When I was 17 I went to work in a lawn mower shop. I did that for maybe 9 months. It was the most enjoyable job I ever had. 5 or 6 times a day I'd take something that didn't work and make it work. Very satisfying. That was 52 years ago and I still enjoy finding stuff that doesn't work and making it work.
When I was 16 or 17 around 1970 I rebuilt my 196? Honda 160 twin from top to bottom. It ran perfectly both before and after. It wasn't a dumb exercise because I learned a lot and didn't waist my life learning to drink, smoke or do drugs. :)
That is how I learned to work on cars, by watching a friend do it and being very interested in what was going on. I was always mechanically inclined anyway, so it use to fascinate me to find out what made things tick. Never worked on small engines before except at a landscapers shop when it was raining. Then I decided to take a home study course in it, and went to the Tecumseh factory, to train there as well, been doing it now for the last 20 years. I watched this series from the beginning, great job for the most part. I have seen someone grind down the top of the piston where it was hitting though. I would grind it a little for that extra clearance you need.
I am 80 old, always been a mechanic, which you are top of the line, NOT A PARTS CHANGER, I am getting to old to do alot and I love watching you do it for me--LOL. A mechanic knows there is a problem and without experience or details he is fore known that he will fix it somehow. By the Grace of God this is his gift and he will perform it. Thanks for all the great videos.
When I saw the headline I was worried that things had gone horribly wrong, but when I watched the video, this was nothing like a fail at all - it was a major win! Darrin persevered as usual and worked out the issues. Can't wait to see the next chapter in this bike's restoration, not to mention seeing the vids for the stuff from his latest yard sale finds (little Onan genny, old outboard, etc.)
You did a good job in finding the problem, and addressing it before it got to be a real problem. Being a motorcycle mechanic and welder for years, I would suggest switching that rear swing arm for the one on the parts bike. I really enjoy all your videos, thanks to RoadKing I found your channel. Best of luck Mustie.
I don't have your patience or philosophical outlook. I want it apart, diagnosed, repaired and together as fast as possible. You seem to enjoy the problem solving aspect of repair. With that said, it was great watching you do it but I could not help thinking, I could not do this that way. I admire you though and you are damn good at what you do.
I like how you always put some relaxing footage at the end. The effect is so obvious it almost seems like a trick😋, its brilliant! As always thanks for taking us along for the ride!
I have a 71 cl100 and I believe on the CL and Sl setting the timing and contact breaker is the same process. So im just wondering if I have timing set right. The points should be closed then they open once the bottom end reaches the F mark. The piston is still on its way up in the combustion stroke till it gets to the T mark for TDC. I just figured out tonight what the float height should be at and I'm hoping that solves the problem. Bike idles but bogs down when you hit the throttle. I'm hoping it's a carb issue and not something to do with timing
I picked up a 78 Honda CM185T with 7600 original miles I'm using to build a small cafe racer. I love when I find folks working on these older small bikes. Keep it up and I'll be following the progress of this and other bikes. Thanks for teaching me and I'm sure many other people ways to fix and mod our toys.
You are so right about how it is a good learning experience. Sometimes google just doesn't help. I have now learning how to take apart a Honda recon ENTIRELY and put it back together. Your videos are so interesting and i learn quite a lot from them
Sorry for the new comment on an old episode...but... First...thank you for the amazing videos...they’re great for the DIY wannabes like me who just need to see someone else walk through the troubleshooting process learn a few diagnostic process. On the shifter issue, THAT was the thing you heard “drop” in the previous video when you was replacing the block half. You pause and looked for something that fell out...but it was that rod that dropped out of it’s seat and made a little tapping noise. Always fun to watch and learn and join in the little victories.
What a great series!! Many years ago I traded a Honda trail 55 for a brand new S-90 and I was the first one in Wichita, KS to race on a dirt track in Eldorado. KS - I loved that old bike! This series brings back so many great memories - Thanks!
You're just...you're just really really good at this - im always so impressed with your ability to properly diagnose and intuitively draw the shortest line between A and B. thanks for the vids man!
I've encountered your videos off and on for a few years and recently subscribed (your videos have been increasingly recommended to me by TH-cam's mysterious algorithms). Enjoying them greatly despite the fact that I own no garage or even a shed (and none likely in the near future). I spend about 50% of my time in Japanese these days, and have developed an interest in the history of the "economic miracle" period of Japan during the 60s and 70s, so really hope you keep bringing the bikes of this time back to life.
BIG CONGRATULATIONS Mustie1. Could hear the disappointment in your voice last video. But you (as always) had to know what was wrong and were able to fix it. I could swear I heard a little "Oh Yea" in there. "Stopping on a high note" is good for the soul. Glad it all worked out!!!
I owned this same bike as my first bike back in 1971. My shifter also quit shifting due to my harsh treatment on the many trail rides I took it on. I had to replace the shifter shaft and the shifter fork was also spread. I sure enjoyed watching you tear down the same bike I tore down many time to fix it back in the day.
