Topic: Early Sandcast Found......

[34barab]

Another one saved!  Congratulations 🎉🍾🎈

I’m curious about the split overflow tube repair.  Can you post a pic of the after?  Thanks.

[BenelliSEI]

Another one saved!  Congratulations 🎉🍾🎈

I’m curious about the split overflow tube repair.  Can you post a pic of the after?  Thanks.

I’ll post when I take them off. I used some very fine paper to sand the full length of the pipe in the float bowl. really tried to create a stripe, just along the crack. It was almost top to bottom. Warmed and fluxed it with a small acetylene torch. Tinned gently up and down the crack with some good old 50/50 solder I save for “emergencies”. Ponded a bit at the bottom, but sealed it!

[bwaller]

Don't you love it when a plan comes together!

[BenelliSEI]

Don't you love it when a plan comes together!

Glad I can share it with you guys. I am “on cloud nine”! This one may take a while, but I am really looking forward to it. After building my 1970 K0 I thought I might be done. Turns out I’m not!

[Stev-o]

Great job!

[BenelliSEI]

As I was reading through today's reply I was thinking I'd post this was a wahoo day! Ya beat me to it but it still is a Yahoo Wahhoo day! Good to hear it breathes.

Thanks All! Much appreciated! John D.

[PeWe]

Good news!
I understand that wonderful feeling when it starts direct and run like music without any trace of reasons to worry about.

[Terry in Australia]

Good job John, any time bringing a bike back to life doesn't require a full rebuild, is a bonus!

[BenelliSEI]

Good job John, any time bringing a bike back to life doesn't require a full rebuild, is a bonus!

Yep.... Low mileage, so really not surprised it so quiet and strong. It does have lots of head gasket staining, so top end for sure.

[BPellerine]

you are making it look easy!

[BenelliSEI]

Another one saved!  Congratulations 🎉🍾🎈

I’m curious about the split overflow tube repair.  Can you post a pic of the after?  Thanks.

Here’s the float bowl repair (started pulling it down today). Bit of a “lump” at the bottom, but the smooth tin up the pipe is completely sealing the split. Nothing loose, so just left it and works great.

[Terry in Australia]

Good job John, any time bringing a bike back to life doesn't require a full rebuild, is a bonus!

Yep.... Low mileage, so really not surprised it so quiet and strong. It does have lots of head gasket staining, so top end for sure.

Good job John. If it's been sitting so long there's probably some surface rust on everything above the oil level in the pan, but it'll wash off in the hot oil after being ridden, so drop your oil and filter after the first few hundred miles or so and put fresh oil and filter in, and you should be good to go. I was surprised at how dirty my oil was after 1000 miles considering that I'd built my engine from a set of perfectly clean bare cases and all of the used parts (crank, gearbox etc) looked pretty clean too.    

[BenelliSEI]

Terry.... you are right! Today I put 2.5 litres of fresh oil, and installed a new filter. Put the big shop fan up front and ran it for a good 20-25 minutes. Rev’e it a bit and let it idle, set the carb sync at idle. Super smooth and the pipes stopped shedding carbon and rust! Drained the hot oil and it was pretty dark! 70-75 psi oil pressure all the time. Delighted.

[Terry in Australia]

That's great John, I see so many folks on youtube fire up an old car or bike that's sat for many years and ride/drive it home (sometimes hundreds of miles) without dropping the oil and filter even once, and I shudder at what damage is happening internally.

[PeWe]

Has the bike been stored in room temperature during all years?

Open clutch cover and check clutch steel basket if rusty.

[Terry in Australia]

Has the bike been stored in room temperature during all years?

Looking at the rust and corrosion on it in John's original pics Per, I'd say no.

[BenelliSEI]

Has the bike been stored in room temperature during all years?

Open clutch cover and check clutch steel basket if rusty.

Before I pull the engine, I usually “knock” all the JIS screws loose. Then all the covers will come off (after a wash). The bike was never left outside, so probably never wet, but some condensation? Inside of the tank is remarkably clean, so not much. Definitely be checking that clutch!

[PeWe]

My K6 was stored in a not heated dry barn for 19 years.  Cold in winter, warmer summertime.
No specific rust inside engine except valve seats, a little on valves and corroded piston top. Bores OK.

I rode it to barn and left it. Spray oil mist inside plugs might have avoided some seat pitting. A head job fixed it.

Climate here not normally humid

[Prospect]

Hey John.

Isn't it an amazing feeling to get an old bike running! I think it's even more exciting than riding it. Excellent progress so far.

Does your sandcast have smooth oil lines or the later ones like on all cb750's? I can't tell from the picture and I can't recall when they switched over. I've never actually seen smooth lines and have never seen them pop up for sale.

[BenelliSEI]

Hey John.

Isn't it an amazing feeling to get an old bike running! I think it's even more exciting than riding it. Excellent progress so far.

Does your sandcast have smooth oil lines or the later ones like on all cb750's? I can't tell from the picture and I can't recall when they switched over. I've never actually seen smooth lines and have never seen them pop up for sale.

They look like all my other lines, so probably not. It also looks like it always had the finned oil filter can, as well. I am pretty delighted. When I ran it with fresh oil, I sync’d the carbs at idle and it sounded perfect...... the original pipes have a few holes on the underside, but I’m pretty sure I can save them too!

[Terry in Australia]

A head job fixed it.

Very true Per, a head job fixes everything, I reckon!

[BenelliSEI]

A head job fixed it.

Very true Per, a head job fixes everything, I reckon!

🤣

[PeWe]

A head job fixed it.

Very true Per, a head job fixes everything, I reckon!

Sometimes a stiff GT fix head issues too!
With ice and lemon....

[BenelliSEI]

Scored a beautiful, used, original “2 hole” rear fender today! Arrived by post, undamaged. Test fit and photos tomorrow. Delighted!

[BenelliSEI]

Open to suggestions: I’ll be down to the bare frame in a few days. It appears undamaged, no scrapes, gouges or dings. Some of the “Factory” welds are just plain terrible, but “original”. You’d think after 1,250 attempts, they might have got the hang of it!

I do have to remove the remains of a luggage rack that was welded to the rear foot peg/ pipe mounts, but fortunately that fellow was clueless. There is zero weld penetration so may just pull off.

Planning to blast the battery box, centre stand and side stand and likely have them powder coated, along with a few small brackets and bits. What about the frame? It’s too far done to just “polish and touch up”. Paint? Today’s water based? Epoxy?? Mmmmm.