Big Old Bit@h Project

[DieHappy]

Figured I would share my trials and tribulations on my quest to get my butt back in the saddle.. I Recently purchased a 1991 FJ1200B 30,000+- miles.  PO ran it for 20 years or so, said it "was well taken care of", and that it "ran well"..  Wouldn't start when I went to pick it up.  Anyway, too late I was already smitten with her  .  Gave the guy a grand and let him help me push her into the trailer.

[DieHappy]

Workin in my ex-wife's basement, her soon to be 2nd ex husband's Harley is still there... :nea:Hooked her up to the charger and cranked her over.. Nothing at all, cranks over no pops..  First thing that comes to mind is the kill switch.  Mainly because the starter button doesn't always work, gonna pull it and check the connections.  Anyway, not smelling any gas.  I had cranked it over plenty for it to be flooded by this point.  So I finally did what I should of done when I first went to look at her.  I took my handy flashlight and looked into the gas tank. :ireful:That's not gas sloshing around down there.  I mean HTF does that much water?? get in there?  Guess it doesn't matter.  It's not like it's my first rodeo.  I bought my two big KZ's not running, I've dealt with water and rust sludge stuff in tanks and carbs before... Just wish I hadn't cranked her over soo much!  Here's what came out and a bunch of other pics.  Found a crinkled intake boot and the breather hose wasn't even hooked up. (Maybe why the ass end is so filthy? Cleaned the tank out, pulled the carbs which were full of junk of course!

[DieHappy]

So, new fuel filter, oil and filter change (used the thick non-synthetic Rotella because i found a fair amount of fiber in the bottom).  The PO had broken the oil cap so I had to pull the clutch cover to check for plastic, didn't find any, hoping for the best.  Installed the carbs, still have the stock air-box and I verified the stage 1 jet kit.  108 main with a adjustable needle on the second slot from the top.  At this point I really just wanted to here it run a little.  That's why I didn't do a complete carb tear down yet.  Backed her up to the basement door, pulled the choke and hit the button.. Sputter sputter sputter, dead..  What's that smell?  Just the ever expanding puddle of gas around my feet!  Ha, Ha !!  Mine as well push it again for good measure!  Yep fuel is definitely getting to the carbs now  ..Little dissapointed but at least it fired a little.  So now I've got the carbs completely disassembled.  I was feeling a little timid at first.  Like a nervous little girl at her first school dance.  Went well until the Emulsion tubes..  Two came out nice, one came out with a little too much force, The last came out with WAY too much force...  I know, couldn't be helped though.  Soaked them, let'm sit yada, yada, yada.  Damaged two. Thank the good lord for RPM!  Couple of the float needle tips look funky out of round too so I just ordered two carb kits and two float needles.  I already have an O-ring set and all the other jets look nice.  Gonna need a Clutch slave rebuild and a Sync tool but not until she fires up decent.  I've already read everything on the carbs, gotta love this site.  I can remember back in the day trying to chase down parts for a 1973 Kawasaki 350 Bighorn Scrambler (big single, two stroke, on-off).  Great rig, rural Maine is no-were in terms of motorcycles..  Anyway gotta love the internet!  Two of the offending emulsion tubes had a caked on layer of "stuff".  No wonder they wouldn't come out!

[Urban_Legend]

Keep going with her. They are so worth it. Loving the story so far. Can't wait for the next chapter.

Mark

[DieHappy]

Thanks man, I was just reading up on the meaning of Kookaloo.. Laughing out loud.  I've felt that during some rather terrifying yet exhilarating high speed wobbles on a KZ1000 back in the day!  Can't wait for that first ride...   

[fj1289]

Thanks man, I was just reading up on the meaning of Kookaloo.. Laughing out loud.  I've felt that during some rather terrifying yet exhilarating high speed wobbles on a KZ1000 back in the day!  Can't wait for that first ride...   

The addiction to Kookaloo is what keeps a project like this moving forward!

[DieHappy]

Woot! Woot!!! I now have a RUNNING FJ..

[DieHappy]

So I'm putting the carbs back together last Saturday, I had ordered a couple of carb kits cause two of my emulsion tubes were spent (I damaged them, came out real hard).  I also ordered two float needles so all four would be new.  Put the floats on last and the two new needles and seats were two high! WTF? 1.5s for FI.  So I reluctantly put in my old needles and seats and they sit right nice like they should.  I don't fashion myself as being wicked stupid but you'll have to take my word for it..  The Float needles, fuel stoppers whatever appear to be longer anyway gonna email Randy maybe he can check his stock??  No big deal, put her together anyway. Set my screws at 3 turns out per dyno jet directions, threw on the charger, turned the key fuel pump on and low and behold no fuel running out the bottom!  Started right up!!!  Gonna turn my screws down 2.5 (running rich) and going to bleed the clutch today.  No action at the lever, put a new rubber in the master (old one was shriveled up).  Pullin the slave to see if it's leaking, if it is I'll check it for a rebuild.  Buying a set of gauges or a motion-pro so I can sync the carbs.  Gonna make a list today....Glad it's not too nice out Ha Ha!  Here's a pic from a few days ago up here in Maine...

