Oh wow... how the time flies... I easily slipped out of the habit of keeping this thread updated. I was really hoping to use this as my project diary, so I'll try to catch up... for myself if nothing else. Part of the problem is that this site is so damn resourceful that for almost everything, I was able to find an answer to my pressing questions with the search function rather than posting on this or other threads. Good problem to have.
I got the engine running good enough to know I had a fighting chance. Last I posted about rebuilding the forks. They got a thorough clean, new seals, new spring guide and new oil. I buffed the aluminum and SS and they are looking good. With the forks off, it was an easy decision to remove the rest of the front end/handle bars. Each part I took off, I found more rust, dirt, gunk, etc. The more of that I found, the bigger this project grew. Pretty soon I made the commitment to just tear the whole thing apart. Clean, rebuild, or replace everything. As you know, there are several jumping off points...