Five years to start, probably another five to complete...

[UltraRunner]

Hello all- I've been a member for several years, and have always kept tabs on the forum, but don't join conversations very often.

I rode a '77 as a daily driver for a couple of years, and loved it. It can be read about here:
https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic ... 30&t=46050

As I gathered parts, I also purchased a couple of 1100's. Surprised to see that it was 5 years ago!:
https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic ... 30&t=52286

Life got in the way of getting it started- a lot of school, children, a major move, a number of other projects that took priority, and a new job. I do have a very nice shop now, which is a very comfortable place to work. I know that I'm going to be working on the bike for a long time, and am fine with that. I built a table, so I could be comfortable. Finally got the bike on it and disassembled.

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Although a very long and unnecessary story, I decided to buy a 2004 BMW K1200GT. I hope to like the bike, but.... after only a few miles, I discovered a slipping clutch, which is a large job to take care of. I'm afraid that I was taken advantage of, but it is what it is. I'm committed at this point. So, the GL got kicked off the table, and BMW moved in.

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Poor GL.

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At least I was right about the diagnosis on the BMW. Ugly, but a pretty common occurrence on these.... Leaking rear main seal and a dry clutch. Ick.

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I have (I think) all of the parts I need to get the GL to a 'rolling' state. So, while I'm waiting on parts for the BMW, I hope to get the wheels put together, and maybe the forks rebuilt. We'll see.

My plan for the GL is simple: solid mechanics, clean, but not spotless. I'm more interested in a solid, reliable bike. Planning on a poor boy conversion, and I'll keep the fairing. I have a pair of aluminum Tusk panniers I'll fit to it, and will put an auxiliary fuel tank on it.

I did have this engine running at one point. It has probably been three years, but I am confident that I can have a solid bike in the end.

[gltriker]

What an interesting story!

Welcome to the Club.

[Track T 2411]

Nice shop! I can totally relate to long, drawn out projects. I keep thinking the next line will go smoother and faster, but it never seems to, lol! Good luck, and keep chipping away!

[pidjones]

Sounds familiar. My 1000 hung from the ceiling of our garage for about four years. It came out Ok.

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[77Gowing]

Great story. Took me awhile also. Enjoy your journey.

[rcmatt007]

I think I have had (or "do have") projects that take that long

[UltraRunner]

Sounds familiar. My 1000 hung from the ceiling of our garage for about four years. It came out Ok.
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If your bike is the standard for 'Ok', then my bike is going to be downright crap...

Can't quite recall my timeline- there's been a lot going on the past few weeks. I waited on parts, worked on wheels, started putting together the BMW. Then it sat. Then I noticed a drop of oil on the clutch housing cover. So I clearly muffed up the rear main seal. So I need to take it apart again. Not fun.

As for the GL- I always get frustrated pulling wheels and taking them and tires to shops, etc for tire changes. So I figured this would be a good time to learn. The wheels are pretty scratched up anyway, the tires aren't the most expensive, so I did it.
It was much easier than I anticipated. I definitely need to build some experience, but I expected it to be much more difficult than it was. I have dirt cheap spoons, and will invest in a better set before I do it again, but all in all, I'm pleased, and think I will start changing my own tires from now on.

I also put in new bearings, front and rear.

One of my biggest complaints about the '77 was the lack of stopping power. I changed to braided lines and upgraded master/piston, and it helped- as long as it was dry out. Water eliminated all stopping ability. So, I knew that I would be drilling the discs on any GL. Looking around, I had a hard time justifying the cost, so again, decided I would give it a try. Turned out to be pretty easy. I would probably change the layout a bit if I did it again, but we'll see how they work. It is possible I'll had another series of holes, or enlarge the existing, but I won't make that decision until I ride the bike.

I set up a simple jig to hold the discs, just to make life easier. Glad I did- the process took a while, but was very easy.

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A couple of pictures of our working dogs- they are growing into very, very good dogs. Love having them around, although Meg (in the first picture) likes to walk away with anything she can chew on.

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He doesn't look like it here, but Lambert is over 100 lbs now.

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And the finished pictures- not too shiny and pretty, but very serviceable. I'm pleased with the results.

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[Rat]

Nice pooches .... rotors should work well ....

Gord

[Track T 2411]

Looking good!

[pidjones]

Looking good. Just don't get the wet braking too good. I'd rather the pads slip on the disks a little than the tires start sliding on the wet road.

[UltraRunner]

So, haven't done much for a while, but I did finally get the engine prepped for paint. Put a coat of primer on it, and a crack shows up nice and bright. Not sure how I didn't notice it during prep, but I didn't.

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What do I do about it? There was oil on the bolt.

I had this engine running a few years ago (the one with the primer - an '81). Not very many miles on it (I don't remember). I do have an '80 engine as well, but it is frozen, and has been sitting for a lot of years. Pics of it are below.

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Not sure where to go from here. I don't have much invested in the work, so it's not a huge loss, but it would be nice to save if possible. I'm open to suggestions. Thanks.

[Track T 2411]

Certainly seems an odd place to crack... I'm (slowly) working on an 1100 that has a crack in the main case on the lowest transmission cover bolt. It had been repaired before, but rather poorly. I contemplated taking it to a welding shop to see if it could be repaired, then decided to try a home food with high temp JBWELD. Here's the thread... viewtopic.php?f=1&t=56610
Here's a pic of the repair...
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=39004&start=75
The engine isn't up and running yet, but it does hold oil so far. We enlarged the cracks slightly with a dremel tool to allow complete filling with epoxy, as well as epoxying a stud in place of the bolt.
I think the worst part of your situation is the location. I'm not sure if it could be cleaned up enough to ensure adhesion of an epoxy without splitting the cases. Personally if like to get some coverage on the inside of the crack as well as the outside. I'm guessing that the crack is fairly close to the center of the sump, which would put it close to the oil pick up screen cover...

[gltriker]

I wouldn't hesitate to try a JB-WELD repair.
There is a large number of formulations in their product's catalog.
Not a big investment. All you have to do is seal the void to prevent oil leakage by gravity.
There’s a negligible amount of crankcase pressure in the running engine.

[Fred Camper]

Sounds like the plan I would try first

[pidjones]

Too bad it isn't a 1000, where you could pull the cover and pickup screen to possibly gain access on the back side. If you try epoxy, roll it on its back for the work but don't force so much in that it gets in the lubrication system. That '80 motor doesn't look bad. A few hours on it after a week or so soak with penetratrant should free it up.