1913 Emblem restoration

[moritz]

I have decided to bring the Emblem to the Chesapeake Chapter meeting in Upperco MD Sat 1 Oct.
my intent is to glean expert opinions, hope to meet some of you there.

[moritz]

shout out to Mike Terry, Brad Wilmarth and Bruce Lensday (sp?) for taking time and educating me on my Emblem yesterday. I have a game plan now....... Cheers

[moritz]

Gentlemen, making progress on the Emblem attached are pics of the engine. im very impressed with the lack of wear, as you can see from cylinder head and piston.
I would like to replace the rings but cannot find a suitable replacement, any recommendations as to where I can get them would be appreciated.
Also, can someone tell me if the carbon buildup on one side of the piston is normal for exhaust port side and should I remove it?

last question for now, there appears to be wear to a lever (bronze) inside of the timing cover, picture as reference.
Do I need to remove this lever and manufacture one or should I just try and use it?

reference for rings; Bore of head 3.517 / Piston Head 3.510 / Ring width .312 (note unique ring gap)

Cheers, Ken

[T. Cotten]

You might start, Ken,...

with https://egge.com/Contact-Us/

I'm clueless of course, but if your ring is really five-sixteenths I'd consider stacking anything that fits.

.....Cotten

[Steve Swan]

Gentlemen, making progress on the Emblem attached are pics of the engine. im very impressed with the lack of wear, as you can see from cylinder head and piston.
I would like to replace the rings but cannot find a suitable replacement, any recommendations as to where I can get them would be appreciated.
Also, can someone tell me if the carbon buildup on one side of the piston is normal for exhaust port side and should I remove it?

last question for now, there appears to be wear to a lever (bronze) inside of the timing cover, picture as reference.
Do I need to remove this lever and manufacture one or should I just try and use it?

reference for rings; Bore of head 3.517 / Piston Head 3.510 / Ring width .312 (note unique ring gap)

Cheers, Ken

i found this fellow in New Mexico, he manufactures rings for vintage engines from scratch.. he saved the day for me with a one year only model 1972 Yamaha 100 cc LS2. https://rmjmachineworx.com/

[moritz]

i found this fellow in New Mexico, he manufactures rings for vintage engines from scratch.. he saved the day for me with a one year only model 1972 Yamaha 100 cc LS2. https://rmjmachineworx.com/

thanks Steve,
RMJ Machine moved from NM to Midland TX.....he is manufacturing my rings now.

[Steve Swan]

thanks Steve,
RMJ Machine moved from NM to Midland TX.....he is manufacturing my rings now.

Excellent! Glad to hear that worked out!

[moritz]

Next issue I have is to prep the gas tank, two questions:
I have watched a lot of the YouTube examples of rust removal and tried the white vinegar (soaked for 18 hrs) but not successful. other than electrolysis what methods are recommended?
I found a small leak should i consider a sealant once the rust is removed? if so what is recommended?
V/R Ken

[HDSmitty]

I have had good results with Red Kote sealer. They have an extensive preparation procedure (which I followed exactly) and the tanks were spotless before applying the sealer. It's been 8 yrs in one bike and 4 in another. Works for me! Hope this helps.....Smitty

[Steve Swan]

I have had good results with Red Kote sealer. They have an extensive preparation procedure (which I followed exactly) and the tanks were spotless before applying the sealer. It's been 8 yrs in one bike and 4 in another. Works for me! Hope this helps.....Smitty

I am in agreement with Smitty on Red Kote; i have lined 4 sets of JD tanks and 2 more modern tanks with it now. In the past, i have tried Kreem, Por-15 and Caswell's. Red Kote is by far the easiest to work with and has given great results. I always plan on lining process taking around 6 hours, sometimes 8, mainly because consistently, routinely rotating the tank is critical for an even thickness to set up. Liner application requires a set temp range. Liner flow and as liner begins setting up is temp dependent; the warmer, the easier the flow, cooler, slower the flow. When the liner has set up after i have drained any excess, and removed any i have a small plastic microwave fan i use to draw the air out of the tank, having removed plugs, etc from where fuel taps, etc, normally go.