I just bought a 1974 honda xl125 and rebuilt the whole motor in my college apt bc i found gear teeth in my oil filter but it ran first try after reassembly after some carb tuning and your videos helped allot, keep up the good work.
Hi from London UK. I love your 'wrenching' man. You persevere & don't like to be beaten. Watching you struggle with that transmission & win was great !
Your channel is addictive and informative. I thought I knew something about motors but you have thought me so much. Keep up the great work. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I love the way you skipped over the whole “its all gotta come apart again to get this bolt in there” thing...If you didn’t edit out a blue streak then you definitely earned yourself a halo for the day.
Yeah, it's so easy to see problems like that as catastrophic and just give up. I like the way you rationally figured it despite all the discouraging setbacks.
My SL is a 73 and has the flat piston, i have a similar sound but i know that my cam chain has jumped a tooth which throws the timing out and makes the valve hit. Nice job getting it working again.
At 69 years old I still enjoy the thrill of a new mechanical adventure. From lawnmowers to locomotives. Look for that Hodaka it's out there somewhere. Great video.
@75 that brings memories. my first bike was an XL-175, 1972. deer hunted off that bike for years. no such thing as 4 wheeler. raised gear ratio with 14 tooth FS. thank you for taking me back.
Thank you for sharing everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. I really like how you take your time, I'm learning a lot. Awesome channel. I've been binge watching since I've discovered it.
Awesome. I like that you take all of this as a learning process, even with all you already know. Keeping that attitude from age 10 explains why you know so much stuff today. Thanks for sharing, Mustie.
Nice work! I would have done it just like you did with one exception. After I heard the ticking noise and shift problems, I would have been very tempted to do a stress test on my sledge hammer and break that bike into pieces. Seriously, you have great patience and it adds a lot to your mechanical success. It sure sounds good now! Congrats!
Nice work! Sucks to get parts that aren't right. Funny you mention the toro mower. When I was a kid people used to give me their old mowers. They were a lot of fun to get going again.
Not a failure; a learning experience! How many times have I made the same repair over and over until I learned how it REALLY went together! Sometime you should try replacing the power valves in a Kawasaki KDX - guaranteed to make you pull your hair out by the roots - especially when you know you will be doing it again in a year or two...
I'm new and getting into this myself and have learned a lot by watching your vids. Thank you for doing it. I'm starting out with an old 1979 Honda PA50-II. Still can't get spark... Changed the external coil. No help. AC is putting out power but not sure if the small coil on the magneto that's supposed to put out actual spark is working... Difficult for a first timer.
sure brings back memories of being a teenager in the 70s that's a sound I'll always remember. That and the sound of my 250 dream. Thanks for the memories. lol
Nice going yet again! And for those that want to talk about fails, the only people that never have one, are the ones who never do anything, as anytime you work on older things that possibilities there, the important thing is if you can past them and persevere! Would have done some polishing on that piston too, and it sounds good now. Those front fork seals would have been a bit easier to do when the engine was out, but I fully understand wanting to get that done and running first. Another great job and a great video! Please tighten that chain though, anyone who has seen the effects of a doubled up 1 at the front sprocket (a good chance that was the teeth on the gears cause) cringes seeing them that sloppy!
Great vid buddy, I remember my brother had a honda TL 125 and I snuck out oon it once on a wet day and nearly crashed as i slid because of them awful `Plastic tyres` back in the day, thats why people changed them out back in the 70s, phew that was a close one bro :)
Listen to him analize his trouble, he will fix it I know, but it's just that his experience pulls him through all the time. If it's not worth it it's out of there, amazing. Great videos Mustie...
Might have to check the head bolts a couple of times as it runs in excellent recovery you have to keep it now great video those bikes were always a blast
I would have put a copper gasket as head gasket to get more clearance, but hey whatever works.I have pulled about a dozen of these typ engines (Yamahas&Suzukis mainly) apart , and to my amazement they have all gone back together without a problem . My biggest enemy seems to be fine tuning them bloody carbs though . Keep up the good work .Cheers from Australia
seeing the crusty vw pickup in the background while doing this honda, reminds me of school back in the 60's. I drove a greenbriar to school with a load of school kids with me. A greenbriar is a corvair cabover type but van, like crusty. I loved driving that van cabover, and it ran and drove very well. aircooled van, wish I had it now in the same shape.
Mustie, I want to buy a part you need for the kushman, I owe you because I bought a broken cub cadet 1515 for $50 that had a "shot" engine. I checked for spark, cleaned the carb and it runs flawless. The cub cadet is in great shape too...Before i started wathcing your vids a month ago, I didnt know what a card was!!!! no joke...so send me a link to a part you need and I will buy it and have them ship it to you, however you want to get it, you are the man!!!! Cant thank you enough!!
Nice job. I learned on these in the 80s. I still have a few parts around but like you I tried to fix them by tearing them apart only you only had 1and you got it back together. If you ever need a repair manual for one of these bikes just let me know. I still have my old Chiltons that covers the Hondas of that era as wells as a few other brands. I don't use it anymore and could loan it to you.
