tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19721245916003581682024-03-08T03:32:40.666-08:00More from MrHonda MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-54904670555796101322024-01-20T15:22:00.000-08:002024-01-22T07:43:46.672-08:00<p> Fluid management... Rainy day musings…</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhg9F4fCSugR37KfCE5SgsuNKwh6Yr-jFmRJj5dAKNnz9InOStcxWWeH1b7mrfJI4U2Pw9IbCJNPTnjiYaIwWcMHgBLSrrsddKPEVJfN6LJkgSpcf8s4U8k6ZZZhgb2OuNaDn7xhDK_YUlfZx_WvcN8nquCYnwcSNeVpb8oP4okU5aErBx1BNQBsZz5M/s2027/happyface.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2027" data-original-width="2010" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhg9F4fCSugR37KfCE5SgsuNKwh6Yr-jFmRJj5dAKNnz9InOStcxWWeH1b7mrfJI4U2Pw9IbCJNPTnjiYaIwWcMHgBLSrrsddKPEVJfN6LJkgSpcf8s4U8k6ZZZhgb2OuNaDn7xhDK_YUlfZx_WvcN8nquCYnwcSNeVpb8oP4okU5aErBx1BNQBsZz5M/s320/happyface.jpg" width="317" /></a></div> Smiley face, about to be erased on the fuel lever.<br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda kept from
going with liquid-cooled engines until the GL1000 Gold Wing in 1975.
Soichiro was so adamant about keeping engines air-cooled that he had
his engineers design a air-cooled four-cylinder 1300cc car engine for
the model called the Honda 7/77 or just the Honda 1300. see:
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_1300">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_1300</a>.
Beyond the Gold Wings and the following CX500-650 V-twins, liquid
cooling slowly seeped into mainstream motorcycling with each model
year. And with that, coolant leaks began to show their nasty selves.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda’s reputation
for cleanliness in designs and functions is legendary. Vintage Honda
motorcycles from the 1960s-70s are not supposed to be dripping fluids
beneath the machine if normally maintained.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Apart from chain
lube being flung off the chain at both sprockets, Honda machines
should not be drooling anything else. Of course, these 50-60-year-old
motorcycles have aging engine oil seals and gaskets which are
typically the sources for any oil leaks. What are the fluid sources?</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">1. Engine oil,
leaking from oil seals and gaskets and sometimes from breather tubes
when the engine is tired. Honda used the stud channels in the
cylinder and cylinder head to feed oil to the camshaft, rockers, and
tach drive hardware. The gaskets generally have an o-ring placed
inside the oil feed hole to prevent oil migration through the gasket
material. What seems to be a good solution often fails as head gasket
oil leaks are prevalent on almost all models of air-cooled engines.
Heat cycles, hot oil, and expansion of the parts, sooner or later will
reveal oil leaks that migrate past the sealing o-rings and laterally
through the gasket material. Forgetting to use a new drain plug
gasket often results in a small oil drip beneath the engine. BTW
Honda 160 engines have TWO drain bolts.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">2. Fork oil, from
leaking fork seals, of course. This wasn’t a problem for most
models with leading-link suspensions, but they did have small,
ineffective dampers shoved up inside the pressed-steel fork housings
that could eventually leak the small amount of fluid inside. Honda’s
early design shocks had replaceable shaft seals, but later they just
crimped the seal housing into the body, negating any service
attempts.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">3. Battery acid!
It’s hard to find a nice clean vintage Honda that doesn’t have
signs of battery acid leaks onto the frame or mufflers. Either the
vent tubes fell off from vibration and age or people forgot to hook
them up when the battery was removed for service or replacement.
Today’s new AGM and Li-On batteries have no fluid openings to leak,
unlike the classic lead-acid batteries that we all grew up with in
the 1960s-70s.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">4. Gasoline.
Starting with the top… the gas cap. Early gas caps used a simple
baffle system which featured a small vent hole to allow air to help
vent the fuel tank properly. This prevents air locks in the fuel
system, however, it also allows evaporating gasoline vapors to leave
the tank, eventually causing a buildup inside the tiny 1/16” hole
which creates a vacuum in the tank. The early gas cap gaskets were
made from cork and degraded quickly due to the compression of the
spring-loaded cap retainer mechanism and exposure to gasoline
products. Bad gaskets, caused fuel leaks at the top of the fuel
opening, especially with a full tank of gas. Honda replaced all the
cork gaskets with modern rubber compounds that resist breakdown from
fuel exposure and cap spring tension. Having a lap full of gasoline
when you hit the throttle or brakes with a full tank is downright
dangerous, if not very uncomfortable when it seeps into your crotch
area.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fuel leaks can occur
in many places in vintage Honda bikes. Besides the gas cap, the next
step down is the petcock/shut-off valve. Most of the early models
used a rubber 4-hole gasket to seal against the fuel selection lever
face. Either the 4-hole gasket degrades and starts to leak around the
lever arm, or the back side of the lever has both warped and become
etched with gasoline acids, causing fuel to bypass the lever setting,
even when OFF.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The lever face can
usually be smoothed out with a fine-cut file or piece of high-number
grip wet/dry sandpaper. That step, coupled with a new 4-hole gasket,
should fix any petcock leaks at that point. The other fuel leak
source at the petcock is where it attaches to the fuel tank. CB72-77
and most of the 350-450 lineup used a large nut that has left-handed
threads on one end and right-handed threads on the opposite end.
There is a thin rubber flat gasket that is supposed to be squeezed
down when the petcock is secured to the fuel tank nipple evenly with
the threads on the petcock body. If one end bottoms out before the
other, then the petcock will be loose and often leaking.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">For petcocks that
bolt to the bottom of the fuel tank, either with one or two screws,
you MUST use the proper sealing washers on the screws to prevent fuel from seeping down past the threads into the fuel cup. Be sure that the
screws are tightened securely to prevent leaks. Also, replace the o-ring that seals the body to the tank on these models. Otherwise, the same
cautions are true for the fuel lever and 4-hole gasket.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Most early petcocks
used a long brass tube to feed fuel to the carburetor when in the ON
position. When the fuel level drops down below the tip of the fuel
tube, then turning the fuel lever to RES is required and allows you
to use the remaining fuel below the brass tube to help you make it to
the nearest gas station. After 50-60 years, the brass tubes will
suffer cracks or become plugged up. In years past, when petcocks were
cheap, you just put a new one on. Petcocks for CB72-77 and CL72-77s
are becoming very scarce, so the fix is to remove the old fuel tube
and replace it with a section of 5mm brass tubing which can be
purchased from hobby stores or online. Clean out any remaining debris
from the tube hole and then just tap in the new section. Now you have
the RESERVE function available, once again.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Often, when old fuel
lines are left connected to either the petcock or the fuel fitting on
the carburetor, the brass fitting pulls out of either part along with
the fuel line. Carefully, cut the old fuel line off of the fitting
piece and tap the brass fitting back into the hole. The end of the
brass is somewhat tapered so usually will bottom out securely into
the hole and stay secured.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Carburetors, of
course, have the task of metering fuel in the correct amounts at
various engine speeds and throttle openings are full of fuel and the
potential for fuel leaks.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The early 250-305
Honda models used a banjo fitting and screen bolt to allow fuel lines
to be attached to the carburetor bodies. The banjo fittings, not
unlike those on the master cylinders of bikes with hydraulic disc
brakes, need washers on both sides of the fitting. Fiber washers were
used for many years, but then aftermarket makers started using
punched-out aluminum washers which deform enough to seal fluid leaks. Most of the rest of
the vintage Honda models used pressed-in brass fittings which
generally give little cause for concern.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When carburetor
float valves stick open due to dirt, wear, or the floats dragging up
against the bowl gaskets, the fuel will leak out through the small
brass overflow vents. When carburetor bowls begin to leak at the
bottom of the overflow tube and all else has been replaced or
cleaned, look carefully at the brass tube inside the float bowl. In
many cases, the fuel tube has cracked down the side and is slowly
draining the fuel bowl. You can often either use a good quality
soldering iron and solder up the crack on the outside or slip a piece
of 4mm tubing over the outside, secured with JB-Weld or a good epoxy
adhesive sealer.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Most float bowls
have small drain plugs at the bottom. Loosening the plugs can drain
the bowls out without complete removal. Because water often works its
way into the fuel system, the water sinks to the bottom of the bowl
and often causes corrosion between the drain bolt and bowl threads.
Also, the drain bolt requires either an o-ring or flat gasket to seal
it to the bowl.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Carburetor float
bowl gaskets are another source of fuel seepage. Once the bowl is in
place, the fuel level is near the top of the bowl and will leak
out the front side of the bowl/gasket area if the gasket is not
correctly made, the bowl clip doesn’t have sufficient pressure to
clamp the bowl securely or there is leftover gasket material in the
body, itself. Honda used some kind of magical adhesive to glue the
bowl gaskets in place originally. When the gasket is cracked and
leaking, you have to clean the gasket channels very well to prevent
any leftover stray bits to prevent proper gasket sealing between the
bowl and gasket. Check the edges of the float bowl for any leftover
debris or if there are irregularities to the edges of the bowl
surfaces.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda’s bowl
gaskets for 1960s models are about 2.5mm wide. Many of the
aftermarket kit gaskets are 3+mm wide and do not lay flat on the
front edge of the carburetor body. This has been a problem for many
years, unfortunately. In some cases, use a small hand-held hole punch
to notch the gasket where it contacts the two small posts in the carb
body gasket channel.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Other places…
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Leaving your bike
out in the rain, or stored for long periods where the tire
tubes deflate, allows moisture to seep in between the rim and the
tire bead, causing rust and corrosion to build up on the inner rim
surface and ends of the spoke nipples. Any tears in the seat
upholstery will allow water to seep into the foam and eventually
settle down into the metal seat pan causing rust and eventually
holes in the steel seat pan material.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Early model
instruments don’t really have a way to vent out moisture inside the
unit. When bikes are left in the rain or even fog, after a ride, the
moisture inside the meter will condense and a layer of moisture will
form on the inside of the meter lens. In a worst-case scenario, the
moisture will get into the speedometer mechanism itself, damaging the
odometer number strips and the magnet and little gear train inside.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Stay alert for fluid
leaks of any kind and mend them early to prevent mishaps or just an
ugly motorcycle appearance.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka MrHonda</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">1/20/24</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-52864314428844564242024-01-18T07:58:00.000-08:002024-01-19T06:46:13.519-08:00 Miss and match… CL72 vs. CL77 Honda Scramblers<p>There
are a lot of misconceptions about the possibility of interchanging
parts between the 250 and 305cc Scrambler models. I thought I would
take a few moments to help clarify some of the interchangeable parts and those that are not directly able to be swapped
out.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdrC4UsEUFlwH9H5Zs5uRijzKjmAXKxEGeQ8_5psX_sm5TtWU1S9PS5e5vG3U2UBHjXmCTmcdrkaALB1v0ZglpDjtmwXPzIOAqbe_gkqx87zhNkdQf8dm8YM2iAMYDmTNJz9QO9RdrOPKmvV2sJICO3Q1JSTqRIGQfP7vrhCvl6xLotdpLyQHq8EvXBA/s2507/CL%20drawing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1763" data-original-width="2507" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdrC4UsEUFlwH9H5Zs5uRijzKjmAXKxEGeQ8_5psX_sm5TtWU1S9PS5e5vG3U2UBHjXmCTmcdrkaALB1v0ZglpDjtmwXPzIOAqbe_gkqx87zhNkdQf8dm8YM2iAMYDmTNJz9QO9RdrOPKmvV2sJICO3Q1JSTqRIGQfP7vrhCvl6xLotdpLyQHq8EvXBA/s320/CL%20drawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">1.
305cc top ends on 250 engines.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
upper cases of the 250cc engines do not have sufficiently enlarged
bores for the 305cc cylinders. To make a 250 into a 305 you
generally have to bore the cases out to fit the 305cc cylinders and
sleeves.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Adding
the 305 top end will change the balance factor on the engine, as the
250 crankshafts have a different balance factor than that of the 305
engines. Bottom line: It will probably vibrate more than it would as
a stock 250cc machine.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">2.
Cylinder heads</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">While
the cams, valves, springs, and rocker arms are interchangeable, some
of the cam sprockets might not be the same due to differences in the
camshaft and sprocket spline configurations. The 305 cylinder heads
have an enlarged squish band to allow the jump from 54mm to 60mm
pistons to clear the combustion chamber edges. Note that the head
gaskets have fire rings that are either 55mm for the 250s or 61mm for
the 305 applications, to allow for use of up to 1.00mm oversized
pistons and rings.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">3.
Carburetors</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
switch from 250 22mm carburetors to 26mm 305 carburetors requires
matching carburetor insulators and o-rings. The intake ports on the
250s seem to be a bit smaller than those of the 305 heads.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">4.
Throttle cables</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
standard 273 code throttle cables are manufactured to match the
height dimensions of the 22mm carburetor slides. If the 273 cables is
used on the 305 CL77 carburetors, there is a chance that the slides
will not be raised fully. Conversely, the later 305 throttle cables
have split ends which have excessively long cables to the
carburetors, so that you wind up with excessive cable slack that
can’t be adjusted out with the cable adjusters on top of the
carburetors.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">5.
Carburetor calibrations.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
stock main jet for the 305 CL77 carburetors is a #130 with a #38 idle
jet. 250 carbs are going to see main jet sizes down to about #120-125
with #35 idle jets. The slide needles have different tapers from
those on the CB carburetors, which will interchange with the CLs if
the correct calibration parts are used. The round bowl carburetors
can use the later square bowl floats, which have been superseded to
the 286 parts from the 250-350 twins from 1968-73. Even the needle
jets are of different sizes and part numbers.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">6.
Engine swaps</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
is no physical difference between the 250 and 305 engines, so
swapping out a 250 engine for a 305 is a straightforward
proposition. However, the top covers on the 250 have solid bores for
the engine mount bolt, whereas the 305s have a rubber cushion
inserted into the cover</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">7.
Engine changes</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda
revised the spline depth of the transmission and even the crankshafts
in the later days of production. The later splines are shallower,
which can be used on deep spline shafts, but not the other way
around.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">8.
Cables</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
switch from “small brakes” to “big brakes” necessitated
changes in the brake cable dimensions as the reach from the backing
plate to the brake arms is different. This applies to both front and
rear brake cables, thus the change in the part numbers after about
the 15k serial number series. The early cables with the big chrome
adjustment knobs were superseded with standard CB72 lever brackets
and adjusters and a CB450 brake cable, with a CB175 clutch cable.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">9.
Exhaust systems</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Original
250 exhaust pipes were straight back with little baffles tucked in,
flush to the ends of the pipes. In 1965, with the release of the
CL77s, the exhaust notes were dampened down by the use of a slip-on rear
muffler that joined both pipes together at the back. Each exhaust
pipe still had individual baffles but the ends were extended past the
pipe's terminations and the baffles were retained by headless bolts that
were screwed into self-locking nut plates. As these were easily
removed, Honda switched up to a muffler which was welded onto the
upper pipe with the lower one sealed by a packing sleeve and a clamp.
An additional baffle was installed inside the muffler body, as well.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">10.
Seats</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">CL72s
and early CL77s used a double, metal-to-metal, fork mount on the
front of the seat pan to connect it to the frame. To reduce the
vibration being transmitted into the rider’s body, the seat mounts
were rubber mounted with a U-shaped rubber mount up front and rubber
cushions at the rear mount legs. Obviously, the frames had to be
modified to conform to the front seat mount change.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">11.
Forks</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Despite
the use of the same fork bridge and stems for all models, the forks,
themselves, were drastically different, and different versions of the
fork boots were employed. Later model fork ears were also rubber-mounted and required an additional pigtail ground wire to allow for the full function of the headlight and instrument lights. The Type 2
alloy forks were employed on CL72s after 1008551, but the CL77s had
the change just shy of the 15k serial number mark. Steel fork cases
can be damaged if the original length fender mounting bolts are
replaced with longer ones than specified.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">12.
Rubber mounts</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda’s
quest to reduce rider fatigue and component failures due to excessive
vibration resulted in the rubber mounting of the seat, muffler, fork
ears, and rear fender.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">13.
Ignition switches</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">CL72s
used an ignition switch which was almost identical to the CB72-77
switches, except the threaded portion was extended so that the outer
side cover latch to be attached. Later CL72s and all CL77s used the
two-piece ignition switch mounting and switch assembly, thus the
frame mounts are different between the two styles.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">14.
Wheels and hubs</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
switch from small SLS brakes to the big 200mm DLS brakes required new
hubs, spokes, and brake components, as well as the rims. All CL wheels
are 19” but the spoke angle changes when the hub sizes are
increased, so not only are the rims different widths between front
and rear, but the spoke holes are angled differently so the spokes
can reach the hubs properly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">15.
Rear Suspension</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
original early CL72s had double-eye shocks, which were replaced with
eye-clevis by 1964 All CL77s had eye-clevis shocks. The early rear swing arms were machined to hold
the sprocket carrier on one side, allowing the rear wheel to be
removed without disturbing the drive chain. The swing arms, chain
adjusters, and all of the mounting hardware for the early machines
didn’t work for the later rear hubs, which were CB-based and used
CB rear sprockets.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver aka MrHonda </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">www.vintagehonda.com</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">www.mrhonda.guru blog site for more stories.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-49352449215472706782024-01-16T08:02:00.000-08:002024-01-16T08:02:21.843-08:00 MrHonda takes a ride on Chinese Junk…<p>Finding
functional parts for 50+-year-old Hondas has become ever so difficult
as the years go on. Simple parts like points, condensers, rectifiers, and fuel system components are all long gone from Honda’s warehouses
and dealerships.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Aftermarket
parts have a rather poor reputation for quality and accuracy. While
most of the replacement parts come from SE Asia (Thailand, Taiwan,
Vietnam, Hong Kong) more and more are being filtered in from Chinese
companies who try their best to copy the original OEM parts but
don’t quite have it right in many cases.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
current example brought to me was a tidy CB160, which had some
restoration work and was showing low miles on the odometer. The
overall look was very presentable, including nice OEM mufflers on
both sides and a set of Hedenau tires on both ends. The owner had
seen my name on various forums and noticed that I was in the San
Diego area. He lived in Escondido, which is about 40 miles north of
Spring Valley, and contacted me to see about getting his “carburetors”
rebuilt.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3LafxvBOrcKoy6SyTjlGbYjzh9THpYCVaREdv-2bGp04yujPmW2zvtAeWcH-MnPdzngKVdOlrrgmNczR5hgeWUqkkZwsFPC6J5BE0Jp-ljLZxTqNEVqsa7mDi3gU2Xb-dbDhRCmsZMtP7e5j9fiQDEdEaSUUfuPplbuGBTGLQJyGCZbG-fIAf7w4B9Q/s2761/20240115_105702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1788" data-original-width="2761" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3LafxvBOrcKoy6SyTjlGbYjzh9THpYCVaREdv-2bGp04yujPmW2zvtAeWcH-MnPdzngKVdOlrrgmNczR5hgeWUqkkZwsFPC6J5BE0Jp-ljLZxTqNEVqsa7mDi3gU2Xb-dbDhRCmsZMtP7e5j9fiQDEdEaSUUfuPplbuGBTGLQJyGCZbG-fIAf7w4B9Q/s320/20240115_105702.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Sweet bike with optional rear rack/</span><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Having
just cleared out a set of CL77 and CB77 bikes from an owner who also
lives about the same distance away, just in a different direction, I
was able to take the CB160 in for some needed repairs.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
owner brought it down in a U-Haul motorcycle trailer, hauled by his
late model Ford Crew Cab truck. The bike looked very nice at a
distance, but as we removed it from the trailer I noticed something
that was definitely out of the ordinary… The carburetors were
Chinese copies of the early Power-Jet CB/CL175s from the 1967-69 era.
The owner had purchased carb kits for a “CB160” in hopes that
they would be useful for the repairs. The petcock had an additional
shut-off valve plumbed into the fuel delivery system, all of which
was done cleanly, but eventually not necessary.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
previous owner stated that he had tried to repair the petcock and it
kept leaking, thus the installation of an additional shut-off valve.
Apparently, the petcock leaked into a carburetor, which filled up and
flushed fuel down the intake port and into the crankcase. Rather than
just flushing the gasoline out with a couple of oil changes, he
decided to rebuild the whole engine! Once completed, it went up on
BAT (bringatrailer.com) for sale. And now it was in San Diego with a
worried new owner.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
the first order of business was to see if it would start, giving me a
few clues about what the issues were. The nice hot battery kicked the
engine over but with a skip and clank sound due to the starter
clutch springs being worn down. The bike had been sitting for a few
months, so I surmised that the fuel had gone off and the idle jets
were plugged.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
removing the side covers, air filters, and carburetor set, the carbs
were disassembled and inspected. Sure enough, the idle jets were
blocked. What I have seen consistently is that the Chinese carburetor
manufacturers fairly accurately copy the original Keihin designs but
take some liberties with some of the components and also completely
fail to mark any of the jets or needles with any kind of calibration
clues. So, with basic cleaning and unplugging the idle jets, I
checked the float level settings against the Honda tune-up book.
There are two different float level settings for the 160 carbs but
only one for the 175… 21mm. When I went to measure the float
height, they seemed to be about 21mm but the flange where the gasket
sits was raised up a couple of millimeters, so if you measured at the
gasket surface area, the reading would have been more like 24mm.
