I picked this bike up last summer not too far away from me. I wasn't aware it was on the market but I was asked to look at it by a dedicated R owner. 



After looking it over and test riding it he decided it wasn't for him and he was sticking with R's. Partly he was afraid of the death rattle coming from it. I quickly diagnosed 3 issues but the bike was pretty ok. and the engine had been replaced under warranty at 41k miles, about half the mileage on the bike.

Issue 1 Knackered headers on the exhaust.
Issue 2 Monkey rubber nuts
Issue 3 Leaking around no! injector.

I knew the owner and had seen the bike a t two local meets so I let my friend decline the offer and thought about it overnight. I already had a spare exhaust so the cost of sorting that was nil.

ABS worked,  screen worked, and the bike had a brand new front tire and the disks were in good order. I rang the next day and made an offer. As the owner had poor mechanical skills and was aware of some of the issues we struck a deal. Not the cheapest K I ever bought but very good value.

At home I quickly swapped in a good battery and the exhaust . Already it sounded better.

I had it u on the bench using it for fabricating a K1100LT towbar for the red bike but that's a whole other story!

Well there it sat until this February whilst I robbed some parts off it for the other K1100LT to get it ready Kedada Alicante.

I attempted to Start the bike on returning from spain. It turned over a few times the the sprag clutch stuck. It stuck fast. I tried my quick fix, (post #88 in this thread). Time to dig deeper.

COVID19 Lockdown on return from Spain provides the perfect opportunity to give this machine the big overhaul it really needs. Stripdown has begun.



The bench is a fantastic addition to the workshop

Progress was pretty quick to this stage:




They always look weird like that!

Looking good there!!! Looks like stripping a lot of weight off it!

All seperated ready for stripping


Some grot. Wire brush on the drill took care of that


Front end back together after doing the valve clearances, 2 buckets changed and new Timing chain and tensioners all done

its a big job, eh ? will
looking good all the same

Some exhaust studs were needed




now to the back end. 

I replaced all Bearings in the intermediate housing and gave it a lick of paint to freshen the very yellowed lacquer on the housing

I stripped the sprag clutch and gave it a run in the ultrasound cleaner. As i was wiping it off I dislodged a pawl. Turns out there was a lot of grot on the springs so i took them all out. Next I cleaned and replaced them carefully....the wrong way around! 

In the meatime I developed a great way of putting the little springs in using dental floss:

 

as I was on the final one the spring flew - never to be seen again!

ok so it wasn't to be. I removed a known good unit from the old K1100RS engine, It was a lot cleaner but I gave it a treatment of Carb cleaner without removing the pawl ring this time.

charlie99 wrote:its a big job, eh ? will
looking good all the same

Cheers charlie....It has taken on a life but it's a good passtime during the Covid19 lockdown.

The engine being out of the frame made an ideal opportunity to get this broken bolt from the R side frairing mount sorted:




I love it when you get them spot on. Running in a tap cleared the thread.

Other little things that give great pleasure is sorting something as simple as this blank. 


The previous owner had a vent pipe just hanging down the front of the engine , another reason for rough running.

I noticed this sneaky little crack as I put the throttle bodies back. Not all the way through but I siliconed it to be sure. better to find these things now.

As I moved back along the bike the following all got replaced:

Rear main seal and O ring,
Clutch,
Gearbox input seal
Gearbox output seal
Clutch boot
Full spline lube 

as the final drive swivel bearings were showing signs of wear I decided to upgrade to these from motorworks:


the greasable bushing means it can get regular fresh lube by sapping in the grease nipple for the blank and giving them a shot.

the kit includes a sticker for under the seat as a reminder to mechanics future owners etc. etc.

It's hard to describe the amount of grime leaked oils and road dust had to be cleaned out of all the nooks and crannies on this bike. 

but for an example here's a before of the centre stand....almost totally devoid of paint. 


I enlisted the help of my Dad...bored during lockdown, at 92 he announced he doesn't want to be a gardiner when he grows up!!   - We'll once a biker always happy to tinker with bikes. I set him stripping and painting the stands:




Of course once you start painting it's hard to stop as the other bits look grotty and need to be brought up to standard.

The footplates came up well


and the rear frame also needed attention so the Nanogenarian was let loose on it:


Time for some grub:


Note freshly baked sKones in the backround...AMOW!

Having reunited the frame to the built up engine and drivetrain on blocks I had to figure out how to get the stand under it. 

I employed my ol' buddy from Cork's idea of using the folding ladder and rachet straps...Cheers Olaf!



I raised it enough to fit the stand then jacket the bench to slacken the tension. Simple and effective.

