Well I did it again..MBS strikes.

[macmusick]

Earlier in the week I drove 200 miles from my place in Durango CO to Espanola NM to pick up a "parts bike." I knew the engine didn't turn over but it was cheap. There was no rust in the frame. 97% of the parts were there and I need a project to give me something to do. I am a 66 y/o retired guy.

I don't ride horses or trains therefor Durango can become boring it you let it. So here is what I got, a 1980 Aspencade with 33K on the odo. No rust on the outside. I pulled the heads and found a rust mine. I was hoping it would not be so yucky. My theory is and there is evidence to support this theory, that packrats nested beneath the air cleaner box that too was full of packrat poop and the plenum area of the intake was full of packrat poop. It doesn't rain much in Espanola NM but those rats had years of using this engine as their own "Chick Sales House". If you don't know what that is google it. Ha.
So I have all the body parts and the Markland trailer hitch and the L'Custom light bar chrome bumper removed. I have been scraping rust for two days. Yesterday I used a Louisville Slugger and an 8lb hammer and got the pistons moving. ( after hours of cleaning with emery cloth and WD 40). Now using a 19mm on the end of the crank I can turn the engine freely. Three of the four cylinder walls are smooth, #4 is kinda rough. I have no idea what the rings are like. I really don't want to tear it down further. Any advice from this group of highly intelligent Classic Wingers?

 

[joedrum]

if its the same motor i saw at NGW...most of rust and bad cylider seems to be high up in the stoke ...thats good ...if i were you some kind of cleaner stuff atf or pb blaster .....me id use atf and keep spinnimg the motor till yuo with heads off working back and forth and just spinning it the atf wil eventaly work into ring grooves cleaning that and reseating the rings in a slow speep method ....i think you realy have somthig .....

from there it think you ought to start going though other stuff ....drop out the back wheel get tank out petcock has to come off for it to come out clean it goodswing arm loose go though it as in cleaning it up checking for stsbility ...take ignition cover off and ceck for free movemnt of advancer and clean it up ...and though the whole process keep working the motor by hand with atf every so often

the carbs will have to be cleaned too ...id remove them and if i had a cantainer large enough id dunk them in atf wit blows off but other wise all together and let them sit ...an adgetator would be nice to run it the tub to help the atf clean

and after everything is the best you can get it ....you could start checking things in carbs in bench testing ....eventaly zip it up and try ....i think you will get a agood bike out of it .... :mrgreen:

 

[macmusick]

Thanks Joe that is pretty much the approach I am taking. I have cleaned as much of the rust from the pistons and cyls as I can. I am squirting ATF and turning the motor over. The heads too have cleaned up pretty well I need to order a gasket set. Meanwhile will continue cleaning.

I have only cleaned out the plenum so far. Not yet taken carbs apart. But I have poured ATF in the intakes and it comes running through so I am not sure what I am accomplishing.

I will use the approach you suggested for gas tank and so forth. This is not a rush job. If I am lucky and I don't get hanta virus, I will make a runner of this bike. I'll keep you posted here.

Thanks for your advice and encouragement.

Mac from Durango