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78 GS 750 Rebuild

Still at it...

Still at it...

So it's been awhile since I posted in this thread... Still at it. Progress is slow, but I've been getting there a little bit at a time.
Since my last post some things I've done (in no particular order):


  • Finished disassembly. Everything completely apart in boxes and ziploc bags, all meticulously labeled for sanity's sake in the reassembly
  • had the welds in the frame cleaned up, and a minor crack repaired
  • frame swingarm and some other bits powder coated
  • polished engine cases
  • Got a zinc plating setup from Caswell (just bought their chemicals. sourced power supply, etc. from ebay) Philosopheriam's write up was priceless in getting set up. He also got on the phone with me for a good hour walking me through his process and giving me some tips that saved me a lot of time in trial and error. I'm about 80% through replating all the hardware.
  • Painted engine. Soda blasted cases, cylinders and head, then sprayed with VHT Engine Primer and Universal Aluminum and baked in the wife's oven.
  • Wheels cleaned, hand polished (couldn't get the polishing wheel in there) and painted
  • New swingarm bearings and bushings
  • Reassembled crank halves with all new seals, etc.
  • Head decked, valve seats cut
  • Valves reinstalled with new seals
  • cylinders deglazed/cross hatched
  • dozens of other odds and ends that I can't recall right now.

This thread got hit with the photobucket fiasco like a bunch of others on the forum. I may go back and switch out the links... not too many photos to replace. Maybe I won't wait another year to post an update this time...
 
Some polishing pics
20170122_190219 by samL9, on Flickr

20170124_001358 by samL9, on Flickr



Before
20170402_143350 by samL9, on Flickr

600 grit
20170402_172115 by samL9, on Flickr

1000 grit
20170402_175941 by samL9, on Flickr

Black compound on sisal wheel
20170402_191629 by samL9, on Flickr


brown compound on stitched cotton wheel
20170402_200719 by samL9, on Flickr


White on loose cotton wheel
20170402_204742 by samL9, on Flickr

Red on flannel wheel
20170402_213510 by samL9, on Flickr

And after Wizards Power Seal. Took a little bit of the shine off, but the protection is worth it.
20170402_222507 by samL9, on Flickr

Did all of the engine covers like this...
 
Some very nice work. :encouragement:


Am trying to up my game & am curious about that zinc plating.
Wasn?t that cable guide originally chrome plated? Does zinc plating work on chromed parts?
Any tips / more info on zinc plating?
You mentioned a writeup ? do you have a link?
 
jabcb said:
Some very nice work. :encouragement:


Am trying to up my game & am curious about that zinc plating.
Wasn’t that cable guide originally chrome plated? Does zinc plating work on chromed parts?
Any tips / more info on zinc plating?
You mentioned a writeup — do you have a link?
Click to expand...

Zinc plating starts at post# 129, and continues on throughout the next couple of pages... http://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...ion-Performance-Rebuild&p=2177061#post2177061

After you read through the zinc plating write up, go back to post# 1. You'll be blown away by the attention to detail in his build...

as far as the cable guide, I don't think it was chrome plated. If it ever was, any chrome on mine was long gone...

steve murdoch said:
The sunglasses in the background of the plated covers are appropriate. haha.
Nice work, Sam.
Click to expand...

Thank you. It's taking a long time, but I may just have this thing up and running by the spring (although that's what I said the last 2 winters..)
 
I tend to put things partly back together during disassembly so I don't lose them. After I took the pistons off, I put the wrist pins back in....

The other day I was putting new piston rings on, and I noticed I was missing one of the wrist pins. I looked in all the boxes where I thought it would be with no luck. I looked in all the boxes where I didn't think it would be...still no luck. A couple of days later I was driving around and racking my brain trying to think of where it would be. All of a sudden it hit me, but I thought no way...

Sure enough
20171223_171204 by samL9, on Flickr

Think 2 years is long enough of a soak? :-\\\
 
A few shots of the paint booth. Nailed some 1X3 boards to the rafters, and gorilla taped some plastic sheeting together. Added a couple of furnace filters, and a box fan. Then I used the box from my air compressor and some industrial velcro for the door. I cut up an old broom handle and rigged that up to hang parts from. Built it around the existing light hanging from the ceiling so it was well lit inside.

20170805_130303 by samL9, on Flickr

20170805_130326 by samL9, on Flickr

20170805_130412 by samL9, on Flickr
 
Also got the head assembled.

After paint
20171130_192001 by samL9, on Flickr

Rigged this up from an 8" C clamp and a O2 sensor socket. One of countless tips and tricks I've picked up from this site over the years...
Should have JB welded or bolted it up, but I just kind of awkwardly held it together to compress the springs and get the keepers on the valves. It did the job...
20171223_182920 by samL9, on Flickr

20171223_182931 by samL9, on Flickr

20171223_182959 by samL9, on Flickr

aaaaand done.
20171223_215557 by samL9, on Flickr

20171223_215423 by samL9, on Flickr
 
Nice build, really like that you're doing it all yourself. Great setup for painting and plating.
 
azr said:
Nice build, really like that you're doing it all yourself. Great setup for painting and plating.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I have farmed a couple of things out...some welding on the frame, getting the valve seats cut and head decked, and powder coat on the frame and other bits. Other than that, it's all me... I'll probably send some stuff for chrome plating. I'm only set up for zinc. I looked into a chrome setup, and it's way to expensive to make it worth my while.
I keep going back and forth on whether or not to paint the tank myself or get it done. That's a bit different than a rattle can on the engine or wheels...
 
Wizards Power Seal is available online or at any Pilot Truck Stop in the US. Just google it.
 
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