Carb Rebuild

I rebuilt the carbs on Sunday, and now the bike runs perfectly. I had no rebuild kit, and the only thing that could have gotten messed up was the float bowl gaskets. I soaked them with penetrating oil and removed them very carefully. The body of the offending carb got soaked for 1/2 hr in mineral spirits, as did all the other little parts. It really wasn't that hard. Now, after running for a few seconds, I can take off the choke and it works fine. All the power I could want. I rode it to work today, trusting the Accuweather forecast. It started raining on the way in and never stopped. I'm at home recovering and trying to warm up from my ride home!

Now for the little stuff like fork oil and pressure, final drive fluid, brake fluid flush and check sticky caliper, get rid of gap in headlight ring, new handlebars, grips and mirrors, fix seat, etc.

Carb Clogged?

I've ridden the bike a few times now, and the rear cylinder only kicks in occasionally. This is dangerous, unacceptable, and is not getting better. There is spark and compression back there, and there is fuel getting to the carb, and it speeds up right away when carb cleaner is sprayed in as if it's starving for fuel, unlike the other cylinder which bogs down for a few seconds before speeding up when sprayed.

So, I think I'm gonna begin dissassembly prior to buying a rebuild kit, just because I have no damn money. Maybe the problem will be obvious.

And unfortunately, my old boss wants his camera back, so I can't take pics as I go a long to help with re-assembly. He didn't pay me for the last 3 days I worked there, and I am still pissed about that.

Riding on the Road!

Last night I cruised up and down our road in the dark with no headlight.

Then today, I mounted the light and license plate, went down and got gas, and rode all over Mountlake Terrace. Then I got on the freeway and rode to 145th and came back via Meridian.

The rear cylinder is having trouble, but it seems to be getting better as the carb gets unclogged. I put some injector/carb cleaner in the gas before I put everything together.

When I got home, I took off the handlebar and cleaned and roughened the mounts and put it back on. I thought it had slipped down, but it feels even less right when I put it higher. I need a different one with a more comfortable angle.

I wanted to ride it to work tomorrow, but now it's gonna rain for the next few weeks!!!

It's a Little More Alive!

I tricked it into running faster by spraying in some carb cleaner and opening the throttle while it was running quicker. After a few times of doing this and getting it up to 5K rpm, the tach and right front park light started mysteriously working.

After running it and playing with it for a while, (and repeatedly spraying in carb cleaner), it will now allow me to give it some gas, but not very quickly.

Also, the cooling fan works!

It's Alive!

Today I did quite a bit. I learned to solder and fixed the wires I cut in the back--they now have connectors on them.

Then I installed the ignition module, mounted the horn, the headlight case, and correctly re-connected all the wires--I counted 7 wire bundles for a total of 3 zillion connections to figure out. Actually, the colors made it pretty easy--sort of. I wasn't sure at all if I got it right, but I installed the battery and turned the key anyway. All the lights came on! Well, everything works except the right front park light. The signal works, but not the park light--probably a bad bulb. Oh, and I left off the headlight for now, so I don't know if that's still good or not.

Then I mounted the fan in the shroud, the shroud on the radiator, the radiator on the bike, and filled the radiator.

After that I pulled the plugs, sprayed WD-40 in the cylinders, put the bike in 5th and turned the back tire. It wasn't easy, but it turned. Then I put anti-seize on the plugs and installed them, and set up a temporary fuel system. I put a hose on the secondary tank and stuck a funnel in it and raised it up, then I took the clear vent tubing from my new battery and put it on the vent hole and ran it up toward the handlebars. I then stole some gas from my lawnmower can and filled it until it started coming up in the clear tube, (tank full.) This lets me run the bike with the main tank off so I can get to all the critical stuff I don't understand. Then I cranked the bike over. It wouldn't start for hella, and then I discovered the gas was off! I turned it on, made sure the choke was on, and it started to fire. After a few tries, it was running very slow and rough.

It didn't get any better, and I never saw the cooling fan come on, (even after I freaked out and plugged it in!) I took off the air chamber so I had direct access to the carbs and sprayed carb cleaner in. In one carb that almost makes it die, then it speeds up. In the other one, it just speeds up right away. It dies if I give it any throttle or take the choke off.

