1980 LG restoration after five years in storage

[mixelpix]

Hello,

I've recently brought home my 1980 midnight special after five years in storage. It's been awhile since I've lurked these forums, and I wanted to say hello 👋 ...glad to see we're still here 🙂

I'm also writing as I am wondering where to get started before spamming the forums with questions about topics already well discussed... seems like the new forum is pretty much the same structure as the old style?



For some background, the solenoid shorted out prior to storage, and I figure there's a short to track down. Pulling the battery out, the negative lead was snapped off at the connection to frame (on the neck to the fitting). Heh. I feel pretty good about tackling the electrics, but the front tire is currently not spinning. Prior to storage, it has always been really easy to push around. Initially the wheel did turn, but pulling it out of the storage unit and getting it on the trailer was very difficult:



It's been awhile since I was actively wrenching on bikes'n'atvs, but I have a good garage space to work in, and I'm also building out my workbench (more tools - like, a better shop light for starters!)

As of today, I've got the bike up on the it's center stand. It occurs to me that if I could get it to sit on its back tire, it might make the front wheel and calipers easier to diagnose.


(You can see the slide marks from dragging it into place. After the 800 mile ride on the trailer, the front refused to spin at all.)

Would a jack pushing up the front of the frame with a small foot in between the center pipes be a terrible idea, or is there a better technique and a particularly adequate tool?

Thanks,
Patrick

[jetmechmarty]

Place an automotive jack stand under the forward engine mount. You’ll need a strong helper to push down on the grab rail to raise the front end. Otherwise, you do that while your help places the jack stand.

[Bax]

Hi Mixelpix, I get it...... So front brake issue is first up. The spooge hole in the master cylinder is probably clogged and not allowing brake fluid pressure to return to the reservoir. Try opening the bleeders to release the brakes so you have a rolling chassis. Brake overhaul high priority...... Using a jack to tip back the frame on the center stand to lift the front wheel off the ground is a standard procedure. More help to follow....


Bax

[DiverRay]

First off, if you are in Utah, you need to dump the CA plate!
As Bax said, loosen the bleeder screws on the front calipers and see if you can then roll the tire. If not, you are going to here: https://xs11.club/forum/repairs/brak...ed-spooge-hole
I used both a bottle jack and jack stand when working on my bikes front end. If you have a little money, go to harbor freight and buy the motorcycle lift!!! Best $300 I ever spent!
I'm about 20 miles West of Boise, ID, so I may be close if you fine out something isn't working and need a second set of eyes. I also have a few parts for the Specials, but most of my spares are for Standards.

[cajun31]

Patrick, Welcome or rather welcome back. I own two LGs. One I have owned since I purchased it new. I will ditto what has been said about jacks and brake repair. Don't know exactly what you are after as far as the bike goes. Are you looking to fully restore the bike or are you shooting for just getting the bike back on the road.? I can share a lot of info with you depending on what your goals are. I can add my two cents on the brakes now. You should look up a vendor Brake Crafters and you will find all the master cylinder and caliper rebuild kits. The pistons they provide are stainless and if you have not already done so I highly recommend if you have to replace your caliper pistons buy stainless. I just finished mine on my second LG. Don't know if there is a Harbor Freight in your area.. To make bleeding the brakes easier invest in a MityVac. It is nice to have in total brake flood replacement as well. Harbor Freight sells them as well as another brand that I hear does just as good a job as the MityVac.

Let us know your goals and we can all chime in with what all we have done and you can pick and choose what your budget allows.

[cajun31]

I forgot to mention something I just ran into on mine. Now mind you I have no idea how long this bike sat up before I purchased it.. Possibly 20 years but I don't think it was that long. What I ran into was clogged brake lines on the front two calipers. The top line from the master to the coupler was fine but the two bottom lines were clogged. I did not know this initially. I had put new kits in the master cylinder and new pistons seals etc.. on the calipers and could not get the bike to bleed. I invested in a MityVac which finally solved my problem. It would not pull brake fluid through either and I had a fairly tight seal on the caliper. I pulled the two bottom lines off and used a steed guitar string and carb cleaner to clean the hoses. I had to run the string in one side then the other several times to break up the crud then I was able to shoot carb cleaner through them. Reassembled and the MityVac made short work out of bleeding the system. My plan is to change my brake fluid on all 3 bikes at a minimum of every two years. I think that is what the manual calls for. Anyhow.... just telling you my story as you could be facing the same problem. Probably not if the bike has only been sitting for 5 years.

[mixelpix]

First off, if you are in Utah, you need to dump the CA plate!

😆 fortunately the UT DMV nearby has some real nice folks working there 😁

Thanks for the offer! There's a Harbor Freight about two miles down the road 👍

[mixelpix]

Let us know your goals and we can all chime in with what all we have done and you can pick and choose what your budget allows.

Wow, original LG - that's amazing!

Thanks for the suggestions.

My budget's at the "get it riding again" level with no rush to ride until the Summer. Definitely wanna keep it stock pretty and healthy, so viability and safety stuff first. It has under 50k, but was not stored very well.

It was burning a lot of oil after boring it up, so I figure compression and engine health will be my next targets. Possibly a new set of rings. With the starter solenoid blowing out, I also imagine a lot of tear down to see how fatigued the wiring is.

Really appreciate the help!

[mixelpix]

I pulled the two bottom lines off and used a steed guitar string and carb cleaner to clean the hoses. I had to run the string in one side then the other several times to break up the crud then I was able to shoot carb cleaner through them.

Great advice - thank you, this community really is the best ☺

Mine has what I think are the original hard rubber(?) brake lines. Would you recommend steel braided ones?