[Steve_in_Florida]

Woot! Woot!!! I now have a RUNNING FJ..

Good on ya! You'll have fun.

The addiction to Kookaloo is what keeps a project like this moving forward!

Yup, I Kookaloo'd right up to an unmarked State Trooper on northbound I-95 the other evening. He was hogging the fast lane, and I spotted his state-issued license plate and radio gear on my approach. I then decided (rightly, I think) to lazily pace him until my exit.

Steve

[JPaganel]

That's not gas sloshing around down there.  I mean HTF does that much water?? get in there?  

Open the gas cap and look next to the filler towards the back. See that little hole?
Now, look at the back of the tank, just below where the front of the seat is. See that hose barb?  Should have a hose running from it down to the bottom of the bike.

That's a splash drain. If it gets blocked, and the tank cap seal isn't quite up to snuff, and bike gets rained on, water can get in.

I had that happen, had to drain tank and carbs to fix it.

Now, I make sure to keep it clean and have no problems. You can clean it out with a bicycle spoke and compressed air.

[DieHappy]

That's not gas sloshing around down there.  I mean HTF does that much water?? get in there?  

Open the gas cap and look next to the filler towards the back. See that little hole?
Now, look at the back of the tank, just below where the front of the seat is. See that hose barb?  Should have a hose running from it down to the bottom of the bike.

That's a splash drain. If it gets blocked, and the tank cap seal isn't quite up to snuff, and bike gets rained on, water can get in.

I had that happen, had to drain tank and carbs to fix it.

Now, I make sure to keep it clean and have no problems. You can clean it out with a bicycle spoke and compressed air.

Thanks for the tip, she's running pretty good now.

[DieHappy]

Woot! Woot!!! I now have a RUNNING FJ..

Good on ya! You'll have fun.

The addiction to Kookaloo is what keeps a project like this moving forward!

Yup, I Kookaloo'd right up to an unmarked State Trooper on northbound I-95 the other evening. He was hogging the fast lane, and I spotted his state-issued license plate and radio gear on my approach. I then decided (rightly, I think) to lazily pace him until my exit.

Steve

Frackin Troopers!   Wondering myself how long my clean (knock on wood) driving record will last.  Speed traps everyday in this little Maine town.  Part of the fun I guess..

[DieHappy]

Been making good progress on the Old Bitch these past couple of weeks.  Turned my mixture screws down to 2.5 which really cleaned up the exhaust and throttle response.  Started her up for our first runabout...Clunk,stall. :dash2:At first I figured maybe I had air in the hydraulics, bled that out...  Same (this time tried it without starting it).  On a side note I should mention a rather pronounced release bearing noise when I pull the clutch lever in.  At this point I'm not super exited about another thing to fix.  Don't get me wrong, I F@$kn love this beast..Anyway thought maybe the plates were stuck together, same thing my KZ did after sitting for a while.  Plates were all stuck, good news in my mind.  Plates were nice, some discoloration on a couple of the steel but nothing warped.  Cleaned them up, called it good.  Release bearing looked solid too.  Works now..So I took her for a very short squirt down the dirt road my ex lived on..  Yeehaw!!  Guess she's a keeper!  Cleaned up the screen real nice with some Toms brand whitening toothpaste.  No really, couldn't believe how well it worked.  Mine was a nasty yellow and it looked like the PO had sneezed on the inside.. Pics don't really do it justice.  I have the chain soaking right now.  It was sooo loose, don't even know what to say.  I was trying to explain it to my Daughter, "it" being the whole motorcycle thing.  Part of it is you can keep it nice.  Try keeping a car or truck nice up here in Maine Ha, Ha..Good luck.  So I've been choppin and peelin decals.  No pink for me!  Probably need a battery. Gonna go right though her front to back.  Nothing fancy for now.. Here's a bunch of pics, I use a blackberry..Go ahead and laugh, my daughters are rockin the newest I phones...

[DieHappy]

So here's some pics of my progress so far.  At some point I plan on trimming the seat down.  It's a little to fat and high for me.  Currently making a bracket for the smaller turn signals.  I'll be pulling my carbs back off to install 40.0 pilots as soon as I order them.  From what I've read that's what it should have anyway.  She came with a Stage One.. 108 mains- needle second slot- new slide spring and a uni foam filter in the stock air-box.  Stock pipes also. Runs pretty damn good even without a carb sync yet.  I ended up taking off my chin fairing, it's toast.  Looks pretty good with or without it really...

[DieHappy]

That's not gas sloshing around down there.  I mean HTF does that much water?? get in there?  

Open the gas cap and look next to the filler towards the back. See that little hole?
Now, look at the back of the tank, just below where the front of the seat is. See that hose barb?  Should have a hose running from it down to the bottom of the bike.

That's a splash drain. If it gets blocked, and the tank cap seal isn't quite up to snuff, and bike gets rained on, water can get in.

I had that happen, had to drain tank and carbs to fix it.

Now, I make sure to keep it clean and have no problems. You can clean it out with a bicycle spoke and compressed air.

So funny story...Happened to remember you bringing this up, sure enough plugged right up with a little nest.  My bike doesn't make that slightly amusing sucking noise now since I blew it out. :good2:Thanks man..