Both carbs were the same, so I left them as manufactured and waited
to see how the engine would perform. The carb slide needles were also
unmarked, but the clips were set at the #2 slot. The owner complained
about the engine not taking the throttle cleanly, so I moved the clips
down to the #4 slot and reassembled everything after changing out the
o-rings and bowl gaskets.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">This
brings up another annoyance… The width of the bowl gaskets is
usually too wide and the front section hits the two little posts that
are supposed to keep the gasket from pushing inwards when the bowl is
attached. What happens is that the gasket starts to flip upwards
until it is compressed by the edge of the float bowl. I have started
using a small hand-held punch to notch the gaskets where they are
supposed to ride up against the posts, to help keep the gasket flat
in the track.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
other issue, at least for CA owners is that all the pump gas has
10% alcohol which causes the rubber bowl gaskets to expand and
distort when exposed to these fuels. Often, when you remove the float
bowl to service a jet or check the float level, the gasket expands
out beyond the original size and it will NOT go back into place. It
has become necessary to keep extra gaskets on hand to use when the
originals cannot be installed again. Fortunately, some of the gasket
makers are now using materials that are alcohol-resistant but they
still make the widths excessively wide in most cases.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carburetors continued the dance, each doing different things. One
would leak past the bowl gasket in front. The edges of the bowls were
machined off with something rough so there were a series of
gouges in the edges. I filed them down as much as possible and
finally, the gasket stopped leaking. Then the other one started
overflowing. The floats are plastic and I was concerned that one
might have leaked internally. I finally used the float valve from the
kit, which uses a different type of needle, but it worked and the
fuel stayed inside for both sides, finally.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJouAKWQv1URDtYNo6kE82ifDrp3EbBKtJfgw9n9VirX-MY5Nun9T3sXnINSt1VqpYncXndXBr3aRRD0cS8FnZXDTbBrVxDuh0g0EeyYiSwJvXydhLPqcq3_aH9hPjw17leny8NcqqZqdgR7dKp31whE7I8FXxZnwKRen2Z-YDADoGVjyNAZ12bZet5MY/s4080/20240113_135826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJouAKWQv1URDtYNo6kE82ifDrp3EbBKtJfgw9n9VirX-MY5Nun9T3sXnINSt1VqpYncXndXBr3aRRD0cS8FnZXDTbBrVxDuh0g0EeyYiSwJvXydhLPqcq3_aH9hPjw17leny8NcqqZqdgR7dKp31whE7I8FXxZnwKRen2Z-YDADoGVjyNAZ12bZet5MY/s320/20240113_135826.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Chinese copies of early CL175K0 carburetors.</span><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
petcock problem was that it was dripping with the lever in the OFF
position. I drained the tank through one of the fuel lines and then
pulled the lever plate off with the 2 screws. The 4-hole gasket was
in poor condition and the back side of the lever was cupped at the
edges. I smoothed out the lever face, installed a new petcock gasket, and buttoned it back up. When I added the ½ gallon of gas back in,
the petcock started dripping again! I drained the tank again and
rounded up the parts from the supplied petcock kit to remove it and
determine what was happening. With the bowl off, the screen, and the o-ring
removed, I put a screwdriver on the first screw and it was loose!
Even though the previous attempt at kitting up the petcock failed,
the actual reason was that the screws were not tightened securely and
the gasoline was draining past the screw threads and filling up the
bowl directly, bypassing the fuel valve.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
replaced the aluminum screws with some fiber washers from the repair
kit that came with the bike and suddenly there are NO drips from the
petcock now. Problem solved and all the extra plumbing and shutoff
valve stuff was discarded for a couple of nice chunks of Honda 5.5
fuel line of matching lengths. This brings up another subject…</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Any
of the vintage bikes with dual carburetors can be subject to fuel
starvation on one carburetor, even when the petcock is clean and the
float valves are working normally. What seems to happen is that the
fuel flows to the easiest pathway and air seems to be trapped on the
opposite side fuel line. Some people have tried blowing into the gas cap
opening to pressurize the fuel lines which sometimes works, but is
NOT a recommended practice. What I have suggested to others and what
I have found is if you use matching lengths of fuel hose to each
carburetor, the problem disappears. At least that has been my
experience to date.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So
the next round of repairs was to address the slipping starter clutch.
I had forgotten that the little twins use a 15mm release bolt instead
of the commonly used 16mm size. I dug through my selection of axles
and found one that worked perfectly. Once the rotor was removed, all
of the rollers were still in place with some spring pressure, but
when they were all removed, the lengths were just under one inch and
the new ones were about an inch and an eighth. Doesn’t seem like it
should matter much, but it usually does fix the problem. Getting the
rotor back in place was a bit tricky with the side cover still in
place. I lined up the crankshaft locating pin with the rotor and held
the rotor squarely on the end while I reached over and turned the
crankshaft with the kickstarter arm. It took a couple of tries but
you can generally nudge them back in place without removing the whole
surrounding cover. The starter function was much improved, but it
still had a little bit of slip, probably due to some glazing on the
starter clutch hub surface.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
all of this work, the engine spun over with the electric
starter, but wouldn’t fire up. I pulled the plugs and they were
fuel-fouled, so I connected a fresh pair to the plug wires and looked
for spark. It didn’t seem to be present. Off with the point cover
and when I arced across the open points, the plugs fired, but not
when it was spinning over with the starter. The aftermarket points
seemed to have been corroded over which failed to allow them to close
correctly, so there was no current flow through them to energize the
coil windings. A bit of scrubbing with a Dremel cutoff wheel disc and
some contact cleaner and we had spark once again. I checked the
ignition timing and it was right on the F mark, so it was good to go.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike fired up on full choke but didn’t want to run with anything
less than it full on for about a minute. These carbs do have the
little spring-loaded flappers which prevent over-choking the engine.
After a minute or so of choking, it finally took throttle correctly.
I’m sure that the needle clip position had a lot to do with early
running issues, as the primary problem.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Then,
there was a problem with the oil change… The 160 engines have TWO
drain plugs underneath and the forward one had a 14mm head bolt
instead of a typical 17mm bolt head. When it was removed, the “drain
bolt” turned out to be a shift drum locating pin with the roller
still attached! I had to check the existing one to be sure that
someone hadn’t accidentally switched places, but it was correct, so I
guess the forward drain bolt was lost and the owner just used
whatever fit in its place. I do get the weird ones lately.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yjEiIYWPFit0R4NiTNytI7V481mC0hSDXiHzStxR1fYjs6oVJand552II96C0uOg23pc8HFMtmi6MggIEEWQxhXPplkfJD2bzmH4SkoahxMtMhWjrLkdYvOSo7Z3kPheOI73QtPYcWf4k1UcHmsqgcTUKHllfWQaAGHHDvXGXPvZ5vs58AuIHQofICc/s1865/20240113_102414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1865" data-original-width="1282" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yjEiIYWPFit0R4NiTNytI7V481mC0hSDXiHzStxR1fYjs6oVJand552II96C0uOg23pc8HFMtmi6MggIEEWQxhXPplkfJD2bzmH4SkoahxMtMhWjrLkdYvOSo7Z3kPheOI73QtPYcWf4k1UcHmsqgcTUKHllfWQaAGHHDvXGXPvZ5vs58AuIHQofICc/s320/20240113_102414.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">NOT a drain plug</div>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had to air up the tires from 15psi to 30psi before a test ride around
the block and down my little testing route. The bike pulled third
gear up to 50 mph on my uphill road section and sounded great.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
called the owner and said “Come get it” and he happily came back
down and loaded it up after a bit of a test run himself to see how my
work had transformed the reluctant starter machine into a fully
functional one, once again. After all was said and done, he mentioned
that he might sell it because after fulfilling his childhood memories
of owning one, back in the 1960s, it was now really too small and
under-powered for general use. I hear that a lot from owners who want
to relive the past for a moment, but then the reality of regular use
sets in.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
now back to the current CL77 project, which arrived in the back of a
mini-van, mostly in pieces.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver aka MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">01/2024
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-13594013689543481582023-12-30T07:02:00.000-08:002023-12-30T07:02:39.035-08:00 Once in a lifetime opportunity.. 1982 CB1100R<p>It’s
funny that someone had recently asked me about what my dream bike
list was and after the highly sought-after RC30, I had mentioned the
Honda CB1100R, which was sold in very limited quantities in non-US
markets. They have that cool look of the vintage endurance racers
from that era and were in fact built to satisfy the homologation
requirements to race as a production-based machine in world
championship events. The production numbers were approximately 500 in
1981, 1500 each in 1982-83.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrb47MCohh_uYoZZY4Ea-EN9s2jEeRcm2ctEdd5XC20i9vYjeR1SR1qZqrUf1-P9FJBtdVR-7OuWDXJsrwdhmieI-zfLEBoBNvXPsv9734QwymYtsUanFrL7c9qSNuMAGkCVnCcmIxtPsLlvaligEqSlSZ4yLv50k0f36J2okTDA7PVVN9S3_ITpEAgM/s1023/AD-girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1023" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrb47MCohh_uYoZZY4Ea-EN9s2jEeRcm2ctEdd5XC20i9vYjeR1SR1qZqrUf1-P9FJBtdVR-7OuWDXJsrwdhmieI-zfLEBoBNvXPsv9734QwymYtsUanFrL7c9qSNuMAGkCVnCcmIxtPsLlvaligEqSlSZ4yLv50k0f36J2okTDA7PVVN9S3_ITpEAgM/s320/AD-girl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Unlike
the svelte 400 lb RC30, which is a 750cc street bike version of their
highly successful V-4 racing machine, the CB1100R is based on the
1983 CB1100F street bike which was sold in the US and is a powerful,
but hefty machine, weighing in nearly 518 lbs dry. The fuel tank is
almost 7 gallons, so the wet weight increases dramatically. See:
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CB1100R">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CB1100R</a></u></span></span>
for an overview. They were produced from 1980-83 and each version (B,
C, D) has unique features that do not interchange with the other
models.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Various
articles have been written by others, and published, on the origins
of the CB1100R, as per the below links.
https://www.oldbikemag.com.au/honda-cb1100r-machine-mission/
https://classic-motorbikes.net/honda-cb1100r-rare-road-racer/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_CB1100R
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
surprisingly, a CB1100R popped up on Facebook Marketplace and the
posting gave “San Diego” as the location of the bike. The owner
was a local Motorcycle Wrangler, as I would describe him. I had
looked at some of his bikes when he lived in a different location
some years ago. He was always turning over new stock and seemed to be
able to find some unique bikes, but I had never worked a deal with
him. More surprises were revealed when he mentioned that he had TWO
of them for sale!
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
made an appointment to go and see him and his current stock of
machines. He had a Z1-R Kawasaki sitting out in front of his garage
and mentioned that there were FIVE Kawasaki 750 Turbo machines
stacked inside of a storage container. He was reluctant to reveal how
he got his hands on two CB1100R machines with OR titles, but he just
said that he was at the right place at the right time, overhearing a
conversation at a local auction house. So, he snapped them up and
posted them on Facebook.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bikes were supposedly from the UK and showed the kind of “patina”
that comes on bikes that are used and ridden in a mostly humid
country. The key tag for the bike was a dealer item with the name of
a motorcycle dealer in South Africa, though!</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
brake lever pulled right to the handlebars and the plastic master cylinder reservoir was definitely showing its age. The bike
supposedly ran, the inside of the aluminum tank was clean and the
bike appeared to be fairly complete but weathered. It had pod filters
on the carbs, but came with the stock air box and a new windscreen.
The standard 4 into 2 muffler system had been replaced by a 4 into 1
collector, which looked fairly new. The tires were worn and one
supposes that the drive chain and rear wheel dampers would need replacement. It was a project, but a very rare machine to be found
anywhere in the US, much less right in SoCal.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">One
bike had already been sold, which apparently had 90k kilometers on
it. The remaining one was showing about 46k which is about 28k miles.
They both looked in similar condition, but the remaining one had its
price reduced by $2k. I have owned several CBX six-cylinder machines
and worked on several DOHC Honda 750-1000 machines when I was
working at a Honda shop in the 1980s, so the engines are not unknown
to me. They do have 4 valves per cylinder and after 40 years, the
valve stem seals are undoubtedly hardened causing oil consumption.
When cared for, the engines have a long life, but there have been
instances of broken cam chains or tensioners leading to expensive
repairs.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
basic 1100 engine was tweaked with hot cams and a 10:1 compression
ratio so premium fuel is required to feed the 115 horsepower
powerplant. The bikes were built to compete in 6-12 hour endurance
races in Europe and Australia, so were not your average EPA-tamed
powerplants.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fortunately,
Matt, the owner of the moment, agreed to deliver the bike to me
despite not having any front brakes and we made a deal that I hope I
will not regret. Be careful of what you wish for….</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Arrival
and evaluation.</b></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Arrival:</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Between
the two of us, we managed to wrestle the big bike off of his truck
and pushed it up onto my motorcycle rack without incident. Having
only a long side stand, the bike wouldn’t stay on the rack as the
stand end extended past the edges of the rack. Fortunately, I did
have a rear bike stand which was slid up underneath the swing arm
and raised the back wheel up centering the bike on the work stand.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Years
of neglect were apparent, especially with the condition of the master
cylinder, which had lost much of the factory black coating and the
exposed aluminum badly corroded. I was able to disassemble the master
cylinder and it will get a bath in phosphoric acid to neutralize the
corrosion and then give a better view of the overall condition. I had
already purchased a $40 repair kit for it, plus another $25 for the
plastic reservoir so I hoped that it would be repairable.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike had gone down on the aftermarket 4:1 muffler, which suffered a
pavement grind spot along the lower edge.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike did come with an Oregon title that had a strange VIN number that
wasn’t from Honda. As it had no VIN number up where it belongs on
the steering head, the only conclusion is that it has a new frame
installed and the VIN number originated from Oregon. I actually
reached the owner on the title in OR, but he was a wrangler as well and had no clear memory of the bike.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike had a loose combination of non-OEM nuts, bolts and other
fasteners. The fairing and rear tail light assemblies are all mounted
on little rubber mounts which incorporate 6mm studs for mounting. Two
of the rear ones were severed and the fronts were missing altogether.
Removing the gas tank was a revelation in that it was a 7-gallon tank
that weighed just a few pounds due to its aluminum construction.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
was able to remove the carburetors and inspect them briefly. There
was fairly fresh fuel inside and no signs of contamination or
corrosion, so I didn’t go further into them. The intake manifolds
were rock-hard and when the aftermarket replacements arrived, it was
evident that the Chinese copies for $16 a set were just 4 copies of
one of the four different part number manifolds used on the 900-1100
engines. The replacement OEM manifolds were $125 a set.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
the old manifolds were removed, there were trails of crystalized
gasoline/oil in the ports, so it is hard to tell if that was old carb
residues from sitting for many years or something more sinister. I’m
sure that the valve stem seals need replacing. I did that
once on a CBX by just lowering the engine in the frame and removing
the cylinder head. That’s not possible in a 1100 chassis so the
whole lump would need to be extracted from the chassis. The bike is
sitting on a rear swing arm stand on my bike bench, only having a
side stand to prop it up with, and because of the length, it extends
past the edge of the bike lift.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Repairs</b></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
was able to extract the rear wheel and have a new tire installed. The
rear brake system was empty, so will need rebuilding like most
everything else on this bike. I am not sure how I can support the
frame to remove the front wheel and forks. The seals are
leaking of course. The tire date codes were from 2011, so everything
needs attention.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">A
gel battery was ordered, but was much smaller than the battery box.
With the CBX bikes, there was a spacer that could be used to install
a smaller battery than the GL Goldwing unit that takes up the whole
space. I wound up using some wooden spacers to help secure the
battery in the box, but it wasn’t the greatest remedy for the
situation. I jumpered the solenoid and the starter motor spun the
engine over okay.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Removing
the instruments from the cowling, revealed a cheesy strip of metal
that was used to hold them in place. The original steel instrument
bracket was not included and are NLA hen’s teeth out in the world.
The speedometer was removed as the reset trip meter was cockeyed and
the reset knob and shaft were missing. The meter was sent to Foreign
Speedometer who observed that the speedometer was similar to the
later CBX units. In a desperate search for replacement parts, I
contacted Tim’s CBX parts online and he sifted through a pile of
old units coming up with just one that was a match. He kindly sold
the unit for $50 including shipping to the speedometer shop.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Forks
were disassembled and new seals installed, but the bottoms of the
fork tubes were deeply scored with no apparent reason or source of
why they would have become damaged like that.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
managed to wrestle both wheels off with the bike supported on
jackstands under the frame. The rear wheel had a lot of corrosion
which took about a half hour to remove down to the parent metal so
the tire would fit the rim securely. The front wheel was taken to a
local motorcycle tire shop and they swapped out the rubber with no
comments about the rim condition. The only way I could remove the
front wheel safely was to remove the axle clamps, pull each fork up
through the triple clamps and roll the wheel out from underneath it
all.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
master cylinder was successfully rebuilt and used to push out the
right-side caliper pistons. They came out all blued with signs of
severe overheating, either from racing or from sticking in the
calipers and dragging the rotor for a while. A lot of the brake parts
were shared with other models, many of which were for the CB900-1100F
bikes.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Apparently, the brake calipers came from a related model, but the rear caliper
pistons were 27mm instead of the 32mm specified. Using the microfiche
parts illustrations on <span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.cmsnl.com/">www.cmsnl.com</a></u></span></span>
was helpful to a point. There is a CB1100R Facebook page and a
CB1100R owner’s page that requires a $25 subscription fee, but was
worth it for the additional tech information it contained. Slowly
all the brake components were rebuilt and installed. Bleeding the
twin-piston calipers took some time, but finally, I got a front brake
that worked.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carburetors looked correct, but the codes on the bodies didn’t
match what the owners on the FB site had to say about them. The
clutch and twin throttle cables were replaced. I had to create a
little piece to anchor the choke cable to the handlebar bracket which
was missing.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With
some new OEM 8mm fuel hose and a brass T fitting I was able to feed
some fuel into the carburetors using a remote reservoir and the
engine fired up! There is a bit of a rattle in the clutch housing
which may be like that on the CBX models which used rubber cushions
on the clutch basket. After years of service and age, the rubbers
shrink and the cushion effect is nullified. The part number does
trace back to the CB1000C and the CB1100F models.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
have to say that it would have been wiser to “Stay in my Lane”
instead of having a fantasy of riding this brute on my Sunday rides
with my Jamuligan friends. The combination of a lot of one-off parts,
plus the condition of what was there has led to a lot of expense and
effort, just to get it running and functional. There will be no
“restoration” of the bike, but hopefully, there will be some DOHC
wizards who desire to bring it back to its former glory. I’ll be
keeping my 420 lb NT650 Hawk GT for my Sunday rides, probably
forever. But it was an interesting experience to see what Honda’s
race team conjured up starting from the CB1100F model and giving it
the performance to win 6-hour endurance races repeatedly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">CB1100R
anyone?
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjr7Joi0hphYnMC1F05FwP-fMOlZIubLYdUvvZ455Krr1mtRrOtRxOC0mwIzN6N2JNlQVq2JZnbIN7MtgOGrspUQgYLSbdYB4sy4XArQGvW2ZpT7p_STeyIm8gdoms0FDDreJcI4Y22sY1EKeYcUSPkCLyErGQ9T4xBryocMiLUzy19mEVnv2ixRR1sU/s4080/20231228_151444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjr7Joi0hphYnMC1F05FwP-fMOlZIubLYdUvvZ455Krr1mtRrOtRxOC0mwIzN6N2JNlQVq2JZnbIN7MtgOGrspUQgYLSbdYB4sy4XArQGvW2ZpT7p_STeyIm8gdoms0FDDreJcI4Y22sY1EKeYcUSPkCLyErGQ9T4xBryocMiLUzy19mEVnv2ixRR1sU/s320/20231228_151444.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka
MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">11/2023</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-54969780946937121382023-12-19T14:27:00.000-08:002023-12-19T14:27:31.965-08:00 L’Orange CB77 from 1963 +1… Part 2<p>And
the beat goes on….</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
was called by the owner, described above, in early Dec. to see if I
could help him with repairs to the CB77. He had sold both the 1963
CB77 and a 1966 CL77 to the same owner in nearby Rancho Santa Fe. He
sent photos of a large pool of oil beneath the CB77 and maybe a
little leak beneath the CL77. The new owner was requesting assistance
in getting the oil leaks repaired as soon as possible.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTmqpwKhB-NKu0VbCUu5xev8uvrh_iUBkV3qHCdW4Rn-2gZJ_pmL41Caunk0OvdzUCvpSO9wY9IYBHfamyCFS5mUDTH-eWIqdvs7NL0uXZp7whMbVuQZi_8O44Wp_04tFDzfP_dWZDkSNn6xYlkKU6wC_WjPUd9BFmtJnspIApVKeFxb3Ilgs8_4UqYo/s4080/20231216_163704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTmqpwKhB-NKu0VbCUu5xev8uvrh_iUBkV3qHCdW4Rn-2gZJ_pmL41Caunk0OvdzUCvpSO9wY9IYBHfamyCFS5mUDTH-eWIqdvs7NL0uXZp7whMbVuQZi_8O44Wp_04tFDzfP_dWZDkSNn6xYlkKU6wC_WjPUd9BFmtJnspIApVKeFxb3Ilgs8_4UqYo/s320/20231216_163704.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
was going to be in the general location (about 40 miles from home)
for my monthly chiropractor visit, so it was convenient to swing by
and have a look. It wasn’t pretty….</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had never seen that kind of oil leak beneath any 250-305 before,
unless the drain plug was loose and the bike sitting for weeks. I had
brought tools and the previous owner supplied some oil seal kits so I
could hopefully do an on-site repair and head on home. After a quick
view, it was obvious that the bikes needed to come back home with me
for repairs. The new owner had left the key in the PARK position, so
the battery was completely dead. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The oil leak was drooling from the
shift shaft seal, which is an easy replacement, but the oil smelled
of gasoline which apparently leaked into the crankcase before the
last ride. Somehow, the gas-oil mixture didn’t ignite when the bike
was operated and then shut down. The diluted oil leaked past what was
probably the original 60-year-old seal and drained the crankcase
down to where the level was nearly at the seal level in the clutch
cover. Thus the large pool of oil beneath the bike.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Both
bikes were loaded up into the Tacoma and hauled back to Rancho de
Honda for repairs. The next day I changed out the shift shaft seal,
then drained the oil as the drain plug appeared not to have a gasket
installed. What drained out was watery, dark-colored oil that reeked
of gasoline. I had also replaced the crankshaft seal and was putting
things back together when I turned the engine over with a wrench and
heard a god-awful squealing sound emanating from the engine
somewhere up high. It was one of those fingernails on the chalkboard
kinds of noises, which got louder when the spark plugs were removed.
My best guess was that the diluted oil had caused some kind of
metal-to-metal damage and that the engine would need to be removed
for inspection and repairs. After the findings were relayed to the
owner, permission was granted to move on to the repairs.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
did pull the clutch cover off, just in case the primary chain nut was
backing off or something else was loose under the cover. I did find
the oil filter was tight on the shaft and that the outer clutch
pressure plate was contacting the inside of the clutch cover, too.
The filter needed servicing anyway. Clearance was provided so it spun
easily on the shaft as normal.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Once
the engine was out, the top cover was removed and the crankshaft was
turned again to try to pinpoint the squealing noises. The top end
looked pretty dry, but nothing horrible stood out. I shot some WD40
into the cam bearings, where I thought the noise might be coming
from, but it didn’t have any effect.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
cylinder head was then removed and the noise became centered on the
pistons and rings. The cylinder walls were dry and the rings were
dragging against the cylinder walls metal-to-metal. I suppose that if
I had just shot some oil down the spark plug holes when it was still
assembled, the noise would have been reduced and that would have
pinpointed the cause of the noises. Still, there was evidence of the
head gasket leaking up front and around the edges, so it was best to
just go through the top end anyway.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
speedometer was showing less than 9k miles and the relative lack of
carbon buildup on the piston crowns and valves seemed to reinforce
the truth of the miles shown. The ring gaps were not terribly
excessive, but the to edges of the rings were worn sharp and several
of the rings were sticking in the ring lands of the pistons. The
pistons were free to swing back and forth on the rod ends, but the
piston pins, themselves were immobile when the clips were removed.
