Copperwing wants a single carb so... copper manifold

[Bug]

Gotta love the weekends!

I pulled the manifold off again and started trying to smooth out the top surface. That's when I saw the big hole along one of the runner joints. :shock: I don't know how I missed it before. I soldered it up nice and checked the others for any more missed holes. I got real lazy then and JB welded the two spacer plates to the top of the plenum... :whistling: no more air leaks there, we'll see how long it lasts.

I started working on a new throttle link and this is what I came up with.

Diy throttle arm

• Bug
• Jun 28, 2015

I think the pull might be a little too long now.
Maybe a little more twist to the cable mount braket to align it better. It's definitely an improvement over my first try.

Closed throttle

• Bug
• Jun 28, 2015

Full throttle

• Bug
• Jun 28, 2015

I like how it opens it up the space above the engine

O.o open space!

• Bug
• Jun 28, 2015

And a bit further out pic. I think it fits the theme nicely!

Copper!

• Bug
• Jun 28, 2015

So plenum heat and proper head mounts are still left to do. :builder:

I took it for a spin and I'm not sure about it yet. I need to work on the idle, but I think the plenum heater will help with it. It'll idle around 1200 when left alone for a bit, but when I come to a stop, it wants to sit around 2300 for a bit. I think it's burning gas that has collected in the bottom of the plenum.

My first impression with the acceleration is quite nice. Very smooth through the range and the throttle is soft. I didn't feel like it had a ton of power, but when I look down at the speedometer, I'm surprised by how fast I got to going so fast! It's just so smooth and the throttle is so soft. I think I might add a spring to give me some resistance and make me feel like I'm working a bit to go fast.

 

[dan filipi]

Looking good.

Sure burns time making up little pieces like the linkage hah!?

 

[Bug]

It is surprising how long those little things take. You'd think I could make it look prettier... but it functions well enough.

I took her back out for a spin with the wife and she rode so smooth. Acceleration is just so smooth. It's also quieter than the stock carbs with my modified air filter. I open the throttle and she goes!

I think I flooded the plenum when I started it earlier. It idled pretty nicely around 1000rpm this time around.

 

[joedrum]

looking great to me ....

 

[dan filipi]

Does what it needs to, that's all that really matters.

 

[Bug]

Wow, time can sure fly!

My family and I went for a fun vacation camping in Yellowstone with the wife's entire family. 22 of us in total, we had a whole section of the campground to ourselves and the kids had a blast playing capture the flag in the trees. I sure wish I had been able to take the bike!

The wife and kids followed her parents back to Utah for two more weeks of fun and sent me home to work! :rant: Well I had planned to "work" on the bike, but my job had missed me and I ended up working 65 hours last week... guess I don't need to use any of my PTO anymore...

I did get a few rides in before I did any work and was only somewhat impressed by my setup. It didn't want to start or idle well, and it had a flat spot in the lower rpm's. Taking off, I'd get a nice pull, then it would "hick-up" before taking off up through the range. Once warm, it wanted to idle around 1800-2000 rpm. When I did get it to idle lower, it would drop to 800-900 rpm and just sound bad. It would get that chain rattle inside.

I decided to get the plenum heat hooked up and then work on the idle circuit. I thought this looked like the perfect place to rig in my return line:

Water Pump Housing

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015

The perfect place to tap in for plenum heat return.

It's where the thermostat bypass returns from inside the engine to the suction side of the pump. It's a solid chunk of aluminum and I think the fitting looks like it could be stock.
Drilled and tapped with 1/8" pipe threads:

Tapped with 1/8" mip

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015

I soldered on some more copper and included a valve so I can adjust the flow.
In place on the bike:

Installed

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015

Valve and more copper tubing.

I used Canuckxxx's idea from (this thread) for the supply.
Jb welded, drilled, tapped and fitting soldered on:

Tapped thermostat housing

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015

Drilled and Tapped the thermostat housing. Thanks Chanuckxxx for the idea!

Using a can of engine cleaner to wrap the copper line:

Coiling tubing

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015

I used a small section of rubber hose to connect the copper tubing to my plenum tubing for easy removal/tinkering later.
And here they are hooked up:

Plenum heat return

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015
• 1

Plenum heat supply

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015

I slapped everything back together and put about 200 miles on her riding to work and back. She immediately started easier (I think I might have accidentally fixed an issue with my ignition coil wires). She idles smoothly at 900-1200 rpm, depending on how hot she gets. When she gets around 100c, she still tries to idle back up to 1800 rpm, but I can release the clutch a little and get it to drop. The flat spot is gone and she runs fast and smooth.

I'm not sure how much is due to the plenum heat, or to adjusting my coil wires, but I love this bike! :Egyptian:

Tracking the miles on the odometer and filling the tank up to the fill neck, I got 38.5 mpg on my first fill up. This is mostly 50-65 mph driving on a bit of a hilly road with a some around town.

