The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

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old_smokey
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The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#1

Post by old_smokey »

Last night I took delivery of a new project: a 1975 Honda Goldwing GL1000 in candy blue green action1
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Note - the staintune pipes pictured here were not included. A factory original set was instead :guitar

This is my first goldwing, my tenth motorcycle owned, and seventh bike from the 70's. (I am 34 years old for reference). Something about the 70s man, the bikes just do it for me.

I enjoy both restoring and riding them. I've had two CB350F four cylinder bikes and two CB750Ks as well. I restored one of each, and both bikes were ridden on long road trips across Canada. The longest being 10,000km in 12 days on the '74 CB750K. I intend to do the same with the wing.

My machine has 29,500km on the clock and runs. It's had about 50km put on it since being pulled out of the shed, but now I know all about the belt snapping risks and it's been parked. New Gates belts arrive this afternoon. :8)
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From a cursory inspection, I can see a few things that need addressing off the bat. Belts I've already mentioned. Carbs went through my ultrasonic cleaner twice, and are very close now. #1 has a slight backfire occasionally.


I have a new air cutoff valve in the mail. The original pipes are in good condition, but I have a small hole in the muffler right behind the header clamp. That can be welded shut pretty easily I think.



The forks are leaking and it appears they have just enough pitting to probably not be saved. Thankfully GL1000 fork tubes appear to be cheap and plentiful.

The tank is a deep red colour inside. I'm thinking it's been lined with Red Kote at some point. It doesn't seem to be flaking off, but I'll keep a close eye on it. If I have to strip it and re-line, that's fine.



All the lights appear to work, gauges work, the reserve lighting unit as well. Not sure about the tank and temp gauges yet. Coolant and brake fluid should be flushed, and the brake lines themselves don't inspire confidence, so replacements will be ordered.

I've also traded the chrome engine crash bars for a nice Calafia Eliminator II fairing. It's in really good shape too. I won't rush to install that as I love the naked setup, but it'll be nice to have stashed away for use during a long tour or something.

This is the fairing on a matching GL1000 owned by a friend of mine. He's restoring his at the same time. It's pretty dirty, but I think after a basic clean-up it'll be just as nice. Maybe nicer!
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There is a set of Hondaline bags and racks being sold locally for $200 which I'm going to look at this weekend too. That should finish the setup.
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old_smokey
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#2

Post by old_smokey »

A few more photos. You can see my tiny little workshop is a bit cramped with the big wing in here. And that's not even all the bikes! My daily rider is parked outside. It's 11x18 feet. Heated in winter, with a re-used old gym wood floor, floating over the heavily cracked concrete. I keep it at 5C all winter, and warm it up to 20C whenever I'm working. Costs about $20 a month to heat :guitar

On the stand is a 1977 XT500 I'm restoring from the crank up. I'm almost done that project. A pipe, carb, rear shocks and some paint for the tank is all I have left. Then it's full bore on the wing.
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5speed
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#3

Post by 5speed »

welcome to the site. Great to see another Canuck here.
Nice looking shop. I'm in the process of adding on to my 10 x 12 shed to give me a place to work on mine during the winter.
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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Jonesz
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#4

Post by Jonesz »

Not many Manitobans on here that i know. Wondering where you are located. I am in Minnedosa. Nice start to a project. I am presently working on a 78.
Jonesz

1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
old_smokey
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#5

Post by old_smokey »

Hey Jonesz - I'm in Winnipeg! When our rides are ready I'd love to come see yours.

Made some progress on the wing today. My Gates belts arrived and I tackled the replacement job. This is my first water cooled bike, so I spent more time wrestling with the radiator than actually replacing the belts... I didn't realize there was a nice easy drain bolt under the pump. Instead I removed the hose fitting and spilled coolant all over. What a mess. Lesson learned!

Two surprises. The first was that there was fresh coolant inside. The second was that I have a later-year water pump with the metal impeller. Cool! Everything looked really clean and nice in there. Some had used a bit too much gasket goo though, so I spent time cleaning that all up. I hate that stuff and don't see a need to ever use it.

Belt swap was pretty straightforward. I had a moment of panic when I couldn't remember if I had set the pulleys at T1 or T2 and might have been 180 out, but thankfully I had taken a photo right when I did the swap. T1 it is.

My tensioners are in ok shape. They aren't 100%, but still spin smoothly and quietly. I'll leave them in for now, and maybe tackle a upgrade in the winter.

After I moved to the static timing. My points gap was HUGE, probably a good 1mm or so. I reset the gaps, then used a meter to set the static timing. My points are not in good shape. The 1-2 unit particularly so. The lobe also looks a bit scuffed. I don't have anything against points, but I think I'll ditch this for an electronic ignition. Anyway, got it set after much fiddling and fired it up.

It actually started much worse than before. The primary chain made a bit a racket and for a second I thought oh no, timing belts are wrong, I bent a valve! But I double checked and they're 100% bang on. Turns out my #1 cylinder wasn't firing. A fresh plug and things smoothed out much more.

Riding around the block, it really felt very good above 3K. Smooth, powerful, and quiet. But I can't idle. It hangs for a while, then dips down and lugs/rattles. Classic air leak or carb issue. Spraying cleaner around the boots did not affect the idle. I can't find any air leaks. But #1 is black and gassy right away, so the carbs are COMING OFF!

