Pinch off another loaf

pidjones

Over 1,000 Posts
Picked up this turd in Kentucky for a Winter project (appropriate that I should pick it up on the first day of winter). GL1000s I've had are a '77 back in '04, a '78 with '75 motor (the Hunley), a junker '79 that I salvaged a few parts from and still have a few, a '79 that is set up for being my DD next summer when it is too hot for the GL1800, and now..... Johnny 5! (my fifth GL1000).
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It is a '78. Came with the usual crap Vetter fairing and trunk, rotted-out K&Q seat, ancient tires. Last ran 9 years ago when his dad parked it in a barn. It turns over (with a ratchet on the alternator bolt). Present plan is to get it half-way complete and running. Will need carb and brake rebuild, tires and belts replaced, seat re-foamed and recovered, frame and tins repainted. Fenders look Ok after straightening the kink in the rear. Need to find someone to swap the rear tail light with me - it has a '79 light on it now.
 
Looks nice, good luck with it.

Like to have one of those, but, I need to get my 2 sohc4s up and going first.
 
Started stripping her down today. Looks like the center stand mount will need rewelded when I get it stripped down. It goes over so far that the foot lever part hits the floor and causes the bike to lean to the right. Discovered an electronic ignition module in it. Turns out it is a Prestolite module. Will probably be pulling this down to the frame and repainting that as there is surface rust where things like crash bars were added. Bottom of the frame looks good, though. Front brakes off. Controls stripped. Intake manifolds unbolted. Noticed a broken off water manifold bolt, but that's pretty common. Penetrant soaking the crash bar U bolts overnight. A quick look in the tank shows minimal rust on first glance. Removed the speedometer cluster and key switch as the guy had lost the key (along with the key to his CB900 Custom) and this one has obviously been operated on. Ordered a replacement switch already. I'll re-key the shelter lock to match. Electrical interface box disconnected, unmounted, and a couple nuts located to hold it together.

Tomorrow I'll take the title down to the courthouse and get it transferred. Then on to stripping more down. I'd like to keep it on wheels until I can get it outside and pump the remaining gas out of the tank, then roll a dolly under the engine, take both wheels and the front end off before pulling the tank out. After removing the rack, I'll leave the engine strapped to the dolly and unbolt the frame from it and pull it off of the engine - probably pulling the swing arm/rear drive off to make it easier.
 
The rack is off - flipped it over and there are at least 5 different screws out of the 16 bowl screws. Shelter frame removed and most of the electrical system disconnected/unbolted. Very poor 3 yellow wire connector replacement. I just cut the mess out and will use my RC hobby power connectors. Measured continuity between all three and none to ground so, that's good. Besides the missing three-wire, the eight position connector to the rectifier is toast. One connector melted, and one end on both male and female disintegrated. I'm convinced the proximity to the battery fumes causes this. All of the other connectors look Ok, so I hope they clean up well. I'm stalled until after Christmas as I have to do an oil change tomorrow and a few pre-Christmas chores. Hopefully after the holidays I can move the '79 back to the other side of the basement along with the Hunley so I have more room to work. I'll need that room to pull the engine. Also ordered a new 10L US cleaner tonight. And ordered a new(used) petcock - the outlet barb came off with the rubber line.
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While waiting for it to warm up so I could change the oil in the Equinox, I pulled the exhaust, wiring harness, front brake lines (trash), crash bars (also trash) and inner rear fender.
 
Radiator removed, belts changed, oil (~2 quarts, but clean looking) & coolant (~a pint) drained. Oil filter removed (no spring on cartridge, but at least not one on the wrong side). No one carries the CH6009 oil filter around here anymore, so instead of forking over $14 for a K&N, I ordered 4 on Amazon for $16.99 (total). Bought some 15W40 Delo that I plan to cut with some Marvel Mystery Oil for this fill as it wil be for checking compressin and storage until ready to try starting. Bargaining with wife to get a space on the other side of the basement to store the '79 so I'll have enough room to pull the motor on this one. She is concerned that it might disturb her "systematic hording".
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Got the pistons out of the front calipers using the grease gun method. Both pistons will need replaced. The right front was a mystery. I'm not a great mechanic and have pulled some boners, but I wonder if a PO ever realized why that caliper didn't work? This was installed as a banjo bolt.
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Got the pistons out of the front calipers using the grease gun method. Both pistons will need replaced. The right front was a mystery. I'm not a great mechanic and have pulled some boners, but I wonder if a PO ever realized why that caliper didn't work? This was installed as a banjo bolt.

Wow! Some things to think about with that; must be they didn't notice it wasn't working. Guess whoever put that in there never tried to bleed the brakes on that side either. Were the pads on the operating side much more worn than the plugged side? Do you suppose that somebody was carrying around the idea that "Two discs is too much brake, if you was to clamp down on that there lever in an emergency you'd flip the thing right over! Ain't safe!"
 
I think the brakes had froze on them, because the pads were removed when I bought it. So, that question will never be answered. It's been this way a while though. The side with correct banjo had minimal build-up in the ring groove. This side had some of the worst build-up of dried up fluid built up in the groove that I've ever seen. I hate brakes. Pistons and kits for just the front will run over $100. Good news is both bleeders broke loose. The rear won't come off until next week.
 
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Moved the '79 out of the way and put Johnny 5 in an open are of the garage so I could get it up on jacks, then jack stands, then drop the rear end down so the tank could come out (not hard when you have it stripped down this far). Drive splines look pretty good. The bleeder broke free, so pumping the frozen piston out of the rear caliper using the grease gun should be pretty easy. The rear master looks pretty bad, but you never know until you dive in. New 10 liter 240 Watt US cleaner came today. Should handle the carbs with ease.
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They are more fun (to me) than the CB750s. I'll stay with Hondas until an RD comes along. I'd love to do an RD400. A couple guys in the Time Warp club are experienced with RDs and could help if needed.

Why do all of the GL1000s that I find have Vetters, K&Q seats, and Safety Chrome? And of course, generous use of Scotch-loks. I'll have another Vetter set and plentiful Safety Chrome for the club auction in February. I'll strip the K&Q and refoam to stock shape for a stock cover I have.
 
4into1 order in today. Drained the oil, pulled the filter, jacked up the front (rear is on jack stands) and pulled the front wheel. Then lowered and strapped the engine to the dolly, pulled the jack stands out and then pulled the forks out of the trees. Evident now that steering bearings need replaced, so put them on order along with fork seals and a push throttle cable (why do they always go and not the pull?) Tomorrow, need to disconnect the drive shaft and pull the swing arm. That should leave unbolting the engine frome the frame and pulling the frame off. Then I can start the carbs (looking forward to trying the new 10 liter US cleaner).
 
Went down to the garage at halftime of the UT/IU game to take a few pictures of where it is now. Ended up removing the trees, bearing races, disconnected the U-joint and dropped the swing arm. All that is left is to unbolt and pick the frame up off of the engine. I'll have the wife help with that probably. She helped me put the frame back on the Hunley.
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trying to decide if I should take mine down that far this winter. IDK if I'll get it all back to riding condition by spring is the only thing.
 
Well, didn't need help taking the frame off the motor (and she is busy taking down Christmas decorations and storing them). Came off easy. Flipped the frame over to inspect the center stand mount cross-bar. Looks bad. Rusted and ripped. But, I have the 1979 frame in the shed that has a good cross-bar (and some added gussets that the '78 doesn't have). I have a friend nearby that I think will do the welding for me. Meanwhile, the carbs will go in the new US cleaner next week.
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