Ok I am now getting paranoid.  I have been reading about hydrolock and other horrible things that can happen to my baby.  I know that the ultimate fix is to install a manual petcock and overflow tubes, but honestly I do not think I will be able to do anything like that for awhile.  So in the meantime what is my best form of protection?  Should I drain the float bowls while the tank is getting work?  Plus what other things should I do BEFORE I re-install the fuel tank(ie. flush the tank with POR-15)?  I just want to make sure that when I finish re-installing all the parts that my bike will start without a problem.  Thanks.

Well, if the tank isn't even on the bike, I don't think hydrolock will be a problem.

Hydrolock happens when one of the floats gets stuck open, generally because debris gets between the float needle and the seat.  You could always put an inline fuel filter between the tank and the carb to help catch any debris, and install fresh fuel hose as appropriate.  Some fuel filters are better suited for this; do a forum search to see which ones are on the 'should work fine' list.  Other filters can cause fuel starvation, and as the Connie is a gravity feed system choosing the proper filter (with proper angles on the ends so you won't end up kinking the fuel line or whatever) is essential.

Hydrolock is not a common occurence, so as long as your fuel system is clean you should be OK.  Definitely keep the overflow tubes on your to do list, or get the manual petcock if that's the route you'd rather go.  You don't really need both.

I trust that you are doing the POR or whatever lining treatment to the inside of the tank tank, seeing you are doing all of that other work.  If not, it is something that might be a good idea to do at some point.  Older Connie tanks generally will eventually rust through, so if you have an older tank, it is a thought.  But most older bikes have this issue, so it isn't a Connie specific issue.

  Almost done!  The fairing and saddle bags are being clear coated.  I should get them back by either Saturday or Monday.  Pictures will be added as soon as I get the bike back together. 

  I have a slight problem putting the tank back.  When they painted they painted over the colored dots, that told me what hose went to a particular spout.  So who can tell me which is the burgundy and which is the blue one lol.  The hoses are colored correctly

Left to right:
Plain/no dot. Red band/dot. Blue band/dot.

Rick

Thanks for the info

Sigh yet another nagging problem.  After I bled the brake lines and clutch.  The braking is very soft now.  Plus when I try to go into neutral, it is harder to do so.  What did I do wrong?  I made sure there is no bubbles in the line, plus I pumped the handles a few times with the top off of the reservoir, is there something I am missing?

Here are some pictures.  I hoped for a sunny day but it did not happen.  The artist who did the work is Don Ricci http://www.noseartguy.net/default.aspx  

He did an outstanding job.  The exhaust was done by "Snarf"  his work was kindly donated, for that I appreciate it.  The name on the saddle bag is my wife's uncle.  http://www.usvetdsp.com/vn_pw_bios/m033.htm

I have done just about everything I need to do now, except some fine tuning stuff.

Very nice work!  That is one sweet lookin' Connie!

Do a forum search on bleeding the brakes.  Air bubbles like to get trapped in weird places, so you may need to work them out.

One trick I've seen mentioned is wrapping the brake or clutch handle in the compressed position overnight, with a bungee or tape or something.  This sometimes helps.  What has worked best for me though, is loosening the top/reservoir knuckles slightly while compressing the handle, to force the air around the knuckles.  It took a few days and several sessions to get the brakes back to normal (I did a full rebuild).  No guarantees on this, though.  As I mentioned, air likes to hide in several places.

Make sure you put a towel under/around the reservoirs when bleeding here, so you don't drip fluid onto the tank.

A slick way to capture fluid while opening the bleeders is to attach a small hose to the bleeder before you open it, then put a thumb on the opposite end when you pull the hose off, and you can see the fluid as it oozes into the tube (and notice any air bubbles of course).  Then you can put the captured fluid back into the reservoir.

Another possibility is a worn brake system, but as you have issues with both the brake(s) and clutch simultaneiously, I'm leaning towards trapped air.

ALL I CAN SAY IT THAT IS OUTSTANDING!! NICE WORK.

  I did finally figure out the brake problem.  I just left the cover off of the reservoir and zip tied the lever over night.  It works fine now.  Now I found another problem lol.  The speedometer needle vibrates, it gives the correct mph, but vibrates.

Generally if the speedo cable vibrates it is either loose or binding. Have you had your front tire off? Getting the drive gear slightly out of alignment can make it bind.

Close up of the cans