Boy that sure started so easy after you put the second gasket in ..... I would have been lost trying to figure out the problem ! Like you I wouldn't have given up but, I would have pulled the parts bike apart to try to find out what was wrong.... it wouldnt have been as easy as you make it seam though ! Thanks for the lesson !
Oh Great Mustie One, when I watch you hand-crank or foot crank I bob my head and grunt with each pull. It must come from all those years of me trying to get crap to start to the point of passing out. I'm right there with ya.
My heart sank when i heard her knocking, all that work,i felt so sorry for you, but you kicked back and your determination you succeeded and through learning by our mistakes,WE ALL MAKE THEM, we are only human. I watch your videos because of the learning curve and the thrill of seeing your sweat and tears come to life. so if those out there have negative comments,make your own videos and , we can watch your "professionalism" ,and perfection in action ,NOT. Keep up the good work buddy , Take care for now .Mac.
Great that you bounced back on getting things worked out... I have a feeling That selling that bike is going to be hard for you .. they are so much fun ... Can't wait to see it finished and the test drive(hit some trails and mud with it)😎
Now THAT Mustie, is solving problems with balls. It's like I used to say when I built chemical plants, "My job isn't slapping together pieces and parts perfectly engineered and built perfectly in a fab shop hundreds of miles away, by imperfect people who have problems with their wives/kids or have hangovers and just want to muddle through an 8 hr shift...my job is fixing what they f'd up, and refabricating it to make it work!" This was a fine bit of fabrication you did!
That was simply brilliant to experience with you. I watched from 'Part A' to here and was picking faults occasionally - (I would have done it this way...) etc. When it was 180 out and the gearing dodgy and exhaust farting out, it looked bad. You took it on like a champion and I loved watching it.
PS I find it useful to draw a diagram of exploded parts (before actually exploding) with exagerated features so I can't get too mixed up. I can draw accurately and quickly (a few seconds is all it takes) so it's easy for me, and I find I don't need to look too often, but it is there as a safety. The old way of keeping identical parts in order was to stick them through a strip of cardboard and numbered - so your pushrods or whatever go back with the same placement. I do the same with wiring and electronics as that is more my line. And of course these days we can take a high res photo with our smart phones. The drawing though reinforces in your mind the arrangement and is easier to view.
you need another squish gasket on jug this has happened to me before with aftermarket china jugs they are not always perfect of course and have clearance issues. good video as always, look forward to you videos as always.
Good for you man. After about the 15th time pulling the carbs of my latest 30 year old bike project I was ready to kick it over and light it on fire, but we persevere, and thats what makes us good mechanics.
Rob folks from holland is correct , the domed aftermarket piston has arrow on top that points to exhaust vavle - more comp but it hits head/inlet valve grind head of piston top is correct thing to fix extra base gasket means u may get away with lower octane gas but your loosing " squish " which favours pre-ignition so may not (get away with lower Octane gas ).😊 Trev NZ cheers. Keep up interesting videos .
Yes that cylinder/piston kit were mis sold, but you corrected it, not your fault darren. It sounds happy now, so thats a win from the engine whisperer :-). Honda's are a good machine, allways worth the effort :-D There is allways something to be learnt, or at least freshen up the memory a little :-D. Nice happy chickens, cute too :-D
I owned a 1974 Sl 175 Honda 50/50 Bike when I was a young man, the Best Motorcycle that I've ever owned, trouble free for 6 years, I sold it to a guy I worked with and he Neglected it so bad that I asked him to buy it back but he had already given to his younger brother that lived in another part of state...
Yo man! I like the fact that you put out your mistakes and that your learning as you go, anybody that is watching you. Is learning from your mistakes, keep it up ! Dig tha bikes too man ! They are like blast from my past when i was young.
Looking good- i expected that the domed piston would raise the compression ratio too far and that you'd have to chuck it up in the lathe and turn that dome off!
For a tarp go down to the local big box lumber store when they are unloading lumber and they may give you the tarps (wrappers) and you can use them for quite a while. Good mod on the short cylinder and valve hitting. I hoe it continues to be a good bike for you and the next guy who owns it, Greg.
Now I feel bad for not saying something about that piston; noticed it was different but thought it was paired with the right jug :-( Props to you for pushing through, that's going to be a great bike.
Well two comments to your piston/valve situation brother. 1.) that domed piston will increase compression and result in more power. 2.) I would not have doubled that gasket up, its a difficult to control variable that will result in the head bolts loosening as the gasket crushes with time. In the race engine world for that small of a clearance issue we would have clearanced the valve pocket in the piston instead.
You need to watch the entire video before you comment. He thought he needed some more clearance (more than the extra gasket) so he took the grinder and ground the valve pocket. How did you miss that?
I would have got the Dremel out with a nice sharp cutter and then polished the complete head of the piston. Yes the as cast pebbly finish probably does help with the cooling but carbon will stick to it easier. Grinding in the valves would also add a thou or two of clearance.
