SOHC Project

...quick update...finished the last coat of clear this weekend...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marklocklear/detail?.dir=42ee&.dnm=765a.jpg&.src=ph

I will be in NC for the 4th, so I'll let the clear coat cure over the holiday. Then I'll be ready for wet sanding with 1500 grit sand paper and polishing. Also pulled the head on my donor motor yesterday so I can change out the head gasket.

This past weekend, I finished stripping the gas tank and got primer and paint on it...

done stripping...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marklocklear/detail?.dir=42ee&.dnm=1ded.jpg&.src=ph

primed...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marklocklear/detail?.dir=42ee&.dnm=611e.jpg&.src=ph

painted...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marklocklear/detail?.dir=42ee&.dnm=e159.jpg&.src=ph

The tank is still in pretty bad shape. Whats left is clear coat, lots of sanding, then buff and polish. The process is this:

-First I will put 3 or 4 coats of clear coat on (hope to do that today) and let that cure for a couple days.

-Next I will get 1500 grit sand paper and wet sand (water + detergent for lather) the tank to a nice even dull sheen.

-After the sanding there is special compound used to remove 1500 grit sanding. This will be polished on and should give it that "wet" look.

-Final step is a few passes with a buffing pad.

...well, I have some time to kill while my frame is being made, so I think I'll put a new paint job on the stocker. I got started yesterday by stripping the tank. Was going to use paint stripper, but some cheap abrasive pads from Harbor Freight seem to be doing the trick OK. Heres where I got started on the tank:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marklocklear/detail?.dir=8c67&.dnm=c2c6.jpg&.src=ph

This is my first forey into the world of paint. The paint is pretty crappy on the stocker, so it will be good practice. After stripping, I'll give it a good sanding, then primer and more sanding, then it will be ready for paint. More to come...

more done today...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/marklocklear/detail?.dir=8c67&.dnm=50e4.jpg&.src=ph

Its been a while, so thought I give an update. I think the last time I posted, I was having carb woes with the rebuilt K model engine. The problem with the carbs was, I had not cleaned a little peice called the man jet. While its little, its a very imortant peice for the carbs. By the time I figured out this was the problem, I had already started removing the K motor from the stock frame. I removed the K and put the F back in. My logic goes like this. Basically I want to ride. I had reached my limit on trying to figure out why I couldn't get the K motor going, so thats when I decided lets put the F back in, go ahead and order u'r frame (more on that later) and u can trouble shoot this badboy in the frame after it comes. Even if I would have gotten the motor running in the stocker, it will have to be retuned in the frame once it gets here.

So more on the frame. It from from CycleOne ( www.cycleonemanufacturing.com ) The specs are as follows: 4" in the down tube, 6" in the backbone, drop seat, and custom oil tank/battery box. Oh, and a nice curve in the down tube. I think this is gonna be bad a$$, and just the street fighter look I'm go'n for. I have funds on the way, so it will be another week before I can get funds to CycleOne, then about an 8 week wait, so I hope to have it in-shop by labor day, then the fun begins!!!

Its been a tough last couple of weeks...here is where I'm at. Got the original K all put back together, but the carbs refuse to cooperate. I could only get the F model carbs to run on the engine on full choke...the K carbs won't do anything. Also I failed to change the head gasket when I put the K head on the motor, and as such I'm got crazy oil leaks. So after a week of wrench'n I've decide to put the F motor back in the stocker. Reason #1 is I want to ride...its been over 3 weeks since I've rode any, and I'm getting ansie. #2 is it time to get the frame, so I'll just remove the K motor, change the head gasket, then tune it in the chopper frame when I get it. No use wasting time tuning it in the stock, when I could be riding the stocker and tunning the other bike in the chopper. Are you thouroghly confused now?

It has been a tough last few days. Since I replace the F head, with the K had I have had nothing but problems. I think the motor is OK, but the problem is with the carbs. I'v spent the last 4 days cleaning and recleaning the carbs and can get the motor to do nothing. I'm really being tested right now, but this is was separates the men from the boys. Most people would just throw in the towel at this point, but this is just a small part of the journey. I'll keep working at it til I find the problem. I think its just a matter of properly cleaning the carbs. If all else fails, I buy a set of cleaned carbs.