1976 Gold Wing Swamp Thing

[Jimbonaut]

I'll check there first, cheers mate. Pulled the carbs and plenum out of the pinesol after 24 hours, brought them into the kitchen to give them a soap and a rinse (Mrs K loves that part, wait, no she doesn't) and then back to the garage to run compressed air through all the orifices etc to dry them out. Came out pretty clean. Because everyone loves a good before and after, before -

and after -

Chalk up another success for pinesol. 44 years worth of muck, cack and general debauchery...no drama. Should be said it did nothing for the 44 years worth of (what I think is) blow-by in the plenum, but that wasn't anything that half a can of carb cleaner didn't deal with.

And only spilt pinesol on one boot this time. So keep that in mind should our paths cross in the street - bear left.

 

[pidjones]

I think that I have spare float pins. Do you need more emulsion tubes? The rest that I have are pretty worn in the jet area (the top of them combined with the needle forms a jet varied by piston height).

 

[Jimbonaut]

Thanks Pid, I have one more very slightly bent emulsion tube - do you think I can bend it back into shape with a little heat? Feel like I’m channeling my inner Ichiban here.
My main jets are totally buggered - I’ve contacted Randakk’s to see if he supplies the ones I need, and if he does then I’ll pick up the float pins and float from him at the same time. Float valve seats have been equally mauled - think I’ve found a decent set of used ones on eBay. A couple of the float pivot posts are perilously close to collapse, so any work I do in that area is being done very cautiously.


Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON

 

[pidjones]

How in the world did they bend the needle jets? I have never tried to straighten brass. Would probably read up a lot before attempting. Sometimes you can find them on ebay. I think that is where the one that I sent you came from. You can find the specs on Randakks blog combined with FSM (FSM has at least one error).

 

[Jimbonaut]

I literally have no idea. It's not like they need to be forced in (or out) - 2 of the four emulsions tubes look like they've been run over let alone "installed" in a carb. Closer examination of these carbs definitely shows some very heavy handed work in the past - the main jets and float needle seats are mauled (from where someone's used pliers to remove them), the emulsion tubes are bent, the float pivot posts are a couple of taps away from breaking. Not to mention the deep scores on the hats and bowls to mark which one's which (and the bowls were still installed incorrectly anyway).

I can't find any emulsion tubes online but will keep looking. I'm going to need new main jets as well - I've contacted Randakk's to see if they have the sizes I need (62 and 120) and I think I've sourced some used needle seats on eBay.

 

[Jimbonaut]

Just ordered the needle seats (they look like they're in decent shape, screens too) and hope to hear some good news from Randakk soon about the main jets I need. Those secondary emulsion tubes though, harder to find.

 

[Jimbonaut]

No joy on Randakk's with the jets, and JetsRus isn't shipping to Canada at the moment (plus they don't have original Keihin in this part number). Did manage to score four NOS Keihin primary main jets #62 on eBay but no luck with the secondary main jets and emulsion tubes. Turning into quite the hunt...

 

[pidjones]

I'll check to see what I have left tomorrow. The jets in the emulsion tube are wallowed, however. Might have secondary and mains too, but probably aftermarket.

My last rescue ha ONE proper screw in a float bowl (and it was stripped), all the rest were various sheet metal and wood screws. 16 helicoils were needed.

 

[Maritime]

No joy on Randakk's with the jets, and JetsRus isn't shipping to Canada at the moment (plus they don't have original Keihin in this part number). Did manage to score four NOS Keihin primary main jets #62 on eBay but no luck with the secondary main jets and emulsion tubes. Turning into quite the hunt...

Keep checking Ebay, GL's get parted pretty regular but at times there is hardly anything, then a week later like 4-5 bikes worth of parts pop up.

 

[Maritime]

Also check out myusa.com they freight forward stuff to Canada for a fee. I've never needed them but may setup with them because I can't go get my parcels in Maine anymore,

 

[pidjones]

There is a business in Akron, Indiana that specializes in parting out GoldWings. I'll see if they have a web site and email. I found them yesterday through Facebook Marketplace.

 

[Maritime]

Nice Pid, post it up if you do.

 

[pidjones]

Ok, we'll see if this works for now. Here is a link to their Facebook Marketplace ad for a '79 GL1000:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/971533690038681/?ref=search&referral_code=undefined
I have messaged him to see if there is a web address and email. A lot of folks are just using FM these days, though.

 

[Jimbonaut]

Thanks for the info gents - let me know Pid if you hear back from those guys in Akron. And yeah, I may need an account with myusa.com Maritime. I keep getting the shaft from UPS and really need to find some kind of alternative for moving things across the border. Last week UPS tried to charge me $120 in brokerage and duties on $300 worth of goods from Randakks. Lost my shit, twice, on the phone and got it waived. Sweat to god, worst company to ship things with from the US to Canada but they do have some understanding staff. You just need to get through to the right one.

Hopefully a very helpful bloke over on ngwclub.com has the jets I need, we'll see. Can't find the emulsion tubes but yeah, good call - I'll keep checking eBay

 

[pidjones]

Looking through my stash - (these are all press-in fuel jets) 3X120, 4X130, 8X60, 2 float pins, and 3 very eroded (but intact) emulsion tubes. I doubt many of the jets are Keihin, but they were all size checked. I also have a bunch of various air jets, and a few 35 that are pretty cruded-up.

 

[pidjones]

Here is the email address of the oldwing breaker that I found in Akron, Indiana.. They primarily sell on ebay.
Rbmotorcycleparts@gmail.com
They are working on a web page.

 

[Jimbonaut]

Cheers Pid, think I'm gonna be ok. I'll keep his address for sure as who knows what else I may need along the road. Found some NOS jets and float valve seats on eBay, and a guy over on ngwclub had the other jets I need. Then, as luck would have it, a friend of mine here had a set of '75 carbs for parts and for a couple of bucks I harvested the emulsion tubes, hoses and float pins I needed -

Hopefully the postal delays won't be too bad - once everything shows up i can get these things rebuilt. In the meantime I'll get to work on replacing the timing belts. I'm told it's important

 

[pidjones]

Careful with the splayed ends on those secondary tubes. They are not for removal, but for stopping the jet from going further and permiting fuel flow around them. They look so enticingly to be screwdriver slots, though.

 

[Jimbonaut]

Cheers Pid, yeah I learnt that from watching Randakk's vid. Easy mistake to make however if you didn't know. Are they supposed to be that splayed? And if they're not, does it matter? They were an absolute bear to get out - I had to soak them in PB Blaster for hours and then get fairly neanderthal with some PVC plumbing pipe to dislodge them. By the way I now have 4 emulsion tubes but I know you've sent me one - either I can send it back when it arrives or maybe post up a listing in the Free section over on ngwclub in case anyone else is looking for one?

 

[Jimbonaut]

I'm not sure how necessary this is, but I wanted to find out if it was doable. As has been pointed out, the split ends of all my emulsion tubes were really splayed (maybe contributing to why they were so hard to remove from the jet towers?), and it got me wondering whether this would then affect the height at which the jet then sat on top of it. Being brass I figured just using pliers on them would snap the tangs, and so heated them up with a MAP-Pro torch first. It took a surprising amount of heat (a good minute) but seemed to work pretty well. Here's the before (and this wasn't a particularly bad one) -

and here's the after (it's photographed in the wrench so kind of a weird angle)

Anyone else done this? I was careful to only heat the tangs, and only applied pressure to the tangs in order not to deform anything.