Back to Basics – The Spring Revival

Revival Maintenance

1. Fuel System – Today's gasoline is a chemical concoction formulated for specific regions and climates,and is intended to be used within weeks of its manufacture. As such, it does not store well over a long winter. Hopefully, when your machine was put away last fall you either drained the fuel system completely or added fuel preservative/stabilizer to your tank and ran the motor for a few minutes to get the preservative-laced fuel into the carburetor. If fuel is in the tank, give it a sniff test. If you are not sure what bad gas smells like, get a gas can full of fresh fuel and do a comparison sniff. Once you smell bad gas, you'll never forget it. As gas deteriorates, it leaves a varnish like residue that can clog carburetor jets and fuel filters. If the gas is bad, drain it all out, including the carburetor bowl. If the bowl has gas residue in it, you may want to take a can of spray carburetor cleaner and blow out the jets. Look inside the tank with a flashlight for surface rust. If rust is present you'll need to clean it out first. If there is no plating or sealer on the inside of your tank, it is good practice to keep the tank full of preservative-laced fuel over the winter. An empty, bare steel tank invites rust formation. Refill the tank with fresh gas and check for leaks in the tank, fuel lines and carburetor.
2. Engine/ Transmission/Primary Oil – If you did not change the lubricants when the bike was put up for the winter, now is the time. It is best to do this with the engine warm as warm oil will carry away impurities more easily.
3. 
   A badly worn sprocket - note the hooked teeth. This one belongs in the scrap bin.
   Chains/Sprockets – Remove the chain and clean off all the dirt, grease and accumulated crud. This is easily done by dipping it in a pan of kerosene or gasoline. Do this outside and no smoking please. Wipe it off well and let it air dry. Inspect the chain for excessive wear. Also look at the sprockets. The teeth should not be worn sharp; the center valley between the teeth should be symmetrical and even. Look for side wear on the sprocket where the chain rides. A simple way to check for chain stretch is to pull it tight and wrap it around the rear sprocket. Look at each roller as you wrap it. With the chain taught, the rollers should drop down into the center of the valleys between the sprocket teeth. If the chain is stretched, the rollers will not fit into each valley properly. If this is the case, it's time for a new chain. Apply chain lubricant to your good chain and reinstall. Be sure the open end of the master link spring locking clip is facing towards the rear when the chain is going forward. Adjust the chain tension so there is 1/2" to 3/4" up/down play when measured half way between the sprockets. If the bike has a primary chain between the engine and transmission, adjust per the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Tires, Wheels and Wheel Bearings – Inspect your tires for cracks and excessive or uneven wear. Check the air pressure. Jack up the bike and spin each wheel. Ensure the rim runs true. If it does not, check for loose or broken spokes. Spokes do loosen up with use, so take your time and make sure this is right. While spinning the wheels, check the wheel bearings for excessive wear and side play. The wheels should spin freely with almost no perceptible play.
5. Steering Head Bearings – While the front end is jacked up, loosen the steering damper, if so equipped, then grab the forks and try to move them fore and aft, and side to side. There should be no perceptible play. If there is, tighten the bearings just enough to remove the play, but ensuring the fork still turns freely. If the bearings have not been greased in a while, now is a good time to do it.
6. Brakes – With the machine still jacked up, check for proper operation of the brakes. Adjust as needed. Brake drums can develop surface rust when sitting for extended periods. This can cause the brakes to grab more than usual for the first few applications, but will clear up as the shoes rub off the rust.
7. Control Cables and Linkages – Check the operation of all control cables – throttle, spark, choke and brakes. Apply a couple of drops of light oil to these cables (unless they are Teflon lined, they need no lubricant). Check mechanical linkages for free operation; apply a couple of drops of light oil to all linkage joints.
8. Air Filter – Inspect the filter, it's probably dirtier than you think. If it is the old style metal mesh type, remove and clean with solvent. Apply oil if specified by your owner's manual. If you have a replaceable paper element filter, replace it as needed. If you are fortunate enough to have a modern reusable filter, clean per the manufacturer's instructions.
9. Clutch – Clutch plates can stick together after sitting for extended periods, especially wet clutches. With the ignition off, put the bike in gear, pull the clutch in and kick it over a few times. This will loosen the plates. Ensure the clutch operates smoothly. If this is not done and you start the bike, attempting to put it in gear the first time may result in nasty gears clashing.
10. 
    A battery's best friends – floating trickle charger and specific gravity tester.
    Battery – You did put your battery on a floating battery charger last fall, right? If not, it is probably flat as a pancake by now. If it is not already out, remove the battery from the bike. Top off all cells with distilled or deionized water to the appropriate level. Do not use tap or spring water; these contain minerals which are not conducive to long battery life. Wire brush the battery terminals with a little baking soda and water to clean off any corrosion and neutralize any remaining acid. Use a trickle charger to bring it to full charge. Allow the battery to rest for 12-24 hours, then check the voltage with a digital DC voltmeter. Use a quality specific gravity tester (not one with the little floating balls) to check the specific gravity of each cell. Refer to the following chart:
    
