Roxy: It's all Connected...

So for no reason (apparently), she had become hard to start, sometimes taking 2-3 kicks to turn over.  The second clue came when the MPG dropped from its usual 75-ish down to 66.  Finally, I just took a listen and realized how fast the idle was, compared to the "putt-putt-putt" that I'd been used to.

Dialed the throttle screw to slow the idle down, ended up at 5/8 turn out - which is exactly where it used to be!

So the throttle screw, despite having the proper spring, will still move after time.  Need to make sure to check this once in awhile.

I also ended up moving the air screw to 3/4 turn out from its original setting of 7/8. 

She now starts up on first kick again, and I'm hoping I see the change in MPG at the next fill up, too.

Roxy: Rings

Just wanted to test out the $5 Lisle piston ring pliers I got awhile back.  Work like a charm...

Roxy: Lazy or Brilliant?

If I had the time, I'd really want to figure out why the fork bridge is stuck on the bike.  But I was getting so tired of looking at the rusty bridge, that I figured I should just paint it while on the bike, at least as a temporary measure to stop the corrosion.

So I taped everything off, and used a large sheet of cardboard as a "backstop".  Went pretty smoothly and while not a perfect paint job by any means, it looks a hundred times better than the rusty plate that was there before.

Roxy: Quick Fix

It's been a couple months since doing any serious work in the garage; took some time off since doing all the work to fix Roxy's carb issue.

But today I had nice weather and all the time in the world to work.  The clutch cable replacement took all of five minutes, given that the new cable I'd bought awhile back for Viola was a perfect match to the one that broke.  Slipped right into place.  I tested the shift into first and neutral, and it felt the same.  Will need to do a quick road test to check all the gears.

 

Roxy: You Always Remember Your First

First breakdown!  On the way home after a nice afternoon ride, and I felt something snap when I pulled the clutch in.  Next thing I know, the lever is moving freely.  Clutch cable snapped right at the lever.

Luckily she broke down on 40th and Clement, and it was all downhill to get home.  So I ended up pushing her all the way back, sometimes riding her like a bike on the particularly steep sections.

Roxy: Slime

Thrilled that the new Slime inflator worked as expected.  Was expecting some kind of kink, but the machine itself seems solid (given I've only used it once).  And the Toppeak connector did the trick.  I was able to remove the valve without losing any air.

The Slime works fast on these small tires, too.  It added 8 lbs of air in 10 seconds, which is much more than I'll usually need.  It's a good thing it only takes a few seconds, though, as it's certainly loud when it's on.  Not to where you need ear plugs, but it's definitely not quiet.

The best thing is that both the power cord and air hose stow away neatly for storage.

Great addition to the garage!

Roxy: The Smallest Things...

Did the simplest thing first to check the racing idle, and found the throttle screw was very loose.  Removed it and found the spring was missing!  Obvious...  Re-adjusted and got back to a gentle idle speed.

Will need to test it on another long ride...


For reference, the throttle screw is backed out 5/8th of a turn.  The air screw is 7/8th out.

Roxy: Odometer Log - 17,637

Rode to the end of Great Highway and back (45 mins).  Nice ride but noticed she was idling very fast about 20 minutes into the ride, and when I got back, the fins would sizzle water.  Overheating...?

Roxy: No More Leaks

Whew... the oil leak at the breather hose really was just a case of the hose being loose.  When I detached it, I found that the rubber had become rock hard at the end.  Is it possible that it was baked by the overheating engine?  Being rigid it must have then leaked.  I snipped off the hardened portion and reattached the now pliable end along with a ziptie.  Problem solved!

Roxy: Odometer Log - 17,615

Filled up on gas.  Used 91 octane this time.
Air in tires was low at 18 front, 20 rear.  Line for the air pump so didn't fill them.

Roxy: Sizzling!

After Wednesday's ride, noticed that oil was leaking from the intake cover again.  Also, water would sizzle on the fins of the head, which I'd read was a sure sign of an overheating engine.  A lean mixture can cause overheating, and it seemed probable that switching back to stock jets had leaned things out too much.

