Maybe some day restore a '79 - now named "Freedom"

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[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=212212#p212212:1qe3vw2e said:
joedrum » 27 Aug 2019, 15:56[/url]":1qe3vw2e]
Wow nice
Ditto, what Joe said, lol!
 
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=212217#p212217:23r0xq0t said:
GTC@MSAC » 55 minutes ago[/url]":23r0xq0t]
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=212212#p212212:23r0xq0t said:
joedrum » 27 Aug 2019, 15:56[/url]":23r0xq0t]
Wow nice
Ditto, what Joe said, lol!
LOL
 
The polished-up aftermarket headers are great looking, but for some reason they don't fit the Hunley. The left one hits both the engine and kick stand mount plus the angle is far off for even the shorty muffler. They are all shined up and looking like chrome now, but I'll probably end up putting them on eBay and looking for stock headers for the '79. Put the Hunley all back together because I have shows for it coming up. I only had one set of header gaskets left, and they are the aluminum type so I hope they work Ok.
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Doesn't the Hunley have a '75 motor? I ran into this with my 1st '75 GL1000 restoration. There is something different about headers for the '75 motor, but the later years wont fit it properly, to the best of my recollection, like, only '75 headers fit a '75 motor. I had a time finding good '75 headers for mine because of this issue.
 
[url=https://www.classicgoldwings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=212255#p212255:244ic31s said:
GTC@MSAC » Wed Aug 28, 2019 7:41 pm[/url]":244ic31s]
Doesn't the Hunley have a '75 motor? I ran into this with my 1st '75 GL1000 restoration. There is something different about headers for the '75 motor, but the later years wont fit it properly, to the best of my recollection, like, only '75 headers fit a '75 motor. I had a time finding good '75 headers for mine because of this issue.

Could be. I didn't even try the Hunley's headers on the '79 because the Hunley is still going to be in some shows this fall. I just took the left off and tried replacing it with one from the '79, then switched back. Looking at the aftermarket headers, I think someone measured for the right header and then made the left that length and added for the right. They are both about the cylinder offset too long. I will try to find a set of '78/'79 headers and eBay these nice shiny ones. Even if they don't have the shields, as long as OEMs aren't dented bad (Hunley's are) I can polish them to look good or paint like I did the Hunley's. Come to think of it, I think Hunley's are later model because they are stainless. I had them pretty well polished up, but painted them because of dents and deep scratches.
 
While waiting for headers, I had stripped the old cover from the seat as it was punctured and getting very brittle. Ordered a cover for it that came in today and this afternoon took about an hour and put it on. I'm pretty happy with the outcome.
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mcgovern61":1gfsnkdz said:
Wow! That is one of the best seat covers I have seen in a long time. Where did you get it?
Ebay seller hondasvintage. I first bought one for a 78-79 thinking I could pad this 75-77 out to look right, but ralized as soon as I laid it over the seat that was a bad idea. I'll probably hold on to it and eventually find a 78-79 seat in sad shape, then pht it on and sell the whole 75-77 seat.
 
Stock headers came in today right after lunch. Installed with mufflers, reinstalled rear wheel and swapped the '79 with the Hunley so I can pull the Hunley's carbs and find what is wrong/fix #2.
 

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More work on the '79 (hope the Hunley doesn't get jealous). The engine runs fairly well without carb balancing and strobe timing (which I will still do). The front forks have been rebuilt and remounted, and the front calipers cleaned and reassembled. Front MC was crudded up bad and reservoir leaking so I ordered a repair kit and reservoir on Monday. Front MC repair parts came in today (2 days early!) so I finished putting it together and mounting it up. Filled it and pumped gently until fluid was coming out before hooking up the banjo, then pulled a vacuum on right bleeder with the MightyVac until fluid came out of it. Switched to the left and did the same. Went back and forth a couple times, pumped the pads out, knocked that last little bubble out, and it seems to have a handful now. Also change oil, filter, coolant, and rear end grease. backed her outside and let her idle a little so I can top off coolant if needed. Insurance kicks in Friday. I think I'll strobe time and balance carbs tomorrow after changing the valve cover gaskets that I noticed are weeping.
 