    

    Percentage of Charge	Specific Gravity	Open-Circuit Voltage 6 Volt	Open-Circuit Voltage 12 Volt
    100	1.277	6.37	12.73
    90	1.258	6.31	12.62
    80	1.238	6.25	12.50
    70	1.217	6.19	12.37
    60	1.195	6.12	12.24
    50	1.172	6.05	12.10
    40	1.148	5.98	11.96
    30	1.124	5.91	11.81
    20	1.098	5.83	11.66
    10	1.073	5.75	11.51

    
    
    Each cell of a battery produces about 2.1 volts. If your battery is only coming up to about 4.2 volts (6 volt battery) or 10.5 volts (12 volt battery), you likely have a dead cell. Checking the specific gravity of each cell will identify the culprit. Once the battery is properly charged, apply anticorrosion compound or petroleum jelly to the positive and negative terminals and re-install the battery. This leads us to our next topic.
11. Wiring & Wiring Terminals, Lights and Horn – Clean the positive and negative battery wire terminals and apply corrosion preventive. Inspect the wiring for wear, chafing, oil soaking and loose connections. Worn insulation can lead to electrical shorts and serious damage. Loose, dirty or corroded connections can lead to blown bulbs, intermittent operations and generator damage. Look close at connections that are vulnerable to road spray like the tail light and brake light switch. The little contacts on tail light bulbs are especially vulnerable to corrosion. Remove the bulb and inspect its contacts. Check the corresponding contacts in the socket. If they aren't bright and shiny, touch them up with a piece of 400 grit sandpaper. Test all your lights and horn for proper operation.
12. Generator – If the generator is working most folks don't give it another thought. But now is a good time to check a couple things. Many generators have a removable cover that allows easy access to the brushes. Remove the cover and look inside with a light. Check the brushes for excessive wear. Review your service manual for minimum brush length. As the brush wears, the brush holder gets closer to the commutator. Eventually either the brush will no longer make good contact with the commutator or the brush holder will. The former will result in loss of current output; the latter will cause damage to the commutator. Look at the internal wiring for worn insulation or chafing. There is very little room inside a generator, the wiring can get pretty close to the spinning armature. If it makes contact the insulation will be worn off and a short will result. If there is a lot of black dust inside the generator, use compressed air to blow it out. This is residue from the carbon brushes and if allowed to accumulate, can cause a short. Most generators are rebuilt with modern sealed bearings which require no further lubrication. But if yours retains open bearings, apply a few drops of oil to the oilers.
13. Ignition Points and Plugs – Check the ignition points for the proper gap. Yes, the gap does change over time as the rubbing block wears down. Also look for heavy pitting of the points. If necessary, file the points smooth or replace them. Remove the spark plugs and inspect them for wear and appearance. If they look good, clean and check the gap. Replace them if necessary. While the plugs are out, turn the motor over with your thumb over each spark plug hole (ignition off). You are doing this as a basic compression check. When a motor sits for extended periods, rust could form on the valve stems causing a valve to stick. This basic test will verify that the valves are working properly.

Removing needle bearings from '46-'48 Indian front forks

Follow up - Merkel Mechanical Spring Starter

BS&G Merkel poster: An advertising poster for the groundbreaking 1913 Flying Merkel with self-starter.