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Well I thought I might be spending 3 months at a very rural clinic, but it fell through... noe that I know the LTD is back and running, time to clear out some parts.

Our 78 (original owners) was in need of a carb rebuild and had gotten "long in the tooth" Also turns out the subframe was totally rusted through on the bottom. I started looking through the "pile o'parts" (not my original 78) and also have two 75, two 77 and a 78 frame. Also, one 76, two 77, one 78 and one 78 block. So since I will be sanding and painting, maybe two at once.

Yesterday I started blasting and powder coating, and sure enough my 20 yo 5hp compressor is not compressing, and so have ordered a cylinder repair kit for ereplacement parts.

so a partial assembly of parts....

Since my compressor is out, I decided to start taking covers etc. off the engine.

I got this engine in about 2014. I was working in Front Royal VA and Beth would go back and forth to our house in Tulsa. Some NGW member had for free, and engine, frame and parts. Bike had been in an accident and he had sold the carbs and other parts. Claimed his friend had the title.... well free is free, so Beth returned with a truck bed full of parts. BTW, hee stopped communicating and I never saw the title 9but in OK you can title an abandoned vehicle-which I did).

Turns out front forks were really bent, front rim bent, and now taking things off the engine, the left valve cover took a slide, the front timing belt cover is okay, but the piece between it and the valve cover is damaged.

When I line up the timing belts marks with T1, the tappets that should be loose are not (except one). Looks like I will be doing a head gasket job as well, just to make sure the innards are okay.

Did I mention the rear wheel had a goodyear tire so old that it had NO DATE STAMP. No wonder he wrecked the bike!

Let me suggest that while you have the frames stripped, take a look at how Honda beefed up the '79 frames with added gussets to the cross member that the center stand mounts to. looks like a good idea to me and not hard to do while it is all stripped down.

pidjones wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:25 pm Let me suggest that while you have the frames stripped, take a look at how Honda beefed up the '79 frames with added gussets to the cross member that the center stand mounts to. looks like a good idea to me and not hard to do while it is all stripped down.

I have not see a 79 frame so I am uncertain what is different. picture?

rcmatt007 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 22, 2022 4:47 pm
snip- When I line up the timing belts marks with T1, the tappets that should be loose are not (except one). Looks like I will be doing a head gasket job as well, just to make sure the innards are okay.

I believe you are utilizing the GL1000 Shop Manual instructions to check valve lash clearance? Requires locating the T1 indicator alignment in the timing hole, twice.
Sounds like you simply needed to adjust the lash clearance on that questioned cylinder head's one loose tappet, then move yourself to the other side of the engine and adjust the lash clearance on the three loose tappets on its cylinder head.

Then Rotate the crankshaft another 360 degrees to T1, again, and adjust the remaining four valve tappets lash clearance accordingly. Sounds familiar now, yes

that is exactly what I was doing. I rotated 360, just to make sure and they still all were tight, so some PO over tightened them. But the engine does turn which is good

you can see where I had to grind off the lower right head cover bolt. All 4 bolts were ground, but that was the worse. Also the other broken piece

stills turns- very good

rcmatt007 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:36 am I have not see a 79 frame so I am uncertain what is different. picture?

This is my '78 after a friend grafted the center stand cross-member into it (the 78 was rusted out and shot). The gussets are the '79 upgrade.

I went and looked and my 78 has that piece and the 77 frame does not. So they must have upgraded sometime during the 78 model year (my 78 also has 79 carbs)

since the compressor is still waiting parts I decided to do a first clean of the 77 engine... not bad considering... Knowing the 77 had a 30+ yo tire when I got it in 14, I am thinking this is a very low mileage engine

got a few parts back from the powder coater (who works in the shop next door to the garage)

just a suggestion-

While my trike's engine was out of frame, I removed the kick starter "joint" to evict rust scale and dirt from its groove underside. Of course, the external ratchet shaft lever and pin that engages the "joint" groove were cleaned up too.
I used a very thick dark green high temperature synthetic brake grease to generously lubricate the groove and pin and the joint pivot post, too.

Made the kick start lever so much easier and less notchy to depress when I utilize it to rotate the crankshaft and adjust valve lash clearances, to set static ignition timing, and change timing belts.

somehow on the Ltd, I forgot to put it back on and didn't realize it until it was not really accessable. But yes, I lot of grmae sure gets back there

The timing belt covers looked horrible so I sand blasted them clean, then tried the powder coat that comes close to the engine color, but that did not look good. So I polished one head covered hoping that would improve... no such luck. On the other head cover I tried chrome, but there must have been gremlins lurking as it had splotches. So they all are stripped again, and awaiting a gloss silver powder from eastwood.

I hate using paint stripper as the question is what do you do with the mess afterwards. Pour it in the gutter? Freshen up your lawn? In my case into the septic system? No really good choices