Found My Winter Project - 79 One Owner, Vetter Kit

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

Not a whole lot to report, as home life, truly overwhelming work stuff, several unexpected house projects, and holidays/prep have eaten into wrench time.

But...

• Second running of the bike after I drained the oil/transmission mix and reloaded with the good stuff surfaced no new leaks down at the coolant weep hole. Maybe a gasket that had dried out over the decades moistened up a bit. That's some good news, for certain.

• I'm done running the bike until the carbs are rebuilt and reinstalled, which won't happen for months.

• I pulled the timing belt covers to give things a look-see and get started on the belt changeover. The belts are OEM Honda, but the photos below show that someone used a marker to make the timing mark more visible. I think the bike had a belt change before it was put away, which makes sense because it has about 28k miles on it. (Another sign that the bike was well maintained before being parked. No doubt: The belts will be changed out with the Gates ones I bought for the build.

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Both Ginger (79 GL) and my ST1100 are off the road for now. Ginger is giving me fuel delivery issues, and the ST needs a new rear tire and front brake attention. I'd like to get Ginger running well again before storing her for winter. Not sure that'll happen.

The ST needs to be taken care of, as it's my winter ride. Also, I got pulled over the other night for expired inspection, and the local LEOs noted that my rear tire was gettin short in the tread. (I got pulled twice in a week, once on the ST and once on Ginger. Somehow, I got off with verbals both times. That won't happen a third time, I'm sure.) With 15-degree days, 4:30pm sunsets, rain when it's above freezing, I don't know when I find the time. Maybe December 26.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

With my youngest son home from college, we scored some "quality time" in the shed between Christmas and the New Year and took up some work on the bike. We tag teamed the timing belts and valve adjustments, making pretty quick work of it by passing the driver, wrench, and feeler gauges back and forth. Afterward, I spent a few hours polishing up the valve and belt covers, and I cleaned up the fork lowers the next day.

Surprisingly, I didn't take a lot of pictures. I thought I had done some reasonable documenting of the work. What I have is a side-by-side of an old/new belt and some photos of the exhaust crossover and lower bits of the frame, where rust often sets in on the old GLs. On this bike, it's clean, solid, and nary a chip in the paint.

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We also pulled the wheels and mounted up fresh rubber. On the way, one bit at a time.

[Whiskerfish]

SNIPand lower bits of the frame, where rust often sets in on the old GLs. On this bike, it's clean, solid, and nary a chip in the paint.
SNIP

Do a "tap test" on the frame lower sections. External inspection does not reveal much until it is too late. They rust from the inside out. Anything metal will work. In Aviation we call it the coin test. Use a coin or similar tap along the length and listen for a difference in the sound. Personally I like to use a box end wrench. If there is a weak spot or any voids in the metal it will ring out a lot different than a solid tube. The crossover tube and the removable frame section are the worst areas most of the time.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

Whiskerfish. I missed that response, as I basically hadn't been working on the bike much - or checking for comments on the build.

I'll give it the tap test. This bike is by far the cleanest GL I've worked on - and it's my third GL1000.

I put in a little work on the old girl over the last week. Nothing sexy, mind you.

I bought a new set of brake lines - rubber, not braided stainless.

I refurbed the front calipers and kept the original pistons, as they're in great shape. I had taken care of the master a while ago. Today, I swapped the front lines (manufactured in mid-1978) for a mid-2023 set.

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I'm a little disappointed in my vendor, as the lines are all a bit longer than the originals. I think perhaps they treat the GL1000 and GL1100 lines as interchangeable. It's not a big deal, and I'm sure I only notice it because of the before/after experience. Not worth a freak out.

With the front wheel still off, calipers off, and easy access, I also drained and replaced the fork oil. Nothing fancy, but that oil had been in the forks since at least the early 80s. Most likely, it was added before the bike left Japan in the late 70s.

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Next up is likely a rebuild on the rear caliper and a fresh brake line - probably after I reattach the front wheel, install the calipers, and get the front end off the stand.

At some point, I need to return to the carbs, which have been waiting since about Thanksgiving for some attention.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

I took the "don't want to do work this weekend" feeling a bit more seriously today and headed to the shed for an hour or two of quality wrench time on the '79 Winter Project.