Again, I give thanks for finding the Benelli piston pin removal tool
that I had bought a few years back when I owned a Benelli Sei. Using
the tool to its fullest the pins begrudgingly gave way to the tool’s
force and were removed. One pin had an odd wear spot on the middle of
the pin, but mostly they were undamaged. Piston pin fit is normally a
finger push fit into the piston pin bores, so it is unclear why these
had become so tight. I have a bottle brush hone that is the right
side to open up the pin bore holes and it was used to allow a proper
pin fit.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had the cylinders honed at my local machine shop and ordered new STD
piston rings from who turned out to be a former San Diego friend who
moved to Minnesota a few years ago. While waiting for the parts, I
disassembled the cylinder head, checked for any damage, touched up
the exhaust valve seats, and reassembled it all.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
I turned to the round bowl carburetors, I discovered that someone had
sealed up the overflow tube on one float bowl and that the main jets
were #125 instead of #135 specified. The float levels were set at
26mm instead of 22.5mm so perhaps the bike had lived in high altitude
for part of its life. The carb insulators were RTV glued onto the
carburetor flanges and cylinder head. The more you look the more
things wrong you find, in many projects like this.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
float bowl overflow tube had a split down the side causing a fuel
leak, which was soldered for repair. The floats were original round
bowl types, which come close to the side walls of the float bowl. I
had many leftover round bowl gaskets from kits which contained both
round and square bowl gaskets. Sadly, most of them had come from
Keyster kits and they are just not made correctly to OEM specs. When
the bowls were removed, the gaskets were cork and had shrunk up quite
a bit. I ordered new floats from 4int1.com along with their
swell-proof gaskets.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wBdDdBZPUcqxwHuFIKzyvJLf4NdryOXB9XLa1Y8XSe1ox4dsy16qpg83OAtvWjt5tYbbXugvER5X6mLwnAjojEeGC31cqWN0Ad5yp9g_GGErzBM7EUnWsCFAgn4jtzyG15aXTGKxMMJH3nvOsXm95Ji0cvSGn30MG6MxG9ZxKxd0yziAN7W8_X9-M94/s4080/20231213_135258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wBdDdBZPUcqxwHuFIKzyvJLf4NdryOXB9XLa1Y8XSe1ox4dsy16qpg83OAtvWjt5tYbbXugvER5X6mLwnAjojEeGC31cqWN0Ad5yp9g_GGErzBM7EUnWsCFAgn4jtzyG15aXTGKxMMJH3nvOsXm95Ji0cvSGn30MG6MxG9ZxKxd0yziAN7W8_X9-M94/s320/20231213_135258.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had already removed the clutch cover, so I thought I better check the
clutch plates. They were, of course previously stuck and there was
rust embedded into the steel plates. Oddly, the outer pressure plate
edges were sticking up proud of the edges of the clutch basket,
instead of just tucked under the edges. This stack height apparently
led to the contact marks inside the clutch cover. All the plates
seemed to be of the right thickness and number (it was a 6-plate
clutch), so I decided to mix-match the clutch pack with some thicker
268-020 plates, just fewer of them. In the end, it was a little
shorter than normal, but it will clear the clutch cover now. We’ll
see how that works out in the end…</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
cleaned the carb insulators of the black RTV that was coated over
them and installed new Honda 260 code o-rings on the insulators and
the carburetor flanges. The cleaning process always involves
flattening out the flanges, changing the o-rings, and checking for any
tendencies for the slides to stick in the carb body bores. The main
jets will be bumped up to #140s, which seem to work better on today’s
E10 gasoline, which causes engines to run lean on standard settings.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
the engine was installed, I tried to quick-fire it up, but it
backfired and spit back. The coils were tightly grouped together and
the leads crossed each other. Swapping them back got an initial
startup, but the ignition timing was incorrect. When the right side
points were adjusted, one of the point screws was stripped in the
hole, so a substitute point plate was acquired and installed. After
picking up a fresh set of D8HA NGK plugs and raising the needles up a
notch, the bike finally fired up and settled down to an idle. The
throttle cable was a bit cranky and the cable adjuster on the right
side carb is raised up more than the left to get them synchronized.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
last step will be to replace the old floats with the square bowl
types that have more clearance around the edges, so they don’t
interfere with the float bowl gaskets. Of course, the petcock needed
to be rebuilt including the brass tube that was down to about an inch
high.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwyb6AmUTk-PGIqgeTU-u-0sfm52nIH27ngmqN988cFO10xX0SQ6vXWW5PEI9WqVCgfCzeQKBIKReFAceYPVagVCO7TqLBMi_wpqP9ldJzGLkOvrMuCMMl_y6hzl9M6bouSRIM87l29bdz7pxx9YPQeAyHd3V3eSQt8TXGfJCnOWLEkQ3CMy3IMb8g4o/s4080/20231216_095700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwyb6AmUTk-PGIqgeTU-u-0sfm52nIH27ngmqN988cFO10xX0SQ6vXWW5PEI9WqVCgfCzeQKBIKReFAceYPVagVCO7TqLBMi_wpqP9ldJzGLkOvrMuCMMl_y6hzl9M6bouSRIM87l29bdz7pxx9YPQeAyHd3V3eSQt8TXGfJCnOWLEkQ3CMy3IMb8g4o/s320/20231216_095700.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">On
top of it all, the tires are old and the drive chain needed to be
replaced. I did find an inexpensive new 530 pitch drive chain and
installed it before placing the kickstarter cover back on the engine.
Setting the clutch adjuster with the new clutch pack setup actually
caused the alignment marks to be just about right. The tire pressures
were 18/12 psi when I took it around the block, very slowly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
co-conspirator….1966 CL77</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrpdJl8o4tYkEdqIEI0BgPjDvnn6V-4NYG3zVirmFbx9UhFJEOO5SfhStKBviSj3Dbf2edHHQGExasGH2EYnzd_v6MlF0XRI6nrU3xh4fTmC8kys6f-FJ1LtOur9iQbzqlp-jvh4gWj-ltWmlrdIbauSe-ORPmu0PXR9py46M6ApBt_WHQMnwpm5hk6c/s4080/20231217_132723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFrpdJl8o4tYkEdqIEI0BgPjDvnn6V-4NYG3zVirmFbx9UhFJEOO5SfhStKBviSj3Dbf2edHHQGExasGH2EYnzd_v6MlF0XRI6nrU3xh4fTmC8kys6f-FJ1LtOur9iQbzqlp-jvh4gWj-ltWmlrdIbauSe-ORPmu0PXR9py46M6ApBt_WHQMnwpm5hk6c/s320/20231217_132723.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">This
bike came down with the 1963 CB77 for a checkover and a small oil leak
complaint. It was parked next to the CB77 in the garage, adjacent to
the large pool of oil/gas on the floor. I had gone through the bike
earlier in the year after it had been sitting for about 10 years. It
required the usual fuel system clean-out, a new battery and, and
overall tune-up procedures.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had ordered a pair of the pushrod seal retainer kits from the
Cappellini dealer on eBay. The first one went on the CB77 after the
extensive rebuild. This second one should have been a 15-minute parts
swap but turned into over an hour due to discoveries beneath the
kickstarter cover.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">First,
the two 6mm counter shaft plate screws came out very hard, perhaps
installed with Loc-Tite. After I removed the screws, I wanted to
clean up the threads for the new retainer screws. The 6mm tap went in
about half-way on both sides, then sheared off when I was trying to
get that little bit of extra thread clean-up. There’s no getting
broken off taps out of a hole like this, apart from an EDM machine.
Fortunately, I had a spare shallow spline sprocket that was in decent
shape. So, that problem was solved. HOWEVER….</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JtA-cjz5BkNwx-OcG9ZLkfhq1jVT4FoPdady-f2M4NH5nxdA7WtlyzwxpxZtIUyOrpOhBqH0vxMWajSy7OzVfKKTnRCZqpsXGvQ9tIFgYKysDJruyFSPj-rV3NIA3eBVuyU8yt4UH0byv00Cb7GToK9HO6-nTUixle08BRPsjdCvRuFXhg75JinfeLE/s4080/20231217_120515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JtA-cjz5BkNwx-OcG9ZLkfhq1jVT4FoPdady-f2M4NH5nxdA7WtlyzwxpxZtIUyOrpOhBqH0vxMWajSy7OzVfKKTnRCZqpsXGvQ9tIFgYKysDJruyFSPj-rV3NIA3eBVuyU8yt4UH0byv00Cb7GToK9HO6-nTUixle08BRPsjdCvRuFXhg75JinfeLE/s320/20231217_120515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
the sprocket was pulled from the countershaft, I was amazed and
horrified to see that the countershaft seal was partially hanging out
with a large open gap between the engine case and the edge of the
seal. It had been installed with some of the Permatex Moto-Seal or
Honda-bond liquid sealer when the engine cases were bolted back
together again. Whoever did it, failed to notice that the seal had
squeezed out at an angle and was left in that condition. Not only
that, behind the rotor there was JB Weld, right where the engine
cases get damaged from failing to locate the crankshaft main bearing
in the knock pin correctly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It’s
hard to know if the damage was done before the last engine work or
during the assembly of it. The possibilities are that the bearing was
reset and the oil hole was not blocked. The other scenario is that the
bearing was left in the out-of-indexed location, which blocks the oil
flow to the crankshaft bearing. The builder might have noticed the
cracked engine case and just sealed it up, rather than dive back in
to reset the bearing properly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike has straight CL72 exhaust pipes with the Snuff-or-Nots installed
at the back. They knock down the noise a little bit but I’m sure
that the neighbors would prefer that I not run the bike around for
long. The bike repair work was done, but was waiting for the return
of the speedometer repairs from Foreign Speedo in San Diego, my go-to
guy for vintage Honda speedometer repairs.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
the bike was ridden the speedometer needle was whipping around and
scratched the faceplate. Fortunately, Foreign Speedo has a guy in San
Diego who can silk-screen the faces back to their original condition, so
there is a time lag when he comes to pick up various faceplates and
when they are returned. The bike runs out very strong (and loud), so
the speedometer is all that is needed to return it to service.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The bikes are scheduled to be returned on Dec. 28 in much better condition than when they left the owner's garage. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Just another few weeks in the life of MrHonda...</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">12/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-22267197137162581312023-12-11T19:53:00.000-08:002023-12-12T06:19:43.597-08:00 L’Orange CB77 from 1963… Part 1 (the Prequel)<p>I
recently received a call from a local (25 miles away) man who wanted
me to come by and have a look at his “all original” 1963 CB77 305
Super Hawk. He had owned a lot of bikes of various makes and models but wasn’t fully dialed in on vintage Honda twins. He wanted an
expert opinion about the overall originality and what it might need
to fetch a good sales price. I agreed to swing by on my way to a
nearby doctor's appointment and have a look. He had sent a string of
photos to my phone, but they don’t really give a full impression of
a lot of critical details on these models.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWpRvXHTwOq_mnETv256mPPkVwILCjQqB1fGmMFRnqMYm4c6cJNsve-KYcTj0bkEMf7_OJMapkRVsk-RSEAWZFUtpnLEF36ytCqZUFCoth3G5hmO0GqIWguYkX_CT8ke1ZX5ZJw54IWRqjACNKBzzCC3vqd5AHMmpODp8RhkVwTLsbCzV1KeWiPPtmFw/s1008/1963_honda_superhawk-cb77-305cc_right%20side.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWpRvXHTwOq_mnETv256mPPkVwILCjQqB1fGmMFRnqMYm4c6cJNsve-KYcTj0bkEMf7_OJMapkRVsk-RSEAWZFUtpnLEF36ytCqZUFCoth3G5hmO0GqIWguYkX_CT8ke1ZX5ZJw54IWRqjACNKBzzCC3vqd5AHMmpODp8RhkVwTLsbCzV1KeWiPPtmFw/s320/1963_honda_superhawk-cb77-305cc_right%20side.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6z2z0gnx08YnE9ztglzeJqFQaeuIJsDUbphXEM8w0O-qIo3bnJ0t1ThNSxbqGBait4Re97nm6M9jaLPZqzqNo6j4QOIZdYeekGdi5BKpK7jcw8rKVsfwUz3pP5-Yp5_C18JlZq8VPf9QQO60SIcEhNwLEdeH9V9WOtObT-8LcDFmBCt7w_DQpMEB-Rc/s940/1963_honda_cb77-super-hawk%20Blumer.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="940" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht6z2z0gnx08YnE9ztglzeJqFQaeuIJsDUbphXEM8w0O-qIo3bnJ0t1ThNSxbqGBait4Re97nm6M9jaLPZqzqNo6j4QOIZdYeekGdi5BKpK7jcw8rKVsfwUz3pP5-Yp5_C18JlZq8VPf9QQO60SIcEhNwLEdeH9V9WOtObT-8LcDFmBCt7w_DQpMEB-Rc/s320/1963_honda_cb77-super-hawk%20Blumer.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">On
arrival, I saw the bike down in his ground-level garage, sitting next
to a fully restored Bultaco Matador. As I approached it was obvious
that this formerly Scarlet Red model had been exposed to a little too
much sunlight which turned the factory lacquer Scarlet red paint into a dull
pumpkin orange color. So, “points off” right away. The bike had
been modified with a set of what appeared to be CL72 handlebars, with
matching higher cables, but mysteriously had the “Diamond”
pattern hand grips that are normally seen on 1961-62 machines. This
bike was a 3112xx series 1963 model, which you wouldn’t expect to
find those grips on a bike of this year's model.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
front tire was an original OHTSU deeply ribbed unit that was
certainly used on original CB77s in the early years. The rear tire
had a pretty correct-looking tread pattern, but it was an IRC tire,
so obviously not the original, especially with 8900 miles showing on
the speedometer.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike featured the original stainless steel stock mufflers, but both
had been cracked and repaired just behind the top mount where the
muffler bolts to the footplate bracket. This is a common failure seen
with stainless mufflers and even stock chromed steel ones where the
top mount bolt was installed. I always leave the top mounting bolt
out for this reason on all of my bikes.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Moving
along, I noticed two different keys on the ignition switch key ring.
One was an expected large head T series key, but the other one was
one of the small head versions. When I looked at the steering lock,
it had a different key number than the other two keys! When we turned
the power ON at the switch, the neutral light was not functioning and
the headlight didn’t come on when that headlight switch was flicked
to ON position. The tail light did work in both tail and brake light
functions, though.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Looking
over the engine cases, it is clear that the clutch cover, oil filter
cover and dyno cover were all painted over instead of being the
original finishes. I was surprised to find the camchain tensioner
with the adjustment bolt on the left side, which was an early feature
of the engine series.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">A
closer look at the fenders and side covers revealed that they were a
repaint in something like Cloud Silver, but with a flatter final
tone.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
seat cover looked very fresh with Honda-like texture on the material,
but there was no HONDA on the back and once we were able to remove
the seat from the chassis, it was obvious that it was a re-cover from
several details where the cover was glued on and not fitted just
right. It did have the outside seat strap buckles in place. Removal
of the seat was a chore as the forward two mounting posts, which are
welded to the battery box edges were both bent inwards about 5
degrees. They jammed the tabs on the front of the seat pan, making
installation and removal quite difficult. A closer inspection revealed
a re-welded battery box to the frame, apparently replaced due to
battery acid damage way back in time. Ironically, where the welds
were done, the paint was touched up with matching orange paint.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">We
were unable to start the engine, due to some fuel feed issues. He was
going to take the bike to a local motorcycle mechanic friend for some
electrical repairs and to get the bike started up again. The dimmer
switch select knob is rather sloppy and doesn’t feel like it is
doing its job for the high-low function.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Also
noted, is that the kickstarter arm was wobbly on the kickstarter cover
bushing, somewhat consistent with the mileage shown on the
speedometer and probably aggravated by a lot of kick-starting efforts
in the past. When these bikes are tuned properly and have a fully
charged, load-tested battery in place, they seldom need kick-starting
at all. I would suspect that the starter clutch springs have
collapsed and the starter clutch rollers are slipping on the clutch
hub.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Also
noted was that the position of the clutch adjuster index mark was off
to the right, quite a bit indicating that someone had changed the
clutch pack stack height. This coincides with the clutch cover paint
job and the obviously damaged screw heads done when the cover was
removed in the past.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
was a very unusual aftermarket side stand assembly mounted to the
frame. It didn’t tie into the normal mounting points on the lower
frame section and didn’t require the longer YB center stand bolt
which is needed with OEM side stand bracket mounting. The side stand
arm was black and had a flared end vs the normal little peg that was
welded to the original side stand parts.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">On
the plus side, the original cloth tool pouch was present with most of
the correct tools. The correct Dream 300 tank badges were still in
good shape, despite the ozone weathering of the chassis paint. There
is a box with a NOS set of OEM flat handlebars, cables, dimmer switch
and a few other little tidbits to convert the bike back to original
flat bar configuration. The CA Black plate license plate seems to be
in the correct series of numbers for 1963 registration.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Overall,
it seems to be a low-mile, mostly original CB77, with shortcomings in
the faded paint, welded mufflers, polished covers that were
painted-over, unknown clutch work, improperly welded battery box/seat
mount fittings, and incorrect handlebars/cables. Once the bike is up
and running again, more attention can be put upon the running
condition, as far as noises, compression checks, clutch function,
transmission function, ignition/fuel system functions, etc.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver aka MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">April/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-honda-cb77-super-hawk/">https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-honda-cb77-super-hawk/</a>
for photos and details</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-76301567560865833512023-11-24T15:53:00.000-08:002023-11-24T15:53:48.129-08:00<p> Too much friction spoils the party…</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In bringing the CB350F
back to life, I noticed that the forks were pretty stiff upfront.
Hitting small bumps would just push the front end of the bike up like
it was a rigid fork machine. The fork seals were leaking anyway, so I
pulled the forks off, re-sealed them, and filled them with some
synthetic ATF from the auto parts store.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong>From:
https://vorsprungsuspension.com/blogs/learn/what-is-fork-stiction</strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong>Stiction:</strong> an
abbreviation of “static friction” - the friction between
stationary surfaces at rest, which resists them beginning to slide
over one another.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><strong>Friction:</strong> the
resistance that one surface encounters when sliding over another.
Generally speaking with suspension this refers to “dynamic
friction”, ie the frictional force while already in motion</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Nothing was bent or
damaged on either fork, but when the whole front end was reassembled,
it still rode like an empty 1-ton pickup truck. I had already changed
the worn-out rear shocks with some slightly longer aftermarket
copies, but that didn’t do a lot to improve the ride quality.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">My recollections
with re-assembling 1970s Honda street bikes, even after a tire change
is that the fender stay mounts are not precisely fitted and it has
been my belief and experience that when you force the fender stay
into the insides of the fork sliders unnecessary
friction/stiction is induced onto the fork suspension system.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With the CB350F, I
removed the front axle and nut, tightened them together, and then
mounted one end into the bottom of the fork slider, secured with the
two nuts on the cap. With both fork tubes set about evenly at the top
of the fork crown, there was a gap of about a 16/th of an inch above
one end of the axle in the opposite slider. I loosened the fork tube
on that side and tapped it down until the slider just rested back on
the end of the axle. This keeps both sliders at the same level,
preventing binding on the fork bushings. See end photos.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaatV2vC_Pg2keQ2Hfw1r9ytlFCJZfBMqjl81XI5gg3MyQMvJI__vf8he9oZKMGZ8aLgWJCWWWRUEw88IQl_oyv8dtG0mmu-ICKYseNzf0KE3jprGJS0XCBxJDYNJjSzc2nK7Orw-F5Ag74LcD5G_JvDah43k39r8ui4kC-31d7e5cxUaJ7L3kY6Lr1LI/s4080/20231113_141322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaatV2vC_Pg2keQ2Hfw1r9ytlFCJZfBMqjl81XI5gg3MyQMvJI__vf8he9oZKMGZ8aLgWJCWWWRUEw88IQl_oyv8dtG0mmu-ICKYseNzf0KE3jprGJS0XCBxJDYNJjSzc2nK7Orw-F5Ag74LcD5G_JvDah43k39r8ui4kC-31d7e5cxUaJ7L3kY6Lr1LI/s320/20231113_141322.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Secondly, when I
bolted the fender stay to the right side slider, opposite of the disc
brake mounting hardware, a gap was clearly seen between the fender
stay and the fork slider/brake hardware mount. I added two 6mm
washers on the front bolt and one at the back to keep the fender stay
from pinching the fork sliders together, causing fork bushing
binding.
</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoMCwQ8FhF6ZTitDmo1P7J6wwFQ3G3_94iRfy3z_L5m6tFfO3UxiQ2U52Ziglg0H8r0qw_959TwhJjC-eYNSuBBCbXM-ZN17ojv96Ypm0DVYSxmc8vwjUryPNeaPIUkhaIrl7lVkQci5oaoFT1_XXdEXzZNQ85GWMrfa3-95_Jk_Unj08nymmt5L0lI4/s4080/20231113_143618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidoMCwQ8FhF6ZTitDmo1P7J6wwFQ3G3_94iRfy3z_L5m6tFfO3UxiQ2U52Ziglg0H8r0qw_959TwhJjC-eYNSuBBCbXM-ZN17ojv96Ypm0DVYSxmc8vwjUryPNeaPIUkhaIrl7lVkQci5oaoFT1_XXdEXzZNQ85GWMrfa3-95_Jk_Unj08nymmt5L0lI4/s320/20231113_143618.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The front and rear
fender stay bolts were loosened up to allow the ends to center
themselves on the bolts. I also loosened up the fender stay mounting
fasteners to the fender itself. The goal is to allow the fender to
just float in between the fork sliders, moving as a unit up and down
with minimum amounts of friction caused by side-loading the sliders
against the fork bushings.
</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQThXQw1z9ptAmb2oQSDmTrlMy09Sh2t46Eyz55VDqggFVkNb5hjiLbPoLHhpECsgOrcO_A6faWwBjYXbypIegG4koG6IiW4cu_ORRCqcAn-3D6WLdIL89ium9L6UdgWf4ZK7YiGpo9u6xkF3mBnwyNrsXyScgwZpjKuDNC14MUk7alKODVMkyA-YOmyw/s4080/20231113_145709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQThXQw1z9ptAmb2oQSDmTrlMy09Sh2t46Eyz55VDqggFVkNb5hjiLbPoLHhpECsgOrcO_A6faWwBjYXbypIegG4koG6IiW4cu_ORRCqcAn-3D6WLdIL89ium9L6UdgWf4ZK7YiGpo9u6xkF3mBnwyNrsXyScgwZpjKuDNC14MUk7alKODVMkyA-YOmyw/s320/20231113_145709.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There are super
slick fork seals, fork seal grease and fork oils that are all
designed to lessen the friction and stiction in the front suspension.
