Gertrude Goes In For Surgery

[GrandpaDenny]

Finally getting the new carbs put in. Guess what we discovered when we pulled the lower airbox? Was hoping to get her done over the weekend, but need new carb boots, they should be here Thursday. Think the new carbs, new boots, and a new clean airbox are going to make much of a difference?

And for the morbidly curious... Gertrude has almost 103000 miles on her. I've put 49000 on her since I bought her in Nov. '19. Wish I could have replaced the carbs sooner. Still dealing with DSPO stuff after all these years and miles.

After the carbs, we're rebuilding the forks. I'm wondering where the 145mm oil level came from? Is that from Progressive, or from one or more AVA members' experience and experimentation? Looking at the distructions from Progressive, they recommend no higher than 150mm. They also recommend 20wt. oil for heavy-duty use. Almost 300 pounds in full gear, and the crappy roads around here, yeah, I'd say that qualifies as "heavy duty", wouldn't you? When Gene Kapuszinki and I put the Progressive springs in two years ago, we used 10wt. oil at 145mm. I'd get pounded on pavement, um, irregularities, that are common around here. I've sent an email to Progressive's tech dept. asking for their opinion. I'll let y'all know what they say.

Think she'll run better with the new carbs and new lower air box?

[cushman eagle]

Finally getting the new carbs put in. Guess what we discovered when we pulled the lower airbox? Was hoping to get her done over the weekend, but need new carb boots, they should be here Thursday. Think the new carbs, new boots, and a new clean airbox are going to make much of a difference?

And for the morbidly curious... Gertrude has almost 103000 miles on her. I've put 49000 on her since I bought her in Nov. '19. Wish I could have replaced the carbs sooner. Still dealing with DSPO stuff after all these years and miles.

After the carbs, we're rebuilding the forks. I'm wondering where the 145mm oil level came from? Is that from Progressive, or from one or more AVA members' experience and experimentation? Looking at the distructions from Progressive, they recommend no higher than 150mm. They also recommend 20wt. oil for heavy-duty use. Almost 300 pounds in full gear, and the crappy roads around here, yeah, I'd say that qualifies as "heavy duty", wouldn't you? When Gene Kapuszinki and I put the Progressive springs in two years ago, we used 10wt. oil at 145mm. I'd get pounded on pavement, um, irregularities, that are common around here. I've sent an email to Progressive's tech dept. asking for their opinion. I'll let y'all know what they say.

Think she'll run better with the new carbs and new lower air box?

How did it even run with all that crap,in there

[GrandpaDenny]

That's what we said. Kronkin' amazing. This is gonna be MUCH fun when she's all cleaned up and back together.

[Nails]

Still dealing with DSPO stuff after all these years and miles.

What is DSPO? And what is that crap in the airbox?

I'm still a ways from replacing my bike's cylinder head. Dealing with car issues first.

[Conrad]

I'm guessing dumb s**t previous owner??

[GrandpaDenny]

Congrats, Conrad, you're smarter than Nails.

[GrandpaDenny]

What is that crap in the airbox?

Only the gods know, and I'm afraid to ask. Looks like plastic, oil, sludge, dirt, gods know what. I can just imagine what the carbs look like. Maybe I could send a sample out for analysis and we could do a pool, like an anchor pool or baby pool or football pool, to guess the exact composition.

I'm still a ways from replacing my bike's cylinder head. Dealing with car issues first.

I must have missed something, or have forgotten (probably forgotten). Why do you have to replace your cylinder head? What happened?

[Nails]

Looks like plastic, oil, sludge, dirt, gods know what.

I'm having trouble figuring out how all that kind of crap could possible get into the airbox. Seems like an interesting clue to a seriously weird history.I thought at first that the boots had somehow melted -- without burning up the whole bike. I've seen blow-by oil and grit, but nothing like that. Some kind of foam substance sprayed into the air filter box?

For all I know, this is what DSPO looks like.

BTW, how much did a set of boots set you back? Those pups usually are pricey.

Why do you have to replace your cylinder head? What happened?

Wonky sparkplug thread -- Dave thought I was trying to shoot a plug through my battery. I already had a replacement head when the bike broke down in Rapid City. Hauled it home and haven't even started to figure out why. Suspect a coil -- seems to be missing on two cylinders. But by the time I get the head off, I'll have had a pretty good look at pretty-much everything that matters.

