1986 Aspencade Resurrection

[3KidsinAustin]

WOW!
That's a Very Well Behaving engine

Thanks! As you know, these flat-4 engines are fairly bulletproof. It is just the extended period of sitting that takes all the time and effort to remedy.

[3KidsinAustin]

(Deleted, double post)

[Fred Camper]

You do quick work, glad she is coming together just fine. Nice bike for the new owner.

[3KidsinAustin]

You do quick work, glad she is coming together just fine. Nice bike for the new owner.

Thanks! Took some glamour shots by a nearby pond today. That's always the fun part!

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Had a fun experiment earlier today. I was getting the typical, slight seepage around the valve cover gasket. I learned from my 85 Limited that the gasket isn't typically the problem, it is the flattened out rubber grommets under the bolt heads that aren't providing enough pressure to seal the valve cover. Decided to fire up the 3D printer and print out a 1mm spacer to see if it takes up enough slack to seal the cover. Checked it after the short trip for the photos and the area is still dry.

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However, proving I'm still not the sharpest crayon in the box, I took the first lower bolt out of the left side and was surprised by the gusher of West Texas Crude shooting out of the bolt hole... As my uncle has said, "You can't fix stupid." For the second bolt, I positioned a floor jack under the right floor board and rested it there at a slight angle. Worked clean as a whistle.

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[3KidsinAustin]

My first starter disassembly and cleaning did not solve the hot start issue. Took the bike on a ten mile spin in the 90+ degree sun with my daughter. When we got home and parked it, I let it sit for a minute and hit the starter button. Slow turning and failed. So, tomorrow's project is to do the same process on a starter that looks OEM with the cast markings. This bike came with three extra starters in boxes, this one and two that are clearly non-OEM. Might give one of them a shot, too.

Wish it were easier to get to the starter than removing exhaust, shifter, crash bar, and stud - but at least the engine doesn't have to be dropped.

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[Fred Camper]

Bummer on the starter. When mine did the same thing a cleaning of the carbon buildup is all I needed to do and that was 8 years back.

[3KidsinAustin]

Thanks Fred. I had already cleaned the carbon off the commutator and gotten it all shiny with a light sanding and polish. Fairly certain it is an aftermarket unit so original quality is totally unknown. Before installing the one I pictured above, I disassembled the top half again and lightly sanded the brush plate to make sure it was getting the best ground possible to the case halves. Back in it went and after putting everything back together and going for a ride (scoring bid Dad-points with my daughter, by the way), we parked it in the garage. Turned it off, waited about 30 seconds and measured the temp at the starter with my IR gun. 90C, which the previous starter failed at. Hit the Start button and the starter fired it right up, even with the fan running full blast. Even when cold, I noticed right away the engine was turning over much faster.

I recorded a brief video of a "good" starter so I can reference on future builds. In case anyone needs...
https://youtube.com/shorts/8WkG_J-DnPI?feature=share[/youtube]

[Fred Camper]

Ah, so good to have found a good starter in your collection. Nice choice.

[3KidsinAustin]

I just realized I started a new build thread without showing the finished product. The Aspencade is finished and we have been cruising around the neighborhood, giving my daughter big smiles. Eventually I'll have to let my boys come along...

Stopped by a nearby pond and took some beauty shots.

[dontwantapickle]

Clean Bike.
Nice Work.

[RSTman]

I wish to humbly thank this motorcycle for giving me so many opportunities to succeed, despite my best efforts. Today was spent going through the process of removing the cylinder head to change the gasket and reinstall. As I mentioned yesterday, there was an area in the head where there was no gasket sealing it to the block. Avid readers might recall I attributed this to a damaged head gasket.

Your Honor, I submit the picture below as evidence against the moron currently sitting in front of the keyboard...
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Yep, I installed the gasket backwards. For readers that have not had the privilege of digging into the upper half of the engine, the proper orientation of the gasket is as follows:
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I managed to leave a sizeable portion of the drain cavity exposed. Oops.

All is reinstalled and working properly. Still a bit of oil on the exhaust headers that is burning off but no leaks identified yet.

Waiting on an oil seal for the leaking rear shock absorber then the bike can be reassembled and road tested again. So far no air leaks on the rear tire.

Yep, been there done that! I realised before running the engine but after torquing the head. Doh.
Jerry