GL1200 Engine Rebuild - Part 3 - Assembly and Install

[mcgovern61]

It sure is nice work you are doing!

 

[julimike54]

Looking Good! opcorn:

 

[Rednaxs60]

Had a good day, breakfast with a friend - he bought. Picked up a couple of O-rings I needed. Prepped the last few pieces I intend to paint, unless the powers to be feel I should be incarcerated for an additional period of time. Have made some jigs to aid in the painting:

Have a few parts that will be hung on the shelf hooks.

Will be picking up some more gloss black paint tomorrow. This is a different mix. Use to using paint that is a 1:1 mix, 1 part paint - 1 part reducer. The paint tomorrow will be a 3:1:1-1.5 mix. 3 parts paint, 1 part 2k activator, and 1 to 1.5 reducer. This apparently is a high gloss black and any clear/protectorant coating will enhance the gloss, but is not needed. I will be coating all these parts with CERAKOTE. This paint mix, once done, has to be used or discarded because of the activator. If I wasn't using an activator, any mixed paint not being used can be put into a sealed tin for future use.

The chrome accent piece for the mud flap has been media blasted and epoxy primer:

Need a high gloss black as the basecoat for the Quicksilver chrome I intend to use on this piece. Once the Quicksilver chrome is cured and hardened intend to coat with the CERAKOTE product - should work. Think I'll prep a test piece for the Quicksilver chrome and coat with CERAKOTE clear. If it works, will do the mud flap accent piece, other wise will clear coat with the urethane automotive clear. Need to replace the rubber with new, thinking I can do a bit better job. Have a Gold Wing emblem to replace the old one.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Taking a break from painting, bit cooler today so it will take a few more minutes for the first coat of paint to set up so it's coffee and a couple of peanut butter cookies that Sonya made.

Received the LED lights for the headlight side lights. Nice fit and look. Here's a pic with the OEM bulb on the left and the LED on the right:

Gets rid of the yellowish look. Here's a pic with both side lights having the LED:

Much better look. Came as a four pack so have two for the 1500 if it uses these. Waiting for the LED dash lights to come in.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Got some painting done, the last - too cold for my liking. Now to wait for a good day to apply CERAKOTE, Sunday looks good - will let the parts sit for a couple of days. Paint laundry in exercise room is alive and well:

Painted the trailer hitch and will bring in tonight, takes up a bit of room. The mud flap piece will get a coat of Quicksilver chrome, but this can be applied with an airbrush, easier to use in this weather.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Have been progressing the retromod. Wiring and little stuff that can make a difference such as figuring out how to have secure nuts on the inside of the front fairing for install of parts/pieces. Have a solution that should work - sandwich the nut between a couple of 1/16 inch ABS pieces.

Major milestone today, engine in:

Tried installing the engine with the rear wheel attached and the prop shaft joined to the u-joint. No joy. Took the rear wheel and final drive off, kept the prop shaft and u-joint joined but pushed back into the swingarm. Engine went in without a hitch, connected the u-joint to engine, and installed the FD and rear wheel. Sonya's brother came over and helped. A spare set of hands and eyes is always appreciated. Wasn't that long ago that I would not have asked for help.

Figure on another two weeks of wiring and testing the electrical to ensure I can stop the engine on first start if I hear something weird. Time to dust off the air chamber as well.

 

[mcgovern61]

It is coming along nicely! I know that I could not have been more pleased after my electrical upgrades are worked correctly and the engine ran (runs) smoothly. The work was all worth it. (Now, If I could just get someone to buy the old girl and have her exercise these mods!)

 

[Rednaxs60]

Wiring getting done - just takes time and a bit of thought. Only a couple of more runs to redo.

My brother and I were talking about the first start and tweaking the engine to operate. Years ago with carbs and points/condensers, and when we were in the stock car business - small town, used to tune engine using the colour of the exhaust flames. He mentioned this and it brought back all sorts of memories. He said I should do the initial start up with the exhaust headers off, and I will, but because the engine is an FI model, can't do much tweaking - like the look of the exhaust flame though. My Father used to come in after we tweaked the tune, and did a couple more tweaks and all was good - master/padawan syndrome.

Cheers

 

[Rednaxs60]

Investigating LED bulbs for the 1200. Know there is a hyper flash issue because of the difference in load and that you can install load resistors to compensate. Looking at CANBUS error free LED bulbs. The smaller ones are economical, but the 1157/1156 type are north of $20.00 CDN for two - can get a batch of 10 or so, but these would need the load resistor. These CANBUS error free LED bulbs are supposed to prevent the hyper flash, but notice that a lot of the suppliers mention that a load resistor may be required if there is hyper flash of the bulb - legalize I'd say. The room needed for the load resistor is an issue as well. Any thoughts from the collective?

 

[julimike54]

Seems I remember some where hearing of an 'electronic' flasher that would negate the need for the load resistors.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Hear you on the electronic flasher. Only issue is finding a three prong electronic flasher that will work. I installed some LED lights a while back and the tail light indicator came on. Replaced one of the LEDs with an incandescent and the indicator light went off. Doesn't take a lot of load. Going to order up 10, $20.00 CDN delivered, supposed to be CANBUS error free. If these are made with an internal resistor, should be enough load. Going to find out.