After 20 minutes of running, it got worse and quit. I'm worried I overheated it or messed up something with all my carb cleaner spraying. I called it a day at this point. I was at the Hangar racing yesterday for 10 hours and working on the bike all day today, and I'm beat.

We watched 'The Rocker', and it was pretty good.

Mental note: rRmember to hook up the brake linkage before I try to back it out of the shed or it'll buckle. And don't forget the cotter pin in the thingy.

Rear End Progress

Rear wheel with new tire is on. That's kind of a pain the first time, like everything. It's starting to look like a motorcycle again, though.

Before installing it, I cleaned up the rear brake some and greased the cam that pushes out the shoes. They tell you to loosen the final drive bolts before installing the wheel, but not before taking it off. I thought that was weird until my new tire wouldn't fit without loosening those so the unit would move a little bit. I also had to loosen the rear fender and pull it up some. I'm guessing at all the torques on the bike, so hopefully it doesn't fall apart at 80 mph.

At some point, I need to get a torque wrench.

I still need to fix the cut wires and fill and pressurize the forks. I don't know if they have fluid or air pressure.

Sam is about to bleed and is making it hard to focus, so that's all for now.

Front End Progress

The new fork and wheel are on, as well as the brakes, speedo cable and refurbished fender. They're shiny! I'm not sure if the fork has oil in it, so I still have to figure that out. I pulled a little bolt out of the bottom, and it gurgled, but nothing came out. I'm not sure that means it's empty, though.

I charged the battery overnight, and for a couple more hours this afternoon. It feels charged.

Battery

The new tires are mounted, (on the wheels), balanced, and the battery is charging. These are both technologies that I know little about, but as long as I don't ruin something I'm happily learning. Tomorrow morning I'll take the battery of the charger before work, and maybe mount the fork after work. And fix the wires I cut.

New Tires

Bike shop wants $25/wheel to replace and balance tires. Bent bike was closed yesterday, so I went to buy tires today. Those guys mount and balance for $8/wheel if you buy them there, so I paid for the tires and mount/balance today and will take the wheels in tomorrow. I left the new tires there. $212.00 was the total! :)

Unexpected Progress

I got a fuel filter from Shucks. The guy knew exactly what I needed--it was weird.

And I found some instructions on how to clean out the tank, so I did that. Flushed with MEK, flushed with water, flushed with alcohol, air dried, put in mix of oil and gas and sloshed around, drained, and called it good. It's still rusty inside, but the big stuff is gone. (I didn't want to tackle the muriatic acid method of completely eliminating the rust just yet.)

I routed the breather line inside the air box, (clamp was a bitch), and installed it. I put all the associated electronical components back on, and then installed the cleaned secondary tank. Then the rear fender and associated electrical stuff went back, as well as the rear rack and toolbox holder that sits behind the passenger backrest. The I installed the used air chamber using the new clamp. I tried to put the new one on, but the carb holes didn't line up, and I didn't want to screw with it. The breather is mashed between the air chamber and the rear cylinder head, but I see no other way. Also, the cylinder head seems to have had a hose there in the past, and the hose that came with my Ebay airbox seems to have been smashed in that area.

But wait, there's more!

I removed the front wheel and then the fork. That's easier said than done, but it's done. The bike is now precariously perched on a piece of wood on a car jack on a car stand. The new fork looks like a perfect fit, but I'm calling it quits for today. I notice that the throttle cables are poorly routed, and will have to be done right when I replace the handlebar.

Tomorrow I'm going to stop by my local bike mechanic and see if he will replace my tires and balance the wheels if I bring them to him. And I'm gonna get some electrical connectors to fix the wires I had to cut to remove the rear fender. :)

Oh, and get some PB Blaster. It's the best penetrating oil ever!

Major Rear End Disassembly

The center stand is on--that was a bitch. The fork is in the shop and ready to go, but that won't be for a little while.

I got my shelves from my mom's house, which is being foreclosed on. However, they are filled with all the stuff that was on them there, so my work area is actually smaller now. That's rad.

