'78K Resto-Mod-"HaCkJoB"

[TOOLS1]

I have an idea of something you might want to try, since you have that shiny lathe. I have seen where the rotors have been turned to remove weight, and rotating mass. I was wanting to try it on the Toolmatic to see if I could pick up some throttle response.
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[shinyribs]

I swear you are spying on me somehow. Just yesterday I was talking to Eric about how I regret not using a small, thin modern disc out back. This disc is too big for my lathe. I can only hold 10.5". But if I remember correctly the drilling was worth almost a pound.

As far as the gasket kit, yeah... I bought the "complete" kit from Vesrah. I knew they don't come with the oil seals kit, but I thought for sure it would have the nickels. Wrong! It really bugs me the way they do these kits. I will admit that the material in the Vesrah kit is much better feeling stuff than in the Chinese kits I've been getting off eBay. Of course, they never leaked on me anyway.

[TOOLS1]

I'm sorry, I was referring to the charging rotor. I should have been more clear.
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[shinyribs]

O_O ohh yesss!!!!

How about this? Once we get this running I'll shave another down and we'll compare.

[shinyribs]

So I stole the cylinders and pistons off a spare engine. Supposedly a 5k mile engine and I'm kinda believing it. Very little wear on the skirts and almost zero sign of combustion ever passing the top ring.

I swear I only scratched those reference marks with my pocket knife,even though it looks like I whacked them with a hatchet.



Happy to have the cylinders on! Tools, we were talking about ring compressors. I oiled everything up and dropped the cylinders on the outer pair first. Thought it might rock around less that way. I just pushed the rings in with my fingernails. The comp and oil ring took a little fiddling,but the oil rings just fell right in with the taper on the cylinders. Tapped her home with my hammer handle.



Started in on cleaning up the head. Really wanted to set this on today, but I had forgotten there was a boogered up exhaust stud hole. An hour of drilling and messing around with EZ outs got the old bolt out...which turned out to actually be a failed helicoil.  Springy little dudes are harder to get out than a soild piece of metal.

Since I didn't have any 8mm helicoils I decided to just make my own insert.

Drilled...

Tapped...

I.D. tapped to 8x1.25

Used a die cuz I still haven't learned to thread on the lathe...

Insert staked in position...

Fixed.


Next is to seat some valves (light surface rust) and pop on some new valve guide seals. Valves are nice and tight in the guides with no sticky spots. Reeeaaallly tempted to do a little port work.

[TOOLS1]

Is that an "F" cylinder, and pistons? I ask because the cylinder looks like it is black like an "F" cylinder. If it is, you cannot use a "K" model head.
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[shinyribs]

It was originally painted silver. And it's off an early engine before they stepped the sprocket out. But it is using the later sealing methods  Maybe I should check the engine VIN to be safe,though. The head is definitely off a '78 K. Does all that sound OK? I could play it safe and use the head that came off the same engine as the cylinders/pistons, but it has a fin broke off.

Oh, and comparing these pistons to the A pistons I have here, they look identical. I thought the A's had lower compression? Or was that on account of the head, not the piston?

[TOOLS1]

According to the part#, the "A" and the "K" use different pistons, and heads. I thought the heads were the same, so now I am wondering what the difference in the head could be. However I do know that the 77-78 F had different pistons, and head then the "K" model, and they cannot be exchanged. The 77-78 "F" engines were painted black, so that is why I brought it up.
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[TOOLS1]

Upon further research, I have found that the 77 "K" model used the same head as the "A" model. However they used different pistons. I know that Cycle-X prefers to use the 77-78 heads on their high performance engines. They claim Honda made the combustion chamber smoother, and it works better.
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[shinyribs]

Lots of good info. Thanks bud. I wonder if they mean the black 77-78 F head, or any head from 77-78.

[TOOLS1]

The black 77-78 "F" head was a lot different then the "A", and "K" head. Different valve angles, and combustion chambers. The difference between the 69-76 and the 77-78 "K" head according to Cycle-X was that the combustion chamber was smother. Here is a link to Cycle-X tec page. It explains the differences between the heads, and pistons. http://www.cyclexchange.net/Engine%20Tech%20Tips%20Page.htm 
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[shinyribs]

Judging by my keepers it's definitely an early engine. Yet, it was using the later sealing method of four o-rings vs. the cylinder stud packings. I wonder when that started?

I did have one valve with a bad tip. My spare head and my A head all have the early model keepers. Probably should have used those valves instead. Oh well. I wonder if there is much difference between an A cam, a '78k cam and an early cam. They are all in very usable condition.

[TOOLS1]

The valve keepers were all the same from 69-77 on the "K", 76-77 "A", and the 75-76 "F". The 77-78 "F, and the 78 "K" and "A" used the newer ones that came apart. They are not even available anymore. As for a cam I would use a "K" cam unless you want to turbo charge it, and then use the "A" cam.
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[shinyribs]

Ok, cool. That's what I was thinking on the keepers. So K cam it is!

[shinyribs]

Head is on. Waiting on cam tower seals so I can install the rest of the valvetrain. I have no clue why the Vesrah kit did not include those seals or the oil seals. $80 for a "complete" gasket kit and I had to go order $12 worth of cam tower nickels and $22 worth of oil seals. Annoying.

The majority of the wiring is done now. Just need to finish up the harness that will power up the gauges ( Jmartin rocks) and the R&R. Oh, and I need to order that speedo. Not sure how I will mount the gauges. Contemplating putting an oil pressure gauge on the bars, too. I've got a nice little liquid filled gauge here and all of the besides line/fitting to hook it up. I guess it will match ok, but don't want to clutter up the bars too much. I am a little suspect of my home brew oil tank honestly. Being able to monitor oil pressure sure would ease my mind.
Mainly I'm just happy to see the pipes on there! Need to sort through my collection of oil pumps to see what's up. Oil pump, then oil pan, then I can hang the pipes permanently.

Next job is to make a side stand, though.




Oh, and that high-mount fender is miles away from clearing the pipes, so that's out. I'm thinking about a thin little fender that hugs real close to the front tire. Do it up satin black. Maybe it'll hide. And I probably need a chain guard,too. The tail is so slim that there is nothing between me and the chain. Don't wanna get sprayed with chain lube/road poo when I ride.

[TOOLS1]

( Jmartin rocks)
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[shinyribs]

Woops.lol. Yeah, thats Josh. He rides a twin cam F,too. He's giving me a tach for free.

[TOOLS1]

So, was that some secondhand, used, recycled, re-posted update?
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[shinyribs]

Copy & paste is handy when you are sleepy. 

I've been spending too much time on Cycle-X's site the past two days. They have a lot more stuff than I realized! Those guys are going to end up with a bunch of my money one day. I just have a feeling.

[TOOLS1]

That oil pressure gauge would look neat, but in reality, unless you watch it every moment, by the time you noticed a drop in oil pressure, you would already need a new engine. A light is actually more effective as a warning device as it will attract your attention.
TOOLS