I got to ride it for the first time ever after months of work, a couple questions:

[83gl1200]

83 gl1100 with 1200 engine, 1100 heads, vw34 pict 3, PVC manifold...

My front left brake is dragging, the only caliper I didn't rebuild, the only one that worked at all originally.
Is there any easy fix short of tearing it all apart? Maybe remove pads and run the cylinders out further than normal and clean the newly exposed areas? Also the part of the caliper it is supposed to move side to side on that is mounted with rubber grommets is frozen solid. I couldn't knock it out or twist it out with vicegrips. Should only be rubber holding it in, but what the heck? How can I get that out, melt rubber with heat or chemicals and be forced to replace them? They aren't torn yet and don't look bad.
It doesn't feel like only rubber is holding it, too solid.

Also should the bike be able to propel itself smoothly on flat ground in 1st gear only at idle? It almost does, but a little rough at times. It pulls like a tractor when giving it a little gas but sounds a little rough just off idle, any ideas?
If I goose the throttle a little the engine smooths out and she feels dangerously powerful, but its just right above idle for a second it sounds like a slight miss is going on.

Lastly, my electric fuel pump gets too hot and boils gas after riding a bit. Bubbles can be seen in my fuel filter. Its only using engine ground, maybe try dedicated ground? I ask because I read elsewhere low power or bad ground can make them run hot. Also fuel line doesn't have a return that allows gas to circulate past the carb and back to the tank like cars would. Do any of you guys have an issue with that making your pump hot? Seems like it would be easier on the pump if it could flow all the time rather than blocked almost all the time.

 

[joedrum]

yes taking pads off and exposing pistons out to clean them is great move i make as it can be done without loosing the bleed on system ...ididnt understand second part of brake ?....

on carb i bet the idle circuit is is to rich ..just guess though symptoms sound like it .....might need carb mod as oppose to jet or something ... did for me and my weber .....fuel pump cant help

 

[dan filipi]

My 1200 with single runs just like you describe.

I never actually felt my 1200 pump to see how hot it gets.
I do know it clicks as pressure is needed which means it's not under constant pumping mode.
There is a contact switch inside it that makes contact when pressure drops.

 

[83gl1200]

dan filipi » Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:38 pm[/url]":2eqmyl6v]
My 1200 with single runs just like you describe.

I never actually felt my 1200 pump to see how hot it gets.
I do know it clicks as pressure is needed which means it's not under constant pumping mode.
There is a contact switch inside it that makes contact when pressure drops.

What brand/model pump is that? I may have to replace this one, it doesn't have any auto shut off just runs constant and when the bowl is full it sounds like its loaded down.

 

[Steve83]

The fuel return line is only on high-pressure, fuel injected systems. These carbureted systems only use 3 or 4 lbs. of fuel pressure. As far as I know, bubbles in the filter are fairly common. Is the fuel line hot also?

The brake caliper is supported by a metal tube with rubber boots on both ends, and a bolt through it into the bracket. The caliper should slide on the tube. If yours is seized, that's probably what's causing the dragging brakes.

 

[dan filipi]

83gl1200 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:41 pm[/url]":7n3zos7e]

dan filipi » Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:38 pm[/url]":7n3zos7e]
My 1200 with single runs just like you describe.

I never actually felt my 1200 pump to see how hot it gets.
I do know it clicks as pressure is needed which means it's not under constant pumping mode.
There is a contact switch inside it that makes contact when pressure drops.

What brand/model pump is that? I may have to replace this one, it doesn't have any auto shut off just runs constant and when the bowl is full it sounds like its loaded down.

It's a 1200 pump.

 

[slabghost]

83gl1200 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:57 pm[/url]":a548p6rp]
83 gl1100 with 1200 engine, 1100 heads, vw34 pict 3, PVC manifold...

My front left brake is dragging, the only caliper I didn't rebuild, the only one that worked at all originally.
Is there any easy fix short of tearing it all apart? Maybe remove pads and run the cylinders out further than normal and clean the newly exposed areas? Also the part of the caliper it is supposed to move side to side on that is mounted with rubber grommets is frozen solid. I couldn't knock it out or twist it out with vicegrips. Should only be rubber holding it in, but what the heck? How can I get that out, melt rubber with heat or chemicals and be forced to replace them? They aren't torn yet and don't look bad.
It doesn't feel like only rubber is holding it, too solid.

Also should the bike be able to propel itself smoothly on flat ground in 1st gear only at idle? It almost does, but a little rough at times. It pulls like a tractor when giving it a little gas but sounds a little rough just off idle, any ideas?
If I goose the throttle a little the engine smooths out and she feels dangerously powerful, but its just right above idle for a second it sounds like a slight miss is going on.