The oil water pump got stripped and a lick of paint whilst out to have the seals replaced too.

.

Once the sealant had set all new fluids in and connected up the wiring etc.

I decided to press the starter button to check the sprag action before fitting the exhaust and dmnation. It is spinning the same as the one which came out with out engaging....ARRRGGGHHH


Anybody got any ideas?

Looking good, nice little invasive job....Stand came out nice too

Regards

Dan

Can't help with the sprag clutch 88 but great colour on that bike - same as my now departed K1100.

My thoughts are the same as your old man's - I don't want to be a gardener when I grow up as that is the task that has befallen me during the lockdown. On the flip side it's forced me to complete the landscaping at our house and soon we'll be able to ride and I won't have the landscape task hanging over my head.

Stay safe you guys - it might be a while before any of us from Oz is able to visit the Emerald Isle.

Cheers

88 wrote:I decided to press the starter button to check the sprag action before fitting the exhaust and dmnation. It is spinning the same as the one which came out with out engaging....ARRRGGGHHH


Anybody got any ideas?

yes will .... some electronic contact cleaner , with a bent at 90 degree spray tube

spray down the oil filler hole with the tube pointed more or less right angles and a little up and towards the rear

with enough spray it will clear off the oil adhearing to the fingers of the sprag clutch ...not directly , but hope fully from the spray entering those holes in the drum assembly and or from the end of the drum holding the sprag mechanism

had the same issue just the other day ....

leave for about 15 minutes then try starting again

may take a few times

don't be surprised if it sounds like a big clunk as the assembly catches at last

very important to keep the motor running after , even better if you can put a few hundred kilometres of riding after . this tends to splash the sprag clutch with clean oil thrown up by the output shaft - crank shaft swishing around in the sump under running conditions

I havent put diesel compatible oil through the engine for more than a couple of years ....how slack am I ?

but have some ready to go in ...

nice work mate ....love to see it for real .....one day ?

charli wrote:
yes will .... some electronic contact cleaner , with a bent at 90 degree spray 

don't be surprised if it sounds like a big clunk as the assembly catches at last.....

 Maybe worth taking the crank cover off and shooting some into the holes on the sprag housing. Or maybe some oil.

Thing is I had this sprag out in my hand and cleaned it thoroughly at that stage. When I put it back I checked the action. And it was gripping the shaft.

I had that happen to me - cleaned sprag and all that. I hit the button and then smacked the crankcase with a 1lb rubber mallet. That made it behave itself. Constructive abuse.

Dai wrote:....... smacked the crankcase with a 1lb rubber mallet. That made it behave itself. Constructive abuse.

Just had the crank case cover off. Sprayed in some WD40 directly through the sprag holes then hit the sprag directly with a bar on to tap. Tried the starter - nada. Contemplating going back in all the way 

Solved!

 with thanks to José Mariá García Gonzalés who I met at the Kedada. He has superior skills!

I reassembled the starter magnets wring way round after stripping it to clean it! 

Thanks all for the inputs. So pleased I don't have to strip it all again.

A GOOD HONEST MISTAKE is worth many hours of pain.Well done that man

bugga will , but that would explain it , you wont be the first or last to experience this I guess
onward and upward ol mate
cheers

Thanks guys.

Note to self : put better marks on the case and don't remove them when cleaning!

So, does she purr?

Not yet . Fuel pump not priming - I have to check over the connections.

Thanks for the tip on using the ladder.  That may come in handy in the future for me.  

Well after tightening the pins on the tank connector I had to rig a bypass on the side stand switch (left the stand off awaiting a new bolt and bushing for it) to get the pump to prime. 

It fired on the second push of the button - always a huge surge of satisfaction and a cheesy grin when you hear them run after a major strip down. 

Some balancing for the throttle bodies will be needed and a check of the timing too before referring the lower panels.

Hopefully I'll get a little test ride in after work tomorrow!

great to hear Will

What method of checking the timing are you going to use? As you probably know the balancing of the throttle bodies will be the last thing to do, after valve clearances and timing.

Mike

mike d wrote:What method of checking the timing are you going to use? As you probably know the balancing of the throttle bodies will be the last thing to do, after valve clearances and timing.

Mike

Right now everything is just set on the marks and it seems good. Previously I have just advanced and retarded it a fraction at a time to find the sweet spot. 

On the 8v anyway it was recommended advancing it until the engine pings under acceleration and I found it very good on the 8v. I'm looking into the best method at present. Any advice appreciated.

An 20km easy spin yesterday proved everything was running pretty well at this stage. Rear ABS sensor is out of range and needs resetting and there is a diesel knock at idle but disappears at the slightest increase in revs. I know the PO messed with them so I suspect an injector is the cause but all inputs welcome.