The air box arrived also, and it turns out that I have to use it, because the asshole that screwed up this bike screwed that up too.

I stopped by Napa and picked up some grease, rags, penetrating oil, cotter pins and air tool oil.

I took off the back wheel, but that was a chore. It was so tight, my impact gun didn't work. I had to put my hella long Snap-On 1/2" ratchet on the axle nut and jump up and down on the end of the handle. Ridiculous.

I then removed the rack, rear fender, secondary tank, (also a bitch), and air box. To remove the air box, I had to move and remove way more electrical components and wires than I'm comfortable with, given that I left my camera at work. Now I'm scared. I've really made a mess.

The fuel filter is full of black crap, so I took it off and went to Napa to get another one, but they were closed. The secondary tank is full of black crap, and I have to figure out how to clean it out before re-assembling. But I need to re-assemble this thing fast before I forget how the wires and electrical stuff is routed and positioned.

And today is Saturday, so they probably won't be open tomorrow. And then I won't have much time to work on the bike till the next weekend.

This is a fairly difficult thing to do, and I haven't even put anything ON the bike yet!

Acquiring Parts

I got the fork assembly for $42.00 pluss $40 shipping. That's a screamin' deal. I'm still set to get the airbox with the associated parts I need for $10.00. I bought a center stand for $25.00 on Ebay, too.

I polished the front fender. That took about 2 hours of hand rubbing--not something I'd like to repeat.

I also spent some time with the manual learning what all the mysterious electronical gadgets found all over the bike are. I learned about the spark units, coils, starter solenoid, signal relay, and that might be all.

I still need to figure out how to turn the engine by hand.

There is no timing adjustment, thanks to an ingenious system that I do not yet understand. There is no valve adjustment either. And the clutch is hydraulic. There is also a low gas indicator. Along with the water cooling and shaft drive, this bike is pretty far from the chopper I plan to build, but it's mine and it's badass. And I'm learning hella.

Gas Tank

The new gas tank fits. Well, it does now! It was fine except the front mounts were too far apart, and the main line clamp needed repositioning. I bent the mounts (back?), and they work. The back end was very close, and with some persuasion, I got the bolt started. The bottom of the tank seems to just touch the frame, but I can't be sure. Sure looks pretty!

I'm still the high bidder on the forks at $29.99 and $9.99 on the airbox and all associated tubes and fittings. Getting a fork for that insane price will make me feel a little better about losing $250.00, but I'm still upset. That's just messed up!

I'm getting really nervous about the day I try to start it.

Lesson

A guy is parting out an '85 on Ebay. I got the gas tank for $133.00. I also found the air box parts, including the one I bought for $200.00. I'm currently in the lead at $10.00. That also means I wasted $60 on the KnN filter. Well, I'll use it cause it's better.

I'm also winning on the forks at $30.00. That's better than $2,300.00 from the NL!

I wasn't willing to pay more than $90.00 for the seat, so I lost it.

Mental note: ALWAYS USE EBAY!!!

Fan shroud is painted. That was adventure, too, but it's done and looks rad.

Battery is filled, but not holding a charge. That might have to be replaced.

Disconnected speedo cable and removed front fender.

Wrong Gas Tank

I got a fluorescent shop light from Home Depot and hung it over the bike. It's badass.

I test fitted the new air chamber, and tried to put the tank on. It's the wrong tank! That explains all the stupid modifications somebody did. It doesn't come close to fitting. I went to Bent Bike, and they didn't have a tank. Then I got online and found one on Ebay right away--weird. So I bid on it.

Oh, and my KnN filter arrived. It's useless without a tank, so it's on hold.

I got some distilled water and am about to test the battery.

Then I'm gonna clean and paint the fan shroud, remove the speedo cable and polish the front fender. Maybe remove the front brake too.

Bead Blastin'

The sand blaster works. I got half a bag of glass beads from work, hooked it up, and proceeded to blast all the paint and rust off the fan shroud. (It was the worst looking part on the bike--very rusty.) The compressor didn't want to keep up, so I had to stop a lot.

On the way home from work, I got some hi-temp orange paint from NAPA, and I'm gonna paint it tomorrow. The bike is black, so it should stand out nicely!

