Update to my mate Glyn's recent purchase of a '78 R100S.
Glyn brought the S over today to continue the on-going first once-over - ie mostly fluid changes and eyeballing any other potential issues.
We changed the engine oil/filter without drama - apart from overfilling the oil. Unfortunately, i employed my dodgy memory when asked by Glyn how much oil... "... about 3 litres, i think," says I.. well, of course, it's more like 2.25lt, d'oh. So we drained off the requisite amt. (3.5lt is the amt used in my 1150...
damn middle-aged memory strikes again!)Next job? drain and refill those spongy forks - this proved to be somewhat more interesting.
The manual just says remove the bottom nut (using a hex key through a socket-type arrangement): done, no worries... and push the hex plug up to drain the fluid. Well, ya reckon we could budge those little suckers!?... OK, so after being a little 'stuck' we farted around a bit, employed google, checked with the 'bum for his take on it, mumbled curses towards those German engineers of yore
(we even theorised there was no oil in there to start with) . Tried again... We pulled the top nut, to take any pressure off the spring... nothing... WTF...! Those little buggers MUST push up! Try again, this time with EXTREME UPWARD PREJUDICE!! Yep, there it goes..., and out flows the grungy 'oil'. So far, so good... 
Now it's just a matter of replacing the nuts and washers, nip them and up refill the tubes, and Robert's your father's brother... yeah, sure...
When 'nipping' up the nut Glyn found it just kept turning...
"that's not right, is it?..." nope, sure ain't... He'd pulled the thread right off the end of that freakin' drain plug! 
At this stage we didn't know what it looked like (it being mostly up inside the slider). Off to the www to peruse the parts fiche and diagnose what we had... inconclusive... We managed to get the damper rod out up through the tube and unscrewed the remains of the drain plug. Damn, that bit looks... special (and unobtainable). 
Soft-arsed component
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Local wreakers: no answer. Interstate shops: "don't stock 'em", "we reopen Jan 10". (Another likely shop across town we already know is closed for xmas.) etc... hmmm... 
perhaps i can fabricate one? Check the threads: non-standard threads, no taps that size, single-point cutting the threads would test my rudimentary machining skills (but maybe a legit option). Perhaps we could braze it back together 'till a part can be sourced probably from O/S, but would it be strong enough? (may try this option first)... So, there you have it... stopped in our tracks... Poor 'ol Glyn had the bike booked in for a roadworthy check on Monday...
no rush now! He'll be VERY lucky if he can get one of those drain plugs here sooner than a week from now. Have found it's stocked by M'bins, and Hucky's. Glyn's gonna call M'bins tonight to see if they can expedite ship... Meanwhile, anyone know were we might source one of these little buggers this side of the UK or USA ?(So Glyn rides off to work on my trusty RS, leaving the S spread across my shop.)
Let the waiting begin... !
S'pose now there's plenty of time for other mechafun, like cleaning, fitting the rear grab rail, bleeding the rear brakes, etc, etc...
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pete
