Project progress..

[planedick]

Studs

The exhaust studs on the Special engine are shorter than the standard and will have to be taken out and longer ones put in to eccept the standard exhaust.

[Crazcnuk]

Wonderful. Nothing like ripping the threads out of the head!

I finally found all my studs, I have 2 sets. will have to set aside some time to go around pulling them all out, and putting the longer ones in.

When I started it last night, it would start right up and idle between 900-1100rpm.

Today, after I put the pipes on, it now starts, then climbs quickly to 3000-5000 rpm and stays there.

I assume I have a vacuum leak to track down.

Also discovered that the upper shock mount stud is broken off. The PO had the Acorn nut wedged onto the remains of the last remain thread. Will have to pull that out, too.

Next will be changing the springs on my shocks, any tips on how they come apart?

New tires are in, and should have the wheels back tomorrow.

I may go down and get the licence plate and insurance tomorrow, just in case it needs some road testing!

[pggg]

Craz, double up 2 nuts on the short studs to remove them, if lucky they'll come out no sweat...

[fredintoon]

upper shock mount stud

"Also discovered that the upper shock mount stud is broken off. The PO had the Acorn nut wedged onto the remains of the last remain thread. Will have to pull that out, too. "
Hi Crazcnuk,
um, you can't exactly do that. That component is welded into the frame.
I'd surmise a PO used a standard metric thread acorn nut on there when he mislaid the fine metric thread acorn nut that he took off. It'll go on mebbe 2 turns before it starts to bind, enough to encourage a bodger to go get a longer wrench.
What you can do is saw off the remains of the thread so that the stub is long enough for the shock and grabrail to fit, tap the end of the stud M8 and bolt the beggars on.

[Crazcnuk]

Actually, while the shock mount is welded solid to the frame, the threads are a stud that is screwed into the weded on part. At least is is on the other side of the bike!

I just have to be able to get a grip on what's left in order to try and spin it out.

I found I have a couple of wires that I don't know where (or if) they go anywhere. The first is a green wire that is siamesed with the main starter cable at the solonoid end. It has a female round connector on it.

The other is a Red/yellow wire coming from behind the top-rear of the panel with the solonoid/fuse box. It has a male round end on it that looks too clean to have not been plugged in somehwere.

[AlanB]

Hi Crazcnuk,

If you have a screwed in stud on one side, It is showing you how to do your repair; as stock, the thread and the mount are one piece.

You may be lucky and find the PO had replaced both, but I bet he only drilled and tapped the one he couldn't get an acorn to hagn on.

AlanB

[John]

Originally posted by pggg
Craz, double up 2 nuts on the short studs to remove them, if lucky they'll come out no sweat...

You can double nut them, and use a propane torch. Come in from the exhaust port with the flame, and heat the area of the head that the stud is screwed into, and back the stud out. The heat from torch will not damage the head.

[Crazcnuk]

Yes, I can see what the PO did now. He broke off both shock mount threads.

Then he drilled out one, and put in a stud, the other one he was able to wedge the nut onto the one remaining thread.

I will just grind it off, flat and drill it for a new stud.

I got the tires and wheels on today, and registered the bike, so it's legal for test rides.

Now I just need to tackle the idle issue. It starts, and then the idle slowly climbs to ~2000rpm, then quickly up to 5500-6000rpm and stays there until I shut it off.

This is an '81 Special motor in an 80 std. I have all the lines hooked up. I tried to see if any were leaking, but couldn't find any. The throttle cable is loose, and the idle screw is not touching.

I tried unplugging each cylinder, one at a time, to see if I could find one that was 'leading', but none made any difference. The idle would still climb on any three.

[egsols]

Hey Craz,

When I first fired my 79 it backfired and reved to 5000. I turned the idel all the way off with no result. Two things I noted...no free play in the throttle cable, the standoff mounted on the number three carb was bent up and it was pulling the butterflies up ever so slightly. Number two, some twit had rerouted all the lines backwards. The vacuum advance line was routed from the boot to the carb and the line from the actual advance was rouoted to the octupus. When I bent the standoff done, rehooked the vacuum lines and reset the timing (they had it time at 26 degrees to account for no advance) it stopped revving. I synced the carbs using a guage I made and now she runs sweeet.

OBTW how far is Hindon from Holden, I hot a bro in Holden, round the corner from Tofield.

Ernie

[egsols]

Hey Craz,

Excuse the spelling in the last reply. It's early and I'm only on my first java. Check out the thread titled "High RPM issue" (if you haven't already). It describes a problem like yours.

Ernie

[andreashweiss]

You should check the pickup coils assembly to make sure it is a 2h7, as the TCI from the 80 special uses a 2H7 box. I am pretty sure the 81 special motor I sent you has the 2h7 pickup coil assembly as it had a 2h7 TCI box. It must have been made early enough in the production run to have been given the 2h7 assemblies. If it has the 4r0 pickup coil assembly let me know I will send you a 4r0 TCI ignition unit to match the pickup coils. andreas

[Crazcnuk]

Mine is a std, so there is no Octi. The adv line is plugged into #2 carb. There are only 4 other hoses, 1ea gas and vacuum going to their respective petcocks and #2 and 3 carb boots.

Where do I check for the p/u coil numbers?

I tried unplugging the spark plug to each cylinder, in sequence, to see if any one of them was pulling harder than the others, but it would still do it. I tried blocking the adv hose, same result.

[andreashweiss]

left engine sidecover,remove it,round metal disc has the timing marks on it,either says 4ro, or 2h7. Pretty sure it is 2h7 as the TCI box PO was using was 2h7,would not have run if he was using wrong box, some of the 81 xs1100's that were made in late 80 were equipped with the 2h7 ignition instead of the 4r0 which is 81. don't worry I have a 4ro tci which will be sent if you need it (no charge )to ensure the motor runs right. andreas

[Crazcnuk]

Will check it out.

Are you still in contact with the PO? Reason I ask is that it looks like he was having vacuum leak issues before.

He had smeared the carb holders with some sort of rubber adhesive, made up his own vacuum plugs, etc.

Just thought, if he is near by he may have an idea where it was leaking before, or if he was just being preemptive.


Holden is the on the other side of Edmonton, from me. Probably a 3.5-4 hr drive.

[andreashweiss]

No contact, bike was purchased no title,the carb boots are usually smeared with silicon or something like that by owners who are trying to make them look better. Usually not cracked all the way inside, they are double lined and thick, if they look good inside no cracks they usually do not leak,sounds more like a carb problem but always easier to eliminate the air leaks first. andreas