Refinishing (not rebuilding) Carbs

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FirstYearDeek
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Refinishing (not rebuilding) Carbs

#1

Post by FirstYearDeek »

With little to contribute in the way of experience-backed 'Wing advice, I'm dying to contribute in a way that will benefit all using my knowledge and skill learned elsewhere; that which may not be purely 'Wing related.

Enter "Boss," a fully dressed and sadly neglected 1975 GL1000 currently under the knife. The carburetors, while mechanically and functionally sound, are UGLY. Whatever factory finish may have been left on these poor pumpers is long gone and years of road grit and grime have permanently blemished them leaving no chance for an attractive set, barring total refinishing.

Image

Rebuilding the GL1000 carburetors has been covered on this forum by Octane and professional rebuild kits/videos/advice are available from Randall Washington (Randakk) I have only slightly more experience than the average backyard mechanic in carburetor service, and next to none with respect to these particular units. However, I've reached a state of "Monk-ness" that is not only annoying my family, but causing me to go bald at 30!

Since I need an outlet for my anal-retentive behavior, I will attempt, through this thread and available to all who read here, refinish a set of Keihin 764A carburetors, a central plenum and intake runners for a GL1000.

Follow along as I cover complete strip-down and rebuild of the carburetors for refinishing by painting, powder-coating or polishing. Along the way I'll cover carb cap ("button") replacement, disassembly of the throttle and choke linkages and tips for reassembly after I powdercoat my entire rack in "wrinkle black."

Stay tuned!

-Deek
"Eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we die."

1975 GL 1000 (First Year) under the knife; soon to be a cafe' inspired "Boss" of a freedom machine.
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FirstYearDeek
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Not for a 75!

#2

Post by FirstYearDeek »

Astute readers will notice that the carb code (764A) is NOT correct for a 1975 GL1000.

The major differences between the 764A and the 755A are as follows:
The Primary Fuel Jet is smaller (#62 vs. #65)
The Secondary Fuel Jet is smaller (#120 vs. #125)
The CV Needle ID is different (#452301 vs. #302305)

Idle Jets are the same, though curiously the factory specification for opening is different (2.5 turns out vs. 1.375)

When I purchased this bike the PO said he had the "carbs worked over by a professional" and one of the saddle bags had a Wal-Mart sack full of random parts. (bowls, intake runners, caps and CV slides to name a few)

Worked over may be a good description! (in the stereotypical mafia sense)

I'm excited to see what I get into... if the carbs aren't on the right bike, who knows what's inside!

-Deek
"Eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we die."

1975 GL 1000 (First Year) under the knife; soon to be a cafe' inspired "Boss" of a freedom machine.
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sunnbobb
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#3

Post by sunnbobb »

OK first off Deek, that bench is wayyy too clean!
I found the end of the internet

---- Bradshaw Bikes custom polishing for your wing. Visit us on facebook!

1978 Learning Experience
1980 County Road Hauler "Brain Damage"
1978 Cafe Custom Gl1000 "Vyper"
1977 Bulldog Inspired "Vaincre"
1981 Street Fighter GL1100 "No Quarter"
1983 Supercharged Street Drag "Anubis" (in worx)
1983 gl1100 mint restoration "Kristen"
1985 Aspencade..pondering.
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FirstYearDeek
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#4

Post by FirstYearDeek »

sunnbobb wrote:OK first off Deek, that bench is wayyy too clean!
For now...

I've actually been hounding my local metal guy for a sheet of galvanized that I can cover it with... that "veneer" won't last long around carb and brake cleaner!

-Deek
"Eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we die."

1975 GL 1000 (First Year) under the knife; soon to be a cafe' inspired "Boss" of a freedom machine.
donspicer2

Deek!

#5

Post by donspicer2 »

Deek! I appreciate and applaud admitting your knowledge of these bikes is near my level - 'feet of clay"... well written opening statement.
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#6

Post by ElPiloto »

See the Eastwood catalog, or website, for several different ways to refinish carbs.
"Some Cats Got it, Some Cats Ain't"
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Cookie
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#8

Post by Cookie »

Is the note from your wife?
Enjoy life,
Cookie


A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad.
Owner of 4.4 76s and one lone 75 Wings (does a spare engine make .2?)
donspicer2

ya!

#9

Post by donspicer2 »

I'd stagger into the house, stinking to high heaven of B-12, exhaust fumes, WD40, and the odd minor - accidental - dog - flop - step - into: the mud and the blood and the guts and the beer, as it were. Naturally, I'd head for the toilet, then the coffee pot, and try to sneak back to the inner sanctum.

One time, I stepped into a puddle of mud & B-12, tracked it all over.... The dogs, cats, wives, tenant, all of 'em went Ape-S**t. The sign appeared the next day.

