What did you do to your bike today?

[fredintoon]

Hi Greg,
rumour sez those are not the best pods.
Tapered? Wrong.
Fluted? Wrong.
Sheetmetal ends? Wrong.
Shoulda used Unipods instead, seems they work OK.

[BA80]

Hi Greg,
rumour sez those are not the best pods.
Tapered? Wrong.
Fluted? Wrong.
Sheetmetal ends? Wrong.
Shoulda used Unipods instead, seems they work OK.

These are the exact pods trbig has on his XJ and has had for several years and they work just fine.

[CaptonZap]

Where are you going to sit?

CZ

[BA80]

Where are you going to sit?

CZ

Uhmmmmmm.............I'll be moving that screwdriver for certain.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Fred,

Those are the LONGER OVAL Pod filters....look like the XS brand but they don't say XS on the chrome ends. Tapered, chromed, fluted, no problem.....it's that they do NOT have the restrictive mounting lip on the inside like the SMALLER ROUND EMGO tapered/fluted/chromed ones that DO have that bothersome lip! Without that LIP....the velocity stacks aren't really necessary.....but I think he might benefit from them. However, I also ran the UNIPOD types you are talking about at first on mine without velocity stacks and they ALSO worked just fine. It's just that the chrome end came off of one of them a year later....and I like the look of the tapered fluted ones better than the FOAM RUBBER tubes....that's why I switched....and then added the velocity stack mod.

Forgot....I haven't actually done anything yet....but will be getting Godzilla ready for XSSE this weekend, thinking of putting on some new fuel lines and INLINE cut offs, my lines are from my 2000 rebuild, the were the quality GREY single walled stuff I got from the local dealer....seem to be better RUBBER, I like that better than the TYGON type lines. Will also do some cleaning, polishing, oil/filter change and other stuff to ensure that it'll make the 1000+ round trip and ~500+ Rally runs there and home hopefully without a major breakdown!

T.C.

[dbeardslee]

Hi Greg,
rumour sez those are not the best pods.
Tapered? Wrong.
Fluted? Wrong.
Sheetmetal ends? Wrong.
Shoulda used Unipods instead, seems they work OK.

When they say sheet metal ends, they mean sheet metal on the other end - the end that attaches to the carb hanger. The "good" ones have a molded rubber end where they attach to the carb hanger. The fluting just increases the surface area so the filter element is, in effect, longer and can allow more air to pass through. I've got basically the same thing on mine, albeit the Mikes XS vairety, and they work great.

[jwhughes3]

Today we got the Navy bike running again after long hours on the operating table.

A HUGE thanks to Tod (trbig) and Greg (BA80) who came down for the weekend from Oklahoma to put me on the right track.

For those not following the saga, my engine seized up just outside Roswell NM in May only 2300 miles into my 2900 mile trip to Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. I was ignominously rescued by an AMA tow to a Roswell hotel and my wife bringing a trailer from home.

I had fortuitously come into posession of an untitled 79SF parts bike that was a victim of too much time in a shop solving electrical issues but was in otherwise beautiful shape. Many of you now own your own special parts of that bike, may she RIP.

So I embarked on a mission to transplant the very low mileage 79 engine as the new heart of the Navy bike. My vacation in August that I planned to spend in Sturgis I spent cleaning the operating table for surgery and stripping it down. Even with everything loose and my strong son Dylan as surgical assist, we could not get that blasted engine out of the frame. We huffed and puffed and pushed and pulled. We laid it on it side and tried to shake it out. I tried prying it out with a 2x4. My vacation ended in failure. The bike lay on its side in the garage for weeks, taunting me.

So finally tired of hearing me whine, Tod & Greg decided to end my misery. Tod showed up late Friday night after fighting holiday traffic at 2330. We had some drinks and stories and to bed at 0100. While I was scrambling eggs the next morning, Tod wanders out to the garage for a couple minutes to survey the situation. I finish the eggs and go out to tell him we will get started after breakfast, Greg won't arrive till afternoon since he had carb trouble of his own.

I look in and there is the 79 upright. The engine on the floor next to it. Tod with a wry grin on his face saying "It wasn't THAT heavy."

And so it began. I wish I could say it was all as easy as these guys make it seem but it was not. It was hot, boy was it hot. Its 100 degrees here and the best I could do was keep the house door open and fan AC into the garage to help cool it slightly. By Sat evening we had the Engine out of the Navy bike and donor in and starting to hook up mounts.

Today we finished at dusk getting it running after scavenging the timing plate and pickup coils from my old engine and synching the carbs. The 79s were shot and probably why the shop ran up a big bill on the PO forcing a sale.

It ran better than the big bore engine it replaced. Almost knocked me off the back of the seat! Very exciting. These early motors are just a kick.

My Harley buddy Bill came Saturday to help as did my son Ryan and Dylan (briefly) but Tod and Greg are the real mechanics in this bunch. I figured out that my pace of doing things would have stretched through winter into next year without expert advice and assistance.