Right on you got the motorcycle what a learning curve! See how you do those videos I learn to. Thank you for the educational and funny videos brother! And your chickens look healthy too :-)
This is like deva vu, the first ever motorcycle I rebuilt to see how it worked was an old Honda twin, I put it back together with the timing 180 degrees out too! PS Your local auto accessories shop should have range of studs available.
We used to use a little modeling clay to check clearances in the head/valve area. I bought a brand new 350SL in the crate from Japan. I was eager to run it and later found out it was low on oil! We all make mistakes to learn in life.
Hi mustie, be sure to use the copper seal ring in the exhaust at the head there. the exhaust studs always break on these btw lol. Oh your missing rubber grip from the kickstarter, you need to make sure that's on tight too- else they slip and rub off all the splines. If that happens drill from the side 50/50 shaft and starter and snap the drill off in the hole and then tighten it down with the drill 'key' in place.
Hi Mustie, can you give me the place you got the tarps. Also I'm a big fan, I've provided a lifetime of toys and motorized goodies for myself by fixing other people's cast offs. It's a major win for me if I can score major items for cheap. Latest is a 1999 Newmar Mountain Aire 3758 with 9856 actual miles. It's been sitting since 2003 and the v10 has sticky valves so it won't start. I'm trying to figure out the fix them without pulling the heads. Once again thanks for the videos. Barry
I enjoyed that even much more than I thought I would and, Dude, you were not daunted. Yep ... Single cylinder, carbed and air cooled ... Really is a great motor (and tranny) to cut our (my) teeth on. ... You just plain rock and I am most grateful that you communicate so well and produce such cogent and digestible content. ... Thank You !
I always set up my shift lever and brake pedal level with my foot pegs, just how I like them. On my 99 XR250 I had to kick through until the piston was @ tdc this helps when starting a 250 and bigger single pot 4 stroke. I love these old Honda single pot 4 strokes. Why did you put a dome piston in this motor? If I had a motor apart as far as you had this one for sure I'm going with a bigger bore/piston and a home done port and polish job on the head, all you really have to do is clean up the ports with a dremel tool, no need to hog anything out, intake leave a swirl finish, exhaust and the combustion chamber polish to a mirror finish, It does get you another pony or 2, and crisper throttle response? as has been my experience. Now I'm doing a 685 big bore/port polish head on my 07 KLR 650, lot's of fun.
That was some fantastic fun that after market gives some supprises that shifter fork that too good you had that extra bike all thanks Mustie your calmness and rethinking prevail sir hat's off great video even you fed the girls Lol!!
honda used to guarantee their parts availability for 25 years, that helped lengthen their lifetime, so now china make a lot of compatible spares, i too had a kawasaki, and even though it was4 years old, parts were a nightmare for it
When I was 17 I went to work in a lawn mower shop. I did that for maybe 9 months. It was the most enjoyable job I ever had. 5 or 6 times a day I'd take something that didn't work and make it work. Very satisfying. That was 52 years ago and I still enjoy finding stuff that doesn't work and making it work.
When I was 16 or 17 around 1970 I rebuilt my 196? Honda 160 twin from top to bottom. It ran perfectly both before and after. It wasn't a dumb exercise because I learned a lot and didn't waist my life learning to drink, smoke or do drugs. :)
That is how I learned to work on cars, by watching a friend do it and being very interested in what was going on. I was always mechanically inclined anyway, so it use to fascinate me to find out what made things tick. Never worked on small engines before except at a landscapers shop when it was raining. Then I decided to take a home study course in it, and went to the Tecumseh factory, to train there as well, been doing it now for the last 20 years. I watched this series from the beginning, great job for the most part.
I have seen someone grind down the top of the piston where it was hitting though. I would grind it a little for that extra clearance you need.
Yep. I feel the same.
I am 80 old, always been a mechanic, which you are top of the line, NOT A PARTS CHANGER, I am getting to old to do alot and I love watching you do it for me--LOL. A mechanic knows there is a problem and without experience or details he is fore known that he will fix it somehow. By the Grace of God this is his gift and he will perform it. Thanks for all the great videos.
When I saw the headline I was worried that things had gone horribly wrong, but when I watched the video, this was nothing like a fail at all - it was a major win! Darrin persevered as usual and worked out the issues. Can't wait to see the next chapter in this bike's restoration, not to mention seeing the vids for the stuff from his latest yard sale finds (little Onan genny, old outboard, etc.)
You did a good job in finding the problem, and addressing it before it got to be a real problem. Being a motorcycle mechanic and welder for years, I would suggest switching that rear swing arm for the one on the parts bike. I really enjoy all your videos, thanks to RoadKing I found your channel. Best of luck Mustie.
I don't have your patience or philosophical outlook. I want it apart, diagnosed, repaired and together as fast as possible. You seem to enjoy the problem solving aspect of repair. With that said, it was great watching you do it but I could not help thinking, I could not do this that way. I admire you though and you are damn good at what you do.