I decided it was time to get the front wheel and brakes back on, which will make it easier to head around back and take on the rear brake line. I'm pleased to report that things were mostly uneventful on the reassembly.

• I buttoned up the radiator, a leftover from the belt swap a few weeks back. I figured it'd be easier without a wheel in the way. A good cleaning of the cover, and she's looking nice and nice.

• I cleaned up the little oil left on the bottom of the forks from draining/refilling the forks, and wiped things up all around the area.

• And then I got busy reinstalling the front wheel and mounting the front brakes.

• A quick reference check with the manual, and I had the bolts all torqued down according to spec.

• A few squeezes of the brake lever, and the pistons brought it all in nice and tight.

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The "long" brake lines are obviously a bit more bendy than the originals. It's not too bad. 2" long is better than 1" short.

The allen bolts mounting the calipers to the bracket came with the bike. Not OEM, but the black offers a pretty clean, unobtrusive look. Maybe I'll fish out the chromed ones I have from another '79 if I'm feeling more like a period correct look come spring. Probably not.

[Fred Camper]

Looking great, nice that you are taking the time in the off season when you have more time to both repair and clean.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

Fred. It's sort of a "burnout" at work thing. There's more work than can be done, and I just need to plow through some weekends. The burnout is real, but moving around the project bike is rejuvenating in a way. (My day job is not motorcycle or auto mechanic, or I'm sure I'd see it differently.) It definitely keeps the workday to dos from rattling around in my head.

I'm pretty pleased with the progress on the winter project.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

It's been awhile! (Sorry, folks. Life, & maybe some laziness on the posting front.)

This project has been coming along.

Rear Brakes.
I pulled and rebuilt the rear master and caliper - and connected them with a new brake line. I now have reliable stopping action up front and out back. I could swear that I took more photos, but I don't know what happened.

Those in the know know that extracting the pistons at the rear can be tricky, as the body splits in a way that prevents the use of hydraulics for full extraction. This rear caliper gave up its pistons without too much difficulty, as one came free without real persuasion. The other came free with the use of a vice and a little elbow grease.

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At this point, it's all rebuilt, mounted, etc - with the rear wheel back on, gear oil loaded up, etc.

Carb Rack.
Umm. Frustrated.

The rack itself looked good. It was partly disassembled back around '85, but all the bits were neatly stored in little "Swiss Miss" type containers. Slides/caps were kept with their matched mate. I pulled all the jets, cleaned up the body to address the clear coat that was peeling, and put on the Randakk's o-ring set. (I did NOT split the rack, soak it all in a bath, etc.)

In the process - argh! - I broke off one of the float mount posts (#4 carb). Maybe I should revise that statement to deflect responsibility: "In the process, one of the float mount posts broke off." Nah. I know I did it. Pisser.

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Back at Randakk's, I bought the fancy "deluxe" billet aluminum float post repair gizmo - nearly $40, so that's a pricey mistake.

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I hacked off the remaining post, filed things down nice and nice, cleaned the rack, and reassembled.

I've done GL carbs a few (more than a few) times, so I wasn't too worried about getting it back together. Clean jets, all orifices clear, new o-rings, etc. The rack looks darned good, actually. The caps and even the bowls are shiny, as are the the intakes. (Something about climate-controlled, no-UV storage for 40 years.)

Last night, I hooked up a fuel source, popped in a battery, and fired her up. YES!

Then, NOOOOOooooooo.

I'm getting fuel in the plenum. It was coming from the left bank, and it looked like it was flooding in from #4. Fuel off - fast. Rag in plenum to mop up. Run the bike to drop fuel level in bowls. #4 is also leaking around the bowl seal, a new Randakk's unit.

Pull the rack.
Good news - My screws for the #4 bowl were nowhere near tight enough, so that's a mechanic's error.

I got back into #4. I pulled the float, the deluxe billet kit, etc. I gave it all the stink eye. Honestly, the part seems to sit nicely, with no obvious way the unit might prevent the needle valve from sealing. The float needle valve looks good on close inspection.

