Resurrection of a free '76

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BustedKnuckles
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Location: Vallejo, CA

Resurrection of a free '76

#1

Post by BustedKnuckles »

First off, I apologize for not immediately posting photos of my project. I know you guys love those. Will snap a few soon.

I acquired this bike for free, from a buddy. We are both merchant mariner engineers, I'm working shoreside and he shipped out. I have had a son in the last year and a new bike is not in the cards. My buddy however, is a bachelor living it up, and purchased a brand new Ducati Scrambler. He digs Naked Goldwings, and I will forward him this thread so he can keep an eye on it from afar.

This bike is a 76 GL1000 with air shocks. I've been keeping a journal on my progress, mostly to keep my scrambled thoughts together and stay on task. I will paste it in the next post, maybe someone will find it useful.

In the past I have made several cross country trips on old BMW K bikes from the 80's. My original plan was to do it on a CB750, I just happened upon my first K bike and two more followed. So here I am with the old Honda I never knew I wanted.

I would like to keep this bike *mostly* stock, with upgrades for reliability and modern efficiency and aesthetics taking a back seat (for now). I would like to acquire a set of hard cases eventually for touring purposes (they will spend most of their life in my rafters).
1976 GL1000
1969 CL350 Scrambler
1982 CB450T

1967 Chevy El Camino 396
1978 Dodge Class C Georgie Boy Cruise Master
BustedKnuckles
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#2

Post by BustedKnuckles »

Current condition: Bike runs rich, smells like raw gas. Does not respond to throttle well. Poor gas mileage. Seems to be caused by weak spark. Spark plugs are dry, but very dark.
Previous work, by me in May 2016:
• Coils = Dyna Dual Output 3.0 Ohm Coils (pair) DC1-1 (DYDC1-1)
• Plug Wires = Dyna Ignition Wires 7mm copper core (black) (DYDW200)
• NGK Plugs = NGK 12mm D8EA Spark Plug (TU38-0036)
• NGK Plug Boots = NGK Spark Plug Cap 12mm & 10mm 102 degree XD05F (TU38-1006)
• Air Filter = Air Filter GL1000 (BAHFA1904)
• Cam Cover Gaskets = GASKET, HEAD COVER 12328-371-000
• Cam Cover Grommets = ZZ29169 VALVE COVER BOLT SEALS 10 PACK
• Valve Adjustment
• Timing Belts (supplied by previous owner)
• Starter Solenoid (aftermarket)
A call to Dyna tech line confirmed a 5 Ohm coil set is standard on the GL1000. Currently, 3 Ohm Coils + 6.4 Ohm Ballast Resistor puts resistance at 9.4 Ohms. This is cause of weak spark. Factory ballast resistor is bad, does not show correct resistance. A one to two ohm ballast resistor is needed. The factory ballast resistor had a Dyna resistor in parallel with it, this was intended for the Dyna electronic ignition (not installed).
4/11/17
A new ballast resistor was installed, Echlin ICR13, per Randakks’ blog. The bike starts easier, runs better, but the RPM’s “hang up” around 3,000 rpm when revved. Suspect timing as I have not yet checked it. Electrical connections were checked. An aftermarket battery is installed, as well as positive battery cable, which contacts frame. I wedged a temporary isolator in place.
4/13/17
Point gap inspected, evidence of metal transfer. Points sanded with 120 grit sandpaper and polished with 600 grit. Point gap checked, set at 0.016” (per Randakks’ Blog). Timing was set dynamically, using a rubber hose wedged in inspection port to prevent oil spraying. This worked at low RPM’s, but not for checking timing “all in” at 3,000 RPM. Bike no longer “hangs” when revved. Idle set just over 1,000 RPM. When bike is turned off and restarted, it is often hard to start. There is an occasional miss when idling. When jumped off of booster pack, it is easier to start. Check battery and plugs next.
4/14/17
Plugs pulled and inspected, plug number two is black and covered in soot. Plug gap confirmed at 0.026” (slight drag on feller gauge). Compression checked with inexpensive gauge from Auto Zone:
2: 147 PSI 1: 142 PSI
4: 140 PSI 3: 145 PSI (compression retested, values were at 150. Will retest w/ better gauge)
Carburetor numbers all verified to be 758A, this is correct for 1976 GL1000’s. Pilot screw initial setting: two turns out from closed. Actual setting:
2: 3-1/4 turns out 3-1/2 turns out
4: 3-1/2 turns out 3-1/4 turns out
Pilot screws set to initial setting at two turns out. Bike now hangs up intermittently, stalls at some stops. Bike is hard to start when warm. Plug number two is no longer black.
1976 GL1000
1969 CL350 Scrambler
1982 CB450T