I like how you always put some relaxing footage at the end. The effect is so obvious it almost seems like a trick😋, its brilliant! As always thanks for taking us along for the ride!
thanks for watching jose
I have a 71 cl100 and I believe on the CL and Sl setting the timing and contact breaker is the same process. So im just wondering if I have timing set right. The points should be closed then they open once the bottom end reaches the F mark. The piston is still on its way up in the combustion stroke till it gets to the T mark for TDC.
I just figured out tonight what the float height should be at and I'm hoping that solves the problem. Bike idles but bogs down when you hit the throttle. I'm hoping it's a carb issue and not something to do with timing
Your patience is inspiring.
This made me feel accomplished just watching.
Because its ben sitting for a while drive it it will clear it self 4 stroke gear boxes are tough put 45 minutes on it it will.clear up it self
Your video takes me back sixty years when I was a Triumph/BSA dealer. Excellent video, thanks for the memories.
I picked up a 78 Honda CM185T with 7600 original miles I'm using to build a small cafe racer. I love when I find folks working on these older small bikes. Keep it up and I'll be following the progress of this and other bikes. Thanks for teaching me and I'm sure many other people ways to fix and mod our toys.
You are so right about how it is a good learning experience. Sometimes google just doesn't help. I have now learning how to take apart a Honda recon ENTIRELY and put it back together. Your videos are so interesting and i learn quite a lot from them
Hoping this will help me with 1972 SL 100 repair.?
Sorry for the new comment on an old episode...but...
First...thank you for the amazing videos...they’re great for the DIY wannabes like me who just need to see someone else walk through the troubleshooting process learn a few diagnostic process. On the shifter issue, THAT was the thing you heard “drop” in the previous video when you was replacing the block half. You pause and looked for something that fell out...but it was that rod that dropped out of it’s seat and made a little tapping noise. Always fun to watch and learn and join in the little victories.
What a great series!! Many years ago I traded a Honda trail 55 for a brand new S-90 and I was the first one in Wichita, KS to race on a dirt track in Eldorado. KS - I loved that old bike! This series brings back so many great memories - Thanks!
Thanks for just being a real person on your vids. Glad to see a fellow New Englander doing well.
I started wrenching on a CT 70 Honda as a kid. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. Mustie you have a great attitude.
Man, I really appreciate this series. I just picked up a '74 CB125, and it's my first. Definitely going to be checking your videos frequently!
You're just...you're just really really good at this - im always so impressed with your ability to properly diagnose and intuitively draw the shortest line between A and B. thanks for the vids man!
Ok Bruce Lee hows the kung fu.didnt you die like in the seventies
Wow a king fu master ..not
Wow a king fu master ..not
Time to slow down in the meth
This is one of the very best and interesting mechanical channels on youtube , you can feel the mans highs and disappointments , well done Mustie 1
I've encountered your videos off and on for a few years and recently subscribed (your videos have been increasingly recommended to me by TH-cam's mysterious algorithms). Enjoying them greatly despite the fact that I own no garage or even a shed (and none likely in the near future).
I spend about 50% of my time in Japanese these days, and have developed an interest in the history of the "economic miracle" period of Japan during the 60s and 70s, so really hope you keep bringing the bikes of this time back to life.
BIG CONGRATULATIONS Mustie1. Could hear the disappointment in your voice last video. But you (as always) had to know what was wrong and were able to fix it. I could swear I heard a little "Oh Yea" in there. "Stopping on a high note" is good for the soul. Glad it all worked out!!!
I owned this same bike as my first bike back in 1971. My shifter also quit shifting due to my harsh treatment on the many trail rides I took it on. I had to replace the shifter shaft and the shifter fork was also spread. I sure enjoyed watching you tear down the same bike I tore down many time to fix it back in the day.
I had the SL70 in 72. I was 10 years old then. It would do 50 MPH on the nose on level ground. I rode that thing everywhere.
I just bought a 1974 honda xl125 and rebuilt the whole motor in my college apt bc i found gear teeth in my oil filter but it ran first try after reassembly after some carb tuning and your videos helped allot, keep up the good work.
Hi from London UK. I love your 'wrenching' man. You persevere & don't like to be beaten. Watching you struggle with that transmission & win was great !
Your channel is addictive and informative. I thought I knew something about motors but you have thought me so much. Keep up the great work. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I love the way you skipped over the whole “its all gotta come apart again to get this bolt in there” thing...If you didn’t edit out a blue streak then you definitely earned yourself a halo for the day.
Yeah, it's so easy to see problems like that as catastrophic and just give up. I like the way you rationally figured it despite all the discouraging setbacks.
Bravo! I love your tenacity. Stick to it till you get it right. Most people would have given up once the piston was hitting the head.
My SL is a 73 and has the flat piston, i have a similar sound but i know that my cam chain has jumped a tooth which throws the timing out and makes the valve hit. Nice job getting it working again.