All of these things can help to allow freeer movement of the front
forks during compression and rebound motions.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda and most other
manufacturers were not fully cognizant of the dynamics of fork
action in the 1960s and early-1970s, with most of them having little rebound control. Progressive
wound fork springs can be helpful in allowing more initial movement
of the front end when encountering small bumps. Changing the whole spring rate is sometimes necessary. Most bikes were designed with the maximum load rating in mind, which is generally too stiff for a solo rider of average weight.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Any or all of these
things can cause fork binding that wears the fork bushings and inside
of the fork sliders unnecessarily. Take time to carefully look at how
the front forks and fender are fitted to the bike to minimize
suspension travel problems.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Just refitting the
front fender to the forks, as described above, allowed for a
noticeable improvement in the ride quality on this particular bike.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver aka
MrHonda</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">11/20/23</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTz2nOjKiz73qwdwNcN-0aXZvnUXKiENHSgStQTmW5MhxJDc-iUAYLxbJqwizQxAJyFm3GDaERvN8qc0shAI1fX-9F4jix2_Ni-wMaBIauA5k3GXlAIRFsBRCiilbOLAuE6Qavj9gr3Dp_b4tELER8G0SyVhNQV0VCWqdqIBpx9qvBY1Xdz9sVzEPkVoE/s4080/20231113_151109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTz2nOjKiz73qwdwNcN-0aXZvnUXKiENHSgStQTmW5MhxJDc-iUAYLxbJqwizQxAJyFm3GDaERvN8qc0shAI1fX-9F4jix2_Ni-wMaBIauA5k3GXlAIRFsBRCiilbOLAuE6Qavj9gr3Dp_b4tELER8G0SyVhNQV0VCWqdqIBpx9qvBY1Xdz9sVzEPkVoE/s320/20231113_151109.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcHttXQPuymglTViqgWC380xcd1hlecKmIHVbBoG_jmi0zhWdmaYc6K40zAx9Cqf6kgnBiNnOrhTLEcbyNCUB-uqkT79jEyNRAdsiZDj0H77dMhoBCCgzdgwd9SB7sDxIYf8u5dbDcpZlJbZ2dAWf0g5hJrHopfk8F75lf6L6oR1CCCD2LhI6LEpjeU0/s4080/20231113_151100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcHttXQPuymglTViqgWC380xcd1hlecKmIHVbBoG_jmi0zhWdmaYc6K40zAx9Cqf6kgnBiNnOrhTLEcbyNCUB-uqkT79jEyNRAdsiZDj0H77dMhoBCCgzdgwd9SB7sDxIYf8u5dbDcpZlJbZ2dAWf0g5hJrHopfk8F75lf6L6oR1CCCD2LhI6LEpjeU0/s320/20231113_151100.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-71665266962648369212023-11-13T13:50:00.000-08:002023-11-13T13:50:56.871-08:00It’s a DADs bike… 1973 CB350F revisited-Part 2<p> <b>Part 2</b></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike didn’t stay intact for very long. I put it up on the workbench
and proceeded to dismantle the bike’s exhaust and carburetors to
allow the disassembly of the top end to find out what the source of
the oil leak was and rather uneven running at idle. Visually, the
tach drive seal had been leaking for a long time and drooling oil
down the front of the engine.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As
the cylinder head was removed, it became apparent that the head
gasket had blown out between the number 3 and 4 cylinders. This is
highly unusual in my experience, especially having raced 350 and 400F
models under severe conditions. Here was a stone-stock model with a
burned fire ring and adjacent gasket material. The combustion chamber
was carbon-ed up, as were the valves with burned oil, but the
cylinder bore looked completely fine and just like the other three.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNBJG3SKxG7xgG9OmZ4QFtTF7LeBaR1oaIAPe3k785l2N6hSWZ3gUDEcBgYSrXoF5xPhy1JSxhU336iO2Gf2-kkhf8sJVua8N52VuE0eJtUqNjmkGTSkEZOlwpeB7hE9ZZ_6lHbocUWnMgPKgvLFegiYgfUgoUrmipc4YItvOuTV9JgoM8rwDSDrDlno/s4080/20231110_145025~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNBJG3SKxG7xgG9OmZ4QFtTF7LeBaR1oaIAPe3k785l2N6hSWZ3gUDEcBgYSrXoF5xPhy1JSxhU336iO2Gf2-kkhf8sJVua8N52VuE0eJtUqNjmkGTSkEZOlwpeB7hE9ZZ_6lHbocUWnMgPKgvLFegiYgfUgoUrmipc4YItvOuTV9JgoM8rwDSDrDlno/s320/20231110_145025~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
cylinder head had a depression and signs of some erosion from the
blown head gasket area. I measured the depression to about .004”
and sought out a machine shop that could shave off about .006” to
flatten out the head and erase the low spot between cylinders.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
took it to a local automotive machine shop but they were unable to
jig the head up in their machine, so they walked it down the street to
another machine shop to see if they could do the deed. I suppose that
you might be able to skim-coat some JB weld down in the valley and
coat the gasket with some sealer to ensure a good connection, but that
would be a last-resort effort. Certainly, another cylinder head would
be available on eBay, but you never know what you will get in a used
part like this.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>Trials
and Tribulations….</b></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Well,
the second machine shop did a beautiful job of skimming off just a
bit of the uneven cylinder head surface, so all I had to do was to
remove the rest of the valves, de-carbon them, change the valve stem
seals and put it all back together again. Reassembly is pretty
straightforward on these engines, which are easy to work on in the
frame. After I got the top end back together and the valves
adjusted, I checked the compression readings which were all about 150
psi. I left the pistons/rings alone as the bores looked pretty clean,
but it does have 17k miles on it, so we’ll see how it runs and if
it wants to use some oil. The valve stem seals were definitely
cooked, so the new ones will reduce oil burning quite a bit.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carburetors were split apart enough to replace the o-rings on the
fuel fittings that feed gasoline across the four carbs from a central
point. I had to drive out the shaft that had a couple of keys in both
ends to engage the throttle arms. In the process, one of the copper
bushings got damaged and they are not a separate part from the base
plate. I went on eBay and found a copper bushing that was 3/8” x
1/2” by 3/4” which is actually the size of the OD and length. The
ID was a little bit tight so I drilled out the inside with a drill
bit of a close size and it all went back together again. The float
bowls and jets were all ultrasound cleaned and the o-rings were replaced
from my handy K&L Keihin carb repair kit box.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Again, the float settings for the carburetors were off more than a bit. The last set for my friend's CB350F was much worse, though. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rcHY4HgTcU0V442w3jLxintqo5j43jnExotUTEJgaJbCtntJHmFVErW0LQvAOFREYf3cs5cBLTgzrmhGBx0dNiLbQPtd_DBEv6cEk6QldKpPeNMiWe5MPLIs07U-uiiq20-Lh4q7fzFlM2XiO9shyphenhyphenplWoLm-hm80JAmfiX53_tYsxDQUgdaZ1L6uiEE/s3056/20230814_160659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rcHY4HgTcU0V442w3jLxintqo5j43jnExotUTEJgaJbCtntJHmFVErW0LQvAOFREYf3cs5cBLTgzrmhGBx0dNiLbQPtd_DBEv6cEk6QldKpPeNMiWe5MPLIs07U-uiiq20-Lh4q7fzFlM2XiO9shyphenhyphenplWoLm-hm80JAmfiX53_tYsxDQUgdaZ1L6uiEE/s320/20230814_160659.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
next challenge was to install new aftermarket intake manifold
rubbers. There are two different part numbers used on 1-4 and 2-3,
but they are slightly different shaped and I spent a half hour trying
to get the carbs pushed into place, thinking that the little part
numbers indicated on the manifold faces were all to go down. Finally,
I had to remove them from the head, push them onto the carb
spigots, and turn them until the spacing matched the intake port
dimensions. In the end, the two left sides were installed with the
lettering down and the two right sides were installed with the
letters up! The carbs slipped into the manifolds securely and the
next job was to install those shiny new 4:4 mufflers, which were
worth more than the bike.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had installed a set of these for a friend, when they were available
about 5 years ago, and recall having some problems getting them to
fit up to the brackets properly. I started with the left side 1-2
pipes, which are bolted together at the rear along with the
interconnection gasket. When I tried to get the flanges and collars
to fit up into the cylinder head, they wouldn’t go deep enough to
get some threads for the 6mm nuts to tighten them up. I did finally
get the #2 pipe into the head with the stock collars, but the #1 was
not having it. I dug through a box of misc flanges and collars and
came up with 4 that were the right OD but about 1/4” shorter in
height. These eventually allow the #1 pipe to be fitted into the
cylinder head, along with a fresh exhaust pipe gasket.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Then
the problems really began as the rear mount which incorporates the
rear footpeg was about a 1/2” off center from where the bolt goes
through the footpeg and the exhaust bracket then to the frame mount.
I tried to adjust the stud holes that attach the two pipes together
but it wasn’t going well. Finally, I loosened the flanges a bit and
pulled the rear bracket up so the bolt would go through. Not only was
it off in height, it was about a 1/4” outwards leaving a gap to
fill in. Eventually, I was able to bolt everything up, but the pipes
were in a bit of a bind. I think that they missed the mark on bending
the header pipes correctly which caused the misalignment at the rear.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
I looked at the right side pair, before installation, I compared the
flanges of the old and new pipes and discovered that the old pipe
flange was welded flush with the pipe, leaving a nice 90-degree
corner for the collars to push up against them to hold into the
cylinder head port. The new ones had thicker flanges that were welded
in where the flanges would normally rest, causing them to appear to
be too short to install. I used one set of the shorter collars on one
pipe and wound up cutting down the stock set about an eighth of an
inch to allow for the flange problem.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Again,
when the headers were bolted into the exhaust ports, the rear bracket
was a little low and about a half inch outwards away from the frame
mount. I installed a set of thick washers to take up the space and
sourced a longer bolt to finish up the installation. I spent more
than 4 hours just trying to fit up the exhaust system and even though
they are nice and new and shiny, they really don’t fit the bike
properly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
mufflers had little stickers that were from QC and said “checked”
but I am not sure that whatever they checked was accurate. Anyway,
they are on the bike. I did start it up on a remote bottle to see how
it would run now but there were some lingering carb problems that
needed to be addressed before a good test ride is undertaken.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
removed the carbs again and switched the connecting shaft around 180
degrees to get the keyways and shaft machining oriented properly.
The damaged bushing left a little bit of extra slop in the system,
but they worked much better this time. However, when I put the gauges
on them to sync all four, the #3 slide adjustment wouldn’t sync
with the other three. I carefully dismantled the #3 carb top and
extracted the slide to check for any irregularities, then reset
everything once again. Finally, they were all reading the same and
the idle smoothed out considerably. If the #3 slide was always higher
than the other three, previously, that might explain the overheating
of that cylinder and the head gasket failure.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Two
things led me to think that the brake shoes and points were all
original to the bike at 17k miles. The rear brake rod needed all the
adjustment used up to get the rear brake to function properly, which
generally means that the shoes are all worn down. For riders who have
some fear about heavy use of front brakes, often wear out the
rear brakes prematurely because that is their main source of stopping
the bike. Imagine my surprise when I removed the brake panel and
found the shoes to be at close to 4mm, which is apparently the stock
thickness. I had purchased a set of Vesrah aftermarket brake shoes
from an eBay seller and they came out of the box at 4mm! So, once
installed on the bike, the rod adjustment nut is still mostly
threaded all the way up. There is a pedal adjustment to lower the
standard height setting, so that will affect the adjustment nut
setting, but normally it should be way at the end of the rod when
everything is new. Perhaps, the drum is worn out, which seems
unlikely.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In
adjusting the ignition timing, I had to rotate the backing plate all
the way in the adjustment slots in order to retard the ignition
timing at idle and it was still going a bit past the full advance
marks. Looking at the point gaps, they were down around .008”
instead of the normal .012-.016” range, which indicates that the
rubbing blocks were all worn down from 17k miles of operation.
Normally, the points should be changed about 12k miles, so they are
undoubtedly the originals from 1973. I ordered one of the inexpensive
Chinese-made electronic ignition plates and that should stabilize the
ignition timing.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Apart
from replacing the tires and drive chain, all it needs is a
really good detail and polish to bring it back to its former glory. I
think that the previous, now deceased owner would approve of my
handling of his precious CB350 Four.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver aka MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">10/11/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">PS</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carbs had to come off again as the linkage bushings were allowing too
much play. I bought a used bracket plate from an eBay seller and also
re-jetted the mains to #78, up from the stock #75 sizes. This,
coupled with the newly installed e-ignition allowed the bike to run
smoother with a bit more pep. The carb synch went well and all four
are staying equal with each other.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
wound up replacing the fork seals, as they were the originals and
weeping a bit. I put the bike into my name and registered it. It gets
ridden a few times a week, but the suspension is still rather rough
for me. My Sunday ride is a 1991 NT650 Hawk GT and I really enjoy
that bike. So, the 350F will go on the market and hopefully to a good
home where it can be appreciated for its glory after 50 years.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliiW5kTbK1tW3ddhWMJjIba1wPqM8P8CPo38oTJTF1tV7Nx5OSdMyACURUatb5xULkJqLqJSUufNyXf6j8gFFZ_3fPOdjO6vm8ymKProaCPx8WwhHJoNVqyhGIhAC29Y41xPWCo4cdCVruPJVk9NH2InA1LCQZ3_1ET9nmsa8eQW0YDCHUp1TUMFX1Gk/s4080/20231102_105743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhliiW5kTbK1tW3ddhWMJjIba1wPqM8P8CPo38oTJTF1tV7Nx5OSdMyACURUatb5xULkJqLqJSUufNyXf6j8gFFZ_3fPOdjO6vm8ymKProaCPx8WwhHJoNVqyhGIhAC29Y41xPWCo4cdCVruPJVk9NH2InA1LCQZ3_1ET9nmsa8eQW0YDCHUp1TUMFX1Gk/s320/20231102_105743.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-71540827052394930322023-11-10T23:54:00.001-08:002023-11-10T23:54:49.222-08:00 It’s a DADs bike… 1973 CB350F revisited-Part 1<p><b>Part
1.</b></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
have owned a few of these bikes, including one that I bought, brand
new, in partnership with my step-dad, Ray. I got out of the USAF in 1971
and had a few odd bikes afterward. Dad got started riding when my
Mom bought him a 125cc Wards Riverside 2-stroke single that was on
sale for a couple of hundred dollars brand new. He rode it sparingly
and then somewhere bought an orange and white CL350 paint shaker
Scrambler to ride to work. When the CB350F was released in 1973, we
decided that this was the bike for us. The bikes came in sparkly
Red and Green paint schemes. We chose the red one.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">We
shared riding it for a while, then he picked up a green 1976 CB750A.
He switched the oil to a synthetic brand and noticed that the bike
ran cooler and maybe a little quieter. They are a heavy bike, so
after I had bought a new 1978 CX500 and rode it for a few thousand
miles, he bought that one from me and enjoyed the low-maintenance
ride. But, back to the CB350F.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">We
wrangled a deal with the local Honda dealer, for something like
$1400. They were lighter and smoother than any of the previous bikes
we had experienced, but it was kind of slow compared to the CB/CL350
twins of the time. The CL350s were geared a little lower than the
CB350s and that just made them shake even worse. Out with the twin
and in with the Four!
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
borrowed it one weekend and drove it all the way into LA to see my
girlfriend who I met before I went into the service in 1967. We kept
in touch over the years and she invited me up to visit for the
weekend. The freeways were a little tamer back then and I didn’t
give much thought to running the bike up 100 miles each way.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
not too long, those cute little four-pipe mufflers started to corrode
from the inside, so the “fix” at the time was to saw off the
header pipes at the muffler weld joint and install the slip-on 4:2
RamFlow mufflers, which were noisier and probably didn’t do much
for the power output. But, they were cheaper than buying a full set
of OEM mufflers at the time, so that is what happened.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
the CB400F came out, a quick test ride made the CB350F obsolete
immediately, despite the same engine architecture, but the new
6-speed transmission and the 4into1 exhaust system were too seductive
to ignore. So, I bought a new CB400F and Dad kept riding the CB350F
for a few years.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
I was road racing, back in the 1970s, the AFM club sponsored a 6-hour
endurance race at Ontario Motor Speedway. The first one was in 1978.
I had been racing 125s, having won the 125 Production Championship on
a CB125S1. I had raced the CB400F for a few races, then sold it to my
brother who put over 30k miles on it. So, at the time, I didn’t
have anything to ride in the 6-hour until I happened upon a running,
but somewhat sad CB350F for sale at $500. I still had a Yoshimura R&T
camshaft, an electronic ignition that came from my CB400F. I had Rob
North roll up a reverse-cone megaphone to fit onto the aftermarket
4into1 exhaust pipe. I added a new pair of Dunlop K70 tires and put
it all together just in time to sign up for the race.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It
was probably the slowest bike in the entire field, but when the race
began, it started to rain! The bike, not having a lot of power and
fresh tires stayed on the track without difficulties while others
were sliding off under power in the tight turns. Even with all of the
speed goodies installed, the bike still wouldn’t go over about 95
mph. It did get about 30+ mpg under race conditions, so we only had
to stop for fuel about every 100 miles. Eventually, the track dried
out and we carried on, eventually getting a top 10 result in our
350cc class with the slow, but reliable CB350 Four.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
have several friends who currently own CB350F bikes. One bought up
one of the $1600 sets of reproduction mufflers from CMSNL about 5-6
years ago when they were available and I installed them on his bike.
They really sound lovely, when the mufflers are all intact and
certainly look the part of a performance machine.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">My
other friend picked up a 4-pipe CB350F from Mecum auctions in 2022,
but stored it in his storage unit without ever riding it at all.
There is a story on my <span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.mrhonda.guru/">www.mrhonda.guru</a></u></span></span>
blog page about that bike and its problems with carburetors and an
electronic ignition failure.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Truthfully,
I have watched the auction prices skyrocket lately on these bikes
when they come up with stock pipes, especially. Most of the ones I
have seen for sale, locally, were in sad shape with faded paint,
cracked or missing side covers, aftermarket exhaust pipes and a round
or two of road-rash from crashes in the past. With all I have going
on lately; the CM185 Twinstar twins and a CL77 engine rebuild (story
coming), I really don’t go hunting for CB350 Fours. Then, Facebook
Marketplace posted one that was too good to be true.. or was it?
</p>
<h2 class="western"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Seller's
Description</span></span></span></span></h2>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 133%; margin-top: 0.04in;">
<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">1973
Honda 350 Four. Has new battery. Comes with new exhaust pipes still
in the box. Starts up and runs but leaks oil. I have to many other
projects going on so I don't have the time to spend on it. </span></span></span></span></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 133%; margin-top: 0.04in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 133%; margin-top: 0.04in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztK-pFZinK7xiOVh60q0Y7uu6Eun5Q6kwGc99qp6YMsFm1cVLxJoivvw8sxaLXznrzlGae-yfDx7YuzXsO0__JptflwumRGF2Xtc4whF_4z8QCRvbbaNRr6kvZkpMUQfD-ORL_17tV6i3rL0DDsG6dfKYsCrustvr4snuuuiPLos6plfK4DJM6AE2UUE/s4080/20231102_105743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztK-pFZinK7xiOVh60q0Y7uu6Eun5Q6kwGc99qp6YMsFm1cVLxJoivvw8sxaLXznrzlGae-yfDx7YuzXsO0__JptflwumRGF2Xtc4whF_4z8QCRvbbaNRr6kvZkpMUQfD-ORL_17tV6i3rL0DDsG6dfKYsCrustvr4snuuuiPLos6plfK4DJM6AE2UUE/s320/20231102_105743.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> CB350F after the new pipes were installed.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-top: 0.04in;">
<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Well,
that caught my attention, so I sent a message on Messenger asking if
I could set an appointment time to come up and buy the bike. The bike
had been listed for 12 hours and I figured that the seller would be
swamped with messages and offers to buy it. Perhaps, one of the
detractions was that the bike was in Murrieta, CA which is about 75
miles away from me down in Spring Valley. It’s a good 1.5-hour
drive each way if you are lucky to miss the afternoon traffic crunch
going northward. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-top: 0.04in;">
<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To
my surprise, the seller replied from work and said that he could meet
me at 2pm. I told him that I was coming with cash and a truck and I
didn’t have to ask permission from a wife or other significant
other. He laughed and said come on up! He even sent photos of the
mufflers still in the boxes, to confirm that they were part of the
package and not some aftermarket system. Well, I couldn’t get up
there quick enough!</span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-top: 0.04in;">
<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
backstory for the bike was it belonged to his Dad, who had passed
away recently. Dad had a Mustang Convertible, and a Baja Bug, both of
which had been sold, and this shiny red 1973 CB350F left to sell. I
had mentioned that I had owned one when they were new, along with my
Dad and that made him feel happy that the bike was going to a good
home. He did research my name on FB and knew that I knew what I was
doing and that I could make it come back to life again. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-top: 0.04in;">
<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
bike shows a serious oil leak, seemingly at the head gasket area,
which had been drooling down the middle of the engine and onto the
bottom of the crash bar. Beyond that, you could see the mufflers
blowing out from corrosion, but the gas tank was super clean inside,
the paint was like new and the chrome was in really great condition.
And yes, there were actual new reproduction mufflers, three of which
were still in their original boxes. Included were a couple of old
helmets, a mint sales brochure, the owner’s manual in the tool tray, and a new in-the-package 3x5 Honda flag! As an extra bonus, the name Soichiro was applied just below the Honda tank badge.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-top: 0.04in;">
<span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"><span style="color: #1c1e21;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We
completed the transaction, loaded up the truck and I turned around at
2pm for the return leg back to San Diego. It had been spitting rain
intermittently but the traffic was not as bad going south as it was
for the late commuters going northbound on the I-15. I was very happy
to have landed this great bike, even with some leaky bits that will
need attention. The title was clear, registration paid to Feb 2024
and I had a good feeling that this bike might be with me for a good
while.</span></span></span></p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-42970081776008658742023-11-07T19:53:00.000-08:002023-11-07T19:53:06.684-08:00 Early or Late? How do you tell the difference between vintage Hondas?<p>The terms “early” and “late” are somewhat subjective and
somewhat objective, depending on how you are applying the definition.
