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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: kombiman on May 20, 2015, 02:52:22 AM

Title: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: kombiman on May 20, 2015, 02:52:22 AM
Howdy,  Im in Australia and renovating a 20k 1974 Eldorado in beautiful condition. 

(http://i.imgur.com/u4u4RPZ.jpg)

Now disassembled

(http://i.imgur.com/ZVg8OCL.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/ki7uInk.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/0t5nyrG.jpg)

To grease the clutch splines as they are completely dry.  My choice on the BMW is Honda moly 60 so plan on using that.  Rear main seal isn't leaking so I'm not planning on going in and changing it.

Any tips or tricks for the bike while it's down this far? 


I'm doing fork seals, wheel bearings and steering head bearings because the steering head bearings were dry, corroded and notchy while the wheel bearings has corrosion marks on the faces.

Brake shoes are being replaced and all levers, pivots etc regreased as dry and stuck but not worn.

(http://i.imgur.com/RuMXDVM.jpg)
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: Hahnda on May 20, 2015, 06:54:17 AM
You may want to leave that clutch hub dry, no grease. There will be a fair amount of clutch dust in there and it would just stick to that grease.

Have you checked out your chrome cylinder situation?

Nice looking bike.  ;-T
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: dilligaf on May 20, 2015, 06:58:54 AM
Nice bike.  Put it back together and ride it.  Do lubricate the clutch splines.  :BEER:
Matt
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: Vasco DG on May 20, 2015, 07:00:15 AM
Replace the cylinders and pistons or the chrome will flake and destroy the motor.

Pete
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: Cam3512 on May 20, 2015, 09:08:38 AM
BTW, looks like a '73 titled as a '74. 
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: Chuck in Indiana on May 20, 2015, 09:15:22 AM
I use a mixture of moly and chain lube to lightly lube the splines. I'm not sure it does any good.  ;D If it were me, I'd change out that rear main seal while I was there. It's uh.. 42 years old, after all. And.. as Pete said, replace the chrome cylinders.
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: JoeW on May 20, 2015, 09:16:55 AM
Replace the cylinders and pistons or the chrome will flake and destroy the motor.

Pete
:+1 This is a common practice, I've seen many old chrome cylinders in good shape but as a matter of practice replacing the cylinder with Nikisil kits guarantees the engine's future.
Also, I know I'm going to raise a stink here but, I lube the clutch splines on every bike I build or repair. I use Dow Corning GN Paste. I'm sure it's very similar the Moly 60. The key is to use it sparingly, don't glop it on like you're repacking a wheel bearing. Use a stiff nylon brush and burnish it into the hub, it should look like a coat of paint. I have had the same 500g tub of it for over 30 years, and I use it on shift linkage, drum brake cams anything that rides metal on metal.
You could pull the rear trans cover and put a shift return spring in as long as you have it out.
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: rodekyll on May 20, 2015, 11:56:51 AM
Nice bike.   ;-T

I thought the '74 had a disk brake front end and an alternator.  Did they come both ways?
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: JoeW on May 20, 2015, 05:56:10 PM
Nice bike.   ;-T

I thought the '74 had a disk brake front end and an alternator.  Did they come both ways?
No loop ever came with an alternator. And you had three choices of brakes, single disc, single drum or dual drum.
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on May 20, 2015, 06:58:02 PM
BTW, looks like a '73 titled as a '74. 

Looks like it could have been a mid-'73 build date with 4LS front brake originally. Has the hole in the fender for the right side brake cable guide, so maybe someone sold off the fairly valuable 4LS and installed a 2LS instead? Or someone might have just changed the fender...
Title: Re: Renovating a very low mile 74 Eldorado. Tips and advice please?
Post by: rodekyll on May 20, 2015, 10:08:53 PM
No loop ever came with an alternator. And you had three choices of brakes, single disc, single drum or dual drum.

Thanks!