At 69 years old I still enjoy the thrill of a new mechanical adventure. From lawnmowers to locomotives. Look for that Hodaka it's out there somewhere. Great video.
@75 that brings memories. my first bike was an XL-175, 1972. deer hunted off that bike for years. no such thing as 4 wheeler. raised gear ratio with 14 tooth FS. thank you for taking me back.
Thank you for sharing everything, the good, the bad and the ugly. I really like how you take your time, I'm learning a lot. Awesome channel. I've been binge watching since I've discovered it.
I love these old little bikes. Makes me think of my 77 Kawasaki KD 100. Good times! Great job Mustie!
Little bite size video like: how to set valve timing, how to remove broken stud, how to pull fuel tank dent etc. Love your work.
Awesome. I like that you take all of this as a learning process, even with all you already know. Keeping that attitude from age 10 explains why you know so much stuff today. Thanks for sharing, Mustie.
thanks
A little bitter taste of a setback makes victory all the more sweeter. Good job on keeping going and getting it back together!
Nice work! I would have done it just like you did with one exception. After I heard the ticking noise and shift problems, I would have been very tempted to do a stress test on my sledge hammer and break that bike into pieces. Seriously, you have great patience and it adds a lot to your mechanical success. It sure sounds good now! Congrats!
I read the description "I got kicked hard" and thought starter kick-back Glad you got it all sorted out pretty easily.
Nice work! Sucks to get parts that aren't right. Funny you mention the toro mower. When I was a kid people used to give me their old mowers. They were a lot of fun to get going again.
Not a failure; a learning experience! How many times have I made the same repair over and over until I learned how it REALLY went together! Sometime you should try replacing the power valves in a Kawasaki KDX - guaranteed to make you pull your hair out by the roots - especially when you know you will be doing it again in a year or two...
I'm new and getting into this myself and have learned a lot by watching your vids. Thank you for doing it. I'm starting out with an old 1979 Honda PA50-II. Still can't get spark... Changed the external coil. No help. AC is putting out power but not sure if the small coil on the magneto that's supposed to put out actual spark is working... Difficult for a first timer.
Awesome that you got her running but even more awesome that you were able to fix the running issues it had. Nice Job!
sure brings back memories of being a teenager in the 70s that's a sound I'll always remember. That and the sound of my 250 dream. Thanks for the memories. lol
Nice going yet again! And for those that want to talk about fails, the only people that never have one, are the ones who never do anything, as anytime you work on older things that possibilities there, the important thing is if you can past them and persevere! Would have done some polishing on that piston too, and it sounds good now. Those front fork seals would have been a bit easier to do when the engine was out, but I fully understand wanting to get that done and running first. Another great job and a great video! Please tighten that chain though, anyone who has seen the effects of a doubled up 1 at the front sprocket (a good chance that was the teeth on the gears cause) cringes seeing them that sloppy!
Great vid buddy, I remember my brother had a honda TL 125 and I snuck out oon it once on a wet day and nearly crashed as i slid because of them awful `Plastic tyres` back in the day, thats why people changed them out back in the 70s, phew that was a close one bro :)
Listen to him analize his trouble, he will fix it I know, but it's just that his experience pulls him through all the time. If it's not worth it it's out of there, amazing. Great videos Mustie...
thanks
It's nice to see all the stuff you do. Just keep it coming. have a good one. lee uk
Might have to check the head bolts a couple of times as it runs in excellent recovery you have to keep it now great video those bikes were always a blast
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Well done Sir
I would have put a copper gasket as head gasket to get more clearance, but hey whatever works.I have pulled about a dozen of these typ engines (Yamahas&Suzukis mainly) apart , and to my amazement they have all gone back together without a problem . My biggest enemy seems to be fine tuning them bloody carbs though . Keep up the good work .Cheers from Australia
seeing the crusty vw pickup in the background while doing this honda, reminds me of school back in the 60's. I drove a greenbriar to school with a load of school kids with me. A greenbriar is a corvair cabover type but van, like crusty. I loved driving that van cabover, and it ran and drove very well. aircooled van, wish I had it now in the same shape.
Mustie, I want to buy a part you need for the kushman, I owe you because I bought a broken cub cadet 1515 for $50 that had a "shot" engine. I checked for spark, cleaned the carb and it runs flawless. The cub cadet is in great shape too...Before i started wathcing your vids a month ago, I didnt know what a card was!!!! no joke...so send me a link to a part you need and I will buy it and have them ship it to you, however you want to get it, you are the man!!!! Cant thank you enough!!
Nice job. I learned on these in the 80s. I still have a few parts around but like you I tried to fix them by tearing them apart only you only had 1and you got it back together. If you ever need a repair manual for one of these bikes just let me know. I still have my old Chiltons that covers the Hondas of that era as wells as a few other brands. I don't use it anymore and could loan it to you.
