So a few updates. I've been busy Riding! I got the two engines on the garage floor and as I didn't have parts for the original engine yet I decided to throw the 79' engine in and see if it ran etc. lifted the spare engine in and decided to drop the oil and check the screens...... And immediately knew the chain guide was shot. black plastic in the side case screen and predictably the sump screen had a huge tear in it...
So out the engine came. and figured since I had a new guide coming for the 75' engine I could use the old guide out of the 75' and put this one back together. And then the Fed Ex guy came with my parts haha! So I bring the head in and get the valve installed and the head touched up. While I'm waiting I throw the 79' back together with new valve seals, head gasket, fix the sump filter with the old JB weld and a piece of sheet aluminum AKA beer can, and a good used cam chain guide.
I pick up the cylinder head for the 75' and decide I'm going to build it back up as I know the bottom end and everything else is pretty reliable on it. Spend all night putting it back together and fire it up around midnight. Its burning a bit of white smoke out the cylinder that was bad but I figure it will clean up after a bit of riding maybe oil in the exhaust etc... Next day runs great but I can't get it to stop smoking. Take it for a good ride and still the same... try re-tourquing the head no dice. When I first started it up the float was stuck until I gave it a rap so figured maybe it overfueled etc. Checked float level both with a ruler and a tube and its good. About to tear my hair out now and the day is gone. So I decide it has to either be the headgasket which was new with sealant or the cylinder was damaged worse than I figured. Pull the 75' engine out. RIP for now. She gave me a honest 3700km or 2300miles.
Change out the accesories (PMA, carb boots etc...) put the 79' back in and get it fired up and both cylinders smoke haha! Wake up in the morning and try to get it timed correctly. Its a tooth out haha struggle with that a bit and get the chain to skip a tooth with the adjustor all the way out. Tension the chain check the valves for the hundredth time and get it timed perfectly with a new set of points too, what the hell! IT RUNS (pretty well). Take it out for a ride and the clutch slips a bit and it smokes a bit but mostly from both sides so figure the rings are just froze up from sitting. Go and buy a compression tester and give it a go and get around 140 out of both sides. I'm committed to this engine now so I have a bit of fine tuning to do including having to pull the clutch and do the starter "spring fix". I can't use the kickstart with my saddlebags on-design flaw. So the electric start is a must have. Get that done and re-tourque the head for good measure and I'm sure a thousand other things I'm forgetting about!
Its now around Thursday at 4pm and I go in the house and regroup and think about what to do and how much more adventure I want! Well have a quick shower load up my bags and head out of Salmon Arm BC, My next destination is Port Renfrew on the west coast of Vancouver Island its about 800km away including an hour and a half ferry ride. I also want to make it there by Friday night to go fishing with my friends on their last few days of vacation. This basically means I have to leave now or not go. Haha always the way. So I get on the bike and go fuel it up. I'm riding along listening to every beat of its engine wondering about what I've forgotten about after 3 days of breathing 650 Yamaha engines. It runs pretty well and its stopped burning oil at least visibly. Its a beautiful night and it feels pretty awesome to be riding through the Okanagan valley again on two wheels. Pull into Kelowna and fill up on gas. Its getting dark and I don't want to ride much longer so start looking for a campsite. Keep heading south stopping for a few pictures along the lake.
Beautiful spot for a picture! I get into Pentiction in full dark and get a site for the night. I set up camp and decide to head downtown for a good meal to celebrate being back on the road! To be continued!