My float measurement was a bit off, but it was off in a way that should prevent the bowl from filling to the spec - not the opposite way. I fixed all that, measured thrice, etc.

Reinstall this AM
Bike fires up soon after bowls fill, so good news.

And no leakage from #4 bowl.

Then I get the flooding in the plenum - again. I swear it seems to be coming in from the left rear of the plenum (above #4). Maybe the bike isn't quite level? (On center stand, in solid-floor shed that isn't leaning/sagging.)

Next Steps, me thinks

• Pull the rack again, check inside #2. Maybe the float is stuck down and the valve is in the open position. And maybe it's just too hard to discern flooding from #2 v #4. (I maybe rushed to think it's in #4 just because I was getting spillage from the loose bowl screws.

• I'm also starting to think that perhaps I have a deteriorated o-ring where the #4 carb mates to the plenum. If so, I guess I'll do the full monty on the rack. I have the kit. It's only time - and the reality of 62 linkages, 14 springs, and a whole lot of room for error.

[gltriker]

[robin1731]

Yeah, why would you not split the plenum when you had the parts? A real full rebuild includes splitting the plenum and removing the carbs from the plenum. That all takes less time than taking the carbs back off multiple times.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

Gltriker and robin1731.

Yesterday afternoon, I truly saw the light on the carb rebuild. The number of small parts is nothing in comparison to the multiple on/offs as one chases things that may only be resolved with a full clean/rebuild.

Roughly 30-40 minutes from carbs-on-bench to firing the bike. Leak. 20+ minutes from carbs-on-bike to bench. Back again, and again. It's one definition of insanity.

Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Or fast is slow, and slow is fast. Quick and dirty is, umm, quick and dirty.

I've learned my lesson.

[Fred Camper]

An you also taught everyone who watches your thread. Nice learning for everyone.

[NotSoLilCrippseys]

Funny, Fred.

Honestly, when the $20 "kit" looks close enough, or when one cracks into the bowls and can pull the jets, spray out the orifices, and not break o-rings, it can be really tempting NOT to open the wallet for a great kit from Randakk's and dive into a daylong (or weekend long) breakdown, cleaning, and reassembly. One can get away with that quick and dirty approach some of the time - I have.

But once you're into the GL rack as deep as pulling the roughly 30 bits per carb, you're almost there. It's shortsighted not to go the last mile. Admittedly, getting the plenum screws to crack loose is tough, as I learned on Sunday.

I have really rethought my prior approach, and I'm glad I went through the teardown and reassembly. All that's left are the air/fuel screws and the choke cable mounting bracket.

I was hoping I'd discover something obvious that was causing my leak. There we no obviously pinched, dried, or otherwise compromised gaskets attaching a carb to the plenum - which doesn't mean one wasn't leaking. If this doesn't address the fuel-in-plenum issue, I'll have to revisit the float needle valve.

Here's some evidence of the teardown and build:

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Octane's ShopTalk guide is great, so I recommend it to anyone. I'd spotlight one tip in particular, as I had a moment of "hmm" on Sunday afternoon.

• The little fuel passageway o-ring gasket that goes into the carb body recess and mates to the plenum needs to go with rounded side facing the plenum - the fourth photo above. Octane notes that approach somewhere (page 4? 6?), but I didn't have it handy at the bench. Close inspection of the recess helped make it clear that the "flat side" of the o-ring goes into the carb body, but I could easily see someone getting it wrong or not even noticing the o-ring has a flat side.

My other tip, which anyone going that deeply into a GL project should know, is that a good, big JIS screwdriver is essential. My set has one, which I rarely use. I was very happy that I was able to make use of it. I needed that baby, and I had to use the 15mm bolt pattern on the end of the handle to help me with leverage to crack the screws loose. Oh, plus heat and PB Blaster, and soaking, and more heat (but not too much). Randakk's kit comes with new plenum screws. Why? You'll probably put those little JIS heads to the test even with the right tool.

Truth be told, I'm ready to take on another rack I have sitting on the shelf once I get this one on the bike and doing its thing. It'll be good to get a second go round in rapid succession.

[gltriker]

[CYBORG]

There is a good reason that good rebuilders get $600 plus