Now i want to see you putting things back together and mostly the truing the rear spoke wheel! can't wait to see this moto getting back on the road
Boy that sure started so easy after you put the second gasket in ..... I would have been lost trying to figure out the problem ! Like you I wouldn't have given up but, I would have pulled the parts bike apart to try to find out what was wrong.... it wouldnt have been as easy as you make it seam though ! Thanks for the lesson !
I love it when you get a problem solved, "ha" says it all!
He shoud go by the production date what month was it made the he will. Find the valve issue
Enjoyed the ride!!! Learned along with you....Thanks for taking the time and effort to get the job done.
Learning so much from your mistakes! Fantastic result in getting it running nice. Well done.
Those exhaust studs can be a pain in the rear. I swear they turn into the consistency of hard cheese after ten years. Thanks for sharing.
Oh Great Mustie One, when I watch you hand-crank or foot crank I bob my head and grunt with each pull. It must come from all those years of me trying to get crap to start to the point of passing out. I'm right there with ya.
thanks so much for taking the time to show us yet another great video Pete UK
Dude you're such an inspiration for me seriously you are so good at what you do and I hope to do what you do some day keep up the amazing work, cheers
I don't think the chickens liked you dumping their food on the ground! haha.. The Humanity! Great video as always Mustie.
Your patience’s level is of the scale 👍🏻. I probably would had used that motor for target practice! I think I will just stick with 2 stroke rebuilds 😆
My heart sank when i heard her knocking, all that work,i felt so sorry for you, but you kicked back and your determination you succeeded and through learning by our mistakes,WE ALL MAKE THEM, we are only human. I watch your videos because of the learning curve and the thrill of seeing your sweat and tears come to life. so if those out there have negative comments,make your own videos and , we can watch your "professionalism" ,and perfection in action ,NOT. Keep up the good work buddy , Take care for now .Mac.
Great that you bounced back on getting things worked out... I have a feeling
That selling that bike is going to be hard for you .. they are so much fun ... Can't wait to see it finished and the test drive(hit some trails and mud with it)😎
Now THAT Mustie, is solving problems with balls. It's like I used to say when I built chemical plants, "My job isn't slapping together pieces and parts perfectly engineered and built perfectly in a fab shop hundreds of miles away, by imperfect people who have problems with their wives/kids or have hangovers and just want to muddle through an 8 hr shift...my job is fixing what they f'd up, and refabricating it to make it work!" This was a fine bit of fabrication you did!
That was simply brilliant to experience with you. I watched from 'Part A' to here and was picking faults occasionally - (I would have done it this way...) etc. When it was 180 out and the gearing dodgy and exhaust farting out, it looked bad. You took it on like a champion and I loved watching it.
PS I find it useful to draw a diagram of exploded parts (before actually exploding) with exagerated features so I can't get too mixed up. I can draw accurately and quickly (a few seconds is all it takes) so it's easy for me, and I find I don't need to look too often, but it is there as a safety. The old way of keeping identical parts in order was to stick them through a strip of cardboard and numbered - so your pushrods or whatever go back with the same placement. I do the same with wiring and electronics as that is more my line. And of course these days we can take a high res photo with our smart phones. The drawing though reinforces in your mind the arrangement and is easier to view.
I think you did another fine repair job - good job as usual, good video.
you need another squish gasket on jug this has happened to me before with aftermarket china jugs they are not always perfect of course and have clearance issues. good video as always, look forward to you videos as always.
Good for you man. After about the 15th time pulling the carbs of my latest 30 year old bike project I was ready to kick it over and light it on fire, but we persevere, and thats what makes us good mechanics.
Rob folks from holland is correct , the domed aftermarket piston has arrow on top that points to exhaust vavle - more comp but it hits head/inlet valve grind head of piston top is correct thing to fix extra base gasket means u may get away with lower octane gas but your loosing " squish " which favours pre-ignition so may not (get away with lower Octane gas ).😊 Trev NZ cheers. Keep up interesting videos .
Yes that cylinder/piston kit were mis sold, but you corrected it, not your fault darren.
It sounds happy now, so thats a win from the engine whisperer :-).
Honda's are a good machine, allways worth the effort :-D
There is allways something to be learnt, or at least freshen up the memory a little :-D.
Nice happy chickens, cute too :-D
loved watching you work on that bike and overcome all the issues. thanks for sharing the video
I owned a 1974 Sl 175 Honda 50/50 Bike when I was a young man, the Best Motorcycle that I've ever owned, trouble free for 6 years, I sold it to a guy I worked with and he Neglected it so bad that I asked him to buy it back but he had already given to his younger brother that lived in another part of state...
Yo man! I like the fact that you put out your mistakes and that your learning as you go, anybody that is watching you. Is learning from your mistakes, keep it up ! Dig tha bikes too man ! They are like blast from my past when i was young.
Looking good- i expected that the domed piston would raise the compression ratio too far and that you'd have to chuck it up in the lathe and turn that dome off!
For a tarp go down to the local big box lumber store when they are unloading lumber and they may give you the tarps (wrappers) and you can use them for quite a while. Good mod on the short cylinder and valve hitting. I hoe it continues to be a good bike for you and the next guy who owns it, Greg.