[GrandpaDenny]

Looks like plastic, oil, sludge, dirt, gods know what.

I'm having trouble figuring out how all that kind of crap could possible get into the airbox. Seems like an interesting clue to a seriously weird history.I thought at first that the boots had somehow melted -- without burning up the whole bike. I've seen blow-by oil and grit, but nothing like that. Some kind of foam substance sprayed into the air filter box?

At some point before I got her the lower airbox got melted - there was a large hole in the corner. It's covered by the silver metal tape you see in the photo of the entire airbox, at the top.

The clearer ports are the ones where the boots were folded over. That one looks like black plastic covering the port, doesn't it?

For all I know, this is what DSPO looks like.

Indeed, but in this case it's also got a lot of Procrastinating DS Present Owner. The airbox was holed when I bought her, as I discovered at some point after purchase, I think when I replaced the fuel filter. No, wait, that's when Gene covered the hole with metal tape. Before that I had it covered with electrical tape (hey, I used to be an electrician, I still use electrical tape for everything except what I use duct tape for!). Remember I've put 48000 miles on her since I bought her. In three years and 4 months.

BTW, how much did a set of boots set you back? Those pups usually are pricey.

On Partzilla they're twenty bucks each. I don't know if he's replacing just the two or all four. I suspect all four, since everything else is going to be replaced. For a difference of forty bucks, I'm perfectly OK with replacing all four.

Why do you have to replace your cylinder head? What happened?

Wonky sparkplug thread -- Dave thought I was trying to shoot a plug through my battery. I already had a replacement head when the bike broke down in Rapid City. Hauled it home and haven't even started to figure out why. Suspect a coil -- seems to be missing on two cylinders. But by the time I get the head off, I'll have had a pretty good look at pretty-much everything that matters.
[/quote]

Oh OK, yeah, I remember you telling us about that. Sorry, CRS. Damn the '70s. And the '80s. And the '90s.

I can't even imagine what poor Gertrude's cylinders and valves look like after all this time and miles. Man she's gonna be, um, different when all this is done. As fast as she's been for me, she's been so clogged I'm guessing I probably only got half her power.

Perhaps an alternate title for this thread could be "Gertrude Gets An Enema"?

The fuel pump has, AFAIK, never been serviced in any way, shape, or form. Never had any problems. We'll see if it can keep up with the new improved airflow and power, eh? She is getting a new fuel filter, too.

So this is what all is getting done whilst she's in hospital:
1. Install and sync rebuilt carbs.
2. New lower airbox
3. New fuel filter
4. Rebuild forks - all new bushing, seals, etc. etc. - going with 20wt. oil this time, and will let y'all know what we decide for oil level after consulting with Progressive.
5. Adjust and service, if necessary, steering head bearing.
6. Replace spider/leaf springs in clutch. I replaced the discs and plates a couple of months ago. Didn't have the tools to do the spider springs.
7. Remove broken tap from left side subframe/saddlebag mount. I broke that tap, can't blame the PO for that one.

I'm putting in almost as much money as it cost to buy her! Actually I think it might be a little more when all is said and done. Then at some point I'll have her tail taken care of - service swingarm bearings, replace drive shaft. Neither of which is acting up, but neither have ever been serviced in 100,000 miles. I figger it's about time. Actually I figured that about 20k miles ago LOL.

[GrandpaDenny]

I went to visit Gertrude in the hospital yesterday when I dropped my mechanic off at his house - he's letting me borrow his car to go to work. A few interesting observations:

- The old carbs don't look as bad as one would think. All the slides move freely, not a bunch of crap in the venturis.
- The mess in the airbox ports? Melted boots. Not oil and dirt. Confirms the "fire in the airbox" theory.
- The fuel filter and fuel pump are REALLY easy to get to with the lower airbox out of the way.
- The boots between the airboxes weren't connected at all. They are there, but not connected to the lower airbox, just hanging from the upper. So she's been sucking unfiltered air not only through the carb boots and the (taped over by me) but through the airbox connecting boots for gods know how long. I've put almost 50k on her and they were like that when I bought her.

Ah, the joys of buying a two-wheeled hoopty.