Paint cost: $8.00

I made a mess with the beads, and I'm pretty sure I have some in my lungs. I also have got it in my mouth, somehow. It's crunchy.

But bead blasting is the way to go. Someday I'll get a blast cabinet and just blast rusty parts all day long!

Power

My shop now has power! I crawled under the house through the cobwebs and bugs and dust and fiberglass with a Maglight and a power cord in search of the mythical hidden outlet. After some searching, I found it. I ran the cord halfway across the yard, (in the rain and dodging dog poop that Wade is incapable of picking up), plugged another one into it and ran it into my shed. I then stole a lamp and a plug strip from the living room, (it was buried behind crap anyway), and I let there be light.

Then I fired up Aaron's compressor. After some head scratching, I figured out that there was an open valve on the bottom of the tank and I closed it. Then I had AIR POWER!

I put my fittings on my air tools, found that they leak, and put teflon tape on them. I had the foresight to pick some up on the way home today. Now nothing leaks. I need a water separator before I try to run anything other than my air nozzle or sand blaster, though.

I brought in a shopvac from work, plugged it in, (hoo-rah!), and with that, my flashlight and air nozzle I cleaned off all the cobwebs, pine needles, bugs and crap that I could. It's still hella dirty, but I'm afraid to hose it down with all the open lines and holes. Obviously, I should have done that before putting it in the shed.

The sand blaster box is a piece of shit. I broke the worthless cover off of it off and threw it away. I plugged the resulting holes, and it's ready to fill up. I just need some blast medium, now.

I have to get some hi-temp metal primer and engine enamel to paint the fan shroud after I blast it. Shucks has the enamel, but not the primer!

Speedo cable, more rust removal, wire routing, air cleaner, AC chamber install, tires, final drive oil, battery, and probably some unexpected stuff still to go before riding. After that, forks, seat, handgrips, maybe new handlebars, and other stuff.

More Necessary Little Stuff

Today I picked up an air tool accessory kit with the fittings I need for the sand blaster and air nozzle. Cost: $17.00

And I got a Hydrometer to test the battery fluid. Cost: $5.00

It's dark out because of the clouds and it's about to rain and I still don't have a light in the shed, so I'm gonna skip working on the bike today. I used a crappy flashlight and battery powered lantern yesterday, but that doesn't work very well. I got pissed at the flashlight and broke it. It was a piece of shit and deserved it.

I would say what I'm going to do tomorrow, but I tend to change my plan a lot based on what's practical at the moment. Plus, nobody is ever going to read this, so who cares anyway!

Lernding

Borrowed Aaron's compressor and bought cheap sandblaster and air nozzle from Harbor Freight. Need to get connectors so I can find out that compressor does not have enough power. Want to sandblast and repaint fan shroud. Want to blow dirt off bike.

Could not find air filter--assembly is complicated and pieces are missing. Stopped by Shucks and had them order K and N. Should arrive in a few days.

Could not take out air filter box to clean. Would have to remove rear wheel, fender, and reserve tank. Must clean in frame, but has moldy rat poop inside.

Got parts from Netherlands. Had to drive to Redmond after UPS couldn't catch us at home. Hella money for plastic box.

Filter: $60
Blaster and nozzle: $40

Tomorrow: Need some damn power and lights in shed!! Heat would be nice, too.

Starting Tune Up Stuff

Oil and filter have been changed. New oil filter wrench was required. Guy at Bent Bike sold me a big square air filter, but the hole is small and round. So I have to go back tomorrow. Shucks can get me a KnM one in 5 days for $60, but I'm gonna try to get a normal one.

I took the fan and shroud off the radiator, (which is still sitting on the bench), so I can clean up the shroud. It's good, but is covered with surface rust and isn't really accessible when installed.

Battery has one empty cell. Tomorrow I'm going to get distilled water and a hydrometer, fill it, shake it, test it, and either charge it or get another one.
I'm also gonna take off the speedo cable, (which might need replacing anyway, as I recall), which will allow me to completely remove the front fender for polishing.

Today's cost: about $20.00.

Further Disassembly

My air cleaner box is in Denmark, scheduled for delivery Monday. They neglected to tell me about the freight, so the total was $187.00!