Forgot to take a video... that'll be tomorrow, after check the valves and cleaning the carbs
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old_smokey
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#6

Post by old_smokey »

A few more from the afternoon. You can see how fouled that plug is :drunk

More to come!
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Track T 2411
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#7

Post by Track T 2411 »

Nice work! The new water pump is a bonus! Just an FYI, a hanging idle is a common symptom of sticking slides. Clean, clean, clean those carbs, then polish the slides and caps, as well as the tube inside the cap that the slide moves along. You can test the slides before installing the carbs using a shop vac on the head side and watching them move. They should snap back down when you close the throttle.
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

"He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail" - Abraham Maslow

"If you can't take the time to do it right the first time, how are you ever going to find the time to do it over?" -Unknown

Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
'Scarlett' '76 'Survivor' nekkid as a j-bird!

Under Construction:
The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
'82 gl1100I, My first 'Wing, and an expensive lesson!
New2U Bike? Read Me.
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ericheath
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#8

Post by ericheath »

North K, have a few parts laying around. PM me if you need anything. I think I’ve seen more four cylinder Goldwings here this summer than in 13 years.
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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Jonesz
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#9

Post by Jonesz »

old_smokey wrote:Hey Jonesz - I'm in Winnipeg! When our rides are ready I'd love to come see yours
Yep sounds like a plan, the 78 was purchased last spring for a 2019-20 winter project but have done quite a bit on it already such as free up a seized engine(it is now a runner), some new wiring, battery, tires ready to go on, belts done, lots of aluminum engine bits polished, tank cleaned, some new cables installed etc. But hoping it will be all ready to go next spring. Will watch your thread as you progress, looks like you have a good handle on the mechanical side of things. Anyone with an old tail dragger needs some skills right? Anyway keep us posted and am also enjoying the pics.
Jonesz

1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
old_smokey
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#10

Post by old_smokey »

Another good day in the shop. Made some big steps forward, and a few steps back.

I started the day with something easy - checking the valves. No big issues here. I found one was a touch loose, but only just. While doing this I also double checked my timing belt alignment, which was correct, then buttoned everything up. Now time for the carbs.

I've rebuild many cb350, 400 and 750 carbs before, so four cylinder carbs don't bother me. But wow are these Goldwing carbs something else. Just how many jets ARE there in here!?

Good news is that everything was very clean inside. I also found a few 'smoking guns' in the carbs, particularly as it related to my rough running pesky #1 cylinder. All four had the floats set too high/rich, with #1 being the worse. #1 also had a damaged o-ring around the pilot jet. And third, this one almost slipped right past me... the "idle discharge port jet" was facing backwards on the #1 carb. "Idle discharge port jet"?? Oh Honda, your engineers are beautiful and crazy. Oh, and the plug wire was barely connected to the boot on #1.

So I rotated it so the opening faced the intake runners like the other three. Fixed the o-ring as best I could, and set all the floats to 21mm

The throttle round slides all had slight sticking, so I polished the caps to a mirror, and cleaned the "diaphragms", though is that the correct term? I was expecting a rubber piece, not a solid aluminium puck...

The slides float smoothly in the caps now. I did notice that in other videos, the springs seem to keep the throttle slides close to the top when upside down. Mine sink almost to the bottom. Maybe worn springs? Any input?

Leaping a head a bit, I had the carbs on the bike and it ran BRUTALLY bad. Then I remembered, the carbs had been synced before all the errors I found were corrected. It must be way way out of sync then! Pulled them off, did a bench sync (vacuum gauges are at my buddy's at the moment) and put it back on. MUCH better now, though I was met with a NASTY metallic rattle in the muffler...


Looks like the baffles have totally given up in the pipes. I was afraid for a split second that I was hearing valves smashing into pistons, but I know the timing belts are correct. There is no noise when spinning the starter, only when running and giving it gas. I pulled the mufflers off to confirm the were rattling....

Watch the video. At the end, you can see me shaking the pipes LOL.

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old_smokey
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#11

Post by old_smokey »

So on the plus side, I'm starting to get a clear baseline on this bike. I know I need a carb rebuild kit with all the rubber seals, and to do a proper vacuum sync. I also need to find a good set of mufflers. And new points. At that point it should be ready to ride, while picking away at less critical items like some better fork tubes, polishing, etc.
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Track T 2411
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#12

Post by Track T 2411 »

As you say, at least you have a base line... Isn't it wonderful finding all the p.o.'s little 'fixes' lol!
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

"He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail" - Abraham Maslow

"If you can't take the time to do it right the first time, how are you ever going to find the time to do it over?" -Unknown

Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
'Scarlett' '76 'Survivor' nekkid as a j-bird!

Under Construction:
The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
'82 gl1100I, My first 'Wing, and an expensive lesson!
New2U Bike? Read Me.
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Jonesz
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#13

Post by Jonesz »

Hey Smokey if you do a search on Harley pipes/exhaust you will find where quite a few folks have mounted Harley take offs to replace the original exhaust system. You might find it difficult to find a set of OEM pipes in great shape. I bought a set of 2001 Sportster pipes that were taken off when new. Look like they are going to relatively easy to mount but haven't done that yet. The early ones I believe before 03 don't have a crossover. Others who have mounted similar pipes like the sound. But I don't know whether you are going for completely stock
Jonesz

1983 GL1100 Aspencade named "Freki" currently undergoing change to a standard. Sold
1999 Valkyrie CT 1500 goes by the moniker "Valerie"
1978 Gl1000 "Loki" new project going to be a Cafe Convertible
1979 Suzuki GS850. Sold
old_smokey
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#14

Post by old_smokey »

Edited out redundant content
Last edited by old_smokey on Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
old_smokey
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Re: The 70's called and I answered. 1975 GL1000 project

#15

Post by old_smokey »

Edited out redundant content
Last edited by old_smokey on Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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