Project Money Pit !

[Stirlingmoz]

Moved on to the cylinder barrel.

After some measuring I did some localised heating and drifted out the old pushrod tubes.



Definitely past their best.

Letting the cylinder cool down now before I attack it with the paint stripper again. It’s pretty grim behind where the pushrod tubes sit



Little cleaning job for tomorrow.

The new pushrod tubes are cooling off in the freezer

 

[Stirlingmoz]

Before and after shot of cylinders and pistons.

One down and one to go..

 

[Stirlingmoz]

Got distracted from cylinder / piston cleaning and decided to have a look at the right side cylinder head.

This engine didn’t come (to me) with any top end parts and this head and the valve gear was very kindly donated by Mikey when I visited last year with my R80G/S kickstart gearbox.

This is what I’ve got to work with





I don’t think it’s as bad as it looks at first glance and will clean up fine.

The valves are a really nice fit in the guides and the various threads are all good.

Got it stripped for cleaning



I’m going to be busy with the wire brush and cleaning products again for a while but I’m confident I can save it and use it.

 

[Stirlingmoz]

The right side cylinder head has now been stripped of the black paint and generally cleaned. Also cleaned up the valves and associated fittings





Pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Will try and reassemble it tomorrow and then move on to the valve gear.

Would like to get the right side top end ready to fit by the end of the weekend

 

[Stirlingmoz]

A couple of setbacks this morning:

1. My valve spring compressor gave up the ghost. Time to source a replacement

2. I managed to make 3 good smoothly operating sets of valve gear out of the 4 rockers I had. A couple of them had failed needle bearings. One sacrificed a bearing for another and that one now needs a complete rebuild



All the dirty jobs are done now. The cylinders, heads and all the associated parts are as clean as I’m going to be able to get them at home. Certainly clean enough to fit

Bashed in an order to Works from some piston rings, head gaskets, rocker bearings etc.

 

[Stirlingmoz]

This engine is a bit of a mongrel now.

It’s an 1986 monolever bottom end with 1987 monolever barrels & pistons.

The gearbox is monolever 1985

The cylinder heads however, are from an earlier twin shock model (going off the valve sizes)

I do have a left side R65 monolever cylinder head but can’t find the matching right side anywhere Difference is the larger valves in the monolever heads (40/36 mono versus 38/34 twin shock)

I have a set of R65 monolever carbs already refurbished and ready to go or a set from of 83-85 twin shock model that need to be done.

Will likely fit the monolever carbs as they’re an easy win.

Bike now has choke cables and a sidestand n courtesy of eBay.

With todays parts order, we’ve hit the £2k threshold.

Still no petrol tank or exhaust system yet

 

[mikeyboy]

I was rummaging around in my parts store earlier,
I came across a pair of 28mm carbs that were probably from the engine you have the heads etc from.
64/28/ 303. + 304
79/80 r65
They will need a rebuilt,one of the pistons is a bit stuck but may be of use?

 

[Stirlingmoz]

I was rummaging around in my parts store earlier,
I came across a pair of 28mm carbs that were probably from the engine you have the heads etc from.
64/28/ 303. + 304
79/80 r65
They will need a rebuilt,one of the pistons is a bit stuck but may be of use?

Thanks Mikey,

I actually enjoy rebuilding Bings - a satisfying job.

Would you recommend these over the monolever carbs I have ?

 

[Stirlingmoz]

Fitted the left piston / cylinder and cylinder head this afternoon.

Always a nervous moment as the engine studs were removed and I had no idea of how good the threads in the case were.

I gritted my teeth through each of the 3 the stage torque process but it was all good this side.

The amount the studs stick out was an unknown too - so pretty chuffed with how that turned out.



The carb is just resting in place on its mounting rubbers for the moment.

I may have a lead on a right side monolever cylinder head too.

Took the opportunity to test the ignition and I have a good spark. Pretty happy with that as the ignition system is a combination of eBay wins and parts found at swap meets.

As it sits

 

[Gelandestrasse]

swap meets... Amazing how American culture pervades. My wife told me about a jewellery 'heist'' in Hatton Gardens. I thought it was a robbery..

Anyway, great to see the bike coming along. If I spot a good mono RHS head tomorrow at Shepton Mallet I'll be in touch.

 

[Stirlingmoz]

swap meets... Amazing how American culture pervades. My wife told me about a jewellery 'heist'' in Hatton Gardens. I thought it was a robbery..

Anyway, great to see the bike coming along. If I spot a good mono RHS head tomorrow at Shepton Mallet I'll be in touch.

Thanks Tim, If you see a G/S or ST petrol tank, I’d be v interested.

In fact if anyone has a lead on a petrol tank I’d be very grateful.

Kempton Park in March is my next event

 

[mikeyboy]

An r65/45 tank will fit with a bit of modification on the underside,
Would possibly be cheaper than the g/s st option

 

[Stirlingmoz]

No mechanical progress this week.

I have tracked down an R65 Monolever right side cylinder head (to match the left) but the seller is not keen on posting.

Found a used Acerbis rear mudguard on my local Gumtree.

A bit tatty but bonkers cheap.

Here it is in place of the ST rear mudguard that was in there..



Just loosely fitted to see if we like it.

Would need a trim to fit neatly but just clears the tool tray.

 

[Bubb]

You could go for a UFO “fanatic” rear mudguard (fender if we are keeping the Yankee comments going)
It has a BMW GS style rear light, but not the step in the rear guard.
I have one on my ST as I think it looks good. …. Not original, but not too far from original if that makes sense.

 

[oblertone]

I have tracked down an R65 Monolever right side cylinder head (to match the left) but the seller is not keen on posting.

Take a tip from the Grizz book of resourcing; bung up a post asking if anyone is nearby, there's almost bound to be someone not far away who'd collect and post onwards.

 

[Stirlingmoz]

You could go for a UFO “fanatic” rear mudguard (fender if we are keeping the Yankee comments going)
It has a BMW GS style rear light, but not the step in the rear guard.
I have one on my ST as I think it looks good. …. Not original, but not too far from original if that makes sense.

This one ?



See what you mean about being BMWesque.

I like it but, £75 on your favourite auction site.

The Acerbis cost me £10

 

[Bubb]

That’s the one I have on my ST gs clone….
Didn’t think I paid that much…..but was certainly more than an ayreton senna….!

 

[Steve398]

No mechanical progress this week.

I have tracked down an R65 Monolever right side cylinder head (to match the left) but the seller is not keen on posting.

Where does the seller live, anywhere close to one of us lot? I’m sure we could collect and send it on…

 

[Stirlingmoz]

Where does the seller live, anywhere close to one of us lot? I’m sure we could collect and send it on…

The cylinder head is bought and paid for and the seller is in Louth in Lincolnshire.

However, I think we have a plan.

A work colleague is going to collect it for me, on one of his trips.

Just have to be patient

 

[Stirlingmoz]

Money pit inches ever forward.

These R65 monolever carbs came to me with the R80G/S project last year and look to have already been refurbished.

I decided to give them a check over in case they were jetted for the G/S (they weren’t) and found a couple of niggles.

1. No needle jets fitted
2. The ‘o’ ring on the idle jets weren’t seated correctly.

Set the mixture screws and the throttle stop screws the same so we’ll be in the ballpark when it comes to start it up for the first time.