Since American Honda set up shop in 1958, just about everything sold
before 1960-61 would be considered “really early,” by most
aficionados of the marque. Other than the first generation Honda
Cubs, the CB92 and CA95 Benlys, the “big bikes” (250-305cc) were
dry-sump Dreams and few of those were sold in the beginning.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyyPdrcOtM63sDyaTIj8_-WpAiEXxXVG83yKNmYLuX4QhtmdyTGE-ay3tDRmOgAdAXoOoPiPk2bqqvYPscvyhaKPoYVayeX8PI7BohxsooA-Q3eVz_HcGjSfMrMaiQlzDLnbGDJP4rQkXDGDLeePHX3nEpEJiDIPySswWecGCjJNuDx88Cuf5Qk4VqB4/s992/CA77%20-%20DREAM%20TOURING%20305%20(EARLY).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="992" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyyPdrcOtM63sDyaTIj8_-WpAiEXxXVG83yKNmYLuX4QhtmdyTGE-ay3tDRmOgAdAXoOoPiPk2bqqvYPscvyhaKPoYVayeX8PI7BohxsooA-Q3eVz_HcGjSfMrMaiQlzDLnbGDJP4rQkXDGDLeePHX3nEpEJiDIPySswWecGCjJNuDx88Cuf5Qk4VqB4/s320/CA77%20-%20DREAM%20TOURING%20305%20(EARLY).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Early" CA77 305cc Dream (AHMC)</div><br /><p>Once Honda’s production machinery really ramped up in the early
1960s, bikes came pouring off the lines in as little as every 15
seconds! That figure applies to Honda step-thru Cub models, however.
Those early pushrod bikes were run continuously until about 1965,
when the OHC engine designs took over. Some versions of the Honda Cub
50s (and some 90cc models) have been in continuous production since
1959, with over 100 million units produced, worldwide.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Other “early” small-bore machines were the OHV Honda 90 street
and trail bikes, known as the C200 and the CT200. Again, these were
superseded by OHC engines in the 1965 era.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Looking at the small twins, the 150cc Benly Touring 150s, which were
also released in 1959, had a styling makeover in 1963, where the fuel
tank, panels, rubbers, handlebars and mufflers were all redesigned.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Similarly, the “early” 250-305cc Dreams had their own rework
sessions in late 1963, where the model changed from C(CA)77 to
C(CA)78, which brought changes to the fuel tank, side panels,
rubbers, tank badges, and handlebar hardware. So, the true CA77 models
can be considered “early” while the CA78s are recognized as
“late” versions. While these styling changes are readily
apparent, that was not the end of the design process. Honda
reconfigured the frame, tool tray, battery ground, battery, and side
covers (and knobs) in 1966, changing the battery size/shape from the
early, tall, thin battery to the wider, shorter 12N9-3A unit, also
used in the CB77s.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV-qqjmKQBkr7pTfApQhRtX4eg7aQljHffK3xPYpYQBoLJosf8QKdEeMcJ9sZTP1CocPfnQXKMbRHPWfDV0DksrN3iirTGF9yB2CJi8iRDWcQpxmW9J_Fr1YSQTYbrkQdih9zeM8TtUibSRoluJDYZ_dsuU3RxOTbsZ87s9l_TXAyX1h7EqyiuA_vk48/s1088/CA77%20-%20DREAM%20TOURING%20305%20(LATE).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1088" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV-qqjmKQBkr7pTfApQhRtX4eg7aQljHffK3xPYpYQBoLJosf8QKdEeMcJ9sZTP1CocPfnQXKMbRHPWfDV0DksrN3iirTGF9yB2CJi8iRDWcQpxmW9J_Fr1YSQTYbrkQdih9zeM8TtUibSRoluJDYZ_dsuU3RxOTbsZ87s9l_TXAyX1h7EqyiuA_vk48/w405-h230/CA77%20-%20DREAM%20TOURING%20305%20(LATE).jpg" width="405" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Late" CA77 Dream 305 <br />(AHMC)</div><br /><p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;"><br /></p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Most collectors think the 1961-64 CB77s, equipped with flat
handlebars, steel forks, flat seats and reverse-needle
speedometer/tachometers were considered to be the classic “early
versions.” In 1965, the flat handlebars gave way to low-rise units
and the speedo-tach meter set mirrored the concentric CB450 Black
Bomber instruments. 1966 brought alloy forks, requiring a new front
fender stay design, plus the upswept seat shape, all of which carried
through to the end of production. Those features are commonly
referred to as “late CB77” editions.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
For many Scrambler owners, the 1962-65 CL72 250cc Scramblers had the
look and the sounds associated with “early” models, which
included slender alloy fenders, straight exhaust pipes with no
muffler can on the back and the mostly ineffective “small brake”
wheels/hubs. In 1965, the CL77 was released, initially as a big bore
motor transplant for the CL72. </p><p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">The fenders were changed to steel and
they gradually widened to better encompass the rear wheel debris
throw-off and to help keep them from cracking. The 1965 CL72 and
CL77s had a “slip-on” muffler, which wrapped around the ends of
the twin exhaust pipes, to better reduce the high-pitched,
high-decibel exhaust notes. Those were quickly removed by the owners,
forcing Honda to weld mufflers onto the later generation of exhaust
systems.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
By 1966, the CL77s were completely re-engineered with new alloy
forks, double-leading shoe brakes, rubber-mounted rear fender, seat,
exhaust, footpegs, fork ears, and a thicker chain guard. The net
effect was a more beefy profile, carrying more weight and losing the
slim, sleek look of the original concept. However, these “later”
bikes were far more reliable and had the much-needed braking power
lacking in the “early” models.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
In 1965, Honda’s engineers refined the 250-305 engines, lowering
the compression, changing the fin shape pattern of the cylinder
heads, adding “square bowl” carburetors, and other details that
held them apart from the “early” editions.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
1966 brought wholesale changes to the suspension systems on many
models. The “early” S90, CB160, CB77, and CL77 caught up to the
CB450K0 Black Bombers by having all of their fork lowers changed from
the frame-color steel style to silver-painted alloy forks. The fork
style helps delineate the “early” and “late” division lines on
all of those models.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
In some cases, either the year or the country specification made a
distinction between “early” and “late” types of handlebars. In
some cases, early model Honda Sport Cubs, Super 90s and CB160s had
“low bar” handlebar configurations. As production and sales
increased in the US, a determination was made that the US bikes
should have “Western” handlebars (read higher and wider) than the
domestic and European counterparts. So, the cool little “W”
shaped handlebars for the C110 Sport Cubs and Super 90s gave way to
unattractive and out-of-proportion “Western” handlebar
configurations, requiring whole new cable sets for each model. </p><p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">Many
of the bikes with “A” (for America) designators, like CA110, CA77
and US-specification CB160s and CB77s all had “Western bar”
handlebar/cable combinations. However, if the bikes came into the US
before 1964, they often had the lower handlebar sets, found on non-US
models. If you are restoring a 1960s model bike, exactly to as-sold
specifications, then you will have to study your parts books
carefully to establish which handlebars and cables are needed to make
the bike correct for that year's edition.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Up to 1968, turn signals were not specified for the US market. The
Honda S90 and CL90s and the CB/CL450s were a few of the carry-over
machines, that came to the US without turn signals in the beginning
and then had them added towards the end of production, which carried
on past the 1968 cut-off date. Obviously, the turn signal/no turn
signal machines are the dividing line between “early” and “late”
models in Honda’s lineup for those affected by the change.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Another aspect of “late/early” models is how the bikes were
affected by the change from JIS thread pitch to ISO pitches, starting
with the 1968 production models. The 250-305s and 160s were out of
production by the end of 1967, so are not necessarily affected. You
will find some models, like the “early” CL175K0 Scramblers, which
are built with two sets of fasteners, as production progressed into
the 1968-beyond models.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />Mirror, Mirror on the bar, I see nothing where you are…</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Honda Motor Corporation began using small rectangular mirrors on
their street bikes all the way back to about 1957 on the C70-71,
C75-76, and CE71 Dream Sport models. The product code on those mirrors
was 250, which is the first generation 250cc Dream model. When the
C92-95 Benly 125-150cc models were released, the mirror part number
had a 200 code part, attributed to the Benly series machines. Honda
used the 200 series mirrors on just about every 250-305cc model, plus
the 125-150cc Benlys from 1959 through the 1967 production run.
Because there were so many machines out in service during the 1960s,
Honda continued to make the mirrors available due to demand.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Somewhere along the line, someone, for some reason, chose to supersede
the 200 series mirrors to product code 041, which is for a C50
step-thru model. Obviously, the handlebar location of a 50cc
step-thru is way different than that of a 250-305cc street machine.
The mirror head angle on the 200 mirrors is about 15 degrees above
horizontal, whereas the 041 code mirrors are a solid 45 degrees
upwards. When 041 mirrors are mounted on a larger street bike, the
mirror angle cannot be adjusted to be useful for the large bike
rider. All you see is sky/clouds, no matter how you adjust the lever
brackets on the handlebars. The only true solution is to bend the
mirror heads downwards until they allow for normal viewing angles.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
The mirrors all have 8mm threaded stems, which are the same diameter
as the mirror stalks. This is a fairly stout chrome-plated steel rod,
so they are not easily manipulated. What is required is a hefty,
solid-mounted workbench vise and an appropriately large Crescent
wrench (18” in this case) to make the adjustments.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
If you have another person available to hold the mirror stem, keeping
the lever bracket locked in place, you may be able to do this on the
bike. I don’t recommend it, however. It only takes a few moments to
unscrew the mirror from the bracket and secure it in a vise, once you
have removed the long locking nut.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Once you have given it a good twist, check the head angle and if it
is close to what you see in the photos, you should be all set to go
riding with the security that you will be able to see the traffic
behind you in your OEM Honda mirrors.</p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
Thus far, the mirrors are still available from Honda warehouses,
across the country and around the world. <span style="color: black;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">88110-041-000</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">
is the part number for the right mirror and </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">88120-041-811</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">
will get you the left side unit.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;"> Bill “MrHonda” Silver </p><p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">11/7/23</p><p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">Originally offered 01/2019 on the Examiner.com site (now defunct)</p><p style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;"><br /></p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-29912230866073567272023-10-22T07:54:00.002-07:002023-10-22T07:54:35.600-07:00 Scarlet O’Honda-a CB160 revival<p>Several
“restored” Honda bikes have come my way lately for repairs and I
am reminded of the Johhny River’s lines from the tune “Secret
Agent Man” that go: <u>“<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><a href="https://genius.com/14589323/Johnny-rivers-secret-agent-man/Beware-of-pretty-faces-that-you-find-a-pretty-face-can-hide-an-evil-mind">Beware
of pretty faces that you find,</a> a</span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><a href="https://genius.com/14589323/Johnny-rivers-secret-agent-man/Beware-of-pretty-faces-that-you-find-a-pretty-face-can-hide-an-evil-mind"> pretty face can hide an evil
mind</a></span></span> </u>“ In this case, the pretty faces hide
some unfortunate repair and assembly work, though.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
the project of the week/weeks is a shiny red CB160 circa 1965.
Sometimes known as “Chicken Hawks,” they are the 7/8s scale of
the CB77 Super Hawk. They do share similar design architecture,
however none of the parts interchange.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">This
was another of my friend Gilles’ little fleet of vintage bikes. He
picked it up at a Mecum auction and had done nothing with it for a
year and a half. The initial impression is that the paint quality and
color seem to be right on for Honda’s Scarlet Red paint code “C.”
Close-up inspections indicate a repaint rather than the original
factory paintwork.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The date codes on the tires were from 2021 and 2009. These little 18” bike
tires have become difficult to source in the last few years, so they
indicate an older restoration. I rolled the bike onto my bike lift
and started to disassemble the seat and fuel tank. The fuel lines
were that awful clear plastic stuff that hardens over time and the
air filters might have been originals, as they were dark and
crusty-looking. The battery was a lithium battery that was totally
dead. It was undersized for the battery box, so the previous owner
took the battery box hardware sections and laid them on the bottom,
then used a bungie cord to secure it in place.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Removing
the filters and the toolbox required an SAE socket as the original
metric bolts had been replaced with some cut-off threaded rod stock
and matching nuts. With the filters off and away, the carburetor tops
were removed, noticing that the offset carb tops for left and right
side were reversed. As the slides were pulled up out of the
carburetor bodies, I noticed that the slides were also reversed, so
that the cutaway was facing the engine instead of the air filters.
When I popped the slide needles out of the slides, the clip was all
the way at the top, as the previous owner had tried to compensate for
the rich fueling condition caused by backward slides.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Removing
the point cover and spark advancer, the advancer weight springs were
stretched which allows the weights to swing out prematurely and start
unwanted spark timing advance. A little work with my duckbill pliers
to crimp the spring ends did put some tension back on the weights to keep the
timing under control.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carburetors just needed a good cleaning in the ultrasound machine,
plus some new float bowl gaskets. Going online just for a pair of
gaskets turned out that buying a whole aftermarket kit was only
slightly more expensive than just the gaskets alone. That led to a
different problem as the carb kits supplied only had ISO threaded
jets in #92 and #98 sizes, whereas the OEM jets are JIS thread pitch
and came out of the carbs in #90 size. The supplier has been notified
and confirmed that his manufacturer has made an error in packaging
the jets. They intended to include both JIS and ISO jets as they are
under the impression that CB160s were produced until 1969, well after
the 1967 switch to ISO threaded parts.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">A
little research shows that the Honda ID books are showing that CB160s
were “sold” from 1965-69, but that doesn’t mean that they were
still in production after 1967. Honda shows the CB160s released in
07/64. The CL160s were shown as being offered from 03/66 and the
CB160/CL160D kit bikes also shown in the 05/67 timeframe. Even the
CA160s had an 05/66 release date. The CL160D kit bikes were electric
start CB160s with CL160 body kits installed in order to move leftover
bikes out of inventory. Their actual serial numbers for each year are
unknown, so it is uncertain whether there were ISO bikes produced for
160 series models or not.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
160s were replaced, first by the CL175K0 “sloper” Scrambler motorcycles (no
CB175K0 bikes were sold in the US). Those were released in Jan 1968.
From 1968-on, most models offered in the US had turn signals and
chromed fenders, along with Candy colored paint schemes.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda’s
Technical Service Bulletin for the change from JIS to ISO states:</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>CHANGE
OF THREADED PARTS</b></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">In an effort to obtain more
universal uniformity of threaded parts, the JIS (Japan Industrial</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Standards) threaded parts
standards have been modified to conform with those established by ISO</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">(International Standards
Organization). All Japanese industry, including Honda Motor Co., is</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">cooperating in this change.
Although the modifications of the present JIS system are not</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">extensive, this change will
require some new tools, different tool applications, and will
introduce</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">the possibility of
non-interchangeability of similar parts.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><u><b>This changeover will be
effective from the start of production of all new motorcycle models</b></u></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><u><b>first produced after the
beginning of 1967</b></u></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>.
</b></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i><b>In all other
models, those previously in production, the changeover will be made
gradually and on no set schedule.</b></i></span></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i><b>AMERICAN
HONDA MOTOR CO., INC. </b></i></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><i>MOTORCYCLE
SERVICE DEPARTMENT</i></b></span></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Source:
Honda Service Letter #74 6/8/67</span></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
visual difference between the JIS and ISO threaded main jets is a
circular groove that is machined around the outside edges of the ISO
jets. JIS jets are plain on the outer surfaces, with no markings
apart from the K and jet size on the faces. </span>
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
clutch lever pull was brutal and gave the impression that the clutch
pack was stuck together, which isn’t unusual under the
circumstances. However, in loosening up the slotted clutch adjuster
locking bolt, the clutch adjuster needed to be turned quite a ways in
order for the clutch lifter to contact the end of the clutch pushrod.
Apparently, the early bikes used a system similar to those on the
CA95 Benly, where the clutch lifter acted directly on the end of the
pushrod. At some point in the 160 history, a ball bearing was added
and this bike looked like it needed one. The only way to determine
this is to drain the oil and remove the left dyno cover assembly so
that the clutch adjuster and lifter can be inspected. It was a big
surprise to discover that there was NO OIL in the engine. CB/CL160
engines actually have two drain plugs on the bottom, but neither one
yielded any oil beyond a few drops. ?????
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
clutch cable was an aftermarket replacement, probably for a CL160 as
the fitted handlebars were higher than normal CB160 bars. The way
that the cable was routed created unnecessary bends which often leads
to higher-than-normal clutch pull issues. The correct routing takes
the cable up from the cable joint in the left cover and over the top
of the carburetors, then along the right side of the frame, where it
wraps around the steering head on the way up to the handlebar
brackets.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
clutch cover was removed and the condition of the plates was checked
along with the correct spring sets and pushrod. The left dyno cover
was removed to check for the presence of the steel ball inside the
clutch lifter it was found to be in place. It is unclear why the
clutch adjuster marks are 90 degrees off from where the markings are
on the left case, but the clutch pull is now “normal” for the
model. Honda does show two different part numbers for the clutch
adjusters, so perhaps this one is incorrect for the engine.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
other odd thing was that the front axle end had an excessive amount
of threads showing, as if the axle was from some other model. It has
a fine thread pitch on the end with a matching axle nut. The part
number for the nut is a 273 code part which is for the CL72 250
Scramblers, but the axle part number is 216 for the CB125 version of
the CB160. I ordered a used axle from eBay and it came exactly as the
one that was installed with the same amount of threads, showing well
passed the cotter pin holes.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">FYI:
CB160s carried two different descriptors as Honda moved to a cc-based
model number coding system. The base model for the bike is a CB125
aka a CB93, which was the evolution from the CB92 Benly Supersport.
The CB160 version of the bike also carried a CB96 moniker. The spark
advancer was stamped CB93 for instance. People can become confused
with the CB93 sounding like the CR93 Factory race bike series. In
truth, there is a lot of CR93 architecture shared with the CB125/160
models. A number of the part numbers on the 160s are 222 codes which
were for the CR93. Interestingly, the frame section beneath the fuel
tank has two sets of mounts for the ignition coil. The CB125/160 only
used the single double-ended coil due to the 360-degree firing
crankshaft, but the CR93 had dual coils because of the dual ignition
points and the 180-degree firing crankshaft design.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">A
new standard lead-acid battery was procured and charged. The battery
tray was re-installed correctly to allow for the full-sized battery
to be placed back in the chassis in the original configuration.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">More
difficulties were encountered by the aftermarket throttle cable,
which was excessively long and created routing problems of its own.