1967 Chevy El Camino 396
1978 Dodge Class C Georgie Boy Cruise Master
BustedKnuckles
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#3

Post by BustedKnuckles »

4/15/17
Battery and charging system inspected
OEM batter specs: Y50-N18L-A2 12V 20Ah 260 CCA
Installed Battery: LFX18L1-BS12 (by Shorai, Lithium Ion) 12V 18Ah 270 CCA
Battery passed load test, per manufacturers recommendation.

Battery voltage, after test (charged briefly): 14.53 V
Bike started, voltage at idle: 14.35 V
Bike warm, after 5 min at idle: 13.77 V
Bike revved to 5,000 RPM: 14.38 V
Voltage when shut down: 13.26 V
According to manual, at 5,000 RPM with charged battery, dimmer switch on high, and fan motor off there should be a voltage of at least 14.5 V. Test indicated 14.38 V. At one point voltage dipped down to 13.77 V, while running it should be between 14 and 15 V (per Wingovations article on GL1000 Combined Regulator / Rectifier. The voltage is too low (according to manual) and a rectifier replacement is recommended. Upon inspection of the rectifier, it is soldered in. It is an aftermarket rectifier/regulator unit. A used 2004 – 2006 Honda CBR600RR unit was purchased online for about $20 (believed to be OEM). The AC generator is also soldered in, wires were unsoldered and unit was tested per manual (0.9 A between all yellow wires, no continuity between yellows and ground ).
4/19/17
Compression test checked against Snap On tester:
Auto Zone Tester Snap On Tester
2: 140 PSI 1: 145 PSI 2: 147 PSI 1: 146 PSI
4: 145 PSI 3: 147 PSI 4: 146 PSI 3: 149 PSI


4/26/17
New air cutoff valve installed, these are recommended to be replaced every three years, history of this unit not known so replaced as preventative maintenance. One of the small O-rings was missing to seal the housing against the plenum, kit came with both new O-rings. New regulator installed temporarily, with thumb screws as the body makes it unable to mount with factory screws. Idle readjusted to ~1,000 RPM.
Voltage at idle (warmed up): 14.20 – 14.30V
Voltage at 5,000 RPM: 14.15V
4/27/17
Fuel filter, oil and filter changed (mileage: --,---). Carburetor synchronization verified.
After this work, RPM’s hang up.
4/29/17
Idle air mixture screws removed and passages blown out with compressed air. Screws installed at two turns out. Plugs inspected and look ok, not fouled. Front two cylinders cut out connections checked, cleaned. Points checked and cleaned. In pitch black the left side, #1 & #2 don’t spark as much.
5/3/17 – 5/25/17
Went to London and Paris.
6/3/17
Regulator/Rectifier and generator connections soldered. Point gap adjusted, then timing adjusted using static method with digital multi-meter. Seafoam fuel cleaner added to gas tank.
6/4/17
Test drive of about 15 miles went great until returning home. Bike seemed to cut out on one cylinder. Intake manifold for cylinder 4 ice cold.
6/5/17
Plugs checked, #4 was fouled by gasoline.
6/6/17
Checked for spark by pulling plug wires while cranking over and connected to spark plug grounded to valve cover, ok on all four cylinders. Bike was then started and warmed up, plug wires pulled one at a time. No change when cylinder 4 was pulled, slight change when cylinder 3 was pulled. Bike would die when cylinders 1 and 2 pulled. This appeared to be a fuel delivery problem. Fuel bowl drains cracked loose, fuel drained from each. All carbs are getting fuel, carbs three and four appear to be blocked (possibly intermittently). Carburetors 3 & 4 were tapped with wooden hammer handle. Bike was started and suffocated air cleaner snorkel by hand, RPMs would drop and hand removed before bike would die. This was repeated 4 or 5 times to get vacuum to pass any blockages. It seemed to work as bike now behaves normal. Going to continue to run fuel system cleaner, any changes in performance will be attributed to debris in carburetor. This explains why the idle was readjusted multiple times when bike had a tendency to die.
1976 GL1000
1969 CL350 Scrambler
1982 CB450T

