1964 Scramber "Return to Rideable"

[MrTexasFreedom]

This is my first attempted resurrection. Bought this Scrambler off eBay a few years back. Barely running at the time. It sat in my garage for a few years as my resources and attention were drained by career demands. Now I'm at a place where I can really work on it.

Not attempting to restore this bike to any kind of 'original' state. The engine appears to be a CL77 305 while the frame is a CL72, I believe.

I had a local shop look at the engine and charging system. Compression is good. Tank is clean on the inside. Installed a new mikuni carb and new spark plugs.

The bike now runs, but not without problems. Was barely able to ride the bike home 8 miles. Clutch plates seem to be sticking together as shifting from neutral is a roll of the dice with many attempts resulting in the bike going directly into gear and killing the engine.

The other drama on that ride home I believe was due to a shot rear bearing. After stopping to refuel, I couldn't even push the bike. Additionally, I could barely get it to do 40 mph. Previously, I had taken the thing past 50 mph. When I got home, smoke emanated from all over the bike. I suspected the rear drum brake had locked up somehow, and touching the hub burned my fingers. After several hours of cooling, the bike pushed easily. That's why I suspect a bearing rather than the brake.

Other than engine oil, are there any other fluid levels to be watchful of? Lubrication points?

Will continue to update this thread as I make progress on this Scrambler.

thanks for any advice in advance,

mtf

[davomoto]

I had a local shop look at the engine and charging system. Compression is good. Tank is clean on the inside. Installed a new mikuni carb and new spark plugs.

Why Mikuni carb(s) ? Did the shop or yourself jet them for the bike? No air filters?

Sounds like the rear brake is dragging. You'll probably need to remove rear wheel, completely disassemble rear brake plate, and give everthing a good clean and lube, as well as lubing the cable.

Davo

[MrTexasFreedom]

davomoto-

Thanks for your info on the brakes. I'll open it up when I get it back from the shop and look at them as well as the bearings. So, if the brake is dragging, would it get 'easier' to push after it has cooled down? I'm unfamiliar with this type of problem, so I thought it was the bearing.

I took the bike back to the shop this morning for them to address the carb jetting. The mechanic is going to size the jet to be the same as the original carb that was on the bike. Not sure if that's the correct size for the engine. Any idea?

Clutch seems to be slipping and stealing power between the engine and drive train. Kind of surprised me that I was able to start the bike using my hand on the kickstarter. Worried that it meant the compression is quickly going bad due to rusty cylinders creating friction. Mechanic at the shop thinks it's because the clutch is slipping. Is this a reasonable theory?


I'm shopping for a new clutch and clutch plate gasket. It looks like it'd be simple to replace. Is that an illusion?

thanks,

mtf

[davomoto]

Yes, as the brake heats up, it expands, contracts as it cools off. There are two carbs on these bikes. What happened to the origionals? Do yourself a favor and buy manuals for your bike. It'll save you lots of time and frustration!

Davo

[MrTexasFreedom]

davmoto,

Wow. I don't know what happened to the second carb. Ever since I took possession of the bike, it only ever had one carb. The mechanic at the shop replaced it rather than try to rebuild it. He said it was a mess. Not really sure how two carbs would be replaced by one.

I have an air filter on order. Should be here in a few days.

Per your suggestion, I think I'm going to buy the Bill Silver restoration guide. Would be awesome if it were available for Kindle. Do you have any other recommendation for a good manual? Since the bike is mostly a CL72 with a CL77 engine, I need documentation on both. The Bill Silver Scrambler guide looks to cover that range. Oh, I believe the bike is from 1964.

I need to replace the front tire and would like to keep the knobby trials-type style tread. Do you have any recommendations of good aftermarket vintage tires for the Scrambler?

thanks!

mtf

[Hahnda]

I think you have a CA77 engine in there.

[MrTexasFreedom]

Well, perhaps the engine and frame are matched, then. Looking at a factory-correct CA77, it matches pretty well with what is on this bike. Would that explain a single carb vs. dual?

-- mtf