Captainkirk's Duster project

So, after a long summer'’s nap …we'’re back!

I apologize for the delay. I had a good thing going here, then Life interfered.
Where was I? Oh yeah, the Nighthawk. The one that, ummm, “ran”.
Well, in between not running and running, another thing happened. Another Nighthawk. This one came and went in about two weeks; a quick-turn sale that netted me enough cash to pay for the first one. (big grin). Since then, the garage has seen a steady stream of bikes in and out, keeping me extremely busy and leaving absolutely no free time for the Duke…. Until now. So, I'’m hoping to make some progress this month and give you guys some car stuff to chew on instead of all this motorcycle rubbish. But since motorcycle rubbish is all I'’ve got for this installment, you’ll have to take it or leave it and bear with me!

Well, as I mentioned, the #3 exhaust valve was bent. OK, let me correct that statement; both #3 exhaust valves were bent. I found this out after replacing the first one. More on this later. I made a few phone calls and located a source for a new exhaust valve…..at $47.00 per! So I checked eBay, and found an entire cylinder head for $35.00-sounded like a good deal to me! In the long run, it was. Because after I changed the first valve, I decided to check the other one. Logic dictates, if one valve kissed the piston, why wouldn'’t the other one, as well? Why indeed? If Archie kissed Veronica, wouldn'’t it follow that he might kiss Betty, too? (careful, there Captain, you'’re dating yourself here with the Archie stuff….) As it turned out, it did. It wasn'’t readily obvious by looking at it; at least this one closed. But after I pulled the valve and rolled the stem on a flat surface, the wobble...…and the ugly truth….''were pretty evident. Hey, no problem! I had an extra head chock full of free $47.00 exhaust valves! (big grin!)

It was a short night'’s work to pull the valves, clean them up and lap the seats. I slapped them in and went about reassembling the whole mess. As it turned out, I ended up finding several collapsed lifters (just happened to have extra ones with my eBay head!) so that didn'’t set me back at all. Not one bit! So after a bit of work the whole shebang was back together and looking as unmolested as when I'’d started. So, now for the moment of truth! …I ran a cranking compression test …and wound up with 180 psi. Even better than I'’d hoped for!

Now what to do about carbs? The missing parts from the carb bank were (as usual) way more expensive than a whole bank of rebuilt carbs
…which, incidentally, was way more than I wanted to spend to begin with. Fortunately, I found a complete set of carbs on eBay for a reasonable price, and snatched them up. The intention was to cannibalize parts off these and use them on my original carbs, but they were clean enough and the bank was complete, so after pulling the bowls and slides blasting them with a little GumOut and compressed air and checking the jets, I just used them as-is instead.
Now, usually, a motor that has not run in seven years will give you a run for your money. Not this one! I don'’t think the crank made even one complete revolution before it roared to life, causing yet another big grin to appear on my mug! “Who’'s yer daddy?!!!” I howled gleefully to a rather annoyed-looking BuellosaurusRex , (who could care less about any Jap motorcycles, and this one in particular.) The Duke stirred, but stayed soundly asleep.
Oh, sure, I’'ve still got some issues to deal with, but the biggest hurdle has been leapt. “NOW it runs, mister”! I mumbled under my breath, to no one in particular, as if the previous owner could actually hear me. There are times, I'’ll admit, especially when I’'m “in the groove”, that if I were somebody else, I'’d likely find myself rather obnoxious. Most of you motorheads know exactly what I mean. We tend to get rather cocky about our mechanical prowess at times, and this was one of them. I didn'’t revel in my mechanical mastery too very long, though, for, I noticed a pool of gas collecting on the motor-one of the carb joints was leaking, most likely a dried-up seal. So the carbs would have to come off yet again, for the third time. (First time was for a leaking fuel inlet Tee, the second time for a choke issue). But hey, it runs. For real, this time. I know The Duke would approve!
So off they came. It was, as I suspected, a dried up joint seal. No problem. I had extra parts. Back on they went, this time, with no leaks. A quick tweak with the long #2 Phillips and the mercury gauges (carb sticks), and they were all reasonably synched; lickety split. Meanwhile, eBay parts were arriving daily. First the new tail light, then the new front signals. Before long, this thing might be ready for a merciless test flogging!

Meanwhile, while perusing a Jeg’'s magazine out in the garage, I stumbled across a 2X4 carb/manifold package that would be killer on the Duke. I haven'’t decided to buy it yet, but it’s a heckuvalot cheaper than the six-pack combo I was eyeing before. “Will you look at that?” I mumbled to myself. Suddenly, I could feel the Duke’s sidelong stare burning holes in me through slitted eyelids…”...Oh, you are awake, big fella? ”He was. I guess I have some apologizing to do…..