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Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:50 pm
by Easter
OK, it wasn't a dumpster, that is reserved for trash, it was really the scrap iron trailer. A couple of months ago while preparing to finalize the sale of our business I decided to clean out some of my personal scrap and add it to the pile at work. Then about about two or three weeks later while going through my stack of cycle titles I realized that the only Gl1000 frame I owned with a title was the one in the scrap trailer. Luckily the scrap guy hadn't been by to pick up the trailer (he owes me a thousand dollars so maybe that was the reason he hadn't been by!) anyway I explained to the new owner what I was up to and drug it out of the trailer and back home and then from there to the powder coater for sand blasting and a gloss black powder coat. I am pretty sure I have most of the parts to build a bike (starting with the title) and over the weekend I started looking for an engine. I had a 1000 and an 1100 in the back shed but I didn't really know anything about them as they came with a trailer load of parts I picked up a while back at a storage locker. Well to make a long story less long, the 1000 was shot, and I mean shot! So now what? I recently picked up a nice looking and promised to be low mileage nice condition 1200. I new it would fit but what was involved? Our own Ericheath has messed around with the conversion more than most so I contacted him for some guidance. The outcome of which was a decision to save the engine for a different project as this bike will most likely get flipped as soon as it is finished. So now what? Well there was still an 1100 in the shed, maybe it would be a better candidate. Lets take a look.

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 10:25 pm
by Easter
The 1100 is mostly complete including 30 years of grease. It had what appeared to be a new (or newly remanufactured) starter. First step, grab a good battery and jumper cables and see if the sucker will spin. Well, the starter spun like crazy but nothing happened with the engine (I had already turned it over by hand so I knew it wasn't locked up.) So I pulled the back cover off the engine to see if it had a starter gear or chain or anything else under there. Everything looked fine. So... spin the starter again, nothing. Just whirred. OK, I do have an accumulation of starters so I swapped it out for a known good but much ugglier unit from the bin. Now the engine spins. Next, compression: number 1-110, number 2-120, number 3-130, hey these are looking pretty good for an engine that has been sitting for goodness knows how long, number 4-75 crying1

Well, I was planning on GL1000 heads anyway, since I need to convert the ignition or saw out the cross member in my nice newly powder coated frame. Out to the storage shed yet again for a set of '78 heads. A quick water test with some handy windshield washer fluid showed three out of the four cylinders leaked and will need lapping ( I will probably do all four since I am such a perfectionist!) Before I quit for the day, I pulled the 1100 heads and confirmed the pistons and cylinders look good. A gasket kit for the 1100 is on its way.

A set of spoke wheels have been checked for true and bearings removed in preparation for powder coat. I plan to drop them off tomorrow.

NOW HERE IS A QUESTION for the experienced hot rodders among us--should I, can I, simply swap my 76 cams into the 78 heads? They are setting right there on the floor by the bench, easy?? :crosso

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2017 11:42 pm
by ericheath
Check out Wingrider's build for a neat way to remove the rear ignition and not have to modify the frame. Joedrum has 1000 cams in 1100 heads. If you don't want to pull the heads, that's an option. The valves are the same size. I wouldn't worry too much on the low compression if it's been sitting. Try compression in it with oil? If it doesn't come up, maybe pulling the heads and lapping the valves would be wise.

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 6:19 am
by robin1731
" can I, simply swap my 76 cams into the 78 heads?"

Yes. If you have them use the same rockers on their original cam lobes too. Also keep the cam holders with their original heads. Those should not be interchanged.

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Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:21 am
by wingrider
Quite the project you have going! The removal of the rear ignition is pretty easy...just have to make a cover for the shaft.

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 11:06 am
by Easter
Thanks guys, big help. The 1100 heads are already off so will use the 78 heads with 76 cam holders and rockers and cams. I am assuming 1100 head gaskets.

1100 Head bolts??

Wheels and head covers are off to the powder coater this morning. Then I am picking up some steel to try my hand at building brackets for my Harbor Freight engine stand. Looking at Wingrider's and a couple of other designs from here and there in the threads.

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 12:58 pm
by ericheath
I think Robins suggestion is to keep the 78 cam holders(the aluminum parts that are bolted to keep the cam in place) because they are line bored with them attached to the 78 head. Then keep the rockers from the 76 cams.

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 1:59 pm
by robin1731
Easter wrote:snip.............. 78 heads with 76 cam holders and rockers and cams. No, use the cam holders that came with the heads. I am assuming 1100 head gaskets. That would be best.



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Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 10:51 pm
by Easter
OK, I think I have it straight. thanks

Opened up the set of 1100 carbs that came with the engine. No broken parts BUT maybe I should have taken up a nice hobby like stamp collecting or growing roses or something civilized. Just look at the mess inside these carbs! Hope I can get the components out to clean everything up without breaking something. I put the bowls in the small ultrasonic cleaner and let it run about an hour. Most of the crud is out of the three but one has some really stubborn white crud that I can't identify. Mostly just a film (like paint) so maybe it won't affect function. Maybe tomorrow I can fire up the big ultrasonic unit and put the complete rack in for a pre-clean. Note that these carbs have been in storage in a protected storage building for the time I have owned them and they came out of a commercial storage building so have not been exposed to any rain or other environmental concerns for at least the last year. I can't imagine what all this stuff is or where it came from.

Oh, Pistol Pete--where are you?

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 6:01 am
by robin1731
Crank the heat up on the ultrasonic cleaner. That will help loosen things up too. I've turned mine up enough that I could barely reach in and grab the parts. Then holding them was tough too they were so hot. About 165 degrees I think.

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Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:28 pm
by Easter
Carbs are cleaning up nicely after about six hours (more or less!) in the ultrasonic. So far everything has come apart without a problem. Curiously, much of the inside of the carb bodies were quite clean and it looked as though new components had been installed "recently".

Question: maybe self evident when the time for reassembly arrives but the head bolts are different between the GL1000 and 1100. Which ones should I use with the combination?

Finished building my engine stand adapters and started the long process of cleaning up the block for eventual painting. A PO had installed an aftermarket oil cooler which had been leaking steadily for the last 15 or 20 years and most of the block was coated with about a 1/4 inch of tar. A long episode with the air-siphon spray head and gasoline finally got most of it off.

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:46 pm
by Track T 2411
On the head bolts, I was taught long ago to use the same bolt in the same location, so I would go with the bolts that match the block. My 2 cents...

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 11:57 am
by Easter
Can't resist throwing in a photo of my engine stand. Similar to several others on here but made with what was available. Seems to work just fine. A little tough to rotate the engine though! But it can be done. At least 90 degrees, which is enough for cleaning and painting. I am not a welder so the welds are a bit amateurish but since I was expecting them to look like they were done by a near-sighted monkey, I am quite pleased. dancr

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 12:32 pm
by ericheath
Oil cooler on the front end? Looks stout enough.

Re: Out of the Dumpster

Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:01 pm
by Easter
Yes the oil cooler adapter was sandwiched between the block and the filter housing with clamp on hoses to the cooler itself.