Ordering cables online can be a challenge as sellers often just show
the appropriate Honda part number, but don’t offer the dimensions
to verify that it may or may not fit a specific application. Because
of the odd handlebar reach, I wound up using a CB77 low-rise
handlebar throttle cable from Tim McDowell’s site. Every cable that
was supposed to be fitting 160 or 175/200 models all had throttle ends
that were too short for the 160 carb slides.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
a normal tune-up sequence, the bike fired up sounding normal,
especially after I reinstalled the stock baffles that had come in a
box of spares with the bike. A brief check ride around the
neighborhood and down the long grade towards the Bonita post office gave a good feeling about the bike, including a nice light clutch pull. Now it is back to its owner for his enjoyment, as Fall approaches here in SoCal.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka MrHonda</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;">10-23</p><div><br /></div><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vs7dsRmjdbDHS7wC8yb_ZIMCF8Vq8oIkaZ_EPgmPKuHmgQeCOx4FyzPIFj1qd6KVc_3hrn8iN4k_Q-jyAUpcebvh8-apsYlglMF_UMvZjiFv8DbaBbUJHaBtvarTuwNSYPyduEhg16cb-w8_2o364cJq3WglViRGK0orHy-Wr6P5xNzGL25i1nOonjE/s4080/20230912_141918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vs7dsRmjdbDHS7wC8yb_ZIMCF8Vq8oIkaZ_EPgmPKuHmgQeCOx4FyzPIFj1qd6KVc_3hrn8iN4k_Q-jyAUpcebvh8-apsYlglMF_UMvZjiFv8DbaBbUJHaBtvarTuwNSYPyduEhg16cb-w8_2o364cJq3WglViRGK0orHy-Wr6P5xNzGL25i1nOonjE/s320/20230912_141918.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl_GtVjGPY4B8HHds59-5jXtrARnPwWaW1h0V2ECYgHjGz1dJgsSf0_QLDHTgGAdo4iB99OF4HgIEKQ-AThrOESIk0wqog5CXhT7r4xZVxihT_JwPRpwj0jw-nfTK9KJpeegTaLjymN9twrkHUIedtyZviKLI7xOX0PqK16cf8I43nZLdB3lazZsuI1U/s4080/20230912_141907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl_GtVjGPY4B8HHds59-5jXtrARnPwWaW1h0V2ECYgHjGz1dJgsSf0_QLDHTgGAdo4iB99OF4HgIEKQ-AThrOESIk0wqog5CXhT7r4xZVxihT_JwPRpwj0jw-nfTK9KJpeegTaLjymN9twrkHUIedtyZviKLI7xOX0PqK16cf8I43nZLdB3lazZsuI1U/s320/20230912_141907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-34977040963000826812023-09-19T09:55:00.002-07:002023-09-19T09:55:36.620-07:00 Deja’Voodoo… another CM185? Almost Identical Twinstars.<p>Let
me start by saying that these bikes were never on my bucket list and
the only one I worked on in the past 20 years belonged to my father,
who replaced his C70 Passport with the Twinstar 185.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
just a couple of weeks after sorting out the little burgundy 1979
CM185T (see previous CM185 story) a second one pops up on the Facebook marketplace that apparently
had been residing there for a month, unnoticed. I suppose that the
seller had relisted it and it popped up in my Marketplace feed.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLFL01W8rZem6WKfARCB4jUFM67L7dM8N9FrwhAoOLS4AARqzudtHe8MtPL7wPXzuHodN5UsBUbGcsTJw7GlCO3pqO7Np-naSspRc47vBCTI4pc-HfDIt0rCL3YUmrSUi0IPVoZWPpeJlVrOZpz59y8k0InuFVdf0xHWDXrdkpzelzQ7upJHDHd-a0co/s4080/20230918_115957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLFL01W8rZem6WKfARCB4jUFM67L7dM8N9FrwhAoOLS4AARqzudtHe8MtPL7wPXzuHodN5UsBUbGcsTJw7GlCO3pqO7Np-naSspRc47vBCTI4pc-HfDIt0rCL3YUmrSUi0IPVoZWPpeJlVrOZpz59y8k0InuFVdf0xHWDXrdkpzelzQ7upJHDHd-a0co/s320/20230918_115957.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
wasn’t a lot to go on, apart from his description that the bike had
a big oil leak and could not be driven. That and the paperwork was a lien sale, too. This sounded like the typical local auction find, but
the paperwork was from 2020 and the tag on the blue CA license plate
was from 1987! The bike was showing 7775 miles on the paperwork.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In a meeting with the seller, the first thing to notice was the Harley
Sportster gas tank that had been grafted onto the frame. That, plus
the turn signals were replaced with little aftermarket items, and a
set of some kind of extra lights were added to give the bike some
flair, I guess.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike was started for just a second and oil gushed out from the left
side, right where the oil leak was on the first bike. The tires were
old and cracked and the side covers were missing, possibly because
the forward tabs for the side covers plug into the back edge of the
OEM gas tank. And, of course, the fork seals were leaking, like the
other one. After 43 years, I guess they are due for replacement
anyway.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
asking price was $500 and was negotiated down to $400, so I decided a
rescue was appropriate and we loaded the weepy bike into the back of
the Tacoma. With all the paperwork in hand, I swung by the local
Chula Vista DMV and lined up in the vehicle inspection lane. There
were just two of us in that lane but the drive test line, next to us,
was 10 cars long. I guess only one or two employees were trying to
wrangle the onslaught, so after getting an unhelpful answer about
whether the bike needed the inspection or not, I left and went to the
AAA office where the last bike was registered successfully.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It
only took a moment for the AAA check-in man looked over the paperwork
and said “We don’t do lien sale cars/motorcycles” and off I
went to the El Cajon DMV where I have usually had good luck. AAA
gave me a paper with a QR code that allows you to “get in line”
virtually from your phone and then tracks your place in line as it
changes. Very cool feature!</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
waited until I got into the inspection line at the EC DMV and then
hit the QR code to sign up. After about 10 minutes a man came by and
grabbed the paperwork, assessed the situation and whipped out an
inspection sheet in a matter of minutes. The lack of a 17-digit
serial number threw him off for a bit, but he used his phone to
verify that in 1979 they were still using a 12-digit serial number. I
rounded the building and found a parking place. Once inside, I
watched the registration line shrinking quickly and suddenly I was at the counter after about a 10-minute wait. A woman waited on me, waded
through the stack of papers, and said I had to fill in a form and get
the name and signature from the man I purchased the bike from. I
departed the DMV office and drove home to start the investigation
into the big oil leak issue with the bike.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
leaned it up against a fence (these bikes don’t have a centerstand,
unfortunately) and removed the countershaft cover. With the countershaft sprocket removed, the seal was sitting neatly all the way
outside of the crankcase, just behind the sprocket. I had a spare
seal, leftover from the last bike, so cleaned the area up and drove
the seal gently into place. I readjusted the chain and put the cover
back on. You could see that someone had attempted to work on the bike
before as some of the engine side cover screws had nuts added to the
outside, where there should have just been threaded holes. I checked
the dirty oil level and tapped the starter button which fired up the
engine instantly. The battery was over-sized for the battery box and
only later after I discovered that the headlight bulb and most of
the instrument bulbs were all blown out due to the installation of a
12 volt battery in a 6 volt system!</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
engine wasn’t taking throttle very easily and then the throttle
seemed to stick causing a high rev idle. So, the next thing to do was
to remove the carburetor for inspection. After wrestling it off the
studs, the removal of the bowl revealed a combination of older
moisture corrosion and a few chunks of old fuel that evaporated into
what looked like bee pollen. I wound up gently filling the bowl and
the body roof with metal prep (phosphoric acid) and rinsed them both
out after about 15 minutes of chemical reaction. Unlike the first
Twinstar, this one appeared to have a genuine OEM carburetor, but
when I checked the slide needle it was a 5-slot version with no
numbers stamped on the edges vs. a single slot OEM needle. Again, the
main jet had no markings on it, so I had to compare it against a
genuine #105 main jet and found it much smaller, probably a #100 at
best.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With
everything cleaned up, the carburetor was reinstalled and the engine
started up again. It sounded a bit rich off-idle, so the needle needs
to be dropped a notch or two. In the meantime, I removed the air
filter cover, only to discover that instead of the usual oiled foam
filter, there were three men’s socks fitted over the inner filter
mesh core! I have heard of “sock filters” before, but never ones
like this.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
the breather tube was removed from the air filter core, there was a
big WHOOSE sound, as if vacuum was being held in the line. The
breather system is different than the first bike, which has to do
with the CA emission systems that were imposed on motorcycles. The
red bike has a direct fitting from the crankcase to the base of the
air filter case. This black one has an intermediate oil separator
valve assembly, which can be drained and probably never has been. If
that was holding pressure in the crankcase, it may explain the
countershaft seal blowout problem.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had to use an air impact gun to get the spark advancer bolt off the
end of the crankshaft for cleaning and service of the advancer. The
point’s contact faces on the point plate were coated with
corrosion, so it was a wonder that they were making contact at all.
After setting the timing, the bike was restarted again and the idle
speed screw was more responsive and the engine sounded more refined.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
removed the seat, discarded all the extra lighting wires from the
harness plug-ins and rechecked the tail light wiring, which was
rewired incorrectly. That’s when I noticed that the headlight
wasn’t working and inspection showed the filaments blown apart. The
instrument panel had blown bulbs, and was missing the instrument
light bulb. I was three hours into the repairs and had enough for
the day. That night, I wound up ordering $350 in parts to get the
bike in better and safer shape.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
next day, I used the app to get a place in line again at the El Cajon
DMV. I left my house at 12:30 when I was 19<sup>th</sup> in line.
When I arrived at the office, my position was 10<sup>th</sup>. It was
a much busier day, though and I waited over a half hour, watching the
numbers being called rather slowly. Finally, I was served and after a
different agent sifted through the paperwork pile, I was charged $23
for a PNO title- only paper. There was no reason to spend another
$140+ for registration for this one, but at least the title will be
clear and in my name. This makes reselling them so much easier.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Saturday’s
tasks included an oil change, valve adjustment, new spark plugs,
dropping the needle down a notch onto the #2 clip slot, removing the
12v battery and putting the old, leftover 6v battery from the first
bike in until a fresh one arrives next week. Will do the fork seals
and front tire at the same time, of course, and then the rear tire
while balanced on the little portable bike lift.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
paper gasket for the gas cap was breaking up, so that was a next buy
item and it turned out that the cap gasket needed was for an early
H-D model. The local H-D dealer didn’t stock anything for bikes
that old, so eBay to the rescue, and a pair there costs $12 including
shipping.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> The
speedometer case, which is plastic, developed a crack down the middle
at the front. I have JB-Weld plastic glue to address that problem. I
discovered a left-side cover that was already painted black and had a
TWINSTAR decal on it for $36. For some reason, the right side covers
are less available than the lefts.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
ordered another replacement tail light because the lens screws had
been overtightened and broke out the plastic base. There was a bit of
re-wiring to do, and the bulb that comes with them is a 12v item, so
that was switched out with a correct 6v bulb.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
all of this mechanical work was done, I noticed that the lett side of
the handlebars was bent in from a tip-over. I used a MAPP gas torch
to heat the handlebar to cherry red and bent it down and out very
slightly. The
new battery arrived and was serviced and charged up for use. The
battery band strap arrived from an eBay seller in great shape for
about $15. The new ones online were $25!</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
kind of goofed on ordering tires, or at least the front one. I
checked online at CMSNL.COM and the microfiche illustrations showed a
2.75x17 front tire listed. Both bikes had 3.00x17 front tires, but
one had been replaced. The 2.75 comes as a dual-purpose tread for
CT90-110 Trail bikes, so hopefully, it won’t affect the handling or
braking significantly. Small bike tires are in short supply these
days, so sometimes you just have to get what you can get and be
happy. Checking back on eBay, the GS11 tires in 3.00x17 ranged from
$75 to $111 each.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
first test drive started with a stuck clutch that released once I
rolled it down the driveway and popped it in gear with the clutch
lever pulled in until it released. The cable was adjusted almost all
the way out as if the clutch was worn out, but of course, there was
an underlying issue that you don’t normally encounter… I ordered
a set of plates and a gasket from an eBay supplier out of LA and the
parts came in quickly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When
I disassembled the clutch spring plate, I discovered that the thick
thrust washer had been placed just behind the snap ring instead of behind
the inner clutch hub! This allowed the hub to rub up against the
inside of the clutch outer. It also set the clutch assembly backwards
away from the clutch release arm making the release arm move upward.
This caused the clutch cable adjusters to be set at the end of the
threads. </span></span></span></span>
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1pMe7jyednNs_0LMToCy_gtE198MBMu7vXxFDsPXnv8XMNtkL0wyPQAttdJDVUfUch92Mmtn6SgNz-KAYAzJ7gFn4cN4wjO4MjBSUZMJ1qdUBOTKsLWKsyLCJQ_jJS4U7a1BuAO1ffy9a2Zupst-B9ZxQJbj4SFp2NETVKFXjQiix-kTBCSNva1sggM/s4080/20230918_113153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1pMe7jyednNs_0LMToCy_gtE198MBMu7vXxFDsPXnv8XMNtkL0wyPQAttdJDVUfUch92Mmtn6SgNz-KAYAzJ7gFn4cN4wjO4MjBSUZMJ1qdUBOTKsLWKsyLCJQ_jJS4U7a1BuAO1ffy9a2Zupst-B9ZxQJbj4SFp2NETVKFXjQiix-kTBCSNva1sggM/s320/20230918_113153.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcz1OkudgufISTbT6zvda7zfyBClVlmJvReQMjiMmQkf1jpTffBaQp2ZPsDFHQuKeGCgX7O6NZg9pY227eQY2i9vssiqBZ66DuOKclVdIVOBCqqzEs9efJ4oUJHJRoSRW_5aanyosAfEtuuvj8fmlcoSwvnc4heLBJDEZYStq8P6j2_YOdvvwTfmo1Mk/s4080/20230918_132017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4080" data-original-width="3060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcz1OkudgufISTbT6zvda7zfyBClVlmJvReQMjiMmQkf1jpTffBaQp2ZPsDFHQuKeGCgX7O6NZg9pY227eQY2i9vssiqBZ66DuOKclVdIVOBCqqzEs9efJ4oUJHJRoSRW_5aanyosAfEtuuvj8fmlcoSwvnc4heLBJDEZYStq8P6j2_YOdvvwTfmo1Mk/s320/20230918_132017.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p>
<p class="western" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Putting
the washer back where it belongs pushes the pack forward against the
release arm. That puts the arm down further and causes the cable
adjusters to be positioned more in the middle of the threaded cable
section. The steel plates were lightly rusted. Assembled with a new set of friction discs and corrected assembly, the clutch performs perfectly
now. This also explains the tiny aluminum filings in the oil when it
was drained.</span></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Both tires arrived on the same day, despite coming from two different sources. The front one was done first, along with the fork seal replacements. The rear went on with no issues and now it has fresh rubber on both ends. The dual-sport front tire kind of goes with the H-D fuel tank and the overall blackout effect. </p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
are always dozens of little issues with vintage bikes like this, which
have not had the best of care during their lives but in the end, they live again to get back into circulation. So, for the moment, I am the father of twin Twinstars! But they are available for adoption now.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_3JXpcpCikAgewxd8ZAvxDKCigZ2xVslAoirFO-sRlwRHk710kIrsEPYxExiz2ppuQgPy-42Rf7_ZUJ-elFyVn1FJS_5bhUoJXDerhDtVWNJ_uAWBK38DQSo5EW3ZLEAl4W686OIlE-5kkaolbUpdw6RPfxaUBsmkMsrd0bOYAL6tgN84YnYBEElseM/s4080/20230918_143843~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_3JXpcpCikAgewxd8ZAvxDKCigZ2xVslAoirFO-sRlwRHk710kIrsEPYxExiz2ppuQgPy-42Rf7_ZUJ-elFyVn1FJS_5bhUoJXDerhDtVWNJ_uAWBK38DQSo5EW3ZLEAl4W686OIlE-5kkaolbUpdw6RPfxaUBsmkMsrd0bOYAL6tgN84YnYBEElseM/s320/20230918_143843~2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka
MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">9/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-26753702429616316372023-09-06T19:58:00.001-07:002023-09-06T19:58:30.406-07:00 MrHonda’s Arsenal of Repair Weapons…<p>Getting
involved in the repairs of vintage Hondas or motorcycles, in general, requires both general and specialized equipment. I thought I would
share what kinds of tools I use regularly to do repairs on the
vintage Hondas that come my way.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Metric
sockets and wrenches:</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">8-19mm
sockets in 3/8” drive and a set of 1/4” drive sets. Deep sets and
shallow sets. 6 pt sockets preferred.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">10-24mm
½” Drive sockets, ratchets, breaker bars and combination wrenches.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">8-19mm
socket wrenches. Mine were from Snap-on tools, combining a socket on
one end and open end on the opposite end.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Combination
metric wrenches with offset, angled heads in stubby and extra long
versions.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Spark
plug sockets, 5/8,” 18mm, 13/16” 3/8” drive
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">3/8”
and 1/2” drive ratchet with swivel head, also fixed head</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Metric
Allen wrench set, short and long sets.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Torque
wrenches in 3/8” and 1/2” drive sizes up to 100 ft. lbs.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">JIS
screwdrivers #1, #2, #3.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">SAE
screwdrivers in Phillips and slot ends.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">LONG
(24”) #2 Phillips screwdrivers, straight slot screwdrivers</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Miniature
screwdrivers to remove idle jets from difficult angles or just to get
them out of the carb bodies.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Brass
hammers, claw hammers, 3 lb sledgehammer.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Snap-ring
pliers, external and internal</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">16×1.5mm
rotor removal tool
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">4
prong sockets in various sizes to remove and install 250-305
crankshaft nuts and oil filter nuts for 90, 125, 150, 350, and 450cc
models.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Tapered
jet reamers for poking those little idle jets open and can be used to
compare unmarked jets with known sizes.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Small
scribe tool sets with various angled ends.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Impact
drive set with #1, #2, #3 short and long bits
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Crescent
wrenches in several lengths</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Channel-Lock
pliers in various sizes</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Standard
Plier sets</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Vise-grip
pliers in various sizes.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Pipe
wrenches in several sizes</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Cold
chisel set</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Punch
set</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Single-cut
file</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Double-cut
file</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Metric
Thread file</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Triple-ended
‘propeller” tool for slotted clutch adjusters</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Small
syringe for transferring water into battery cap openings</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Strap
wrench, nylon, and steel for oil filters and unscrewing fork seal
holders</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Various
grits of sandpaper/emery cloth</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">A bench grinder with soft bristle and grinding wheel ends.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Cordless
Drill motor kit</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Cordless
Ratchet in 3/8” drive</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Dremel
tool set with various grinding wheels, bits and cut-off wheels.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Vacuum
tool for brake bleeding</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Adjustable
float gauge tool</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">8mm
carburetor adjusting tool</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Vacuum gauge set for multi-cylinder models.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">5.5mm
combination wrench for ignition points</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Seal
drivers</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Tire
Iron set</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Valve
adjusting tools</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Feeler
Gauge sets .0015”- .040”</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Optional
SAE sockets and wrenches for add-on accessories that are made in
America.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">LED
flashlights in various sizes</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bore
Scope to inspect inside cylinders through the spark plug holes.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Air
compressor</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Pocket
Magnets and telescoping ones</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Metric
tap and die set including a 5x.9 tap.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Digital
caliper</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">1/8”
pin punch to tap out float bowl pins.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Large
shop vise</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Slide
hammer set</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Long
6mm allen socket bolt for fork seal repairs</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Shop
manuals…. Digital or paper</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Subscribe
to forums that specialize in your models</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Use
online sites with parts lists for quick research to reference the
correct part numbers.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Dynamic
timing light for running timing checks</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">12v
test light</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">VOM
meter (measure voltage and ohms)</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">This
will get you going pretty well if you are going to do more than one
bike repair in your life.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka
MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">9/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNRJ1RgF-RhJY7tusRV6U96qWC8oauTcKqZMdXJzYQ8Od3vDJAqIbhkl1XGmLoeYuYgtvlsUY-Ss3uF-N0uoZ-OkBkwxl6eGYbv_S6rtEJFXfC82CWfkYb4bzte8qEF7M78V_eBxx-sVRUTHGBoWHqAbvKvoTRhxWEKyS46Q9DPqXQlwvo7b2A4SiM4o/s1401/10mm%20socket%20wrench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="1182" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNRJ1RgF-RhJY7tusRV6U96qWC8oauTcKqZMdXJzYQ8Od3vDJAqIbhkl1XGmLoeYuYgtvlsUY-Ss3uF-N0uoZ-OkBkwxl6eGYbv_S6rtEJFXfC82CWfkYb4bzte8qEF7M78V_eBxx-sVRUTHGBoWHqAbvKvoTRhxWEKyS46Q9DPqXQlwvo7b2A4SiM4o/s320/10mm%20socket%20wrench.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Off-brand 10mm socket wrench.</div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-63475033081913059372023-08-29T10:11:00.000-07:002023-08-29T10:11:50.362-07:00 Rescuing a CL77 restoration… RTV is not your friend.<p>For
some reason, the last four vintage Honda repair bikes have come from
the Santa Clarita area, which is about 165 miles away. First, it was a
blue CB77 with a seriously stuck engine, then a pair of bikes from
the same owner: CB77 and CB550 for engine work. Now, through a relay
of connections in the community, a newly acquired CL77 came down from
the owner with a broken kickstarter system. The referral came from a
shop in the SFO Valley, who called my friend Ed Moore in TX who
called me because I was a whole lot closer to attending to the problem.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
was desperation in the owner’s voice as he had just purchased what
seemed to have been a “restored” red/silver CL77 from the 1967
vintage. It had been a dream of his to own one since high school and
now that he had purchased this shiny red/silver Scrambler, the dream
had turned into a nightmare.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7o5XUbBQdsggrEQWCm57NaV1i6Dnc_r7G9qukh4nm8xcg5Mhx-UKN2_f7N5TE7282XFA4V3GxHgL52fkWwG2KBg3tDGO0u2FIkVa83qUUBp9756AD8XuaoXDCtpsuGtHNs8VMfij0zfjTOC784_k9X4Xw7qAc6YNj1tgrR8ObC7ozzzPmLyMDqUdUzI/s3056/20230814_114321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7o5XUbBQdsggrEQWCm57NaV1i6Dnc_r7G9qukh4nm8xcg5Mhx-UKN2_f7N5TE7282XFA4V3GxHgL52fkWwG2KBg3tDGO0u2FIkVa83qUUBp9756AD8XuaoXDCtpsuGtHNs8VMfij0zfjTOC784_k9X4Xw7qAc6YNj1tgrR8ObC7ozzzPmLyMDqUdUzI/s320/20230814_114321.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
he brought the bike to me, it appeared to have had a lot of cosmetic
work done, but after a couple of starts, the kickstarter arm fell
backwards and had become disconnected from the rest of the engine.
Often this is a problem with either the kickstarter knuckle cracking
and splitting open, so that it jumps over the splines on the
kickstarter shaft, or sometimes the shaft will shear off.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With
the kickstarter cover removed, the kickstarter shaft was still intact
and the knuckle was not damaged. The apparent problem was that the
kickstarter shaft was not engaging with the low gear via the
spring-loaded kickstarter pawl. Nothing to do at that point, except
extract the engine assembly and split the cases for a look. And so it
began…</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
draining some dirty oil contaminated with flecks of silver aluminum,
the engine was pulled and hauled up onto the workbench. At about 100
lbs, lifting these things up and down from the workbench gets to be
a mighty chore for my 75-year-old body. I rolled it back to remove
the oil pump which allows the engine to sit flatter on the bench.
Then, the clutch cover was removed to access the clutch and shifter
selector parts. I could see that the engine cases had been
reassembled with some kind of white RTV sealant, while the outer oil
filter cover was covered in black RTV where the o-rings normally do
the job. When the filter cover was extracted the shaft was jammed
inside the cover because the previous mechanic hadn’t indexed the
locating pin properly inside the recess made for the job.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">My
notes for the repair invoice included:</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>*Bike
has extensive restoration work, but kickstarter does not engage the
engine.</i></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>*Remove
engine assembly and split engine cases for inspection/repairs.</i></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>*A
blob of black RTV above the crankshaft indicates a misplaced
crankshaft locating pin incident.</i></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>*Lower
right rear engine mount bolt missing, left side finger tight. </i>
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>*Engine
had been opened up previously and some kind of white sealant RTV used
to seal the cases.</i></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>*Kickstarter
diagnosis: Kickstarter pawl retainer stop on kickstarter shaft was
sheared off, allowing </i><i>the
pawl, pin and spring to escape their respective locations. Requires
replacement of the shaft, pawl, cap, spring. Second gear had been
previously replaced with one from an earlier model that has
non-matching gear dogs. Replaced. 2nd M/S gear with correct type and
installed offset cotter set to increase gear dog engagement. The low gear
bushing is worn with the center ridge detached from the bushing body. Replaced
with NOS part.</i></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>*The oil filter shaft and body were seized from improper installation.
Replaced with good used, clean parts and reinstalled. Clean all
remnants of RTV from engine cases and oil filter outer cover, clean
oil residues from the bottom case half. Remove glued-on intake manifold
insulators and install new o-rings.</i>
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB0W_HWerDKVcQg23YNfYILdsK1CQgzA-0ktH9VaSdwl3-6PzPSvQcJIvQZ0b_SS1eFA9cBLpk9IrYIMNu7IwIBHRQ7pWqGYXfbbvvKIOZV-94UYTKF03vHmvHwjyDLT-5z2ZjuPj3A6cTsva9zibeyMQn5YvzwIjd5MlD0k9smIq08m8jN5IR65DG3o/s3056/20230810_105554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB0W_HWerDKVcQg23YNfYILdsK1CQgzA-0ktH9VaSdwl3-6PzPSvQcJIvQZ0b_SS1eFA9cBLpk9IrYIMNu7IwIBHRQ7pWqGYXfbbvvKIOZV-94UYTKF03vHmvHwjyDLT-5z2ZjuPj3A6cTsva9zibeyMQn5YvzwIjd5MlD0k9smIq08m8jN5IR65DG3o/s320/20230810_105554.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Broken ear that retains the kickstarter pawl</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_CXhSnMI01aaS2U8htUemRwiSuMS1FcpefDpxsU4i2tGBFqZDKl459gHXYVnzu-XrS09n90QXXcH6uQ33WYXagy9iM4KB0g8mjH1C_EZlvVZVB1_LkzQ9JH9KgBamk8wK-QtXlhw7bMNjQfzQQ4CEVFVGQVRiooPng_7Hls59eqGw4Dfx1xh_UWEK4U/s3056/20230810_114539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_CXhSnMI01aaS2U8htUemRwiSuMS1FcpefDpxsU4i2tGBFqZDKl459gHXYVnzu-XrS09n90QXXcH6uQ33WYXagy9iM4KB0g8mjH1C_EZlvVZVB1_LkzQ9JH9KgBamk8wK-QtXlhw7bMNjQfzQQ4CEVFVGQVRiooPng_7Hls59eqGw4Dfx1xh_UWEK4U/s320/20230810_114539.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Comparison of a broken one on the bottom and a good one on the top.</div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
replacing all the damaged kickstarter parts, I noted that the engine
case showed a previous attempt at putting the cases together with the
alternator side locating pin not indexing with the hole in the
bearing. When the bearing isn’t rotated correctly, the pin gets
shoved into the engine case, usually breaking out a chunk of the
casting, plus the oil feed hole doesn’t match up. Honda went to a
larger pin later on to prevent these kinds of mishaps, but I have
seen more than a few of these engines damaged by the pin/bearing
mismatch. With the cases apart, I checked to see if the bearing and
pin had been realigned after the damage had occurred and the bearing
alignment marks were correct. So, someone made the mistake of relocating the bearing and then back-filled the damage in the case with RTV.