And I think I am going to get one of those lifts to raise up the bike. My old back will appreciate it. Sorry no pics, as I am in transition with photo hosting, but maybe one of the guys has one.

I am truly blessed.

Happy Labor Day!
John

PS: We did look inside the old engine. A con rod cap came loose on one end, stretched a bit into a flatter shape than its usual C and eventually pounded its way loose until it was gouged into the case wall and 6 pounds of metal shavings were spread like Parmesan cheese into the lower guts of the engine.

[motoman]

Today we got the Navy bike running again after long hours on the operating table.

A HUGE thanks to Tod (trbig) and Greg (BA80) who came down for the weekend from Oklahoma to put me on the right track.

For those not following the saga, my engine seized up just outside Roswell NM in May only 2300 miles into my 2900 mile trip to Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. I was ignominously rescued by an AMA tow to a Roswell hotel and my wife bringing a trailer from home.

I had fortuitously come into posession of an untitled 79SF parts bike that was a victim of too much time in a shop solving electrical issues but was in otherwise beautiful shape. Many of you now own your own special parts of that bike, may she RIP.

So I embarked on a mission to transplant the very low mileage 79 engine as the new heart of the Navy bike. My vacation in August that I planned to spend in Sturgis I spent cleaning the operating table for surgery and stripping it down. Even with everything loose and my strong son Dylan as surgical assist, we could not get that blasted engine out of the frame. We huffed and puffed and pushed and pulled. We laid it on it side and tried to shake it out. I tried prying it out with a 2x4. My vacation ended in failure. The bike lay on its side in the garage for weeks, taunting me.

So finally tired of hearing me whine, Tod & Greg decided to end my misery. Tod showed up late Friday night after fighting holiday traffic at 2330. We had some drinks and stories and to bed at 0100. While I was scrambling eggs the next morning, Tod wanders out to the garage for a couple minutes to survey the situation. I finish the eggs and go out to tell him we will get started after breakfast, Greg won't arrive till afternoon since he had carb trouble of his own.

I look in and there is the 79 upright. The engine on the floor next to it. Tod with a wry grin on his face saying "It wasn't THAT heavy."

And so it began. I wish I could say it was all as easy as these guys make it seem but it was not. It was hot, boy was it hot. Its 100 degrees here and the best I could do was keep the house door open and fan AC into the garage to help cool it slightly. By Sat evening we had the Engine out of the Navy bike and donor in and starting to hook up mounts.

Today we finished at dusk getting it running after scavenging the timing plate and pickup coils from my old engine and synching the carbs. The 79s were shot and probably why the shop ran up a big bill on the PO forcing a sale.

It ran better than the big bore engine it replaced. Almost knocked me off the back of the seat! Very exciting. These early motors are just a kick.

My Harley buddy Bill came Saturday to help as did my son Ryan and Dylan (briefly) but Tod and Greg are the real mechanics in this bunch. I figured out that my pace of doing things would have stretched through winter into next year without expert advice and assistance.

And I think I am going to get one of those lifts to raise up the bike. My old back will appreciate it. Sorry no pics, as I am in transition with photo hosting, but maybe one of the guys has one.

I am truly blessed.

Happy Labor Day!
John

PS: We did look inside the old engine. A con rod cap came loose on one end, stretched a bit into a flatter shape than its usual C and eventually pounded its way loose until it was gouged into the case wall and 6 pounds of metal shavings were spread like Parmesan cheese into the lower guts of the engine.

J.W.,,,,,,check your private message log! /just some encouagement to roll this way!

[madmax-im]

Man thats awesome ...We love happy endings...

[trbig]

Just made it home.

Glad we got the bike going, John. Tell your wife thank you for putting up with the likes of us!

[BillyRok]

Way to go Fellers!!! I've been wondering when we were going to hear how all this turned out, glad to know the Navy Bike is once again ready to set sail. John are you coming to XSSE and bringing it with you?

[jwhughes3]

Not this year Billy, I don't have that time blocked off from work. I had taken time off earlier to go to Sturgis for the 75th anniversary a.k.a. try to get the engine out of the frame week.

But I'll be back again maybe next year or another East Coast rally for sure.

John

[BA80]

Just got home here to Tulsa about 6:30. Got in a stop and go traffic jam just before Norman, Ok (OKC) and my clutch cable broke. Got to change it in the heat along the highway with EVERYONE going by slowly pointing and laughing. One person did stop and offer tools and a COLD bottle of water. Was glad for both.

Got tired of hearing you whine JW. Told you that 79 engine would have some kick. Had to come help. But, 12 beers for weekend? C'mon!

I quickly remedied that Sunday morning.

[jwhughes3]

They were tall boys! OK next time the 30 pack!

John

[motoman]

Like I said, I tried 2 different trailer converters and they did the same thing.

Scrapped them and just added a couple extra lights for the brake. No more wiring nightmares.

Fortunatly, Ventururerr has a factory rubber booted twin wire pkug-in just for an added trauler tucked under seat.