Front Master Cylinder Restoration help

[Finchster15]

Hey guys, a bit new to the site but I've been looking around for some help in my area. I picked up a 79 XS11 that had been parked outside in a bush for about 15 years. Needless to say it needs help. At the top of my ever changing list right now is the front master cylinder spooge hole. I know it's supposed to have one and that it gives many a rider at least 5 kinds of hell when it doesn't do its job, but as mine has been sitting for 15 years or so, I can't find exactly where it is to free the blockage. I'm assuming it's the spot where it looks like a hole used to be on the right of the pic. But the gunk that was in there has turned into solid crust. So, if I am right, does anyone know of a good chemical way to remove most of that build up, or the size of the hole it used to be so I can possibly re-drill it? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated (besides brake cleaner or an ultrasonic cleaner. Already tried that...)

[fredintoon]

Hi Finchster and welcome,
sometimes the old ways are best, try boiling it up on the stove in water with a dollop of dishwasher liquid in it.
That should soften the crud so you can poke the hole clear with a wire guitar string.
And yes, the spooge hole is in the bottom of that little dimple.
If my aging memory serves, it's only 0.013" (0.018"?) diameter so poking it out is about the only way for the average guy to go.
(that's the guy who's smallest drill bit is 1/16" and no way does a spooge hole need to be that big)
As to what it is:-
Tiny tank, axle in front of forks, weird front brakes, 16" rear wheel, round headlight, signals & gauges = Special.
Big tank, axle under forks, normal front brakes, 17" rear wheel, square headlight, signals & gauges = Standard.
Parts can be swapped like LEGO, you could well have a Frankenbike.

[CatatonicBug]

Welcome to the forum! Fred has it right on everything there. If you're still not sure what model your bike is, you can compare your VIN to the list in this thread. A few pictures might help us identify things too (looks like you got the pic posting down ). We like pictures! We look forward to seeing the transformation as you bring it back to life. Good luck, and be sure to ask lots of questions.

[Finchster15]

Thank you both! I'm going to try the boiling method and see what happens. If that doesn't help I may be screwed and have to buy a new one. In any case, thank you again and here are some pics for you to laugh at.

[79XS11F]

That's a very very tiny hole that is not much bigger then a small sewing needle so drilling is not going to work. Have you tried air pressure as in full blast (100 PSI or more) from a small enough reducing nozzle attachment to fit right into the depression?
Rob

[xs11bobber]

You've trumped me

Looks like your off to a better start than I. The only info I have pertaining to my bike so far is that it's a '79 Special. At least that's what the PO told me. I go Thursday to pick her up. I'm going to go for something like this... www.shopschops.blogspot.com. Shop has some very useful information on there even if you're not hacking and cutting. I suggest anyone stop by and see what he's done.

[bikerphil]

I use a .011" guitar string to poke thru the spooge hole when it becomes blocked.

[Ken Talbot]

Try using a piece of wire snipped from a wire brush to dig/drill your way through the crud:

[03mach1]

on my '78E, after rebuilding the MC, we found out the Spooge hole wasn't drilled all the thru, that is why I couldn't clean it out. The bike always had brake problems, wouldn't release and were constantly dragging.

[Finchster15]

I ended up drilling it with a .029 drill bit. I tried poking it thru with guitar wire, boiling it, ultrasonic cleaning it, brake cleaner, air, I even tried to heat the crud loose with a torch. Nothin. The .029 was the smallest I could find. Hopefully it will work, even thou it's about twice as big as it should be... Couldn't do any worse than it was before, so why not...

[crazy steve]

Thank you both! I'm going to try the boiling method and see what happens. If that doesn't help I may be screwed and have to buy a new one. In any case, thank you again and here are some pics for you to laugh at.

Hey, that ain't so bad looking. At least all your aluminum isn't white! Hopefully you're not missing as many parts as are gone in the pics.

If you have or know anybody with a cabinet sandblaster, that would clean that M/C out in jig time. You can buy a small 'spot' blaster from HF for not a lot of money, and just mask the areas you don't want 'cleaned'. If you can't do that, two more things to try to clean the gunk out of your M/C: try some Simple Green. This stuff will eat aluminum if it's left on too long, but will soften heavy corrosion if you let it soak for 10 minutes or so. My cleaner of last resort is oven cleaner. But DON'T leave this on very long (5 minutes max), or get it inside the cylinder bore or on any 'finished' surface if you can help it. A small stainless steel or brass toothbrush (available at welding suppliers) is very handy to 'scrub' out the gunk. When using either, make sure you thoroughly rinse this stuff off; use lots of warm soapy water.

And welcome to the list!

'78E original owner

[fredintoon]

I ended up drilling it with a .029 drill bit. - - - - The .029 was the smallest I could find. Hopefully it will work, even thou it's about twice as big as it should be... Couldn't do any worse than it was before, so why not...

Hi Finchster,
twice the diameter means four times the area. While I don't know for sure if that is a problem or not, it costs more to make a tiny hole than it does to make a larger one so they wouldn't have made it that small unless they had to? Let us know how it works, eh?

[Cobia]

Last resort

Hey Buddy,
When all else fails, there's always Andreas. He's always come through for me at incredibly reasonable prices.

[redbone]

yeah..me too..

i'm with friedintoon, let me know how that drilled hole works for you. i htought of doin the same thing but did not have a small bit. i figured it could do no harm. eventually got mine cleaned out with a piece if wirebrush. let us know.
tsx
redbone

[oldnortonrider]

(?!) Anybody know if drilling out the spooge hole, has worked? will work? I can't seem to get any size small wire through mine (front M/C) this time~~had unclogged the spooge hole several years ago with proper size guitar wire(s); cain't get 'em to go in this time. Trying to do this "fix/unclog" with the M/C on the bars; managed to do the fix, last time, this way.