Because these engines don’t have a lot of oil pressure, these
repaired mishaps don’t usually cause problems with oil leaks in the
future.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had a replacement kickstarter shaft along with the low gear bushing,
pawl, spring and cap for the ratchet function. I noticed that there
was not enough gear dog engagement for 2<sup>nd</sup> gear, then
discovered that the gear had been changed with one from an earlier
version. Later gears have back-cut gear dogs that pull each other
together during gear engagement, but the early ones had straight dogs that
often bounce off of each other, especially when there is insufficient
engagement.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
installed a pair of offset cotters, of which I have only a few left,
in order to increase the engagement, after installing the correct 2<sup>nd</sup>
gear. The cotters are stamped and probably forged steel, then
machined, but they are not plug-and-play, requiring some modification
of the edges and ends to facilitate them sliding smoothly in the
shaft track. Once everything was reassembled, the gears all stayed
where they belonged and the engagement of the gear dogs was now
within specs.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">When
the owner dropped off the bike, he mentioned that the right side
carburetor slide was sticking, so his remedy was to file/sand down
the chrome off the slide until it quit sticking! That’s not the
path of repair that I would have chosen, but some carb body cleaning
and knocking down the high spots should clear the interference
problem when matched up with a replacement slide. When I examined
the slide, it was obviously a left-side slide, so perhaps they were
switched previously which would explain some high idle and other
running issues.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
noted that there was evidence of severe varnish coatings in both
intake ports, looking like they were coated with Permatex, but it was
from years of sitting with old fuel solids coating the ports instead.
So, that begs the question: Do I tear down the top end and clean the
head/valves and piston crowns or do I start it back up again as-is,
because it had been running previously?
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
removed the tappet covers and inspected the valve clearances, which
were all in spec. Nothing looked suspicious, but you can’t really
see the condition of the cams and rocker arms without pulling the top
cover off, which I noted looked like more RTV, but in fact, was axle
grease! I opted to pull the top cylinder head cover off and have a
look at the top-end components, plus verify that the breather plate
drain holes were positioned properly. Happily, the covers came off
cleanly and the condition of the cams, rockers, cam sprocket and
camchain were all fresh-looking and functional.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Saturday
was the engine installation day, so I gingerly eased the 100 lbs of
steel and aluminum down onto my rolling cart and off we went to the
awaiting chassis. I wrapped the frame tubes with rags and a towel to
prevent damage to the paint as the engine was wedged back inside the
frame. I use a small trolley jack to get beneath the engine to help
position it for mounting bolt installations. The long bolt and
spacers that go through the frame and oil pump need to be aligned
just right for easy installation.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Once
the engine bolts are secured, the rest of the dance includes hooking
up the electrics, setting ignition timing and tacking on the tool
box, air filter brackets and filters/tubes and carburetors.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Speaking
of the carburetors, they were cleaned in my ultrasound machine, then
the troublesome left side body was checked and the high spots
removed. I had recently received a batch of used slides, including
some of the later model alloy slides which seem to give a little
looser fit in the carburetors. There were signs of a Keyster carb kit
installation, but the original needles were still in place. The
biggest issue was that the float levels had been set at 26mm instead
of 22.5mm which obviously has a big bearing on engine function and
performance.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
hooked up a fuel bottle and fired the engine up on the first kick! I
let it run for a few minutes to check for oil leaks and any other
problems, but it purred along nicely. I followed up with the air
cleaners, side covers and finally the exhaust pipes. The exhaust was
from a 1966 bike with the slip-on muffler, despite the 43k
1967-series serial number.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
kickstarter cover ear was broken off at the shop when they were
trying to remove the cover to inspect the kickstarter issue in the
beginning. This is where the inner cover is located, so there is no
support for banging on the screws with an impact driver or chisel.
Fortunately, I had picked up several CL engines, and several had
kickstarter covers attached, so a replacement was readily available.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Towards
the end, the owner mentioned replacing the headlight bulb due to a
failed filament, so some electrical work was tacked onto the final
repairs. The headlight bulb and rim were not grounding to the shell
or speedometer as the pigtail was missing from the speedometer base.
There was a mixup with the green and green/white wires, which
normally creates a blown fuse situation. I wound up running a
separate ground wire down to the steering damper 6mm mounting bolt to
achieve the necessary ground path for the lights. The neutral and
instrument lights were all blown out, so I suspect that someone had
tried to run the bike with a low/dead battery and the generator went
to full output and blew out the bulbs.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike chassis parts were eventually all re-installed and the bike was given a test run. All systems were a go with clean transmission
shifts, easy starting, and all electrical systems functioning as
designed. I called the owner to tell him that the bike was ready for
pickup. It was just a week after he dropped it off and he was very
excited to finally drive his dream bike Scrambler and enjoy it as it
was originally designed by Honda.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Restoration
work is fine if you are aware of the various issues that arise when
you repaint and rebuild the bike from top to bottom. The chassis work
was done pretty well, but the engine work left a lot to be desired
and eventually remedied by MrHonda. It was fun to ride a Scrambler
that had good brakes and the muffled exhaust system still had a bit
of a ring to the exhaust note as it shifted through the gears and
roared down the road.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It’s
always a good thing when you are able to put one of these bikes back
into full function to be enjoyed and admired by strangers who may
have never seen/heard one before, but still recognize it as a classic
machine.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver aka MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">8/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-59897653478796539582023-08-28T17:20:00.000-07:002023-08-28T17:20:48.514-07:00 UnFourtunate CB350F...<p>My
friend Gilles has 15 or so various vintage bikes, mostly Hondas and
he tries to keep the herd exercised regularly. He picked up a very
sweet-looking Black/green 1973 machine with low miles and with stock
4:4 exhaust pipes. The overall appearance is very good with shiny
chrome and bright instruments.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04HF5VpxNPgsDOC-9dv9yv9pUeRdIjUZmwc80K9IlWnTVZnBh4O2yY22zOkVB5FzsMz7nYyTPBSe7HIE-w2o7u1pZYzLAWX1-8jJ7OOJk2wRq_6f05mo9q88sDqCsdNTlURScsS88zCmRXSXDJOGBEgRgkmzwLM2XSPhOvklHCAI64CU3fMjleZY3qQs/s965/CB350F1%20-%20350%20FOUR.TIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="965" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04HF5VpxNPgsDOC-9dv9yv9pUeRdIjUZmwc80K9IlWnTVZnBh4O2yY22zOkVB5FzsMz7nYyTPBSe7HIE-w2o7u1pZYzLAWX1-8jJ7OOJk2wRq_6f05mo9q88sDqCsdNTlURScsS88zCmRXSXDJOGBEgRgkmzwLM2XSPhOvklHCAI64CU3fMjleZY3qQs/s320/CB350F1%20-%20350%20FOUR.TIF" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Factory AHMC photo</div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike exhibited the sticky front brake problems that affect so many
40+ year old original Hondas that haven’t had regular maintenance,
but that isn’t a huge task to resolve. He lives up in San Diego’s
N. County coast area, which is about 50 miles away from me.
Fortunately, our friend Randy Troy is an excellent ace mechanic and
lives out to the east of Gilles in Valley Center. Randy did the brake
work and then noticed that the idle mixture screws required shutting
them all the way OFF in order to idle properly. This is not a good
sign and can only be remedied by carburetor removal and inspection.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
was up in N. County for my monthly chiropractor appointment, which is
about 20 minutes away from Gilles, so I stopped by to have a look at
the bike and agreed to bring it back home for some TLC and necessary
repairs. After he bought the bike, I suggested that he pick up an
electronic ignition system to eliminate the points and condenser
original parts. He picked up a system from 4into1.com, which I wasn’t
familiar with, but most of all of them are pretty much the same,
these days. There was also a burned-out headlight bulb issue that
needed to be addressed. No big deal, right?</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Despite
a “new battery” in the bike, Gilles has to kick start it as
it wouldn’t hold a charge. I put the battery on my charger while I
installed the ignition system, then tried to use the electric starter
to light it off, but the voltage plunged from 12.6 to 4 under load.
The kickstarter was working, but someone had taken it apart,
apparently, as the mechanism wouldn’t stay retracted properly. The
solution for that issue was just a 5/16” steel ball to help retain
the kickstarter arm properly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had difficulty in setting up the ignition system as the LED light was
coming on way after the TDC T mark, much less way after the F firing
marks. I slotted the backing plate, filed down the protruding edges
and finally got it to time correctly. The battery kept bouncing back
to an indicated 12.6 volts, but there seemed to be no current
available under load. The bike did fire up on the kickstarter and on
a hunch I checked the charging system voltage and it was immediately
pushing 15 volts at about 4k rpms. I surmised that the high voltage
had popped the low-beam filament, so I shut it all down.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
ordered a new sealed beam from 4into1.com, which came in an OEM box
for about $80. Going on eBay to search for the part number turned up
several listings where people were asking $300 for the same part!
The new bulb arrived safely and was installed with no problems. I had to
think about how to rein in the voltage output, so removed the voltage
regulator for inspection. There is one small adjustment that can be
made to change the tension on the point set, but I could see that
someone had been in there before tweaking the contact mounts and the
adjustment stop. I bent the stop down ever so slightly and
reinstalled the voltage regulator. Firing the bike back up on the
old battery ( a new one was ordered), the voltage rose up into the
13v range and held steady. I had ordered a solid-state
regulator-rectifier unit to replace the mechanical point voltage
regulator, but it may not be needed.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Moving on to the carburetor problems, I extracted the carb rack from the
engine and put it on the bench for inspection. I removed the idle
jets and poked the holes open with my tapered reamers and then looked
at the array of floats and how they were adjusted. The floats on
these carbs are plastic and have a flat bottom that winds up parallel
with the carburetor body bowl surfaces when the 21mm float level
setting is correct. What I encountered were floats that were more
like 45 degrees away from parallel and were about 31mm at the high
point. Yikes! Who would do something like that and think that it was
okay? After resetting all four float levels, I replaced the main jet
o-rings which may have been original as they all looked pretty
smashed, but were still sealing. I did a quick rinse of the bowls
and put it all back together again.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With
carbs mounted back on the bike, the engine fired back up (still
kickstarting it) and once the mixture screws were set back out to 7/8
– 1 turn out, the engine settled down and idled smoothly once
again. A test ride showed improvements in the overall power curve and
throttle response, but in the end these bikes are pretty underpowered
for a 350cc machine, but they do have a great visual presence and
sound lovely running down the road.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With
a fresh battery, a repaired kickstarter arm, the voltage under control, a new
headlight and carburetors that are set back to OEM specs, the little
beauty is ready to go back home and be enjoyed along the coastal
strip of San Diego’s N. County beaches.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver aka MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">8/16/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">PS</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">No
good deed goes unpunished….</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
delivery to Gilles, where we met about halfway between his home and mine, he rode
off to cruise the coastal highway only to have the electronic
ignition die about 10 miles up the road. I was almost all the way
back to my home and had to U-turn and pick up the bike again.
Fortunately, the bike died about a quarter mile away from where his
wife had stopped to grab lunch, so she took him back home. I ordered
a tried and true Dyna ignition kit from 4into1.com and that should
solve that problem.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
were signs of an oil leak as well when the bike was parked. Removing
the left side sprocket cover revealed a little bit of a leak coming
from the threads of the oil pressure switch. That was remedied with
some Teflon tape and solved the little oil leak problem.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">While
it was here, we decided to do an oil and filter change. There was a
bit of weeping at the drain plug, so I installed a new one with a
fresh, new aluminum gasket. The final check ride showed a dry motor on the
bottom, instant starting even without the choke and a nice smooth
ride again. It could use some quality rear shocks and a little front
fork work to smooth out the ride quality, but it is what it is, as it
was from the factory 50 years ago. </p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-44473080615762493292023-08-27T07:27:00.002-07:002023-08-27T07:27:34.905-07:00 Cute little baby Chopper with a mysterious secret…<p>I
happened upon a posting for a 1979 CM185 TwinStar bike for sale just
about 10 miles away. In FB chat messages the owner, a young
20-something woman, was going through a move and divorce and needed
to move the bike along to a new home. The photos made the bike look
well-cared for and complete, but the conversation about the details
revealed that the ex-husband had tossed out the side covers, original
carburetor, and license plate. Nice guy!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strike style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1077" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja-uSBFyJO4l--0NfWW2_ge2kJRLMszazgU6vLNe8jnq6yvKudO_etED9IQR4i-uMJPxq68TfxobivYsKZIVDkXTBT9A68EBdEhcYIr7Mparf7O1Yd-KrPYOG1eJZLHSHCiwTp7PTFjnRk8qn8Aby4L1bsUZxGELwh66HUe32J5LPmdsNxzaScC7vCuI/s320/CM185T'79%20-%20TWINSTAR.TIF" width="320" /></strike></div><p></p><p> OEM FACTORY PHOTO</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike was purchased a couple of years before, but the funds to get it
going again were low, so it sat quietly. She did have the original CA
title showing the miles at 3100 and mentioned that the tires had been
replaced just before purchase. The date codes on the tires were xx21 so
that verified the information. The battery had been purchased then
but was now a few years old and not very high on voltage. These early
bikes only had a 6-volt electrical system and a 4-speed transmission.
They rolled on 17” tires and came with some seriously high 6-bend
handlebars from the factory.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1977/11/1/honda-cm185t">https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1977/11/1/honda-cm185t</a></u></span></span>
highlights the introduction of the model.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
engine is based upon an original 125cc twin. I owned an early CB125T,
which is a totally different animal with a 180-firing crankshaft, a
tachometer that redlined at 12,000 rpms and had dual carbs, a 5-
speed transmission, and 18” wheels, with a front disc brake. Plus,
it had a 12-volt electrical system.That
bike would go 80 mph right out of the box.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Unfortunately,
Honda chose to de-content the CM series versions with no tachometer,
a single carburetor, 4-speed transmission, small 17” wheels,
uncomfortable stepped seat, a side stand only, plus the silly high
handlebars. It was designed as an entry-level machine at a low price.
The next version of the bike was enlarged to 200cc and acquired a 12-volt electrical system. After that the bike grew to become a CM250,
then the CB250 Nighthawk and the ubiquitous 250 Rebel, all with the
same engine platform
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
engines split vertically with the center crankshaft bearing wrapped
with a cast-iron holder that bolts the crankshaft firmly into the
engine case half. The camshaft chain is a Morse-Hy-Vo linked chain and
the whole powerplant is robustly designed for a long lifespan.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike’s original carburetor was no doubt full of old gunk but
probably rebuildable. Unfortunately, the choice had been to install a
cheap Chinese knock-off copy, of which there are many still listed on
eBay as fitting the bikes, but they all lack the angled throttle
cable guide that is part of the carburetor top. The cable winds up having to do a 90-degree bend, outside of the cable adjuster.
There is a part number for the carb top, but the eBay pricing is in
the $50-60 range, despite the fact that CMSNL shows them at $22.
After trying an OEM carb top, it turns out that the Chinese copy
carburetor has a 22mm slide vs. the 20mm slide of the stock
carburetor.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
met with the owner, looked over the title situation and the condition
of the bike and we made a deal that reflected the missing parts and
the non-running condition. During inspection, I was amazed to open
the gas cap and find a perfectly clean tank surface on the inside!
That seldom happens when I go to look at almost any used bike now.
The bike had been stored mostly indoors and the paint on the fuel
tank was still in its lovely red condition. There was pitting on a
lot of the chrome parts, but the worst was on the turn signal stalks.
Too bad about the missing side covers, which seem to have a “value”
of around $75+ each now. She helped me push the bike up into the
Tacoma and off I went back home with this little cutie, not knowing
that there were some interesting challenges ahead.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
first thing was to put the battery on a charger and see about getting
the static voltage value above 6 volts. In the meantime, I extracted
the carburetor and noticed that the large heat shield insulator had
been cut off at the bottom. The insulator was designed to prevent
engine heat from being transferred directly to the float bowl. While
the remaining portion still insulated the carburetor flange from the
cylinder head heat, the cut-off portion would allow more heat to warm
the float bowl contents. More things to go hunting for on eBay and
elsewhere.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
the carburetor had a little bit of green slime inside, but nothing
drastic. I cleaned the pilot jet, and main jet holder cross-drilled holes
and checked the float level setting. It all looked close to OEM
settings, although the main jet had no size marked on it. It was
reassembled and reinstalled with hopes of the bike firing up once the
battery was charged up some. The main jet was not marked, but
according to the Honda tune-up book, the main jet was supposed to be
a 105 and the one that came with the carburetor was more like a 100,
so an OEM jet was installed.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With the battery installed into the bike and the carburetor fuel system
secured, I turned the key on and kickstarted the engine over…. and
over and over. It started to sputter once, then died, and then went
dead. I pulled the battery out for more charging and then removed
the point cover on the left end of the crankcase to access the
points. When I flashed the points with spark plugs in place, I got a
meager tiny spark that was intermittent. I checked the spark plug
caps and both seemed to be infinitely open according to my ohm meter.
I rounded up some spare known good plug caps and picked up a set of
plugs from O’Reilly auto parts, but the only options for these
bikes are CR7-HS vs. the original C7-HS spark plugs. So, with resistor
plugs and resistor caps, I was concerned that the spark intensity
might be diminished.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
removed the point plate to better clean the point faces. I noticed
quite a bit of arcing wear on the faces, which sometimes indicates a
weak condenser. What I noticed was that the point arm, which is a
phenolic material had a brass insert for the pivot function. For some
reason, the points seemed to hang up before closing, due to some kind
of roughness or wear in the pivot area. I dismantled the the point
am and checked for areas of concern. There were two little wave
washers on top of the point arm that seemed like they might be
causing some extra pressure on the pivot point, so left one off. With
that done, the points seemed to pivot more freely. What had happened
previously, was that the engine would fire for a second then quit.
When I checked the point's timing with a test light, the light would
stay ON all the time, which usually indicates some kind of point face
corrosion or dirt, but these were nice and shiny. After putting the
point plate back on and going back through the carburetor one more
time, the engine fired up and kept running even with the wobbly
battery condition.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">These
bikes have auto-on headlights, so I removed it to lessen the
current draw on the system while trying to get this thing to run. I
must have kicked it fifty times expecting it to light up previously.
What had been presumed to be a problem with the carburetor turned out
to be a problem with the point set function instead!</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
drove it up to the local 7-11 for a gallon of gas and rode it
carefully around the neighborhood shifting through the gears and
testing the brakes. There seems to be some chain snatch or perhaps an
abrupt transition from idle to part throttle on the carburetor, but
overall it was quiet and ran like it should. Even all the lights were
working. The plastic tail light base had stripped-out holes, so a
replacement unit was ordered from 4into1.com for a reasonable price.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">You
always feel relieved when your “bought-dead” bike comes back to
life without any huge issues to remedy. New fork seals are on order,
along with a new battery and a carb top with the correct angled cable
receiver which should fit the carburetor. I have often had a small
bike or scooter available to use to haul small packages down to the
post office in Bonita, CA which is just a couple of miles away. Looks
like this might be just the ticket to take the place of the last PO
runner machine at a low price.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Follow-up
repairs</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
fork seals were replaced, and a new battery was installed which offered
instant electric starting, but there was still a persistent oil leak
coming from the left side. The shift shaft seal was replaced and
finally, the countershaft seal, which looked pretty good when removed
was also replaced. The engine case doesn’t have a stop machined in
for the seal so in driving it into the recess it kept going in
another 1/4”. I decided to install the second seal in tandem with
the first one and now there are no leaks. I did drain the dark oil
which had some aluminum swirling around and smelled somewhat like
gasoline, so now it has a fresh 1.6 qts of Honda’s finest GN4 oil.