Today being Christmas not a lot going on. Sonya's family opens gifts on Xmas eave so have some time to spare. Continuing on with the wiring upgrade/clean up. Have 4 driving lights on the 1200, 10 Watts each so approximately 4 amps - 18 gauge wire good for the four. Looking at the switches I have on hand for the new switch/light panel I will be making.

 

[Rednaxs60]

A bit more work done today. Made the switch/indicator light panel today. Looks not too bad, ABS cemented together. Houses the manual fan switch, the two sets of driving light switches, and the alt, side stand and rad fan on indicator lights:

Here's an inside look - thinking about how I will close in the ends after wiring gets done:

Will mount the switch/indicator light panel on a bracket like the ones I installed on the 1500:

It is secured to the handlebars with the clutch/brake MC screws.

Wired up the driving lights. Continue tomorrow with the rad fan wiring to the switch panel, and the rad fan, alt and side stand indicator lights.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Have done more electrical work on the switch/light panel, calling this the prototype. Have the handlebar bracket made, will be rounding the corners for a better look and of course painting is required:

Needed to install some gussets to stiffen the panel:

Got the panel installed. Will be able to put a couple of other items on the bracket as well:

Once I get the wires run, will be doing the permanent switch/indicator light panel.

Have looked at the wiring to the panel. Switches and indicator lights require a number of wires to install. There will be 12 - 18 gauge wires used.

A while back I took the front fender brackets off. The rivets Honda used are no longer available. Went on Amazon for a look see at rivert and rivet sets, and stumbled onto Chicago screws. I think these are going to be the ticket, unfortunately only need 6 and the sets have enough for a fleet. Cost is not much so will be ordering soon.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Worked on the wiring today. Finished up a lot of it, looks quite good:

Kind of liking the wire sleeve look. Won't be visible when the bike is back together, but I'll know it's done. Have two more runs to do, but these are at the back of the bike and will get done when I install the pieces that need this wiring. Front is just about cleaned up.

Had a bit of a dilemma yesterday. Was doing the wiring for the rad fan and couldn't find a wire - power to the fan. spent some time looking for a spare "blue" wire, but to no avail. Looked at the install and realized the power to the fan comes from the wiring harness to the fan, then out from the fan to the thermo switch and from the thermo switch to ground when temperature is reached. Crisis averted.

Going to Princess Auto - HF equivalent - tomorrow for a few inexpensive switches, bushings and possibly Chicago screws. Ordering up some LED lights as well. Time to get the air chamber down and spruce it up.

Was looking at the pics of the pieces I've painted in the last go round, and the one of the battery box:

is quite good; however, the pic shows the contrast between the freshly painted battery box and the frame. Good thing the majority of the frame is hidden - project for a few years from now.

 

[Ansimp]

Can Bus led bulbs will still require resistors for any device that senses current draw. You can get fixed rate flasher cans which normally are 3 wire as they require supply, earth and the flashing output.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Thought there was an easy way out. I found out last year that I could replace the incandescent bulbs with LEDs in a circuit but had the dash warning light come on for the tail lights. Replaced one LED bulb with an incandescent and there was now enough current draw and the dash light went out.

Will look for a flasher that has three pins for a trial.

 

[Ansimp]

You can still use a 2 pin flasher where there is wiring for the 3 pin flasher, you just don’t need to use the earth.

 

[Rednaxs60]

I think the easiest way to change to LED bulbs is to change all the lights to LED bulbs, then add the required resistive load to compensate for hyper flashing of signals and to eliminate any low system load. Where this load is applied shouldn't be an issue - should be able to install the resistive load under the seat, put these next to the resistor module for the coils. Another little project that needs attention.

 

[mcgovern61]

On the 1100, the fan gets it's hot from the thermo switch, but the power comes directly from the black positive wire that feeds the whole harness, no fuse. The power for the fan is spliced in the harness right before the ignition coil hots. Pulling that wire out and putting it on it's own circuit with a fuse made a difference with the ignition when the fan comes on at idle.

 

[Rednaxs60]

mcgovern61 » 50 minutes ago[/url]":2cywevxq]
On the 1100, the fan gets it's hot from the thermo switch, but the power comes directly from the black positive wire that feeds the whole harness, no fuse. The power for the fan is spliced in the harness right before the ignition coil hots. Pulling that wire out and putting it on it's own circuit with a fuse made a difference with the ignition when the fan comes on at idle.

Thought about doing just this, might get done yet. Will check the wiring schematics.

Good work day. Rear was torqued and the final drive filled with hypoid. Installed the brake calipers and clutch slave:

Hydraulic hoses connected. Need to bleed the systems.

Have the air chamber installed with the injectors in place:

Picked up 8 litres of Rotella T4 mineral for the engine. Rings don't seat well using synthetic. Going to use mineral oil for the first 5K Kms or so then switch to synthetic.

Like the bike lift, makes work so much easier.

At this stage it's like an Easter Egg hunt. Get to search for all the parts and pieces.

Starting to look like a bike again.