I was hoping for an easy fix, so I just swapped out the stock jets with the silver ones that were in the bike originally.  So now I have the two silver jets in the "C" carb.

She started up cold on one kick after the swap, but wouldn't idle until I dialed in the air screw.  It's now only 7/8 turn out!

Rode Balboa again today, and was worried when I saw the oil leaking again on my way back.  I thought the oil leak was another symptom of the overheating.  But after getting back to the garage, I found that water wouldn't sizzle anymore.  The head was definitely much cooler.

The oil leak is still worrying.  I wonder if the overheating may have distorted the rubber or somehow caused it to loosen up.  I'll just try tightening things up first.

So now it looks like the silver jets are larger than the stock 85/35.  I just ordered some micro drill bits so I can figure out exactly what size they really are.  You find the largest drill bit that fits through, then you measure it with a caliper.

Roxy: DuPont Teflon

Cleaned and re-lubed the chain with DuPont Teflon Chain-Saver.  Hope it lives up to its reputation for having zero fling-off.

Used 2 parts Pine Sol to 1 part water for cleaning.

Also realized that simply adding cardboard under the center stand is enough to get the back wheel off the ground (duh).


Nothing like a clean chain!

9/20 Update: a little fling-off, but definitely nothing compared to what the Lucas did.  Unfortunately, any saddlebag on the left side will inevitably get sploshed over time.  But will definitely be sticking with the DuPont.

Roxy: Odometer Log - 17,594

Filled up on gas and calculated 76 mpg on this carb.

But not a great GGP ride.  Stalled a couple times in the garage, stalled when slowing for a turn in GGP, and very hard hot start at the gas station.  Also rode with headlight on (up until the GGP stall).  Wonder if that could have been a factor...?

But battery good at 6.4v and spark plug toasty brown with no more signs of build-up.  I think it's just trying to learn her warm start quirks.  Will need to test 5-10 min warm starts for awhile until I figure it out.

One post suggested kick once with ignition off, then kick with ignition on.  Reasoning is that an air-cooled bike needs a leaner mix to start when warm.

Roxy: A Quick Fling

Fling-off from using the Lucas lube.  Not horrible, but I'm eager to see how clean the DuPont Teflon is in comparison.

 

Roxy: Chain Cleaning [15,575]

I should have really cleaned and lubed the chain as soon as I got her.  Hard to say, but for some reason I doubt the PO was doing regular chain maintenance given he didn't even keep the oil topped up.


The cleaning station setup.  Unfortunately, there was no way to get the rear wheel to rotate, even by weighing down the front end, so I just had to keep walking the bike a few feet every time I had to move the chain. 

Dirty chain.

Cleaned and lubed.  Just used 50/50 Pine Sol mix in a spray bottle for cleaning, along with a nylon bristle brush (love that Pine Sol!).

Using Lucas chain lube, since that's what they had at the auto store.  But I already ordered a couple of cans of DuPont Teflon Chain Saver, since I hear that's the gold standard in good, no-fling chain lube.

Roxy: Odometer Log - 17,595

First full tank of gas since all the work on the carb, so can't really calculate MPG on this one.  Will be interesting to see what the change to the carb does for gas mileage.

Also added +5 air to front, +6 to rear.

Oil was at 9/10.

Roxy: Idle Problem Fixed! (sort of)

Hallelujah, she runs!  But I cheated a bit in that I just swapped out the carb with Viola's carb (labeled CS90C), which I'd already cleaned.  She started up and ran like butter.  Actually had a better, lower purring sound than with the old carb for some reason.  Idled strong for 5 minutes with no signs of hesitation, and it was a warm day so I think the running rich issue is gone.

I suppose I'd still like to figure out what's wrong with the newer carb, but first I'll have to figure out how to remove the stuck float pin.


First thing I did since the engine was cold was to check valve clearances.  Happy to see they were .002" on both intake and exhaust.  Also learned from the forum that the reason the PO probably added the breather tube was to accommodate a bigger cylinder or higher RPM.  Since there's a piston in the old parts bin from the PO, I wonder if the cylinder has been bored out.  We'll find out eventually.

