Keep searching for threads, both on and off this forum. Each thread on carb rebuild can show/tell some new info or tips or diagrams. I have replaced needles while retaining the orig seat. Clean the seat with q-tip and solvent till it's shiny. The needle tips are probably trash if they were stuck. Ma...

I attended the Minneapolis show this Feb. Same story. Much smaller than just last year. Last year I tried riding the electrics, and tried (minimal success) to do a "Wheelie" at their participation booth. No Goldwings in the classic display area either. Guys in the Vintage booth tried to recruit me t...

Got to start with basic info & testing. What actually melted... bat. cable, connector lug, bat. post, ?? could be just a poor connection right at the battery. Did it fry right away with just key on. Or was only when you started to crank it? Remove the cable. Will the bat. post show 12 v. (after char...

Newday777 is correct... More work to do. Fuel can flow thru the petcock, and thru the pump, to possibly flood the carbs with the bike not running. Always turn the petcock off. To save repeated carb rack installing /removing, bench test the assembled carbs with a temporary fuel line about 4 feet long...

Can't locate a rebuild guide article on-line that I have paper copies of. Thought I got it off a Saunders site? Here is a link to a good info article, but it's just an "extra details" type of article and not a total rebuild guide, but helpful in many ways: https://www.randakksblog.com/gl1100-carb-de...

I can appreciate the challenges of service and parts difficulties in South Africa. The carbs on these bikes do need attention periodically. But most DIYers can handle it OK. This website has lots of help. The leaking is due to the float itself, or float needle valve. An instantaneous fix is to rap o...

Starting only while holding clutch in suggests a problem with the neutral switch. Could be the internal switch itself. But with your other wiring trouble, I'd start checking the neutral switch wires and connectors. A wiring diagram would be helpful in finding those. Does your neutral indicator light...

The GL1100 drain plug is more to the right side. But the bike is a b...h to get on the center stand alone (old guy). I have several jackstands handy, so I put a jack stand (in a low position) under the right crash bar. Then slide another one under the left crash bar as I rock the bike upright. Easy,...

Seems ridiculously high $$ for registration fix. I did one in MN, with no paperwork from the PO, for about $80 including the new plate. I have heard 2nd hand that there are some states that will record a "new" title application in their state via long distance, for the price of some simple paperwork...

Funny how several members (me included) can read the same post and visualize different conditions. Statements about separating left & right, and fuel "tube" can lead to different conclusions. I too forgot about the red straw when thinking about fuel tubes. True, the red straw (or other color if some...

+1 on the total carb rebuild ^^ If the cross tube is clear, and it doesn't have an O-ring, and it is not spraying fuel, then the blockage is inside Carb #3 probably. Any Wing that has sat for 15 yrs needs a total carb rebuild (and tank clean, and fuel lines, etc. etc.) Check the DIY articles and ord...

The brush kit you mentioned above is brushes only. I often re-use springs. There are also re-build kits with more pieces. Since it is off-season, I'd pull it apart and see what shape it's in. Then decide on what parts, or even consider a new, or re-built whole assembly. If the commutator is damaged ...

Slow "chugs", like there's not enough battery to spin the engine (but the battery is good) is more likely the starter itself, rather than the sprag clutch part. Especially if the problem is more pronounced HOT rather than cold. You don't say how many miles, or if the starter has ever been serviced s...

There is no specific "fork adjuster" tool or device. You just improvise. Depending upon whether that side of the fork needs to go "in" or "out", you use a wedge, prybar, clamp, lever, etc. Or try to just slightly snug the lower fork clamps, and then coax the fork in or out with a suitable drift and ...

Correct caliper clearances require that the tips of the forks have an exact spacing distance, relative to each other, and relative to the lateral position of the wheel/discs. The forks have enough flex or "give" to them that they can be slightly out of position as they are clamped to the axle. The f...

Accel pump on #3 has 2 check valves... An "In" and an "Out". They are pressed into place and generally don't come out. Maybe the PO used excessive air pressure while trying to clean it in place.

Cleaning a set of carbs is a tedious job because there are so many tiny orfices and passages. But it can be done by the average DIYer with patience. Small gauge wires, solvents, air pressure, and more patience. Search the forums for threads with pics. The accel pump has check valves pressed into the...

Don't give up too soon. Your story is a lot like mine. The wing is a bigger bike than I ever rode in my younger days. I took it slow at first. Extremely alert and planned ahead for turns and stops. Practiced in parking lots a lot as slow speed maneuvers are more challenging than open road. Stayed of...

"When it arrived the zipper was backward. No the pull wasn't on the inside but it was on the left instead of the right." This is not necessarily a flaw. I have seen many imported clothing items, in a "men's" style with the zipper pull on the left. It's just a European, or Asian, style difference. My...

O-ring format: 1st # is ID, 2nd # is cross section of perimeter "rod". So a 46 x 2 o-ring is 46 mm ID, 50 mm OD and made with a 2 mm dia "rod". Try to get an official metric o-ring when you can. But hard to find rings sometimes can be found at ACE hardware (and other common source retailers) by subs...

I am unfamiliar with any product that will fix a blown head gasket. I would be skeptical of any that made such a claim.
Gasket is cheap. This can be an at-home diy project. Can you speculate what made it blow? It's not really a common problem with wings.

+1 on the gunked up starter clutch. Search for threads on rejuvenating that without pulling the engine (flush crankcase oil, etc.) The regular transmission clutch is pretty durable as well. I'd check the handlebar lever pivot point, cable adjustments first. Does it stay engaged?... or stay unengaged...

Don't bother to try and drill it out. Just take it to a small shop welder (local custom trailer shops often do odd welding jobs too). They will grind it off flat and weld on a new stud. If you want it to be metric you will likely have to bring your own metric bolt as raw material, or they will use a...

I like to tell people here in Minnesota that I know of a local Mexican restaurant that is so authentic that you don't dare drink the water ! I do frequent a very small local Mexican restaurant that is not owned, nor staffed by any Hispanic persons at all. They have a large menu that is prepared quic...

They are "crush washers". Some are aluminum, some are copper... either will work. I got some from Amazon p/n DPWM10.145-10 , price $7.23 for a pack of 10. For reference, these are metric size M10 - 14.5mm banjo bolt crush washers. That means they are for a 10mm bolt, with an OD of 14.5 mm. I reuse t...