Lastly, my electric fuel pump gets too hot and boils gas after riding a bit. Bubbles can be seen in my fuel filter. Its only using engine ground, maybe try dedicated ground? I ask because I read elsewhere low power or bad ground can make them run hot. Also fuel line doesn't have a return that allows gas to circulate past the carb and back to the tank like cars would. Do any of you guys have an issue with that making your pump hot? Seems like it would be easier on the pump if it could flow all the time rather than blocked almost all the time.

Bubbles in the fuel filter are far more likely to be just air in the fuel lines moving around. Just about every see through fuel filter I've ever seen has a few bubbles while the motor is running. Most of the old carb motors had manual fuel pumps mounted directly on the hot motor and fuel didn't boil in them.

 

[83gl1200]

Steve83 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:44 pm[/url]":1attd53k]
The fuel return line is only on high-pressure, fuel injected systems. These carbureted systems only use 3 or 4 lbs. of fuel pressure. As far as I know, bubbles in the filter are fairly common. Is the fuel line hot also?

The brake caliper is supported by a metal tube with rubber boots on both ends, and a bolt through it into the bracket. The caliper should slide on the tube. If yours is seized, that's probably what's causing the dragging brakes.

Yes its the metal tube with rubber boots at each end which is locked up tight. Feels more solid than just rubber frozen to the metal. Any tricks to getting that out without melting or destroying those rubber boots? Hammering didn't work and vice grips couldn't even turn it.

On the electric fuel pump there are no bubbles while its cold, but when it gets hot there are. And it gets as hot as the engine itself just guessing by touch. After hot I can make it stop bubbling just by driving, ambient air cooling it.

 

[83gl1200]

joedrum » Fri Sep 19, 2014 2:52 pm[/url]":2tjnjeuh]
yes taking pads off and exposing pistons out to clean them is great move i make as it can be done without loosing the bleed on system ...ididnt understand second part of brake ?....

on carb i bet the idle circuit is is to rich ..just guess though symptoms sound like it .....might need carb mod as oppose to jet or something ... did for me and my weber .....fuel pump cant help

Thanks that would save time.
After pushing the pistons out further than normal for cleaning can they just be pushed back in with a c-clamp, no need to open bleeder valve?

 

[joedrum]

83gl1200 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 8:45 pm[/url]":3qogzhvh]

joedrum » Fri Sep 19, 2014 2:52 pm[/url]":3qogzhvh]
yes taking pads off and exposing pistons out to clean them is great move i make as it can be done without loosing the bleed on system ...ididnt understand second part of brake ?....

on carb i bet the idle circuit is is to rich ..just guess though symptoms sound like it .....might need carb mod as oppose to jet or something ... did for me and my weber .....fuel pump cant help

Thanks that would save time.
After pushing the pistons out further than normal for cleaning can they just be pushed back in with a c-clamp, no need to open bleeder valve?

no reason to what so ever

 

[slabghost]

83gl1200 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:38 p

On the electric fuel pump there are no bubbles while its cold, but when it gets hot there are. And it gets as hot as the engine itself just guessing by touch. After hot I can make it stop bubbling just by driving, ambient air cooling it.

Driving will pull the bubbles toward the carb. If they don't make all the way they will return to the filter whenever the flow slows or stops. If they do make it all the way more bubbles can enter the flow if any hose has the slightest air leak. Pull from the pump can pull in air even if fuel doesn't leak at a stop.

 

[83gl1200]

joedrum » Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:49 pm[/url]":2hm5gwd3]

83gl1200 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 8:45 pm[/url]":2hm5gwd3]

joedrum » Fri Sep 19, 2014 2:52 pm[/url]":2hm5gwd3]
yes taking pads off and exposing pistons out to clean them is great move i make as it can be done without loosing the bleed on system ...ididnt understand second part of brake ?....

on carb i bet the idle circuit is is to rich ..just guess though symptoms sound like it .....might need carb mod as oppose to jet or something ... did for me and my weber .....fuel pump cant help

Thanks that would save time.
After pushing the pistons out further than normal for cleaning can they just be pushed back in with a c-clamp, no need to open bleeder valve?

no reason to what so ever

OK thanks.

You might be right about it idling too rich, black sooty spark plugs, will try to adjust that tommow its supposed to be easy on this carb but I have no experience at it.

Speaking of black and sooty, any of you guys ever blow carbon from your combustion chamber with water into the carb? Will there be any issue specific to this engine if I use a spray bottle of water down the carb throat at 2k rpm like this:
How to Decarbonise your Engine with Tap Water: https://youtu.be/izvz18xgfA0

 

[Ansimp]

Used water to steam clean the combustion chamber and also used ATF the same way. The only problem is you end up with heaps of white smoke from the burning ATF so you need to be doing this somewhere that it doesn't disturb others :yes:

 

[ekvh]

Glad you got it out. This has been a long and tedious effort on your part. I look forward to some ride reports.