Beautifully clean alternator compared to Viola's.

Then did a compression test for the first time.  Again, thrilled to see that I was getting 120 on a cold engine, especially since I was worried about an oil leak into the cylinder.  Odometer at 17,571.

Noticed there was this hole in the bottom of the muffler, though it seemed like someone put it there on purpose.  Another PO mod to increase breathing?

Also took the opportunity to switch to the new shorter filter (Visu-Filter Mini) that came in the mail today.  Much easier to squeeze between carb and petcock, and doesn't kink the line.

And finally everything installed.  Whew.  She idled and revved smoothly, but I'll have to take her on the road to really make sure everything's sorted.

Roxy: Carb Swap?

It would be nice to replace the carb entirely just to see what happens.  If it's the exact same problem (stalls at idle when warm), that's a big clue. 

Then again, I don't know if the replacement carb has problems of its own.  I'd really need to take a carb from a good working bike to be sure.

But as a test, I suppose it can't hurt.  So I started prepping the "C" carb (Viola's original) for duty.  Tested that the floats worked and then she was water-tight.  All in all, she looks to be in good shape.  The only problem I found is that due to heavy corrosion on the back threads, the throttle screw doesn't want to screw all the way in.  But it does go in far enough to just barely lift the slide.  So maybe that's enough.


Testing for leaks.

Testing to make sure the floats aren't leaking.

Roxy: Stalling when Idle continued...

Today I swapped out the slow jet with the Keyster one.  No change.

Swapped the air intake along with the gasket and insulating rubber, just to rule out leaks.  No change.

But did notice something new.  The bike actually idle ok (a little ragged, but held on) for about 2 minutes, when the engine got warm.  That's when she started to want to stall.

At that point, I happened to pull the throttle slide out, and white wispy smoke came out of the top of the carb.  It wasn't just one puff, rather it continued for 30 seconds or so.

I then pulled the plug and noticed it already had oil on the node, despite being only a day old.

So definitely seems that I have oil leaking into the cylinder, the question is just whether that is also affecting the idle problem or not.


The replacement intake is the one from Viola that I had painted with engine paint as a test.  The insulating gasket is in a lot better shape than the original one.

Roxy: New Plugs [17,571]

Still dealing with the weak-idle-then-stall problem.  Figured I might as well change the spark plugs.  Old one looked to be in pretty bad shape.  No telling how long it had been in there.  Figure the PO never changed it in the 2 years he owned her.

Replaced it with another D6HA.  Unfortunately, it had zero effect on the idling problem.  Also tried running the fuel line directly from the petcock to the carb to test if the issue could be related to the filter or a kink in the line, but again, zero difference.  Yesterday, I could have sworn that jiggling the fuel line seemed to affect the idle, but that doesn't seem to bear out today.

Roxy: Oiling the K&N [17,541]

After letting it dry overnight, I added the red oil to the filter today.

Roxy: Carb Cleaning

Decided enough was enough.  Time to pull the carb off completely and give it a good soak.  Removed the carb and did the 2-hour Pine Sol dip.  After it came out, I sprayed WD40 through the slow circuit several times. 

Put it back on the bike, and also changed the fuel line from carb to filter (since I had to cut off the old one).

Bike started and held a weak idle, but I want to give it 24 hours to let all the WD40 get cleaned out of the system.  If the idle's still weak tomorrow... well, back to the square one.

Also took the opportunity to clean the air filter.  Just washed it out and I'll let it dry overnight, then apply the oil.

Roxy: Fuel Filter Fiasco

It's hard to know when to follow the old mechanic's adage of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Just to keep the carburetor as clean as possible, I figured I could at least tackle the seemingly easy job of replacing the fuel filter, since the one that was on the bike was looking pretty aged.

This is basically how it went...

