines off and they are clear down to the slave cylinder. it appears the master is not pushing any fluid, so I'm going to take it apart and see if I can clean it out well enough. problem is I don't have a pair of retaining clip pliers that will fit down into the area to remove the circlip to get everything apart. I'll run to an auto parts shop tomorrow and see if I can find a pair that will work. I'm also going to pull the slave cylinder and clean it up on the bench as long as I have all the fluid drained from everything.
After I got the front brakes working sufficiently, I was able to put some pressure on the front forks. they are BAD! Gotta tear them apart before I even ride. I was hoping they would be good enough to get the bike running and do some test rides, but they are really bad. I'll at least change the fluid and then go from there.
Re: My Resurrection Thread
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 7:03 pm
by sgtcall
Not that you have to but since you have the fluid out anyway it would be good time to rebuild the master cylinder. The rubber in them can go bad and when it does you will never get pressure back. https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Cylinder-Reb ... B07949JM6N
That's a really good price for all the Tank repair and relining work. In my experiences with such rebuilds, I had expected much worse. Being so low, I guess that meant you could send out the Carbs too. Good for you!
I second what SgtCall recommends about the Master Cylinder work. To save money, I bought an inexpensive Circlip Tool at Harbor Freight and "reshaped" it with some Grinder Love so it fit into the Bore. The added benefit was that this tool is reversible, so one tool serves both functions, if ever needed.
Smart that you didn't install the old Brake Fluid as that stuff absorbs moisture that can cause internal problems. That the Rear Fluid was milky is a test ament to just how much it can.
Re: My Resurrection Thread
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 10:48 am
by ncdave
So, my circlip tool (cheap from auto parts store) did not have a long enough "snout" to reach down into the master cylinder. I went to Lowes and found a pair of spring loaded plyers which were just what I needed. I pulled out the grinder and formed the ends of the pliers small enough to fit the circlip holes. worked just fine. I'm saving those babies!
I got the Master all apart. bits were a bit worn and cruddy, but overall, not as bad as I expected. I have a rebuild kit coming for this and the slave cylinder, so for now, laving this sit.
I'll pull the slave next and get it apart. next up will be the forks. I also need to get some air filters for it. with these things done, it will be time to work on getting it to turn over and perhaps run.
So, my circlip tool (cheap from auto parts store) did not have a long enough "snout" to reach down into the master cylinder. I went to Lowes and found a pair of spring loaded plyers which were just what I needed. I pulled out the grinder and formed the ends of the pliers small enough to fit the circlip holes. worked just fine. I'm saving those babies!
Neat idea. Amazing what a little grinder "'reworking" can do when you need to make something work for ya,...eh?
.....I got the Master all apart. bits were a bit worn and cruddy, but overall, not as bad as I expected. I have a rebuild kit coming for this and the slave cylinder, so for now, laving this sit.
Being the Master is Aluminum, and moisture doing what it can to metal,....did you see and pitting of the bore ?
.....I got the Master all apart. bits were a bit worn and cruddy, but overall, not as bad as I expected. I have a rebuild kit coming for this and the slave cylinder, so for now, laving this sit.
Being the Master is Aluminum, and moisture doing what it can to metal,....did you see and pitting of the bore ?
.... next up will be the forks. I also need to get some air filters for it.
Refresh my memory,... Did you say you were going with Stock Air Boxes?
Inside the master looked ok. I cleaned it out good and will put it back together with the new kit to try it out. I also got the slave cylinder off and apart. it was badly varnished inside but does not appear to be pitted. The varnish is stuck. I have it in a bath of berryman's B12 for a few days to see if I can clean them up well with a toothbrush. I have a rebuild kit coming for this too. I saw nothing else suspicious in the rest of the system.
Yes, stock air box. I just ordered some replacement foam filters for it. I'm having the carbs rebuilt to stock settings. If/when the thing becomes a good daily driver, I may decide to make changes to intake and exhaust. We'll see. I'm not set on that. Stock is fine with me for now.
I also received my replacement petcock. looks shiny and new. I'm going to replace all fuel lines when I get the tank and re-assemble things.
While waiting for all the parts and such, I'm going to start taking off the forks.
If you're going that far with the MCs I would suggest you pop the caliper pistons out and clean them.
I definitely will eventually. first step is getting it running to be sure all the extra work is worth putting into the bike. Both calipers can gain from rebuilds, I'm sure. Same with the forks. first step is make sure the bike is viable. I'll probably just replace fluid and put them back together. Later I'll tear them completely down for a proper rebuild. At this point, I also don't know what the electrical system is going to bring me. Connections don't appear to be rusted or corroded, so I'm hoping I'll get lucky in that regard. may have to pull all handlebar switches and clean. we'll see.
If you're going that far with the MCs I would suggest you pop the caliper pistons out and clean them.
I definitely will eventually. first step is getting it running to be sure all the extra work is worth putting into the bike. Both calipers can gain from rebuilds, I'm sure. Same with the forks. first step is make sure the bike is viable. I'll probably just replace fluid and put them back together. Later I'll tear them completely down for a proper rebuild. At this point, I also don't know what the electrical system is going to bring me. Connections don't appear to be rusted or corroded, so I'm hoping I'll get lucky in that regard. may have to pull all handlebar switches and clean. we'll see.
I'd prioritize working on the brakes before the forks if it was me. Just saying....
