'84 1200 engine for a '82 GW

[canuckxxxx]

Yes, it's nice to hear it come to life at least.

BTW, I didn't want to put the whole cooling system in case I had to take it all apart again so I ran pieces of 1" rad hose from t-stat and pump, filled the engine up with coolant and connected to two open ends with a piece of 3/4" hose that just happens to fit tightly into the 1" hose. Allows me to run it for probably 10 minutes and I have the temp gauge to make sure it doesn't get too hot. T-stat is removed for this.

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• canuckxxxx
• Jan 15, 2017

 

[joedrum]

sounds like something id do LOL

 

[canuckxxxx]

Since my last test run I have changed oil, shortened my shim measure tool by .7mm to match the drawing Dan sent me way back when I started this thread, and rechecked all the shims :builder: . Because of the now correct shim tool I removed 4 shims. :whistling:

Bike runs pretty good. Right side (the side I screwed with the oiling) is quiet and the left has a bit of low level ticking. I'm going to call it good for now.

Don't know who the idiot was that made that shim tool :head bang:

Brian

 

[joedrum]

lol ......sounds great ....success ....hmmm i guess it way to cold for test run ...

 

[canuckxxxx]

Actually, we have a bit of a warn spell here...45 F. :heat: The roads still have some ice and a lot of slush, but if it stays warm for a few more days a test ride would be possible. :moped:

Still have to put the rest of he bike together :builder:

 

[canuckxxxx]

I've got it all together now so I started it up and let is run until the thermostat opened and until the fan came on. It was only then that I noticed that the ticking from the left side had gone away. So now it is running smoothly and fairly quietly...not silent like a car but mechanically quieter than the 1100. :Egyptian:

As I said yesterday we have a mild spell going on here. The streets around where I live are wet with slushy patches and lots of loose gravel. Anyway I took it for a short, cautious test ride. :moped: Bike ran fine. Couldn't really open it up so not sure about power increase over the 1100. I didn't wear ear plugs, which I normally do, and I noticed that it is noticeably quieter. k: Much less engine noise than the 1100.

Remember when I was assembling the cases I had to take it apart again because it didn't shift right. Well the shifting is still not great. Shifting into 3rd has to be done with conviction or you get a false neutral. I think it might have something to do with the ratchet mechanism at the front of the tranny. You have to make sure that you allow the shifter to all the way back down in order to catch the next gear. Anyways it does shift into all gear up to 3rd (never went higher than that). Will ride it like that and hope that it improves. :beg:

Brian

 

[slabghost]

Not a stellar report but a good one nonetheless. Shifting should improve with use as will the power once rings have seated.

 

[joedrum]

sounds good to me be safe brian ....im guessing like v shifting will get better ...thers no doubt that the 1200 short block is the best of the oldwing4 with its extra oiling and coolant flow ..

 

[canuckxxxx]

I checked compression after my ride and got about 125 psi on a couple of cylinders. Became suspicious of valve timing so I checked that this AM and it was right on.

So just have to put some miles on it and let rings bed in as Slabghost said.
When I put new rings in the 1100 it took about 3k miles for the comp to come up to about 155.

Brian

 

[dan filipi]

Now days I guess there's no special breakin procedure needed because machining has gotten a lot better but I remember back in the day they'd say vary rpm, don't idle long, run at higher rpms but don't redline or things similar like that. What is the breakin should be followed with what Brian did, new rings.

 

[canuckxxxx]

Dan, I think I'm just going to ride it like normal except I will keep the RPMs up a bit over how I usually ride so as never to lug it. I've heard people say that the best way is to ride it hard so that the higher cylinder pressure will push the rings out against the cylinder walls. But you can't really ride that way in real-world traffic...safely. Maybe when out on the highway I can vary speed in 4th gear rather than droning along in 5th at the same speed.

When I put new rings in the 1100 I just rode it like I normally do and the rings eventually bedded in. It took quite awhile...maybe 3000 miles. My trip meter doesn't work reliably so I put a piece of masking tape on the tank with the starting mileage and checked compression about every 500 miles.

I think I did a better honing job on the 1200 so maybe it will break in sooner.

Brian

 

[canuckxxxx]

When I tried to put my 1100 crash guards on the brace from the bottom engine bolt hit the valve cover. That long bolt that goes across bottom of the frame is 1/2" treaded rod on my bike so I made a longer one and put a nut on...the crash bar tab...then another nut. Now the crash bar does not touch the engine.

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• canuckxxxx
• Jan 19, 2017

Brian

 

[joedrum]

nice fix ...i still have no crash bars ....cause i didnt escape with any when i made the prison break ...

 

[Denver]

Too bad Joe, :Awe: always one of, if not the first thing added to any wing without them, :good: mostly the standard 84's, :yes: which did not come with them from the factory. :rant:

 

[canuckxxxx]

Had visions of my new engine ground flat on one side. :crying:

 

[joedrum]

yes i need to do something there ...but im totally shopless and tooless ...ive made custom ones before ...ill come up with something

 

[Ansimp]

+1 on crash bars :good:
I love the look without them on but just don't trust myself or anyone else enough to not have them on. :yes:

 

[canuckxxxx]

Went for a 50 mile ride this morning. 80% highway at 60 to 70 mph, 20% city 30 to 45 mph.

Bike is running very well: Starts instantly due to new AGM battery, new plugs, and electric fuel pump. Very quiet mechanically due to hydraulic valve adjusters. Now it is turning about 3700 rpm at 60 mph vs 3700 with the 1100, so more relaxed ride. Torque is a bit higher than the 1100 for the same RPM and should get better as rings break in. I would say it runs better with my DFT single carb than the 1100 did.

Because of the very poor shifting on earlier test rides I took the front cover off, and took the whole shift mechanism apart and put it back together as per Honda manual. Shifts way better now. The only trouble I have is shifting up to 4th gear; sometimes hit a neutral and once it popped back out after I had shifted into 4th. Just have to be very assertive when shifting.

Here are some pics of the plugs after the ride. Very clean burning I think...although the plugs only have 50 miles on them so maybe colour is meaningless at this point.

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• canuckxxxx
• Jan 29, 2017

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• canuckxxxx
• Jan 29, 2017

Didn't check fuel consumption.

Brian

 

[slabghost]

50 miles won't show much on plugs. Looking good so far.

 

[dan filipi]

Looks and sounds great Brian!