See what you think of the sounds

My only registered bike, an '85RT,  had that old diesel knock. It hadn't been started for at least three years, I think,  before I got it. After a week it was only occasional, after a month or so the problem disappeared. You might be lucky. I actually like the diesel knock, but I confess I sometimes miss the good old days when I had a few acres and a three cylinder diesel tractor, and neighbors would sometimes visit driving a tractor.

My original '85RT has had it at idle since I got it, but more pronounced. When I've finished some work on my other '85RT I'm planning a deep dive into the first one to hopefully at least reduce it.

Bill

My original '85RT has had it at idle since I got it, but more pronounced. When I've finished some work on my other '85RT I'm planning a deep dive into the first one to hopefully at least reduce it.

Bill

I musta been lucky with mine. If the sound is coming from the crank cover (hopefully not) you might still be lucky.

Drawing a long bow again. If there is any end float maybe a thrust washer is missing and a deep dive isn't needed. At idle that could cause a knock. Because the absorber gear teeth aren't straight cut, the side load might eliminate the knock under load or acceleration. Granted, it's a long shot.

B

daveyson wrote:If there is any end float maybe a thrust washer is missing and a deep dive isn't needed. At idle that could cause a knock. Because the absorber gear teeth aren't straight cut, the side load might eliminate the knock under load or acceleration. Granted, it's a long shot.

which shaft are you thinking in terms of endfloat?

The output shaft.

There is a recent similar post by Charlie that sounds similar to your problem (thread: 83-84 engine cleanup) a knock at idle when cold. I think he will be trying a brass washer soon, hopefully it works well.

Yes I'm watching Charlie's progress with interest

daveyson wrote:I musta been lucky with mine. If the sound is coming from the crank cover (hopefully not) you might still be lucky.

Drawing a long bow again. If there is any end float maybe a thrust washer is missing and a deep dive isn't needed. At idle that could cause a knock. Because the absorber gear teeth aren't straight cut, the side load might eliminate the knock under load or acceleration. Granted, it's a long shot.

I'm hoping its the ring in the clutch, because I won't have to dive as deep. If not, I dive deeper.  I'll check the end float at that stage.

Bill

Good luck.

I think the odds are on your side. If the clutch basket thrust washer breaks it can fall free, creating endfloat, I don't think the other one could as it's in a tight, confined space.

88 wrote:Solved!

 with thanks to José Mariá García Gonzalés who I met at the Kedada. He has superior skills!

I reassembled the starter magnets wring way round after stripping it to clean it! 

Thanks all for the inputs. So pleased I don't have to strip it all again.

Had that on my K100LT......discovered if the starter goes back together real easy chances are it's not the right way. Its very fiddly to get it back together the right way. I did have it marked......

As for knock, having diesel cars going back 40 years, injectors are devils for causing knocks.

If you get a knock, check out injectors first. Pulling the electrical connector one at a time may identify a dud. I also suspect uneven running caused by injectors shortens the life of output and drive line components.

Done that Olaf. Top tip! Neither 2 nor three made a considerable difference when the loom was disconnected and the bike kept turning over as was. #1 or #3 disconnected caused it to stall. 

I fitted the rail from the RS with 4 known good injectors and hey presto ! Settled to a lovely idle and the knock is gone. Now to sort the slight header leak on #3

Well that’s a little disappointing ! Brand new boot fitted only days ago. No burrs or roughness on the levers seat just seems a loose fit.

That' a heckuva good call re. the injectors - I watched the video and that knocking would have had me tearing the bottom end completely apart (and not solving anything   ) top advice!

Would never have thought that uneven firing could have caused that noise - or does the K show it up as a knocking feature because of the aux shaft/backlash/cush rubber layout - like a sounding board maybe?

I can’t answer that Chris. I know others have had the Problem here like Olaf and Dai has a good thread detailing his experience with the same.

Having had the big end go on the K11RS my heart was sinking but I had the advantage of having inspected the crank on this motor and could find nothing wrong.

88 wrote: Well that’s a little disappointing ! Brand new boot fitted only days ago. No burrs or roughness on the levers seat just seems a loose fit.

All that might be needed is a slight adjustment. Read this this bulletin.

Laitch wrote:

88 wrote: Well that’s a little disappointing ! Brand new boot fitted only days ago. No burrs or roughness on the levers seat just seems a loose fit.

All that might be needed is a slight adjustment. Read this this bulletin.

Thanks for posting that. I am waiting for my new boot to arrive and stop the drip as well.