Cheers for showing fails mustie.... patients of a saint
Well I call that a win! Great video Mustie. That giant women's face was creepy!
Good job again man..good hanging out lol out in my garage tinkering too
Now I feel bad for not saying something about that piston; noticed it was different but thought it was paired with the right jug :-(
Props to you for pushing through, that's going to be a great bike.
Well two comments to your piston/valve situation brother.
1.) that domed piston will increase compression and result in more power.
2.) I would not have doubled that gasket up, its a difficult to control variable that will result in the head bolts loosening as the gasket crushes with time. In the race engine world for that small of a clearance issue we would have clearanced the valve pocket in the piston instead.
AlphaPsycho thats what I would have done
even 4 minutes with a file and a bit of linishing would have done it
You need to watch the entire video before you comment. He thought he needed some more clearance (more than the extra gasket) so he took the grinder and ground the valve pocket. How did you miss that?
I was thinking the same thing . I Wouldn't feel confident the gasket would be a long term solution .
I would have got the Dremel out with a nice sharp cutter and then polished the complete head of the piston. Yes the as cast pebbly finish probably does help with the cooling but carbon will stick to it easier. Grinding in the valves would also add a thou or two of clearance.
Right on you got the motorcycle what a learning curve! See how you do those videos I learn to. Thank you for the educational and funny videos brother! And your chickens look healthy too :-)
This is like deva vu, the first ever motorcycle I rebuilt to see how it worked was an old Honda twin, I put it back together with the timing 180 degrees out too!
PS Your local auto accessories shop should have range of studs available.
We used to use a little modeling clay to check clearances in the head/valve area. I bought a brand new 350SL in the crate from Japan. I was eager to run it and later found out it was low on oil! We all make mistakes to learn in life.
Hi mustie, be sure to use the copper seal ring in the exhaust at the head there. the exhaust studs always break on these btw lol. Oh your missing rubber grip from the kickstarter, you need to make sure that's on tight too- else they slip and rub off all the splines. If that happens drill from the side 50/50 shaft and starter and snap the drill off in the hole and then tighten it down with the drill 'key' in place.
great recovery mustie
Probably the best you tube channel in the world
That was another fine mess you got yourself out of ... excellent video on problem solving on a Honda sl125
Glad to see you got a different pipe mustie. Get that thing together. Let's hear that thing Rev
It's good to see you challenged by a project now and then.
Hi Mustie, can you give me the place you got the tarps. Also I'm a big fan, I've provided a lifetime of toys and motorized goodies for myself by fixing other people's cast offs. It's a major win for me if I can score major items for cheap. Latest is a 1999 Newmar Mountain Aire 3758 with 9856 actual miles. It's been sitting since 2003 and the v10 has sticky valves so it won't start. I'm trying to figure out the fix them without pulling the heads. Once again thanks for the videos. Barry
its on the yard sale video
The piston have 180 degrees turned. arrow have to exhaust. Greating. frome Holland. ( a honda fan )
I enjoyed that even much more than I thought I would and, Dude, you were not daunted.
Yep ... Single cylinder, carbed and air cooled ... Really is a great motor (and tranny) to cut our (my) teeth on. ... You just plain rock and I am most grateful that you communicate so well and produce such cogent and digestible content. ... Thank You !
and thank you for watching
I always set up my shift lever and brake pedal level with my foot pegs, just how I like them. On my 99 XR250 I had to kick through until the piston was @ tdc this helps when starting a 250 and bigger single pot 4 stroke. I love these old Honda single pot 4 strokes. Why did you put a dome piston in this motor? If I had a motor apart as far as you had this one for sure I'm going with a bigger bore/piston and a home done port and polish job on the head, all you really have to do is clean up the ports with a dremel tool, no need to hog anything out, intake leave a swirl finish, exhaust and the combustion chamber polish to a mirror finish, It does get you another pony or 2, and crisper throttle response? as has been my experience. Now I'm doing a 685 big bore/port polish head on my 07 KLR 650, lot's of fun.
After the tear down restart it even ran better , had to turn idle down , nice recovery , I've been there myself many times
That was some fantastic fun that after market gives some supprises that shifter fork that too good you had that extra bike all thanks Mustie your calmness and rethinking prevail sir hat's off great video even you fed the girls Lol!!
honda used to guarantee their parts availability for 25 years, that helped lengthen their lifetime, so now china make a lot of compatible spares, i too had a kawasaki, and even though it was4 years old, parts were a nightmare for it
Jusb1066 I ran into that last year for kawasaki the parts took 6 months for the bike I got !!!
Great work love it good to see old things come back to life doesn't matter how your doing it cheers
I have one of the later models from 1980 and its still in very good condition! absolutly love it!
That was such a high five moment! Here is a virtual one, left hands!! Fearless perseverance!
right back at ya
Congrats. Timing is always a problem if it's the first time. Too bad about the problems. Keep it up.