Prep is absolutely critical to having a good outcome. Prep takes time, same as coating takes time. Depending on severity and type of rust, plan on rust removal solution sitting in tank for 3-14 days. Different types of rust are on a spectrum ranging from a fine powder sort of coating to heavy flakes going deep into the metal. Find good fitting plugs for all openings. Have a copious water supply. Pinholes, you might try some sort of good adhesive tape if they're not large; that's a challenge i have little experience with. I have tried a number of different methods to remove rust; reverse electrolysis, 3% phosphoric acid solution, oxalic "wood" acid, molasses, Evaporust and Metal Rescue. What type of rust remover i choose depends on the nature of the rust needing removal. Having worked in motorcycle repair shops dealing with old Japanese bikes out of the 60's-80's, i have lined around 50 customer tanks in my time. Also, understand i do not line a tank unless i have a good reason not to. I always prefer original metal over installing a liner.

With a dry tank, not gummed with dried gasoline and rust the only issue, which i consider a typical rust removal project, 3% phosphoric acid (H3PO4) solution is my go-to; H3PO4 is Naval Jelly, i purchase 6 pint bottles and mix in 4 gallons of water. i have plastic 2 gallon jugs i store the solution in for re-use. Fill entirely to top of bung. Have you filled tank in a temp-controlled environment so the level does not rise or fall. I like H3PO4 because it is very forgiving and doesn't damage painted surfaces.

When you are satisfied the rust is removed, prior to draining the acid solution, go to the grocery store and purchase some some WASHING SODA. Not baking soda. After you've drained the tank(s) then wash out tank with copious cool, cold water flow. Then rinse tank with your WASHING SODA solution, drain and then put in some acetone, rotate around, drain and use an electric heat gun to quickly dry the tank, this decreases the chance for flash rust to form. The purpose of the WASHING SODA is to neutralize the acid that has been etched into the metal. A little rust is nothing to be concerned about.

When rust is stubborn to remove, sometimes i will put my assortment of 1/2" and 9/16" nuts in the tank, then put the tank in the clothe's dryer, stuffing blocks of of foam around the tank, run things through a cycle or two, then rinse and if necessary, back to another acid soak.

Now that the tank is dried out with acetone, having suitably plugged all openings, especially threaded holes, NOW you are ready to pour in the liner and begin rotating the tank to get an even coating. This process can take several hours, i more or less stay with it until i am satisfied i have the thickness of coat i want -and- the liner is not longer flowing. I always start out with less amount of liner than too much. Excessive amount of liner is a pain in the ass and only complicates the lining process. I usually have a good idea how much liner to our in, not too little and not too much. The lovely thing about Red Kote is it is MEK based, so adding a little more Red Kote to the rotating process will keep it flowing if you feel you need to get a thick coat during the tank rotation process. IF the Red Kote seems thick and not flowing well, rarely i will add a teaspoon or two of MEK in the tank, but i do this only early on in the rotating process. Rotating the tank to manage liner flow is usually about a 6 hour process

One hears about tank liner failures all the time. The application of ANY tank liner being successful depends on overall preparation and organization, having tools, plugs, etc, laid out prior to beginning the process, rust removal prep, and temperature during application of liner as well as staying with the lining process from beginning to end. Tank liner companies lining instructions do a dis-service to their product, over-simplifying prep and making it sound like it's ok to leave rust in the tank. I cannot emphasize preparation enough.

Anyhow... This is a lot longer than i planned on spending, but your motorcycle is a rarity that deserves thoughtful approach to step taken to put it on the road again. Such as you are doing. Hope this is helpful.

[moritz]

UPDATE
question 1:
piston ring gap setting.
Im ready to gap the rings, but im not sure of the gap required.
I was thinking about .008 to .010 any thoughts?

question 2:
the gap between head bolt tabs and casing is approx .100, what gasket material is recommended?

question 3:
looking for a front fork spring, any recommendations to get an original or manufacturer?

VR Ken

[PaulCDF]

Moritz

If you cannot find a replacement and find you need one made. Consider reaching out to McMaster-Carr. I have purchased from them before with good results (Never had them build a spring for me though)

made-to-order springs | McMaster-Carr