Pulled the '79 out this morning and checked the timing with a strobe - spot on! I must be getting better setting static timing. Then, balanced the carbs (were off, but balanced quickly), then took her for a spin. Rear brakes need bedded in (fronts are great) and the rear shocks/springs are way soft. The springs are two different wire size springs stacked on each other with a divider plate. I think that I have the originals from the Hunley build around somewhere. Don't know if these shocks are rebuildable but they don't feel like they are doing anything - just bouncing on the springs.
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I had given another set of shocks to a club member to take to Barber swap meet. Called him up and met him at the Time Warp Tea Room in Knoxville (check it out if you get through the area) and swapped the two pairs. Mounted them up when I got home, and they feel better. Too darn hot today to test them, so it will be next Tuesday before I can test. Hopefully with different handlebars, because I can't stand the stock ones. I only want ~4" rise.
 
Changed the rubbers in the shocks and mounted a handlebar that I picked up at the Barber swap meet. These shocks are dirty with rusty springs, but seem to be much firmer so I'll take the time to clean them. Handlebars have ~4" rise instead of the 9" of the others. I like them. Just need to loop the clutch cable a bit in the shelter/air cleaner area. Took her for about 25 miles and she feels pretty good although very light after the weekend two-up on the GL1800 pulling a trailer. Rode her in to the Time Warp Tea Room (Knoxville's Tuesday evening gathering place for 2-wheel addicted) this evening. Still need a bit better tune and the clutch adjusted. Clutch doesn't engage until lever is almost all the way out, then it seems to grab instead of slip. Rear brake getting better and better, and the fronts are so good that I have to use them two-finger.
 
Today adjusted the clutch IAW the manual - feels much better. Also, a PO was RTV happy. Blob of orange on the clutch cover that I gave up scraping off and swapped it with one from the junker. The tach drive seal must have leaked also - glob of clear silicone on it. I've ordered a new seal for it but for the time being I swapped the tach drive housing from an old fuel pump that had bad valves in it. Glad I saved it. I've been riding the '79 with an LED voltmeter painters taped to the shelter to get an accurate voltage reading. I'm starting to like it so much that it may just get mounted in place of the Honda bimetalic unit.
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Been wanting to try an experiment of using Ford TFI modules triggered by the points to handle the coil current and dwell. So, today I finished up the wiring (well, I need to make it neater). Preliminary testing was good as it fired right up when I switched from normal ignition to the TFIs. But, then I ran out of gas so further work will continue when I get a petcock kit to repair a weepy petcock.

Anyway, it all connects via the six-prong plug on the front of the wiring interface. Just unplug the connector, plug the male from the TFIs into the box and the female into the cable that goes to the coils. Then unplug the condensers from the double connector near them. That's it! if a module should crap out all I'll have to do is swap back (takes less than a minute). I've read about the modules being used on drag cars. The main thing to worry about is cooling, and feel that the 1/2" aluminum blocks that sandwich the aluminum shower door rail with Arctic Cool heat transfer paste should carry away heat pretty well. Still I plan to scan them with an IR thermometer as soon as I can stress them. I see that I also need to re-route some of the cables going into the front of the interface. More PO fun!

The new white plugs go to the TFIs (yellow wire to the 1&2 Right coil, Blue to 3 & 4 Left coil). Red wires power the units from the old coil power feed that still jumpers to the coils and black leads to ground. Ballast resistor is jumpered in the plug as the TFI limits coil current to safe levels.
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Took a quick ~5 mile ride this afternoon. Feels normal with the new ignition. Temp on TFI body 27 C when I got back to the house. Think I'll ride it to the Time Warp Tea Room this evening.
 

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