If you're going that far with the MCs I would suggest you pop the caliper pistons out and clean them.
I definitely will eventually. first step is getting it running to be sure all the extra work is worth putting into the bike. Both calipers can gain from rebuilds, I'm sure. Same with the forks. first step is make sure the bike is viable. I'll probably just replace fluid and put them back together. Later I'll tear them completely down for a proper rebuild. At this point, I also don't know what the electrical system is going to bring me. Connections don't appear to be rusted or corroded, so I'm hoping I'll get lucky in that regard. may have to pull all handlebar switches and clean. we'll see.
I'd prioritize working on the brakes before the forks if it was me. Just saying....
kinda doing both. but waiting for MC rebuild kits right now.
kinda doing both. but waiting for MC rebuild kits right now.
From what you posted, it seems like you pretty much have a working Brake System with what you have done now.
Why I asked about the Stock Air Boxes was to make sure you were going with Stock Air Filters,....seeing as how you are going with Stock Jetting right now.
Since you plan on riding this Bad Boy for a while after it's running again, have you looked at the Tires? Being that old, I would imagine they are pretty hard and/or have cracking sidewalls. :space; While you are working on the Forks, does it makes sense to order replacement tires for your safety?
kinda doing both. but waiting for MC rebuild kits right now.
From what you posted, it seems like you pretty much have a working Brake System with what you have done now.
Why I asked about the Stock Air Boxes was to make sure you were going with Stock Air Filters,....seeing as how you are going with Stock Jetting right now.
Since you plan on riding this Bad Boy for a while after it's running again, have you looked at the Tires? Being that old, I would imagine they are pretty hard and/or have cracking sidewalls. :space; While you are working on the Forks, does it makes sense to order replacement tires for your safety?
tires are definitely crap, but good enough for brief test rides. I'll have to change them before any serious riding. That's the easy part though. I've changed hundreds. My Harbor Freight changer even works for mounting car tires on motorcycle rims.
Re: My Resurrection Thread
Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2022 7:20 pm
by hillsy v2
To me if I had to pick either brakes, tyres or forks to fix before riding......it's definitely brakes first.
To me if I had to pick either brakes, tyres or forks to fix before riding......it's definitely brakes first.
agree. my initial "rides" will be nothing more than up and down the street to test. I won't be taking it out on the road for extended rides until I make sure all the systems are working to my satisfaction. all three of these will have to be in working order before leaving my local street. Plus the carbs, tank, and electrical systems.
agree. my initial "rides" will be nothing more than up and down the street to test. I won't be taking it out on the road for extended rides until I make sure all the systems are working to my satisfaction. all three of these will have to be in working order before leaving my local street. Plus the carbs, tank, and electrical systems.
That's pretty much what I got form reading what you said here;
this weekend I'm working on cleaning up the brake and clutch hydraulics. I started with the rear brake system. it was the worst. the they stuff which pretended to be brake fluid was crap. it started out VERY milky. I had some old brake fluid which I used for flushing it, then used some good fresh fluid to finish it off.
Front brake was not too bad. just needed new fluid and bled. cleaned up pretty quickly with my granddaughter helping hold the vacuum pump and bottle.
After I got the front brakes working sufficiently,
So you should be Good To Go on your plans you have laid out. We are all pulling for you.
Re: My Resurrection Thread
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2022 11:37 am
by ncdave
last night I decided to tinker a bit. got some 1500 grit sandpaper and polished on the fork tubes. there is one divit in the left tube, but otherwise there were tiny rust spots covering both tubes. Fortunately the sandpaper took them off very nicely.
I received the slave cylinder rebuild kit. Right now the parts are still in the Berryman's soak. Not sure if that stuff is going to make the difference or not. if anyone has ideas of a different product to use, I'm open to input.
I'm still waiting on the master cylinder kit. should be here within the next day or two. That'll be something to do this weekend. I might even hook up a battery and see if I can gently crank the motor over.
The guy received my shipment of carbs and has started working on them. Also waiting to hear about the tank.
Re: My Resurrection Thread
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:22 pm
by Designer
Sure sounds like things are progressing well.
I would like to second your idea of trying to crank it over with the battery. Perhaps even take the Plugs out if all you want to see is if it turns over smoothly. Oh,...also,... Be sure to listen and see what the Decomp System responds like.
Also,....do you have the Fuel Pump connected to the Electrical System? If so, do check to see if it gets power and is operating for you.
I would like to second your idea of trying to crank it over with the battery. Perhaps even take the Plugs out if all you want to see is if it turns over smoothly. Oh,...also,... Be sure to listen and see what the Decomp System responds like.
Also,....do you have the Fuel Pump connected to the Electrical System? If so, do check to see if it gets power and is operating for you.
You should be able to hear the fuel pump run just by leaving the clutch out, turning the key on then press the start button. This is also how you prime the carbs before starting. This is assuming the clutch switch is not bypassed.
On the fork lowers I considered painting mine flat black because once you remove the coating they are a pain to keep polished. You at least should put some sort of clear coat on them once they are shined up.
Re: My Resurrection Thread
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2022 3:59 pm
by hillsy v2
If you are going to hook up the electrics and try to turn the motor over either disconnect the fuel pump or flush it out while you are there. Run it dry after this amount of time and you could destroy it.
In my experiences with such rebuilds, I had expected much worse. 