I took refuge at my wierd neighbor the photographers house. He has all of his really cool stuff on the second floor of his barn - accessable ONLY by rope ladder, or block & tackle. His wife can't get up there....
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starket
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#10

Post by starket »

Don,

I like your workbench. I purposely keep mine looking like that. It keeps my wife out of the shop. She is a neat freek. She hates things that are disorganized. When my shop looks like that she stays away. Won't even go in to find a screwdriver. I am the KING of my workshop and want to keep it that way.
Steve Tarket
1975 GL1000 Restoration
1976 GL1000 LTD
1976 GL1000 - Jigsaw +
Proud Member of the NGW Cartel
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Cookie
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#11

Post by Cookie »

Mine gets to be a real mess while doing a fast project. I just had to clean some of it up to find some clips for Gary today, they sproinged off into the mess forcing me to clean up to find them.
I'm not done with putting all the stuff away for the Xmas train and right now I have tarps over stuff in the garage because my roof isn't done and it's pouring.
When my bench is tidy I'm not doing much.

And as for stupid husband tricks... I drained a fuel tank into a fuel container and when it stopped I pulled the petcock. Seems I drained it on main, not reserve out of habit. This left about a gallon to pour pour onto the ground as I struggled to reinstall the petcock.

My wife's office faces the rear and she was less than impressed. After telling my friends I found out I wasn't the only one who had done that trick but for Freddie it was worse. His garage is part of his house. since they have the two daughters his wife only threatened divorce.

My wife has suggested a shower in the garage and a place to leave my clothing.
Enjoy life,
Cookie


A guy with two sidecars can't be all bad.
Owner of 4.4 76s and one lone 75 Wings (does a spare engine make .2?)
heraldhamster
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#12

Post by heraldhamster »

Cookie wrote:... My wife has suggested a shower in the garage and a place to leave my clothing.
I gotta say, having a full, finished bathroom in the garage is an absolute and total blessing. I don't have that anymore, but my next house will. and d*mn the expense.
sorta bulldogged custom 1978 GL1000 - "geekster"
full Vetter dress 1979 GL1000 - "Barge" (currently down)
1986 1200 Aspencade - "Heart of Gold" - daily rider
1990 1500 Aspencade - It's ALIVE! but very, very naked. not in a good way.
1978 for $100 - project in worx
1978 from a previous member here - taking up space
my original '79 bought in '91 - replacing engine (eventually, maybe someday)

H2G2=42

A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity. ~ Robert A. Heinlein

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donspicer2

Deek...my appoligies for hijacking

#13

Post by donspicer2 »

I got carried away, forgive me hijacking and being so silly.
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sunnbobb
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#14

Post by sunnbobb »

OK Deek, you may now commence.
I found the end of the internet

---- Bradshaw Bikes custom polishing for your wing. Visit us on facebook!

1978 Learning Experience
1980 County Road Hauler "Brain Damage"
1978 Cafe Custom Gl1000 "Vyper"
1977 Bulldog Inspired "Vaincre"
1981 Street Fighter GL1100 "No Quarter"
1983 Supercharged Street Drag "Anubis" (in worx)
1983 gl1100 mint restoration "Kristen"
1985 Aspencade..pondering.
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FirstYearDeek
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#15

Post by FirstYearDeek »

sunnbobb wrote:OK Deek, you may now commence.
:lol:

Thanks!

I tore down carbs 3 and 1 last night. Linkages and all. I took tons of pictures and I'm in the process of putting all that together for posting. I'll go carb by carb so I don't miss anything, since each one is a little different!

So I expected to run into weird stuff and I did... Primary and Secondary fuel jets are both wrong for 764A, but are correct for 755A! The needle, however is correct for 764A! :roll:

So; I'm on the lookout for the correct needle for the 755A for reassembly.

One caveat; I may not be able to powder coat the bodies of the carbs; there are quite a few pressed brass plugs, glued-in plastic pieces and whatnot that would be destroyed if disassembled, for sure. Whether or not these parts would hold-up to the oven is a big question.

Expansion isn't a concern for the brass pieces; the differential volumetric coefficient of expansion for brass vs. aluminum is only 15%. Any captive brass part will remain captive. My biggest concern is the CV slide lug.

Does anyone have a ruined carb body I could do some experimentation on? That would put my mind to rest and tell me whether the low-temp wrinkle black powder I've picked out can be applied.

Otherwise I'll paint, which is fine, but in the vicinity of fuel and related chemicals, I would rather PC!

-Deek
"Eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we die."

1975 GL 1000 (First Year) under the knife; soon to be a cafe' inspired "Boss" of a freedom machine.
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