Oh, and the carb boots that were 15 bucks a year ago, and 23 six months ago are now 43 bucks each. And they say inflation's only 6%. Sheesh.

[Nails]

The mess in the airbox ports? Melted boots. 2222

Bullshitte. It's obviously after-burner residue.

[GrandpaDenny]

More news:
Wheel bearings were destroyed. That's probably what ate the forks. When I had the rear tire installed in June I asked them to check the wheel bearings, they said the bearings were fine.

[GrandpaDenny]

Fork bushings after 102000 miles (assuming they are original, and no reason to except otherwise):

[GrandpaDenny]

One fork, disassembled and cleaned for your viewing pleasure:

[GrandpaDenny]

in the picture with the one fork (I believe it's the right fork), are all the rebuild parts for both forks, including, as you see, a pair of really nifty Kawasaki fork boots.

"Kawasaki fork boots for a VXII? Didn't knew there were such a thing". You're right, they are the boots from the old OEM rear shocks. Ain't dey purty?

[GrandpaDenny]

More pictures of Gertrude in surgery.

[GrandpaDenny]

More information - looks like somebody had tried before, unsuccessfully, to remove the wheel bearings. 'Twasn't me. So that was at least 50,000 miles ago. Jeez. I'm on, I believe, my fourth front tire since I bought her. None of the dealership mechanics ever checked the bearings???? 130 bucks to get a tire changed and they didn't check the bearings?????

So, today I deliver the new front brake discs to my mechanic. You're not going to believe this, but I got them for twenty bucks on eBay. They look fine, bit of expected surface rust, no evidence of warping. The seller was very highly rated and I'd seen many other parts offered by them for way less than other sellers, so I took a gamble.

The information in the tech center has been a huge help; I've been looking things up and sending them to my mechanic. He normally works on (and owns) Concourses - he's had (owned and worked on) ZG1000s (Concours 1000s) and owns & works on Concours 1400s, so Gertrude isn't totally alien.

Funny story... a couple of weeks back I saw a Concours 1000 for sale and suggested it to him, since he often says he wishes he still had a C10 as a spare bike. This was before Gertrude went in for surgery. He thought I was wanting it, and asked if I was will to part with Gertrude. I said "oh hell no", not for a thousand dollar bike. Well, now that we've put well over a thousand bucks of parts and labor into her... <shrug>

[GrandpaDenny]

The reassembly begins! I'm so kronking excited. Newly rebuilt forks with Bel-Ray 15w fork oil. She's getting new front brake rotors, fresh EBC sintered pads, has new wheel bearings, man I'm stoked.

Tomorrow, the carbs. Hopefully will get her back Monday or Tuesday.

[GrandpaDenny]

Progress report: Front end is complete. Rebuilt forks, new brake rotors and brake pads, and front wheel are installed. Tomorrow, the carbs and lower air box and syncronization and settings and tweakings and stuff.

To recap what's been done and is being done:
1. Replace carbs and lower air box
2. Replace all four carb boots
3. Replaced fuel filter
4. Replaced front wheel bearings
5. Replaced front brake rotors.
6. Replaced front brake pads.
7. Rebuilt front forks using Bel-Ray 15w fork oil and Race Tech bushings. Mechanic reports lots of problems with bushings from OEM suppliers being kronked up.

Still to be done (waiting on parts) at a later date:
1. Replace clutch spider/leaf springs. Waiting for the clutch hub nut to arrive.

For the last week I've been driving another friend's Prius. Not a bad car, not exciting, but does get about the same gas mileage as Gertrude. He needs the car tomorrow so he let me borrow his truck. I'm much more comfortable in a truck than a car anyway. Well, hopefully in a couple of days I'll have Gertrude back!

[GrandpaDenny]

New brakes are on, wheel's back on, Gertrude's off the lift and on her own center stand. Carbs are being installed as I type. Discovered the carb-to-head boots for #1 and #2 cylinders (the ones that had the most damage to the carb holders (carb-to-airbox boots) are a little melted and rough and hardened but still usable, so not messing with them at this time. He's got a valve job on another bike to do and I need Gertrude.

He's texting me right now pissing and moaning and bitching and fessing about getting the carbs, boots, and airbox all lined up LOL.

Here are some pics, including the brand-new fuel filter. So easy to get at with the airbox out of the way.