The fan shroud is hella rusty, so I took off the radiator to get to it, and to just have a look around the area. The coolant looked new, so that's a good sign. I got some coolant from Shucks to replace it. Cost: $8.00.

I opened up the air filter box, and of course there was no filter. There were, however, a bunch of moldy rat turds.

I also removed what was left of the old air cleaner box, and the carbs look very clean inside, (not sure how much that means, though.)

After work I'm gonna change the oil and filter, remove the speedo cable and front fender, and start thinking about the battery.

I'm still researching forks. They would cost about $3,000.00 new!

Air Cleaner Chamber

Ok, the mutilated and mostly missing part is actually the air cleaner chamber--it's a big part that carries from air the air cleaner behind the engine to the carburetors on top. Also the band, clamp, and screw that hold it on to the air cleaner box are missing. As luck would have it, there are two sets of these parts in the Netherlands! They will soon be making a trip halfway around the world to my house. Cost: 87 euros.

Up next: fluids, filters, recovery equipment

Getting Started

The first thing I needed was a place to work. The two metal sheds I had were full, even after a full weekend of going through everything, getting rid of a ton of stuff, and organizing. So I built another storage area from some dog kennel fencing, a cheap gazebo, two giant tarps and some rope. I put the bicycles, lawnmowers and yard tools in there. Then I had one metal shed with my working motorcycle, (old CX500C), my toolbox, and the Shadow. Cost: $0.00.



Next was the workbench. I discovered that there are quite a few people out there selling plans for workbenches. That's ridiculous. I found some pics of one I liked, modified the design a little, and built a rock solid 2 level bench to fit the space I had on one wall next to the toolbox. It's topped with 3/4" plywood and some high density polyethylene from Tap Plastics. (That seemed like a good surface to protect the wood.) Cost: $100.00.



After a much needed re-organization of my tools, I got my manual out and went to work. The first problem was that there was no key. To get the tank off, the main seat has to come off. To get that off, the passenger seat has to come off. And to get that off, the storage compartment in the back must be opened with...you guessed it...the key. So, I did some research and found that there is often a code stamped on the ignition cylinder from which somebody somewhere can make a key. So I removed the headlight, undid about a million electrical connections that I will later regret not labeling, wrestled a bunch of stuff out of the way and removed the ignition cylinder. Sure enough, there was a code. I had to take about 10 shots on macro with my camera to be able to read it all, as some of the characters were barely stamped into the metal. I then did some more research and found a guy in California that makes keys from codes, and ordered 2 of them. He is very quick to respond and get your order shipped--www.motorcyclekeys.com. Cost: $30.00.



While waiting for the keys, I got some Nevr Dull and a rag and set to work on the rust. I've never used it before, and I was impressed. It works great on the exhaust, handlebars, and some other metal parts that are supposed to be shiny. However, the forks might be a problem--the tiny spots, (pits?), that are left after polishing don't want to come off. And they will tear the seals as they move in and out. This is as yet unresolved. New forks will cost more than the bike is worth. Anyways, Never Dull and rags. Cost: $12.00.



When my keys arrived, they worked perfectly. I removed the seats and tank. This bike has a crazy fuel system, and gas was spurting out from the line that I pulled off the tank instead of the tank! It seems that there's a secondary fuel tank--it will become clear in time. The fuel lines don't look correct. They worked at one time, but I began to suspect jerry-rigging. That makes my job a lot harder. The air filter box didn't look right either, so I compared it to the book. It's been cut in half, and the top half is missing. There's a metal screen poorly pop-riveted in it, and two oil soaked pieces of crumbling foam jammed in on top of it. I guess that's been my air filter.



Next up: air filter box and air filter!

The Facts

This blog is about my adventures repairing an old and neglected '84 Honda Shadow VT700. Here are the facts:

MOTORCYCLE

• Hasn't run in 6 years
• Sat partially exposed to weather
• Missing a key for several years
• Two local shops refused to work on it

OWNER

• Doesn't know much about motorcycle maintenance and repair
• Has no proper facility to perform repair
• Does what he says
• Says he's going to fix this bike