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The Hunley

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:59 pm
by pidjones
Back in the Spring, I started looking for a "project" bike. The wife likes for me to have projects that keep me busy and out of her way. There was the '78 'wing on Craigslist for $400 not far away, and I rode over to check it out - in an airplane hanger that served as a garage (the community has a landing strip for its main drag). The guy had too many toys and needed to reduce. Dark in the hanger, but there was a spare set of carbs, fairing (I knew that had zero value), Bates bags, boxes of parts he had ordered from eBay, four new carb rebuild kits. Dirty and obviously not able to run, the front brakes worked and he had a new set of pads for it. Next weekend the wife and I hooked up my trailer to her truck and picked it all up.

I've had a '77 before -loved it and found it easy to work on.

Well, when I started looking closer - it has a kick-start socket. Hmmm. Not a '78 engine. A '75. Many other "surprises" to come. Hopefully I've found most of them by now. I started this on the welcome thread here:http://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=49317

I'll add pictures to this thread now as things progress.

So, where is it right now? I've cleaned up major water damage caused by this engine being under water for an extended period of time. #1 cylinder (the bad one) gets 175 psi compression. But, #3 has a leaky intake valve, so the head comes back off this winter to lap that valve. The '75 carbs are rebuilt and stored, and the '78 carbs he had bought have been eBay'ed. A fiberglass seat pan was bought on eBay, and it will be upholstered cafe-style. The entire frame is dismantled and engine setting on a cart. The forks were dinged bad, but I found a set of '79 forks cheap on eBay and they look good. The wiring harness is slowly being checked and rebuilt. Soldering most connectors as well as crimping. "Three yellow wires" received gold plated 150 amp RC helicopter connectors that will be shrink-wrapped over after connecting.

Frame has had passenger peg mounts and center stand mount cut off. Hoping to get it cleaned to metal (mainly sand blasted, but some abrasive grinder) and primed before Fall, the only time to paint in the East Tennessee rainforest. The body parts will have to wait for next Spring. Might have it assembled by next summer, but doubtful, and I'm in no hurry.

Tonight, I JB Welded a spot on the neutral switch (I had pulled it apart and cleaned it last night), and took the oil pickup screen cover off for polishing. Lipstick on a pig, but I like polishing.

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 12:48 am
by fish
a diamond in a goat's butt

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 3:45 am
by taylorsel
Lots of work so far. Sounds like you got another makings of a Jonny Cash song. being that its a 75,76,77,78,79, etc.

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 5:54 am
by Roady
Sounds like you got it right when you called it a project. This should be interesting.

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:12 am
by CYBORG
if all the parts are there you will have a good deal with some labor and love

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:33 am
by Gowing
Hello jones/hunley, I'm watching your hard work, very impressive.
I was wondering how the crank looked behind the center sprocket
On front of motor, was there any corrosion from the moisture, if
You took it off and replaced the crank seal?
Thanks Dave

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 12:39 pm
by pidjones
Gowing wrote:Hello jones/hunley, I'm watching your hard work, very impressive.
I was wondering how the crank looked behind the center sprocket
On front of motor, was there any corrosion from the moisture, if
You took it off and replaced the crank seal?
Thanks Dave
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It doesn't appear that the water level made it to the crank by the corrosion marks inside the belt area and inside the belt guards. Looks like left bank was lowest, but compression and miniature camera inspection of #2&4 look good. Appears #1 exhaust was open, and that cylinder required scraping with single edge razor blades for a few nights to get right. I think the crank seal should be fine. The best news when I first opened it was zero oil in the coolant, and zero water in the oil! Last night I also took the cover off of the water pump. The impeller was nice and tight like we like it!

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:02 pm
by CYBORG
i'm sure you are replacing the belts......right?

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:14 pm
by NewWinger
Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Enjoy your project Pid! dancr

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:42 pm
by pidjones
CYBORG wrote:i'm sure you are replacing the belts......right?
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Oh, I've already come a loooong way! Much further to go, though! I'm having a blast doing it. I have an 1800 for my daily riding. This is for therapy.
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Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:46 pm
by CYBORG
you HAVE come a long way. and you are doing a great job bringing one back from the grave. my hats off to you sir. can't wait to see the end results

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 7:55 pm
by NewWinger
WOW! action1 action1 action1

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 1:56 am
by fish
The Hunley..... :lol: :lol: :lol:
Clive Cussler would love it

Re: The Hunley

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:05 am
by sunnbobb
I like it. A "roll up your sleeves" kinda guy!

Still more fun!

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:48 pm
by pidjones
When unbolting the removable frame rail, the footpeg stud wrung off right at the edge of the peg flange. I had soaked it overnight with PB, and was only using a 17mm combination wrench when it failed. Honda, in their odd oriental frugality, has only welded these things on behind the metal tube end, so there is no meat inside to drill and tap a new one into the frame. (Drilled exploratory 1/16" holes to verify that.) I worry about the shearing and bending forces from the engine weight, the torque from the offset peg arm, and the tensile pull of the peg nut on the end. Looked into a lot of options including cutting off and welding new at different places and with different methods, grinding out the frame at the end of the cross-tube and making a plug that would accept a stud and all be welded in,. Finally decided to center-drill the remainder and drill it out and tap for a 7 or 8mm bolt. I'm taking pictures of this as I go. May be a big mistake, but seems to be the most achievable and still maintain needed capabilities of the bolt. And, of course mother Honda's manual sez it is a 10mm bolt with max 29 ft-lbs torque instead of the actual 12mm there. The parts list does properly call for 12mm on both sides. The initial (hopefully straight) center hole is drilled. Now to decide on the final bolt size and get a tap for it (this will require a good bottom tap, which I don't have.)