 

[dan filipi]

It all sounds like it's running pretty good except for the idle up and down.
I wonder if you might have a vacuum leak at the throttle shafts or carb base gasket. Cars I've had would do that.
Judging by the mileage I think your jetting is pretty close. How do the plugs look?
Might want to spend some time on the ignition. I'd put in new wires and plug caps. Eliminate potential problem areas one at a time.

 

[Omega Man]

Plenum heat return

• Bug
• Jul 26, 2015
• 1

This is some really nice work!

~O~

 

[joedrum]

great work bug

 

[CRAFTMAN6001]

WOW I've been working so much I missed this one// Nice job...

 

[Buffalo444]

That's some sweet looking work. Nice job!

 

[joedrum]

opcorn:

 

[slabghost]

Any news on the build?

 

[Bug]

After reading Dan's post, I went out to check my plugs, but my flange holder doodads made it so I couldn't get the socket on. I was flying out to Salt Lake City to pick up my family and drive them back to Denver early the next morning, so I decided to leave it until I got back. The morning after I got back, I started the bike for about 5 seconds before I realized I hadn't reconnected the wires on the right side of the bike. So I plugged them in, started the bike and rode it to work. It was idling rough and didn't seem to have the same power it did just the week before.
It turns out one of the outputs from the 1-2 coil wasn't firing.
I contacted Dynatek and got an RA. The agent was sure it was the s-plate instead of the coil... So I shipped the whole ignition system out there to be tested.

They found the coil to be faulty and are replacing it at no cost. I just got my good parts back from them, but the replacement coil is coming from another warehouse so I'm still waiting on it.

Tonights project will be reinstalling the s-plate and 3-4 coil, and I'll check out the sparkplugs (#1's going to be ugly since I rode it without that one firing.)

 

[joedrum]

wow...sorry for the set back .....glad your getting new parts ... opcorn:

 

[CRAFTMAN6001]

Bug » Mon Aug 24, 2015 3:52 pm[/url]":2lzwzyqw]
After reading Dan's post, I went out to check my plugs, but my flange holder doodads made it so I couldn't get the socket on. I was flying out to Salt Lake City to pick up my family and drive them back to Denver early the next morning, so I decided to leave it until I got back. The morning after I got back, I started the bike for about 5 seconds before I realized I hadn't reconnected the wires on the right side of the bike. So I plugged them in, started the bike and rode it to work. It was idling rough and didn't seem to have the same power it did just the week before.
It turns out one of the outputs from the 1-2 coil wasn't firing.
I contacted Dynatek and got an RA. The agent was sure it was the s-plate instead of the coil... So I shipped the whole ignition system out there to be tested.

They found the coil to be faulty and are replacing it at no cost. I just got my good parts back from them, but the replacement coil is coming from another warehouse so I'm still waiting on it.

Tonights project will be reinstalling the s-plate and 3-4 coil, and I'll check out the sparkplugs (#1's going to be ugly since I rode it without that one firing.)

I'm sorry to hear about the coil set back . But again I'm not surprised one bit. I think I said in one of these form post about the coils and them being junk. I have a set but I'm not even going to bother with it but then again I might ship the bad coils in the Accel box to have them looked at. Again glad to see the progress. Way cool

 

[Bug]

Thanks guys!

I got the s-plate and my one good coil re-installed, statically set my timing, and patched up an electrical doodad I made to combine the signals from the coils for my tachometer. This is the piece of the ignition I "adjusted" in post 46. I rewired the bike from scratch back in March when I installed the Dyna system. I used copper core spark plug wires and resistance plugs instead of the resistance boot covers.

I'm not sure how well the photo shows, but here's my plugs. Left to right 1to4. Plug 2 is the one that wasn't firing and you can see it's a bit wet. I think the others are kinda dark, does that mean I'm running rich?

Spark Plugs

• Bug
• Aug 24, 2015

 

[slabghost]

For a short run the plugs look pretty good. Now that it's firing again it should match the others after 200 miles or so.

 

[canuckxxxx]

I must say that I have kind of lost track of this build. :lazy:

It is looking great; the workmanship on the copper manifold is outstanding. :shock: :good: I really like the coiled copper tubing to the pump return. Putting the fitting for the return there gives a very clean, OE looking, job.

I need to ask...is that water pump cover from a 1200? :headscratch: It is different than the one from my 1100 and my '84 1200 engine.

Nice work Bug :beer: :beer:
Brian

 

[Bug]

canuckxxxx » Thu Aug 27, 2015 8:44 pm[/url]":6qzhxre9]
I need to ask...is that water pump cover from a 1200? :headscratch: It is different than the one from my 1100 and my '84 1200 engine.

It is the one that was on the bike when I got it. I assume it's the original gl1000 cover, the pump is the original bakelite.