 

[joedrum]

ok .... on the carb issue ...i dont have much experience with the vw single barrel carbs ...but did mount intake and carb few weeks back on 1100 ...didnt mess with it long but seemed to run ok ... and has been adjusted some since ....

your bike like mine is 1200 with large port heads ...so there is a lot of similarity between the two bikes .... these car carbs are basicly made for larger cubic inch motors ..and the idle circuit is made to fit that ...the outcome is these idle circuits useally to big for oldwings ...they tend to supply much more gas than air to the idle process......on these modded 1200s like yours and mine ...they seem to need more air ....you can try going way down on idle first and im sure you need to.......i certainly did ... but it wasnt enough ..it still starved for air at idle and blacken plugs ...also just off idle the jetting has to go the other way ...as the oldwing is a high revving motor and really needs the gas ...on mine i had to get air to the motor at idle ...that didnt involve bringing in more gas with it ....i did this by drill the throttle plate away from all gas opening in idle circuit .... so now it gets more fresh air with throttle plate close......right now the idle jet on hooch is 45 jet ...and 9/64" hole drilled into throttle plate and i am getting good burn ...i am going to try a 40 jet one day as it seems i could go there .... stock honda carbs use 35.....

it seems i have heard there is a hole in throttle plate of these VW single barrel carbs ...on your bike as mine witch are not stock this night be where you can get it to lean out at idle ....im not good at explaining hope you get something out of it .....i will also say it seems oldwings with stock set ups seem to work at idle better than these 1200 nodded big port head motors so dont compare ...i did with dan and it wasnt long before we relised there was way to much difference to do same moves and was great schooling for us

:heat: :mrgreen:

 

[83gl1200]

ekvh » Sat Sep 20, 2014 5:16 am[/url]":2rknj9et]
Glad you got it out. This has been a long and tedious effort on your part. I look forward to some ride reports.

Long and tedious, no doubt about that. Yet somehow there's still much more to do before ride reports. I've only ridden up and down my street and its already telling me it wants more work and more parts like stainless brake lines, new pads, and de-glazing the rotors. The good part is the engine is crazy strong and makes no bad sounds. Its definitely powerful and fast enough to kill you quick even with just vw carb. Can't wait to see what the weber carb does to it also but need more parts for that too. And none of the cosmetics are done like new seat and lights and paint, and with the weather changing already fenders will be necessary. Much bigger project than I'd have ever guessed.

 

[ekvh]

You got a good bike, and I think you're fairly lucky that you found a few of us with similar mods. It was kind of a nightmare figuring out what you had, and you could have easily trashed it thinking it was just an 83. It will be good to get some data down on yours at it is different than Joe's and mine. My advice, which you can ignore and I won't be offended, would be to get it rideable and keep nickel and dimming the repairs for a while. That's what I'm doing, but I think it's getting reliable enough to give it a proper paint job and an upgrade to the brakes.

 

[dan filipi]

I'm doing it the same way.
So much time and money I spent on mod experiments that now I'm out of money to take care of the essentials. A bit at a time and making some wait till I can put enough money into it to do it right.

 

[83gl1200]

ekvh » Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:21 am[/url]":1i01w0dd]
You got a good bike, and I think you're fairly lucky that you found a few of us with similar mods. It was kind of a nightmare figuring out what you had, and you could have easily trashed it thinking it was just an 83. It will be good to get some data down on yours at it is different than Joe's and mine. My advice, which you can ignore and I won't be offended, would be to get it rideable and keep nickel and dimming the repairs for a while. That's what I'm doing, but I think it's getting reliable enough to give it a proper paint job and an upgrade to the brakes.

I have no choice but to nickel and dime the repairs, since I'm all out of money. But I've had pretty good luck so far finding the right parts I wanted at super cheap prices thanks to eBay mostly. $5.50 cents for weber carb, $10 for rebuild kit, $35 for 83 foot pegs, $40 for vw carb and its rebuild kit, $50 for like new metal impeller water pump with front engine cover, $20 for handlebars, $9 for grips, $40 for progressive 412 rear shocks, $12 for side cover, etc...

Now I need to find a good deal on a gl1000 chrome rear fender and maybe cb900 chrome front fender.

I found progressive front springs for $50 new in box still avail but no money to snag them.

I see a lot of cheap stainless brake lines but none with the right fittings so far.

Need to sell some parts or other junk so I have money to finish it...

Can anyone identify the seat on this bike: at 1:09 it gives a good view of it.
gl1000: https://youtu.be/Sr4GOnUPdq8

 

[Omega Man]

I've seen that before, but no idea who makes the seat.