1. I ordered 2 different kinds of fuel filter online, plus clear blue fuel lines in 1/4" and 5/16", just to be safe.  One of the filters was the same K&N that was on the bike (so I thought).  And the other was a brass 90 degree version that I thought may come in handy if I had to use the original carb with the fuel line on the opposite side of the petcock.
2. Finally had a nice long afternoon to do the work.  Started by cutting off the old rubber lines since they were stuck way too tight to get off any other way.  Everything came off quickly and easily.  On closer inspection, the old filter definitely looked liked it needed replacing.  But it was all downhill from here...
3. Immediately realized that the 1/4" fuel line was way too big to fit either the petcock valve or the carb gas valve.  I thought I could snug it up and make it water-tight by simply using a hose clamp.  I was wrong.
4. Also, the K&N filter that I thought would be a direct replacement was actually longer than then one I had, making it much to long to fit between the petcock and the carb.
5. My long relaxing afternoon in the garage suddenly became a race.  First, went to the hardware store, hoping they had polyurethane hose smaller than 1/4".  They had vinyl tubing that small, and also a polyurethane one but it was thin and stiff and not suitable for the bike.  No luck there.
6. Went to the auto supply store since I had to grab filters as well.  I got two simple brass ones.  At first I thought they were sold out of 3/16" line, but luckily they carry it in the back and you can just get as much as you need.  I got 4' of their black rubber fuel line.  Small ray of hope that the day would get better...
7. Race home and try to pick up where I left off, though now I only have 30 minutes left to work so I'm scrambling.  Scrambling and fiddling with fuel lines isn't the greatest combination.
8. Replacing the lines and filter was actually fairly straight-forward at that point.  Got everything tight and leak-free.  Finally, time to start her up...
9. ... and she won't hold idle - again!!  Not sure why this problem always surfaces anytime I touch the carb.  She's been running just fine for days now.  The only thing I'd done was run gas through the carb.  I can't see how that should affect anything about the idle.
10. But I did notice that my jury rigged choke handle gasket had basically fallen apart.  I figured maybe that was the problem, but then again, had it been fine on all the long rides in the past week and only fallen off today??
11. Left the garage and couldn't get back to work for a few hours, and I was losing daylight.  Under the gun, yet again.
12. At this point, I figured I had nothing to lose, so why not try installing the original carb that I had cleaned and rebuilt?  This carb had the fuel valve on the opposite side, so I had to install the 90 degree filter.  After getting everything swapped, I crossed my fingers and opened the petcock.  
13. Everything seemed to be holding together... until gas started leaking from where the bottom joins the top.  The gasket didn't quite fit the dimensions of the bowl, but I thought the fact that it was squeezed tightly would keep it water-tight.  Guess I was wrong, again.
14. So now I think I'm stuck with the first carb, but I should really install the proper choke handle gasket, just to eliminate that as the possible air leak.  I was hoping I could get the choke handle off with the carb still on the bike.  But I hit the same problem I did on the other carb - the end of the handle was so deformed that it wouldn't pass through the hole.  
15. So I pulled the entire carb off, and just like I did on the other one, I tried to file the tip down so that it could pass through.  But it was already dark and I was working with just a headlamp now.  As much as I filed it down, it still wouldn't pass through.  I finally had to abandon that strategy.
16. So the carb goes back on, and I concentrate on trying to make a better jury-rigged gasket.  I ended up using a small section of the rubber hose, cut to fit snugly into the gap.  I also spread petroleum jelly around the contact surface hoping to improve the seal.
17. And started her again... and actually got a weak, but steady idle.  Was happy enough to leave it at that.  And I'm still left with the question of whether I really should have bothered switching the filter in the first place.

The old setup.

 

Funnel to catch gas from the drain plug.

 The old filter on the farthest left, and the 3 others I had to choose from before the trip to the auto supply store.  The simple one on the farthest right was in the box of parts from the PO, and I didn't know how much use it had already seen.

Testing with the 1/4" lines that ended up leaking.  Nice clear blue lines, though.  Will probably end up ordering them again in 3/16".

And the final setup.  Not very pretty.  Though I did eventually swap the hose clamps for the wire fuel clamps.