Adios "Old Blue"

...Adios "Old Blue"....

This old GL1100 belongs to an aquaintance of mine. One of his $250.00 finds. I told him I would bleed his brakes. Well, that led to complete over hauls of both master cylinders and all three calipers, which were completly "stuck" and full of dirt...Then he asked me to get it running for him.

Tried to start it and found the fuel filter clogged with rust...pulled the tank float assembly and saw nothing but rust in the tank.
Pulled the carbs off and lo and behold: No way this thing will run ....

Since this was a low budget project, no carb rebuild kits. I pulled each carb apart and cleaned up every thing as best I could. One slide was "gummed" up tight but actually the carbs weren't too bad considering.

I reassembled with no new parts and rigged up a remote fuel supply. The bike fired right up but still has idle issues. Probably more "crap" in an idle circut somewhere.

Pulled the fuel tank, which is not a real "friendly' job on a Gold Wing. Flushed the tank with a LOT of water. Dumped a handful of big angular rocks in the tank and shook til I was blue in the face....more flushing...more shaking. Then filled it to the brim with vinegar. vinegar works pretty good eating away at the rust. Flushed and refilled a few times. Ended up with a fairly clean looking tank, although the "reserve" line is still plugged with debris.

Reassembled to the state you see in the first photo. Rode the old girl up and down the street a few times.
Moral of the story:
Beware of volunteering to adjust someones brakes.