1967 Chevy El Camino 396
1978 Dodge Class C Georgie Boy Cruise Master
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Sugs
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#4

Post by Sugs »

Wow, that's quite the introduction. Welcome to the site!
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'79 Honda GL1000 Goldwing
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ericheath
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#5

Post by ericheath »

Anybody mention, we love pics?
Whatever I suggest here should be given ample time for a moderator to delicately correct. I apologize in advance.
77 WING, 1200 engine with 77 heads, cams, gl1100 foot pegs, Magna V65 front end, 764A carbs, [-gone Suzuki M109 monoshock--, replaced with gl1100 shocks] gl 1200 swing arm, gl1500 final drive, wheel and rear brakes Valkyrie seat, Meanstreak tank, Sportster pipes, Power Arc ignition off crank.
77 Wing. black
83 Wing, in pieces
"Continuing education is important even if the subject matter is fairly useless (as in this case)."---Greg Foresi
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TNTbefree
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#6

Post by TNTbefree »

Welcome to the club.
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BikeMaine
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#7

Post by BikeMaine »

Welcome to the forum.
Kevin
1982 GL1100A
BustedKnuckles
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#8

Post by BustedKnuckles »

Well I had a setback in resurrecting the GL, the driveshaft snapped! I should have inspected it before riding. Lesson learned. I posted about it here: https://www.ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=63297

Now that is in and I have 100 miles on it, I am experiencing some running issues.

Fuel consumption is high, I filled the tank and added some Seafoam. At 100 miles there was an 1/8 of a tank left. The fuel gauge works but I swear I saw the needle moving as I rode. The first 25 miles it stood still then dropped. I'm remembering a '91 Civic I had where the gauge was not linear. For the first 100 miles and it stayed near full, but after it dropped rapidly. Does the GL gauges behave the same way?

There is an intermittent issue where the RPM's hang. When the bike is cold, it starts up great with the choke. By the time I get to work (a 25 mile jaunt down the highway) the RPMs hang. It also sounds like there is a "ticking" when this happens. I have been through the entire ignition and charging system and am ready to move on to the carbs. I suspect no matter what I will need to get into the carbs, I just don't want to tear into them blindly without knowing what problem I aim to fix. This bike has over 60,000 miles so I suspect there are some worn jet needles/orifices. I aim to fix the idle hanging before a rebuild; for starters I will fill the carbs with a stronger Seafoam solution (50/50) and try that a few times, check for vacuum leaks, and double check synchronization.
1976 GL1000
1969 CL350 Scrambler
1982 CB450T

1967 Chevy El Camino 396
1978 Dodge Class C Georgie Boy Cruise Master
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brianinpa
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#9

Post by brianinpa »

Two weeks and still not pictures...
:worthless:
Sorry! I couldn't resist! lolol

Welcome to the fun!
Brian
ADC(AW) - US Navy Retired 1983-2003
If you aren't having fun doing it, find something else to do.

1984 Standard - 18,000 miles - Naked... the way it should be
1987 Interstate - 62,000 miles - Resurrected from the rust bucket
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5speed
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#10

Post by 5speed »

brianinpa wrote:Two weeks and still not pictures...
:worthless:
Sorry! I couldn't resist! lolol

Welcome to the fun!
He sent them to Cyborg to post for him.
Image
1982 1100 standard. (sold)
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
2000 Yamaha Roadstar
1976 GoldWing. running but not on the road
1978 Goldwing. future cafe project.
2019 Can-Am ryker (boss's new ride)

2002 Shadow American Classic(sold)
1983 Shadow 500. (sold)
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wingrider
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#11

Post by wingrider »

5speed wrote:
brianinpa wrote:Two weeks and still not pictures...
:worthless:
Sorry! I couldn't resist! lolol

Welcome to the fun!
He sent them to Cyborg to post for him.
Image
:lol: I am sure Cyborg will get those up right away!