[cajun31]

the hoses I had to clean out are the originals just like the ones you have. I cleaned them to use for now but to answer your question yes I absolutely recommend the steel. I have the steel stainless on my original LG and the difference is night and day. Once you put the steel on you will see what I am talking about. The original have a softer feel and the steel are very firm and braking is more responsive. What kind of shape are your pipes in? pitted or good enough to polish and use as is? I had to sandblast the ones I have and I painted them with Cerakote. Did that this past spring and summer and can't speak for how well they will hold up but they do look nice. Here is a picture of mine. I can recommend paint for the wheels as well if you decide to go that far. The bike pictured have the stainless lines.

[2WheelFun]

I see you have rafters in your shop, I would hang it by the frame with ratchet straps instead of jacking it.

You will need a decent set of snap ring pliers to disassemble the master cylinder so you can clean it, inspect it and replace the parts that are bad. If the fluid is still in the resevoir your rubber seals probably can be cleaned up and re-used.

The cylinder in the caliper may be stuck in the bore. You will need compressed air to pop the piston, if you don't have compressed air take it to a mechanic and have them blow the piston out of the caliper for cleaning/service. Take the old pad with you to use it as a stop so the piston don't fly across the room.

Good luck with the refresh.

[Ranger_xs1100]

the hoses I had to clean out are the originals just like the ones you have. I cleaned them to use for now but to answer your question yes I absolutely recommend the steel. I have the steel stainless on my original LG and the difference is night and day. Once you put the steel on you will see what I am talking about. The original have a softer feel and the steel are very firm and braking is more responsive. What kind of shape are your pipes in? pitted or good enough to polish and use as is? I had to sandblast the ones I have and I painted them with Cerakote. Did that this past spring and summer and can't speak for how well they will hold up but they do look nice. Here is a picture of mine. I can recommend paint for the wheels as well if you decide to go that far. The bike pictured have the stainless lines.

Hi Cajun31, great looking midnight! I also have 2 midnights and if you don't mind, I'd would like to hear your recommendation for gold wheel paint, as well as your black stainless brake line source. Thanks! Bob

[DiverRay]

You will need compressed air to pop the piston, if you don't have compressed air take it to a mechanic and have them blow the piston out of the caliper for cleaning/service.

Um, NO! Safe way to remove the piston is put a short bolt in the banjo bolt connector, 10mmX1 I think, loosen the bleeder valve, and put a grease gun on the bleeder. You can pump until the piston comes out, and it won't blow the piston across the shop and off, or through the wall. The grease cleans easily with brake clean once you have most of it out.
SS Lines ARE the way to go! I had some built at a shop in Boise, DOT and all. For the oil smoke, if it has not been run in a while do NOT disassemble the engine. Put a 50/50 mixture of Acetone and ATF(auto trans fluid) in the plug holes and let it set for a few days. That will loosen up the gunk in the ring lands, and you probably will not need to put in new rings. Do remember to cover the plug holes with old towels or something the first time you turn it over, or you will have the ATF everywhere in the shop.

[2WheelFun]

You'll put your eye out kid! LOL
Thanks for the hydraulic advise, I'll stick with my method and leave the greasy cleanup.

https://youtu.be/1jp2OCidBV4

Nozzle right in the banjo hole works.

Piece of wood or brake pads or whatever in there that will limit the piston travel will keep it from being a projectile. Even at 60 psi there is only 141# of force on the piston. I've done it plenty of times without incident.

I would recommend going through the masters and calipers and a thorough flush of the lines especially since you have a lock up. You may be ok with a change of brake fluid for the rear but it doesn't take long to clean things up on both ends.

[cajun31]

Hi Cajun31, great looking midnight! I also have 2 midnights and if you don't mind, I'd would like to hear your recommendation for gold wheel paint, as well as your black stainless brake line source. Thanks! Bob

Hey Bob, Here is my info on the gold paint. Mind you I have searched hi and lo for the Nebula paint and after many years trying I basically gave up. I went as far as buying a pristine NOS rotor so that I could take it with me to the paint store to have it scanned only to be told that there was not enough area for them to employ the scanner. I am hard headed though and wouldn't take that as the final answer. Of course I know the paint shop guys fairly well so they worked with me. They pulled all the placards they had out in gold and I took them all outside in the full sun and laid each one against my nice rotor until I found as close as match as the placards had to offer. I have been quite pleased with result on the color. It is a basecoat paint that I followed up with a satin finish clear. If you haven't already guessed I paint. Not for a living mind you but just something I picked up as a Corrosion Control Specialist while I was in the Air Force. I painted everything they had including jet fighters. Any how back to the paint. I have included pictures and hopefully you can get the formula off the can. It is a Chromabase product. Sticker shock might get you on the quart of paint. My guy didn't want to tell me the price until I wouldn't change my mind. The cheapest he could get for me was $230.00 for the quart. Yeah ... maybe it is cheaper at your paint store. The only reason I went with it was because I had several wheels and rotors to paint and loved the color. You decide but my bike pictures speak for themselves on how well it looks on the bike. My brake lines I bought over 8 years ago off of Ebay and I can't go back to who that vendor was. The lines are good though. My suggestion would be to go to XJ4ever.com.. I know from your gold plating ventures you are familiar with them. Not cheap but they actually build the lines to stock standards only the lines are stainless rather then rubber. The lines I have don't include the metal piping between the rear master and caliper. I understand the ones from Len do along with all the mounting rubbers front and back. I am looking at grabbing a few sets from him for all of my bike when my budget allows. My budget is the reason I cleaned my originals on my current project. Only so much budget to go around.