Long lost new member reintroduction...

[Steve Swan]

Hello All,

This is Steve Swan in Fort Collins, Colorado.  It’s been much longer than I want to admit since I last posted anything about my GTR.  In advance, thank you for all the willing and kind help I received when I took delivery of my ’68 GTR back in June of 2018.  At the time I was in the middle of graduate school and so my anything to do with motorcycles was a welcome and limited side relief…  Last year was a horrible fire year in Colorado, finishing up graduation and then working full time off and on…  So much for2020.

I did get to ride the GTR a bit, long enough to get a bit more familiar with it to realize the clutch seal was the cause of blowing smoke out the right exhaust and then the large pool of oil that would accumulate as the bike rested on its center stand…

The last service shop I worked in was a good friend’s and since his retirement he accepts jobs of his choosing; I’ve been waiting since late 2019 for his schedule to clear so he could put the GTR on his lift and give it a thorough going over considering it was a survivor with 6,600 miles on it.  Ray has raced and ridden 2-strokes the past 58 years of his 74 years, so I really feel fortunate that he would take the GTR on even though it is the first Bridgestone he’s ever put his wrenches to…  I took the GTR  to Ray’s the week before last and he has since called with a fairly extensive (expected) list of additional seals, O-rings and a couple more gaskets than I had brought up to Ray when I dropped of the bike.  Apparently the GTR is leaking oil from just about any place that oil can leak from…

I placed an order with Richard through his email and his 6x6 site last week and since I’d not heard from him, I made a call.  A gentleman answered my call who was not Richard and told me that it’s going to be “several weeks” before Richard catches up with parts orders and couldn’t be any more informative that that and as I am not a pushy person, I thanked him for what he told me and that was that.  The gentleman’s answer seemed a bit puzzling to me as I had bought a gasket off Ebay from Richard and it arrived all the way from Indiana to Colorado in 4 days which exceeded my expectations…  I am wondering if any of you fellows have placed orders to Richard using his email and/or his 6x6 site and if you experienced an extended delay of several weeks or got your parts in less than a several weeks…?  To me “several” means 6 or 7 weeks…  Maybe this gentlemen’s answer was designed to not get my expectations up in the case the parts would be shipped in a shorter period of time…

In the future, I will not go MIA nor be so delinquent with my participation as I never felt good asking for the help in 2018 that was so freely given to me including a warm new member reception and then disappearing sight unseen until now.

Anyhow, I am attaching a picture of my GTR taken shortly after I took delivery of it.  2019, another friend of mine modified a spare kick lever so I could complete the RH shift/LH brake conversion, so that is pretty darn cool.  2019, I was able to take the GTR out for 45 mile ride and it became apparent before I would out any more miles on the bike, it would need some service work to make everything right.

In closing, I want to repeat my thanks to Karl, Brian and Moonpup for all the help you gave me when I first introduced myself.

Thanks in advance and kind regards,

Steve Swan

[Steve Swan]

Oops, sorry for double posting...

[Steve Swan]

Just to follow up, Richard has sent the parts out, he had every part that i needed.  mostly all rubber parts, s anywhere the engine could leak oil from, it did...  The parts will be here Wednesday, so i am looking forward to getting them to my buddy Ray.  The oil pump looked like it had been apart, there was ThreeBond suggesting it had been apart...  So, Richard sent me a new oil pump.  Pretty amazing when one thinks about the readily accessible parts availability for a 53 year old motorcycle.  i am grateful to Richard for having the long ago foresight to buy 30 tons of nos parts when BS went belly up...

[moonpup]

Hi Steve, welcome back and glad to hear you still have your GTR and by the sounds of it, getting some needed attention. Hopefully it'll run like a top when finished. Good luck and keep us informed.

[Steve Swan]

Thanks Moonpup!  i looked through all my records and regretfully could not find your name.  Indeed, i shall be more active as the future unfolds.  Yes, the old GTR is getting a much needed thorough going through; we are making progress.  Just placed a second order for a few more parts a few minutes ago with Richard.  The neutral switch and contact are a couple of them, the 53 year old plastic has degraded to the point of no return... 

A bit of a part number conundrum on the float valves...  The factory parts book calls for 1660-9000, when i ordered them from Richard, he asked if i was sure of that pn, triple checking myself, i answered yes, pn 1660-9000...  What i received was 9 mm seats; 7 mm is what is needed.  i would appreciate it anyone could add some illumination as to what is what...

[moonpup]

Steve,  the 9mm float valves are for the carbs after serial # 21H. Basically that means all the 70 GTO's and 71 GTO's / GTR's. The part number for these is 1660-9010 and that is what you apparently received.

You need the 7mm (1660-9000) for the 67-69  GTR's. I don't believe Richard has any of those left,  but I could be wrong.

Good luck,
Mike

[hardy]

Hey Steve,

We are all still here, even if we don’t post that often.

With the float valves, I had trouble getting the 7mm ones for my wife’s Kawasaki Samurai, so I drill out the carbs to 9mm and can now use new off the shelf float valves!

[Bridgestone Man]

Mike. You have it backwards, 1660-9000 are 9mm and 1660-9010 are 7mm, I went through the same thing, yes I did end up drilling the carbs to use the 9mm ones, as there were no 7mm ones to be found.

Sam Keys

[Steve Swan]

Thanks, Mike, Sam and all.  Richard already replied and does not have the 7 mm float valves.  My friend is going to see what he can hopefully cross reference.  The other thing i imagine you folks have run into is the plastic of the neutral switch being degraded, which in the case of my GTR is allowing oil to leak.  it sounds like Richard may not have that one.  What have you fellows been doing in cases where your switch needs to be replaced?  Kind regards, Steve

[moonpup]

Mike. You have it backwards, 1660-9000 are 9mm and 1660-9010 are 7mm, I went through the same thing, yes I did end up drilling the carbs to use the 9mm ones, as there were no 7mm ones to be found.

