No more excuses! Start the engine...
Did the lawns yesterday and I reckon my wife knows I am close to getting the thing started so I was left alone in the morning - and then again in the afternoon as Tracy went to see her Mum.
There are still quite a few things to sort out, but they can wait; In the short term I will stay with the cable clutch and wait on hydraulic - however now I know what needs to be done, I will go hydraulic with my own interpretation specially for square case LH selector box engines. I think I need:-
- the Frando 14mm slavecylinder (in hand)
- the Frando 17mm master cylinder (soon)
- a weak internal slave piston return spring for the Frando slave cylinder (next week)
- a modified clutch arm such that the slave cylinder pulls directly in line with the arm.
Unfortunately the standard arm is too short and as luck would have it the extended arm is too long. Hey Ho. Time for some engineering nadgery and I think I'll run the bike over to a couple of very skilled guys with the all the bits and a brief. I have worked out a way of using a short last 10cm of the original finely braided cable to give some flexibility - both the Magura conversion and the Frando slave implement worryingly stiff options for a linkage which has discernible play in most axes.
I knew I had a lot to do, but my, was it a battle! I think 'n' years slumber (I think ~20) had given the Dark Side Of the Moon a Herbie like resistance to getting going again.
I am not even sure where to start - so I'll start with my twenty year old son who needed rescuing by my wife at 02:00 this morning - because of diversions she didn't get back until 04:00. Kids, eh?
I couldn't sleep for a number of reasons and tried to calm myself down by working on my loom conversion for 996 switchgear which requires some attention.
Knowing I intended to start the old girl today, my list of things to do included a front to back tightening check. There are a few kludges to get me through - note the missing speedo & rev counter and the paper clip retaining the clevis pin for the rear brake master cylinder.
Kludge #1: rear air filter as K&N isn't yet primed with oil...
Kludge #2: rear master cylinder clevis pin retained with paper clip...
I have added mounting points for a RH side stand pull and have bought & modified a handle to suit; I added the frame mounting point last year before stove enameling. The RH handle is a dismantled & flipped LH handle and it all fits OK with a bit of adjustment. Both handles are off to the chromer's this week.
Engine wise, it is already filled up with oil & the metal Brancato gauze & magnet primary filter fitted, and the dipstick with magnet. I had to mount the carbs, set up a rear air filter whilst I await the arrival of extra K&N filter oil - I only had enough for the front and 1/4 of the rear.
Sorting out the chokes, cable runs & filters took quite a while. Next was the engine breather pipe - fortunately I had a NOS piece lying around which was a perfect fit. I cleaned the rubber front inlet tract & clips & on went the front air filter with nice new clean K&N's. Not perfect, but better than nothing.
Time to check ignition. Also a good opportunity to prime the oil pump & big ends with oil before the engine is started, so out came the plugs after a quick blow to clear any crap, and 100 kicks later experience tells me (actually, 80 kicks) the oil has reached the gallery in the clutch cover prior to squirting up the crank to the bigends. The extra twenty kicks get some oil flowing over the ends.
A quick check shows me (FX: Disappointed!!) there is no spark. FX: Worry worry! fortunately 10 seconds with a mutimeter shows me I have a high resistance fuse I have re-used (Dork!) which heads straight for the bin. A new fuse and I have a lovely strong spark, so back in go the plugs.
I hadn't yet sorted out the HT so the cables were cut accordingly and I completed the work swapping the coil around and moving the horn to clear the horizontal cylinder inlet tract from the filter to the carburettor. This involved about three iterations of bracket which was quite frustrating.
FX: Phew!
Almost time to start, so I bring the tank down from a 'safe place' banging it on the way down. Oh f
k. Gosh, was I cross with myself but fortunately no harm done.