Sounds like you have a bit going on. Do your wheels turn freely? Brakes aren't hanging up? Provided you are not running at very high speeds, you are going through way to much fuel. Do you happen to have a leak in your gas tank?
2002 1800 Wing
2001 Valkyrie Interstate
1978 1200 EFI Wing with Motorvation Coupe Royale sidecar
1977 1200 Wing cafe/bobber project
1974 Suzuki GT550
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TNTbefree
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#12

Post by TNTbefree »

If I may... Go to home depot, over to the lawn section, and pick up a bottle of "mechanic in a bottle". I think it works a lot better than sea foam. It claims to recondition as well as clean. It made my rough running F150 run like new again. When seafoam did nothing for it. And I use it in my bike every other month.

Also, I had an idle hang up at one time too. Turned out to be the throttle cable. It was old and gummed up on the inside. Wouldn't "release". Replaced it, problem solved. Also may need a squirt of wd40 on carb linkage.
BustedKnuckles
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Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#13

Post by BustedKnuckles »

TNTbefree wrote: Also, I had an idle hang up at one time too. Turned out to be the throttle cable. It was old and gummed up on the inside. Wouldn't "release". Replaced it, problem solved. Also may need a squirt of wd40 on carb linkage.
Just to be sure it wasn't the linkage, I waited for the RPMs to hang and pushed on it to return to its normal closed throttle position. It seats firmly. I have sprayed down the entire linkage assembly with WD40 a few weeks ago. I purchased a cable lube kit, when time allows I will be starting with the throttle cable.
1976 GL1000
1969 CL350 Scrambler
1982 CB450T

1967 Chevy El Camino 396
1978 Dodge Class C Georgie Boy Cruise Master
BustedKnuckles
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Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:59 am
Location: Vallejo, CA

Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#14

Post by BustedKnuckles »

Well last night I implemented a bunch of basic tests: pushed on the carb linkage to check for binding, checked plugs for anomolies, vacuum leakage test, drained carb bowls to look for debris and filled with 50/50 gas/seafoam solution.

When I drained the fuel bowls, jellied gunk came out! See below. It only came out of the left side (perhaps it didn't come out of the right because bike was on sidestand but I did tip it towards the right to ensure they were empty). I will let the seafom solution sit until this weekend then drain and flush with fresh fuel.
IMG_4319.JPG
IMG_4319.JPG (83.21 KiB) Viewed 323 times
1976 GL1000
1969 CL350 Scrambler
1982 CB450T

1967 Chevy El Camino 396
1978 Dodge Class C Georgie Boy Cruise Master
BustedKnuckles
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Cast Iron Member
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:59 am
Location: Vallejo, CA

Re: Resurrection of a free '76

#15

Post by BustedKnuckles »

I sprayed ether around the intake runners/boots, plenum, and carb bodies to check for vacuum leaks. Around the carb bodies the RPMs changed slightly, perhaps the felts are bad. The biggest leak was here:
IMG_4330.JPG
IMG_4330.JPG (99.51 KiB) Viewed 322 times
Looks like JB Weld was used to repair a crack. Guess I have to track down a new one, and possibly replace all the Orings (or just the one and keep the others on hand for a rainy day).
There was some RPM change around the rubber boots. I tightened the clamps as far as I could, now they all look like this:
IMG_4331.JPG
IMG_4331.JPG (69.6 KiB) Viewed 322 times
Still, the RPMs changed when I sprayed ether at the boots, but not by much.
1976 GL1000
1969 CL350 Scrambler
1982 CB450T

1967 Chevy El Camino 396
1978 Dodge Class C Georgie Boy Cruise Master
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