Sam Keys

Sam, I must politely disagree with you. The information in my post is absolutely spot on!

[Jeff Bar]

I agree with Sam. I have a whole unopened bag of the 9mm ones, with part number 1660-9000

[moonpup]

I agree with Sam. I have a whole unopened bag of the 9mm ones, with part number 1660-9000

Congratulations Jeff on being the proud owner of a bag full of mis-labeled float valves! 

https://bridgestonemotorcycleparts.com/index.php?topic=3219.msg16527#msg16527

[dcr]

Everything I have indicates the 9mm float valves are for the carbs after serial # 21H which is the 70 and 71 GTO and GTR. Part number is 1660-9010.

The 7mm is for the 67, 68 and 69 GTO and GTR. The part number is 1660-9000.

[Jeff Bar]

Yes You are correct as always, I have a bag of parts that BS labeled wrong.................

[Steve Swan]

Thanks, Mike, Sam and all.  Richard already replied and does not have the 7 mm float valves.  My friend is going to see what he can hopefully cross reference.  The other thing i imagine you folks have run into is the plastic of the neutral switch being degraded, which in the case of my GTR is allowing oil to leak.  it sounds like Richard may not have that one.  What have you fellows been doing in cases where your switch needs to be replaced?  Kind regards, Steve

To follow up on the early 7 mm float valves...  My friend was going through his carb parts and found that the float valve for the 1967 Yamaha YR1 is the same as the pre-70 GTR's.  So, i ordered a pair and will report back...

On the broken neutral switch, talking with my friend, apparently 2 of the tabs are broken off, these tabs being approximately 1/16" thick...  I've not seen one of these switches, if Richard doesn't have a switch, then I'll be going up to my friend's to pick up the switch and see if i can do some of my good 'ol farm boy fabrication magic on it...  Who has had success conserving one of these wounded switches back to use?  Or does anyone have a switch they would sell?

Jeeze, if it wasn't for Richard's foresight, a lot of us would be screwed....

[hardy]

Glad you got the valves sorted, if you need to find some dimensions on sizes, try www.mikunioz.com . Tom Hatrick is very knowledgeable in this area.

Also, Did I spot a J model Harley in the background?

Hardy

[Steve Swan]

Glad you got the valves sorted, if you need to find some dimensions on sizes, try www.mikunioz.com . Tom Hatrick is very knowledgeable in this area.

Also, Did I spot a J model Harley in the background?

Hardy

Hi Hardy,

Thanks for the link to Mikunioz.  i have it in my files.  yes, indeed you have spotted a J model.  1927 JD.  that was a nearly 4 year/700+ hours build, modeled after my Dad's '27 that he bought new in 1927.  I have many pictures of him from that time.  i built a 2nd '27, it has Carrillo rods, JIMS pins, Venolia pistons, electronic ignition to name a few goodies that make it care free road worthy.  My taste in bikes is pretty diverse, my collection consists of bikes i owned and rode as a kid and bikes i lusted after but couldn't own.  The GTR is one bike that never left my mind after seeing ads and reading road tests when i was a 15 year old farm boy back in 1967.  I'm really looking forward to getting my GTR back after my friend finishes it up and see how the factory intended it to run when new.  Thanks for the tip on Mikunioz.  Take good care!

[Steve Swan]

i'm happy to report that 1967 Yamaha YR1 Keyster carb kits contain the very same 7 mm float valves fitted in the pre-70 GTR carbs.  Thanks to my friend Ray, i snagged a pair of kits off ebay.  I hope they are not too hard to find for anyone who wants to go this route.

On another note, it was surprising to find excessive wear in two towers of each carburetor that hold the pin that holds the floats in position.  Worn nearly 2 mm larger that the diameter of the factory pin. New ones were made from the necessary diameter of drill rod.  I can only imagine the wear results from engine vibration...?

i have a full set of the rubber cushions the engine is mounted to.  Is it possible to replace these cushions without removing the engine from the frame?

i was able to epoxy together the two halves of the neutral switch, so that is a welcome save.

Thanks in advance and kind regards.
Steve

[OldSwartout]

The lower engine mounts must be removed upward. There is a shoulder at the bottom of the bore in the frame to keep them in place, so they can't be removed downward. The only way I've been able to change them is to remove the engine. Improvise a puller using a long bolt and a couple of sockets to pull them upward. That usually results in ripping out the guts, leaving the shell in the frame which then has to be cut or collapsed with a chisel.

If anyone else has figured out something different, chime right in. 

[Steve Swan]

The lower engine mounts must be removed upward. There is a shoulder at the bottom of the bore in the frame to keep them in place, so they can't be removed downward. The only way I've been able to change them is to remove the engine. Improvise a puller using a long bolt and a couple of sockets to pull them upward. That usually results in ripping out the guts, leaving the shell in the frame which then has to be cut or collapsed with a chisel.

If anyone else has figured out something different, chime right in. 

Thanks for your reply, Karl.  Once i have the bike back home, i'll look things over a bit more.  Not having the bike here is a disadvantage.  i can't help but wonder if all the engine to frame fasteners were removed if a jack couldn't be placed under the engine so it could be lifted up high enough to remove those cushions.  Or, once the engine is unfastened, and as it is raised in the frame does it hit the frame before it can be raised high enough to get the cushions out of the cups?  The only problem with my idea is that it is not founded in your experience, so i can only imagine that it is something undoubtedly you have already tried...

i'm also wondering if the cushions are bad, how this affects other chassis parts, i.e., bad vibrations...  

Even with good cushions, does the engine vibrate so much that it wears the holes in the towers that the float pins go through?