It is quickly apparent that wonderful though the spray job was, he didn't mask the fuel tap mounts. So off with the tank & I head inside to work on a nice soft carpet, banging the tank again! This time it was the brass front door handle and I was really worried. Lucky me again! So after 'really quite a long time' sorting out the threads with a thread file, now I can fit the fuel taps, cut fuel pipe to match and clip the pipe work securely to the carbs. You might notice this GTS has standard SS/MHR/Darmah 16mm fuel tap threads - I had these made up and brazed in when the tank was cut open for blasting & inspection. Makes life a lot easier without that nonsense link pipe designed specifically to make it difficult to remove the tank. Gone forever with this bike.
Bloomin' eck, does it ever end!
I had successfully lost the mounting screws for the RH sidepanel, I re-found them whilst turning over the garage looking for something else I had lost and pinched some nylon washers I had spare from buying too many sets of SS seat mounting screws.
The main irritation was discovering that the nice new tank badges I bought from Road&Race in Australia simply don't fit - the pins are a few mm too close together. Fortunately I have the originals and they will be going off with the stand grab handles for chroming; Hence the currently unbranded (on the tank) Ducati. Still, things are looking up...
Out with the 5L emergency tank and I have fuel! Unfortunately quite a lot had been used but it is a start and nevertheless, it doesn't leak when I turn it on. It has been a hot close sweaty day so I break for a shower knowing when I come down it is fully ready to start. No chain, mind you but that isn't the point.
I was remembering Derek's comments about starting his GTS after his rebuild and I was hopeful mine would be as easy. It wasn't.
Those 905cc high compression pistons *do* make a difference, as does the 3.5Kg lost from the primary drive/flywheel with the fitting of the
Nova Engineering straight cut primary drive gear set. Also the choke which I carefully lubricated keeps turning itself off. Anyway, after about 10 or so kicks, it burst into life, misfiring a bit and I suspect it is because of low fuel, so off I go in search of more fuel and find a full 5L. That does the trick and it really does sound fine although it won't idle at the moment.
By this time Tracy is home and I have asked her to witness the inaugural post testing start. The weight of responsibility is daunting
. She does like the colour...
Time to fit my new DID 'O' ring chain with my new DID 'O' ring chain tool. It's a first for me as I am usually a cop out going for split link chains. The tool is well made and the instructions are good so on it goes.
The primary drive ratio for the Nova primary drive gear s is different so I have gone for a 40 tooth rear, I was unhappy using a 16 tooth front with the big Daddy DID 'O' ring chain chain so I have gone for a 15 tooth gear and I am going to see how it pans out.
Time to remove my hydraulic clutch conversion parts as I have a few things to do before I can fit & forget it, so off comes the LH switchgear so I can mount a conventional clutch cable; All fitted and clutch works fine.
For the absence of any doubt, the gear change feels completely and utterly different from a later LH quadrant engine. In my humble opinion it is sweeter and works better.
I live out in the sticks (for England) so there are plenty of private farm access roads so I put on my helmet and push it to a farm for a quick test.
Time to ask Tracy out to see it start, which isn't particularly easy as I don't yet have the knack. It is *completely* different to the SS.
Conclusion? Absolutely fan-bloody-tastic. Sweet engine, sweet comfy handling and great noise. That straight cut primary drive makes it sound like you are sitting on a full race engine, it isn't just the exhaust that sounds great, the mechanical noises are epic; Nothing like the SS (and much better).
I think the rear mudguard treatment I have given the bike gives it a slightly scambler'ish feel, although I am definitely not looking for any off road excursions
.
I don't show the RH side of the bike much - mainly because it is in the shade near the border with my neighbour, but here it is...
It wasn't a smart move starting this project, but I think even Tracy likes it. Like might be too strong a word, but it is a great bike and I am looking forward to taking her out for lunch on it, when I'll be on the Lime & fizzy water. All good.
P.S. I hope you notice the contemporary lawn mower in the background, I only wish the GTS was as reliable
. :idea: I am going to move the horn to leave room for the coil (I hope) in it's original position. It will still involve some hackery on the coil bracket as I am already aware the mounting holes do not match up.
