Found a '79 to restore as my next project - "Freedom"

[pidjones]

As promised, I finally pulled it out of the family room side of the basement and into the garage. Took some photos as I swapped the bikes around. Headlight was removed to permit removal of the Vetter umbilical and will stay off until I can heal all of the wounds caused by the Scotch-Loks. After getting it in the garage, I pulled the cam belt covers and installed new timing belts. The old ones were stiff and the vendor info worn off the outside, so they were definitely due. Pulled the plugs and hooked up the battery (I had charged and stored it in a plastic battery box). Checked compression, and Yahoo! all 180 +/- 5 psi! The bottom of the engine is covered with oil and there is no obvious source, so I'll clean it well and watch. Although, the '77 that I had back in 2004 had the same oil coverage and it turned out to be from leaky fork seals. The cap over the rotor bolt was jammed and rounded so I had to chisel it off but luckily I had a spare from the junker engine. I think tomorrow I might just hook up the external fuel cell and see if it will fire.

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[pidjones]

She runs! Not great, and POURS fuel out of the carbs, but started without choke. (Choke is frozen - probably the cable.) Drained the carbs (I had run her on aux fuel tank). Sprayed her down with a full can of foamy engine cleaner, let it work, then hit her with the power washer. Letting her dry before bringing her inside. Inside of the tank has a light muddy brown/tan appearance. Swabbed it and it doesn't smear at all. Whose coating is this color? Wow, coated tank, Dyna ignition, good compression, runs right off the bat. I'm goibg to be lost on this build. At least the rear brakes and carbs need attention. And, someone put the front calipers on the wrong side.

[pidjones]

Pulled the rack today. That's about as far as I got. Oh yeah, pulled the choke cable and it is dry as can be. Might try lubing and rescuing it as all the aftermarket ones I've tried have been made wrong.

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[pidjones]

Name was chosen this weekend. Since I was discharged from the Navy in '79 to start my next career, the wife and daughter like "Freedom".

[Track T 2411]

"Freedom" sounds great!

[pidjones]

I pulled #2&4 off and removed everything for the ultrasonic. My big one that will take two bodies at once is dead, so the small parts from two carbs are in trays in the Harbor Freight cleaner. Guess the bodies will just get brake cleaner and 100 psi air. Not that bad inside, but outside the were pretty caked with road grime. So, I reassembled the piston caps and float bowls to them and put the rack back together. They I put them outside on the drive and gave them a heavy bath of "Scrubbin' Bubbles (Dow bathroom cleaner)" and let it set for about ten minutes while I hooked up the pressure washer. Pressure washed them off real good, then dried with a leaf blower. MUCH nicer to work on now! Since this bike is primarily for go rather than show, I won't be polishing as much as I did on the Hunley. The piston caps are easy and add a nice glow, however.

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[pidjones]

A few PO issues, but I have a Helicoil kit for these bad boys from the Hunley build. Now if I can find it.... Think these carbs have been leaking for a while?

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[pidjones]

Finished carb clean, rebuild, PO repair (hopefully fixed more than I broke) of wrong jets, missing float valve filters, stripped threads, wallowed JIS heads, shuffled float bowls. Leak tested with isopropyl, fixed the one leaky float seat (just needed a polish), let it set 24 hours and leak-free. Drained and awaiting some pretty-work on the intake runners. Rear bake rebuild kits are in and I'll start that next. Seriously considering reassembly after brakes are sorted to use it for a daily driver while weather is good. This would point out any problems that need addressed when weather turns cold (and the 1800 returns to DD duty).

[pidjones]

Did a light polish on the intake runners. Takes so little time and really looks nice. Took longer to remove the gook that a PO had put on the o-rings, really. Looked like both silicone seal and something that hardened up. Intake runners on 1 and 3 are turned up so that the rack will slide in easy.

Finished cleaning the rear caliper and lubed it all up with DOT 3, assembled, and installed. Rebuild kit for MC and caliper from George Fix on ebay. Here is a hint for doing the rear caliper. If you want to put the bike back on it wheels and not have the rear wheel sliding around, cut a piece of plastic (or other material) conduit to replace the rear caliper as a spacer.

Boiled the carb bodies because the big US cleaner bit the big one.

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[Sugs]

Nice. Special Sauce or just water?

[pidjones]

Nice. Special Sauce or just water?

Tap water with a drop of lab surfactant Micro 90. Supposed to use distilled, but we distill other liquid here in Tennessee.

[pidjones]

One step forward, two back. Used Metal Rescue Gell on the mufflers and it came out fairly good. Want to spray them with clear high-temp paint, but it rained so they set with WD40 preventing flash rust. Rear wherl off so they can be mounted once that is done. Carbs back on, but push cable rusted through so in a hold until cable arrives Monday (I hope). Put in a new electronic flasher to handle LEDs. Wired up LED reflectors on the headlight ears since this is the common '79 with front signal ears hacked off for a Vetter install. These have both run and signal elements, so wired for both.

[pidjones]

Oh yes. Found (I think) the source of the oil on the motor. Nice ding in the front of the right fork tube about 1" above the seal. Hopefully one of the junkers' legs is good.

[pidjones]

SHAZBOT!! Got the mufflers all ready to mount up, slung them under the bike, and they are about 1 - 2" too long! These headers are aftermarket - nice looking chrome (a little blued) but, too long. Considering maybe swapping them with the OEM headers on the Hunley as those have aftermarket Emgo slash-cut shorties for mufflers mounted. mopehed440 is offering a set of OEMs fir $100 plus ship, but I'd rather swap and save the cash for other things.

So.... it won't get on the street for a while because I'm still showing the Hunley and don't think I'll have time to swap for a while. I'll pull these headers, polish and maybe paint (Hunley's don't have any chrome shields, they were just SS that I first polished and then painted black).

Oh well, the push cable came in so I can get that on and finish the carb setup. I had pulled the rear wheel to permit muffler install, so I guess that will have to go back on so things can be moved around in this small garage (the 1800 lives in there as well as the washer, dryer, deep sink, and furnace).

[pidjones]

Pulled the headers off of the '79 today. Also replaced the removable frame section (rusted through) with one from the junker (solid). Polished one of the headers and I don't think they need painted. The SS blueing went away and it polished up real nice.

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