The 4into1 rear tail light was installed, but the original screws and
setting collars left the light assembly dangling. I peeled off the
rubber cushion from the back of the original tail light and that
provided the additional thickness to mount the light assembly
correctly.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">DrATV
supplied some non-resistor spark plug caps and I purchased a backup
set of points and condenser in case the originals start acting up
again. So far, since these final repairs, the engine is oil-tight and
the spark plugs are coming out clean. The engine seems to run up to
whatever redline is without any signs of overheating. In checking the
specifications in the Honda tune-up book, it appears that the upgrade
from the CM185 to the CM200 included a camshaft change and carburetor
change. The 185 camshaft shows 0/30 and 30/0 cam timing, whereas the
200 version is 7/27 and 27/7 specifications. Theoretically, this
should give the engine a boost, although probably marginal given the
whole design.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Other
than searching for a set of nice red side covers that are less than
$160 a pair, the bike is as good as it is going to be. A luggage rack
would be handy for my eBay package run to the local post office,
which is just a couple of miles away. This will take some of the
unnecessary wear from my Tacoma, as the air-cooled engine heats up
quickly and won’t sustain the kind of cold-start oil contamination
of a water-cooled engine for short hauls.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike has a happy spot at about 45 miles per hour. The top speed is around 70
mph, but it gets really busy sounding as it strains to make enough
power to move itself and my 200 lbs down the road at speed. It
definitely has no place on the SoCal highways at all.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
basically, for about $1,000 I have a fully licensed and registered,
little runaround-town bike that is light and economical for local
trips. These were certainly not on my wanted bike list, but sometimes
an opportunity to buy something with promise and utility is too good
to pass up.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka
MrHonda
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">08/2</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-83567544629211369892023-08-01T15:05:00.006-07:002023-08-01T15:05:51.327-07:00 Double or nothing… CB77 and CB550 Part 2<p>The
next day…the next bike.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So,
while I was waiting for parts from Germany and the UK, I removed the
carburetors from the CB77. The left side looked normal with old fuel
solids and a clean intake port. The right side carb was full of water
corrosion and scale, as was the whole intake port. This was certainly
a good reason for a seized engine condition.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGsK9-DZ13VIy1gfaGL7nW_rnHXNpR-a6Mqet5h6a2ZKwpkBoop9f3cyehuPi6q_eXjFaqqk0lUOO6-xKkR2RBTTJrhpCpcWwUvGcR3MFSzydeEygCT82tEEMyGLRkgZEtc10mKohtNIKZxfJa0Ai2QKcoJZNBP7kDjAgZFtpCMoNQo1iAQiF9xtSoSE/s3056/20230630_161450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGsK9-DZ13VIy1gfaGL7nW_rnHXNpR-a6Mqet5h6a2ZKwpkBoop9f3cyehuPi6q_eXjFaqqk0lUOO6-xKkR2RBTTJrhpCpcWwUvGcR3MFSzydeEygCT82tEEMyGLRkgZEtc10mKohtNIKZxfJa0Ai2QKcoJZNBP7kDjAgZFtpCMoNQo1iAQiF9xtSoSE/w223-h223/20230630_161450.jpg" width="223" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWE1jocMB7pBfji7iSa6Gd4pIyg28s4i195OSXHjAZ5Il9-cKB1KoojABxAwh58-1FbvmlXmUGQhppwZOc7e_H9i6ulx-n-hvBTrZwFusz6ukuz9Mhzdf8smFh0BcmEktu8ElCQIGM3OkBJlw81eRPpOc4MxbcgiEhnp2mRKvL3fFRN_yrEDlhZRPoT-I/s3056/20230630_161420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWE1jocMB7pBfji7iSa6Gd4pIyg28s4i195OSXHjAZ5Il9-cKB1KoojABxAwh58-1FbvmlXmUGQhppwZOc7e_H9i6ulx-n-hvBTrZwFusz6ukuz9Mhzdf8smFh0BcmEktu8ElCQIGM3OkBJlw81eRPpOc4MxbcgiEhnp2mRKvL3fFRN_yrEDlhZRPoT-I/w226-h226/20230630_161420.jpg" width="226" /></a></div></blockquote><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
slid a little jack under the oil pump drain bolt and removed the
engine mount bolts and disconnected the electrical connections. I use
the little wooden Harbor Freight dollies to move the engines around
the shop and to work on the engines for disassembly. The cylinder
head came off easily as the master link for the cam chain was just
below the top cover surface.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Sliding
the head off of the studs allowed a big splash of penetrating oil
that had been used in an effort to soften up the offending water and
rust build-up inside the cylinder. The pistons were nearly even in
the bores, about half-way down the cylinders. This allowed the
cylinders and pistons to be raised up in order to allow use of an air
hammer to try to drive down the affected piston.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I’m
sure my neighbors didn’t appreciate 20 minutes of nearly continuous
air-hammer operation as the piston very slowly moved downwards in the
affected cylinder. By the time it got to the bottom, the liner had
cracked, but at least the piston was free of the cylinders and the
rest of the disassembly could continue.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zqCprjEj4VYQ800JmDGRPuwwm8VCzMIya_l186TXb8oz4WORnFlBUzm2ZNa5Y4gkVx9rMO_AohTSPc48tFvdt_qolsoeWOH7RHGgdno5g4s5BIOUj8Ylgc0P1Hdoo9kSYT0-_VmYkQI4njD-5zQyfqttR2i8M7zE5JZEh51j-15mjd8p-Hf0YboS3w0/s3056/20230703_120726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zqCprjEj4VYQ800JmDGRPuwwm8VCzMIya_l186TXb8oz4WORnFlBUzm2ZNa5Y4gkVx9rMO_AohTSPc48tFvdt_qolsoeWOH7RHGgdno5g4s5BIOUj8Ylgc0P1Hdoo9kSYT0-_VmYkQI4njD-5zQyfqttR2i8M7zE5JZEh51j-15mjd8p-Hf0YboS3w0/s320/20230703_120726.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Based
upon the worn counter-shaft sprocket teeth, the engine and bike
probably have 20k miles, but with the replacement NOS speedometer,
there is no verification of what actual miles are on the whole bike.
The clutch side components were disassembled, in surprisingly good
condition apart from a very stretched-out primary chain. The little
thrust washer for the oil filter had been installed on the inside of
the filter body, incorrectly.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Splitting
the cases revealed some interesting features. The gear dog engagement
was well within specs and most surprisingly the low gear bushing had
a nice sharp edges ridge in the center and was still a good fit into
the low gear opening. Even the kickstarter pawl was not deeply worn
down. But in cleaning off the top gear/output shaft, the whole
internal bushing just slid out. That was a first-time discovery for
me. I had a spare gear with the correct back-cut gear dogs, so it was
put into service after cleaning up. The shift drum and forks showed
minimal wear, so the cases were reassembled.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
cylinder head was the next job. I tried using some oven cleaner to
strip off 50 years of grease and corrosion, which did a pretty good
job but left some traces of a chemical reaction in the metal
surfaces. The head was disassembled and the packed-on goo from the
penetrating oil and old rust was removed. The valves didn’t appear
to have a lot of carbon buildup, so someone had probably been into
the engine once before, at least the top end. All of the lower-end
fasteners were obviously not disturbed in the past, so it was still a
puzzle how the transmission parts were still in such good shape.
Apart from the usual layer of grit and oil solids in the bottom case,
the transmission gears all looked pretty clean, so it must have
gotten regular oil changes in the past.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Looking
through the stack of heads and cylinders that I had purchased from
Tim in Ventura, I found a die-cast, late-model set of cylinders with
a nice camchain tensioner. The cylinder bores looked like they had
been machined and not reused. It turned out that they were on. .25
oversize and cleaned up fine with my large hone. The next trick was
to find .25 pistons and rings at a reasonable price. Fortunately, I
called my friend Ed Moore, who has been rebuilding these engines for
many years, and he came up with some .25 pistons, but no rings. We
made a deal on the piston set and I found an almost reasonable set of
new OEM rings for $75.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
removed the valves from the cylinder head and cleaned them on a bench
grinder wire wheel. They had somewhat wide seats, but for this
engine, they would be fully serviceable. Lapping in the valves to the
seats yielded good results, so the rest of the head was assembled
with just some concerns about the cam sprocket return springs. I
purchased new springs from Tim McDowell, but they still didn’t
quite take up all the slack in the advancer return weights. With this
little amount of free-play, the spark timing will advance slightly
when the engine is idling, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Stock ignition timing is 5 degrees before TDC and these engines
prefer to idle more like 10 degrees before TDC. On a somewhat
budget-restricted engine build like this, some compromises are going
to be made.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
aftermarket pistons from SK consistently come with piston pin bores
that are slightly too tight, so pins cannot be easily pressed into
the pistons. I have a 15mm ball hone that will take out just a bit of
material enough to make the pin fit normally. These pistons have a
Dream-style piston crown. The machining appears to create a lower
piston profile than that of regular CB pistons, but in practice, they
tend to increase the compression readings when installed.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
oil filter was in need of cleaning, of course, and the oil pump
screen was still usable after the gaskets were pared away from the
screen flange. New gaskets and seals, plus a screw kit and the return
springs all came from Tim McDowell’s site:
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.classichondarestoration.com/">www.classichondarestoration.com</a>,</u></span></span>
and arrived in just a couple of days.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">To
remedy the water-damaged carburetor, I was able to pull out a good
spare carb body from the extras that came down with the bike, so that
issue was remedied without extra expense.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
replacement cylinder block for the engine was a die-cast unit that
uses the narrow tensioner. I was happy to have a ready-to-go cylinder
except for the broken fins on the top and in the middle of the
cylinder block. Rob North managed to squeeze me into his work
schedule and fix the fins so I could wrap up the engine work.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Dave
had asked me if there was a problem with the starter motor. I seldom
see problems with them, so I cleaned it up and added a little silver
paint to freshen it up. Once the engine was finalized and
re-installed, the starter button only brought forth a “click” and
then nothing more. The tags on the bike were from 1977, so I thought
that the solenoid might have had corrosion buildup on the internal
contacts. Removed and disassembled, the solenoid really wasn’t
having issues, it appeared. So, once I knew that the battery power
was getting to the starter motor, I knew that the starter had to come
back out for inspection. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Taking the wrap-around cover off the brush
end of the starter revealed a stuck contact brush in the holder, but
no signs of corrosion that would cause such a problem. I cleaned the
brush holder carefully, but every time the brush was inserted, it
would jam up again. Finally, I carefully filed a little material off
of the sides of the brush until it slid easily through the holder.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had already replaced the starter clutch rollers, springs, and caps, so
that wouldn’t be an issue, but once the starter was replaced, the
motor would try to pull the engine over with the starter chain, but
it would stall out and make a loud screeching sound. The last place
to visit was the starter drive end, so the motor was removed yet
again and the drive removed. The three screws that held the drive
unit were not factory tight, so someone must have been wrestling with
this problem previously. There wasn’t a lot of grease inside the
planetary gears and sun gear, and most of it was dried out. Cleaning
the sun gear, I discovered a groove in the outside of the piece that
clicked in an old memory of having these starters apart before and that
there was supposed to be a steel pin that anchored the sun gear to
the housing. All I was able to find was some tiny pieces of pin,
buried in the old grease.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
searched through my bits and pieces of Honda parts and didn’t find
anything that was that small. Finally, I discovered a 1/16” drill
bit that fits the housing hole just about right. I shortened up the
bit so that just the smooth shank was a nice fit and reassembled the
drive unit with fresh grease. Finally, the starter motor kicked the
engine over with vigor and it started up quickly. I was feeding the
carbs off of a remote fuel bottle and let it idle for a few minutes
while I checked for oil leaks or other issues. There was no smoke out
of the header pipes and no leaks so it was good to go, as far as I
could see.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As
always, there were side issues that took more time and running around
to solve. The ignition switch which had a common T series key started
to seize up during the first few minutes of getting powered up after
45 years. I took it out, noticing that a few wires were not installed
correctly on the back. On top of that, the whole wiring harness was
installed over the frame tube instead of beneath it back by the
battery box. So, more time was taken to cut through all of the
tie-wraps and reposition everything. Inside the headlight shell, the
speedometer bulb covers had melted in place, so the whole speedo was
removed and the rubber chipped off of the bulb sockets, which were
empty when removed. New bulbs were installed and a newer light bulb
harness was installed. The neutral light lead was missing as well,
plus there was no headlight rim. There was a new bulb in the box of
spares, so I offered up my last NOS headlight rim and clips to put
the headlight back to normal again. The bike had huge 6-bend
handlebars, so the starter wire had been extended to connect to the
harness leads. The dimmer switch was found in the box of spares, with
a partially set of extended wires that were never completed. Bikes
like this will drive you crazy with all the little detail issues that
need five or ten or fifteen minutes or more to resolve, not including
finding the necessary parts to put it all together again.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jZzi5AUa8-aXnj0bXAYLY5MSm41x0gs8xeGrMBkHBvfpgKC8v4cJf9wk6sW73JFfMM-FBOF67oZuxtiofTV3P0JAFpSDKUbkKH193wzzb0HoPW9CI5u1zn2m0KVfc64X5BgvX8HQTa71tTANnVHnqbS3o8DMP-uIGPo8M7kpptl1zHg-3xCfWqnUMbY/s3056/20230722_111027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jZzi5AUa8-aXnj0bXAYLY5MSm41x0gs8xeGrMBkHBvfpgKC8v4cJf9wk6sW73JFfMM-FBOF67oZuxtiofTV3P0JAFpSDKUbkKH193wzzb0HoPW9CI5u1zn2m0KVfc64X5BgvX8HQTa71tTANnVHnqbS3o8DMP-uIGPo8M7kpptl1zHg-3xCfWqnUMbY/s320/20230722_111027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Dave
came down a few days later, on a Saturday morning, leaving his house
at 4am. He arrived in Spring Valley at 7:30 and after some test
running of both bikes, they were eventually loaded up on his 3-rail
trailer, and off he went back to Santa Clarita. He was pleased that I
was able to revive these two neglected bikes and has plans to get
them fully cleaned up and licensed for the street.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It
was a huge undertaking for me, especially having stuck piston pins
and pistons in the two bikes. I was happy to get a final check for
the work and parts, then send both bikes off to new lives in Santa
Clarita (actually Canyon Country, according to the ZIP code).</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver aka MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">08.01.23
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-49658484749122656602023-08-01T14:52:00.000-07:002023-08-01T14:52:33.476-07:00 Double or nothing… CB77 and CB550 Part 1<p>My
friend, Dave, who lives 165 miles away in Santa Clarita, CA sold a
rough, but mostly complete CB77 a couple of years ago. The engine was
severely seized and it took drastic measures to get it apart and
rebuilt. Eventually, it did run again and was sold during the
pandemic.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fast
forward 2 years: Dave calls to say that he found a “red” CB77
that had belonged to a Honda service manager that had been sitting on
a patio for 7 years. Dave bought it and brought it home for some
cosmetic cleaning and sent photos. The bike was a 1965 series
chassis/engine, but had a pre-64 front brake panel and a NOS early
style speedo-tach installed. The whole front fork assembly had been
chrome-plated at some point in time, giving the bike a unique almost
chopper-style look, but the forks were not extended. The tank and
fenders were painted red, but the chassis was black.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Dave’s
other “project,” that he was anxious to get running was a 1974
CB550K model, which he bought cheap due to a seized engine. The
speedometer showed about 15k miles and so he had a local mechanic
disassemble the top end to gauge the damage. The mechanic covered the
pistons with a cloth rag, covered it all with clear shipping tape to
keep out the dust/bugs and Dave put it in his shed.. for about 3
years.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Dave
proposed one of two scenarios… Fix the CB550 to get it running and
he would give me the CB77 OR…. Fix the CB550 and the CB77 and he
would pay me for both repairs.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">At
the time, a motorcycle wrangler, who is located in Ventura, CA (200
miles from me) had offered 3 Honda 305 bottom-end engines, plus a
stack of heads and cylinders for $305. Ventura is 45 minutes away
from Santa Clarita, so I reluctantly decided to make the journey in
my 2015 Tacoma and fetch as much as possible.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
trip to Ventura took 4 hours on a somewhat light traffic Tuesday
morning, starting from San Diego. I met Tim, the owner at a dusty,
warehouse in Ventura, next to a couple of Harley repair shops. He
opened the sliding door on the alley and we went inside to survey his
pile of misc bikes and parts. When he posted the photos of the
engines, one caught my eye, as it appeared to have a crankshaft-mounted magneto ignition system in place of the stator/rotor. That
motor was a CL72 and he had the matching frame in a pile of other CL
frames. At first, he was going to keep the CL72 package and replace it
with one other CL77 bottom end, but then relented and threw in the
CL72 engine and frame, as we were not able to extract the magneto
with hand tools that I brought.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">This
load pretty much filled the space behind my seat on the X-tra Cab
Tacoma, plus half of the bed. I called Dave and told him that I would
have to drop off the engines when I picked up his bikes, then he
could bring all of that down when he came for one or both of the
bikes. At Dave’s, we loaded the two bikes and associated parts,
which filled up the bed, so Dave stashed the 305 parts in his shed
where the bikes had been sleeping. Off I went on the return trip to
San Diego, leaving at 4pm, heading into afternoon rush hour LA
traffic. My WAZE GPS app on the phone took me on and off the freeway,
down side streets, back on different freeways, and eventually on the
rest of the I-5 southbound traffic. Another 4.5 hours later and 459
miles, the Tacoma came to rest back home again. I just left
everything in the truck, backed into the driveway, and called it a
day.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">On
Wednesday morning, I unloaded the truck and sorted through boxes of
parts that were removed from the CB550. The cylinder head and
cylinder block still had remnants of the factory head gasket material
which was fused to the mating surfaces. When the rags were removed
from the pistons on the crankcase, all four were seized to the rods
and wouldn’t even rock back and forth on the wrist pins. Ugh!
Flooding the pistons and pins with PB Blaster, I used giant
Channel-Lock pliers to rotate the pistons on the pins, slowly
loosening them up. Sitting in the shed for 3 years in a location that
had temperatures ranging from freezing to 115 degrees, the air inside
the engine cases, condensed moisture inside the pistons and it ran
into the small oiling holes in the top of the rods, causing rust to
form between the pin and rod end. BTW the last license tags on the
plate were 1982!</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBESWzrBD3PhUOao3ZzeoPHTljMQyt6ZexrDB51RswgXnB8KaTfC6RCXJiwSuiZdXdXvQ8_98pB03XahNzCqJV7ku2l109GdQ1B8adxxoD0wWr0n-T1ukKvmEPEe_Y9E6-cbVPm2XJG382sZFFux7dPhLUQQjNjdrZGupWgha_sy42Kb-b1LQ1l95g7s/s3056/20230628_094042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBESWzrBD3PhUOao3ZzeoPHTljMQyt6ZexrDB51RswgXnB8KaTfC6RCXJiwSuiZdXdXvQ8_98pB03XahNzCqJV7ku2l109GdQ1B8adxxoD0wWr0n-T1ukKvmEPEe_Y9E6-cbVPm2XJG382sZFFux7dPhLUQQjNjdrZGupWgha_sy42Kb-b1LQ1l95g7s/s320/20230628_094042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> Four pistons, frozen in time. Wrist pins rusted to the rods.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Just
digging out the wrist pin clips was a chore as the moisture had
caused corrosion between the steel clip and the alloy piston.
Eventually, I was able to extract a clip from the #1 piston. I have a
heavy-duty piston pin pusher tool that I bought from a man who was
selling Benelli parts at a time when I had bought a Benelli Sei, 6-cylinder 750 bike. The tool had a shoulder for a 15mm pin but the end
was tapered down so that it fit into a 14mm pin on the CB550 rod.
Using the tool, with the help of a CB77 fork tube on the handle, I was
able to force out one pin at a time, until all four pistons were
removed. This was a one-hour process of very physical work, but at
least they were free from the engine, to be replaced by some
inexpensive piston kits from David Silver Spares. The cylinders had
some staining on the walls, but were not heavily corroded, so a hone
job and fresh STD pistons should remedy the top-end issues.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Cleaning
off the base gasket material and then the head gasket leftovers from
the head and cylinder took 3 hours of concentrated scraping, one
little piece at a time, until it was gone. The original gaskets were
probably asbestos and Honda added some kind of adhesive to the head
gasket to prevent the persistent oil leaks that plagued Honda fours
for many years. Once the engine was heated up and running, the gaskets
were fused to the cylinder head and cylinders, making removal very
difficult.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
head was disassembled and all the valves cleaned, seats lapped, and
stem seals replaced. Top-end gasket sets are available from the
aftermarket but I have had several poorly made gasket sets that
didn’t even line up the bolt holes, so I searched for an OEM gasket
set. These are in short supply as well, plus Honda did offer some
non-asbestos kits with an -S01 suffix, but the only one I could find
was in Germany on eBay. It took about 10 days to get to me.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">More
bits came from 4into1.com to complete the engine work, but the last
task will be the carburetors, which are not easily disassembled and
cleaned, plus the OEM gasket kits are about $40 each. Most of the
aftermarket carb kits are from Keyster and they don’t have a good
reputation for accuracy in the calibration of jets and slide needles.
Whenever possible, reusing the original OEM carb hard parts is best,
with the use of the a/m kits for the soft parts and float valves.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3KXEuuXo4U1T6kVjcQ8FqKPOHkEq6pdy7KfYvtf_vkXSM4jE9XGxtAa-iad3xe6vn8di7knK2sL86zwkOht8-Te2WaEao-pbrgYX2qQ6J3l0XXxEjP54nWqdgSpRM8MWUrRib40GnE_b8Lc4CKvsFq9D9vbwJU5qp28s-W4UIDC19ZF9zTtkF-qqjI0/s3056/20230628_091003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3056" data-original-width="3056" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3KXEuuXo4U1T6kVjcQ8FqKPOHkEq6pdy7KfYvtf_vkXSM4jE9XGxtAa-iad3xe6vn8di7knK2sL86zwkOht8-Te2WaEao-pbrgYX2qQ6J3l0XXxEjP54nWqdgSpRM8MWUrRib40GnE_b8Lc4CKvsFq9D9vbwJU5qp28s-W4UIDC19ZF9zTtkF-qqjI0/s320/20230628_091003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
tackled the carbs while waiting for pistons and gaskets from the UK
and Germany, respectively. The #4 carburetor had water damage and the
emulsion tube was heavily corroded and plugged up. The carbs had to
come apart to change the fuel feed T-fitting o-rings, so you have to
play watchmaker to tease everything apart, not lose all the little
spring-loaded components and eventually, reassemble it all again. I
spent over 3 hours in the disassembly, treating the single carb body to
a little phosphoric acid bath and then replacing the o-rings. The
carbs just fit into the Harbor Freight home-sized ultrasonic cleaner
and the combination of Pine-Sol and water did a decent job of
cleaning surfaces and passages. All of the steel parts of the
linkages had some rust and corrosion, so you just have to take your
time in the reassembly process.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
will be at least ten hours of labor involved, just with the CB550
engine repairs. The CB77 engine is frozen, of course, so the fate of
that bike is yet to be determined. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">End of Part 1. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver aka MrHonda</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-43364026499722401352023-07-11T07:24:00.001-07:002023-07-11T07:24:30.661-07:00 A trio of troubles…<p>Shakespeare
wrote in the play Hamlet: “When sorrows come, they come not as
single spies but in battalions.” And while the current trio of
bikes was more sorrowful for the owners, they meant a lot of
troubleshooting and problem-solving for my little workspace this
month.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_71MfbSDGC43kZHL7VXjPIPMBdpTEHgwxI4kc9DIiNhiFMp1EpPZ0udTYuOxm6ygZGCs9f0N5U6bcZ4J9iAk7rs2tlMyfkBWBPAoZB8jQJsQD4HFJwWCd-CYVGfR_IqINz0Ppk5K2Huf4htXkpDV9Xaw2x0sX9hQqgjt5cTR9ZPXzJC9NTKxw9h8KYXA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="1034" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_71MfbSDGC43kZHL7VXjPIPMBdpTEHgwxI4kc9DIiNhiFMp1EpPZ0udTYuOxm6ygZGCs9f0N5U6bcZ4J9iAk7rs2tlMyfkBWBPAoZB8jQJsQD4HFJwWCd-CYVGfR_IqINz0Ppk5K2Huf4htXkpDV9Xaw2x0sX9hQqgjt5cTR9ZPXzJC9NTKxw9h8KYXA" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><b>First...</b><p></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">After
the SL125 bike revival a few weeks ago, the owner brought back
another SL125 engine that was caked with baked-on mud and grease. He
thought that it needed a “top end” work and brought the engine
over with both side covers removed, as he was going to clean/paint
them.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Having
built a successful road racer out of a similar CB125S1 engine, the
engine was no stranger to me; although I had to brush off a few
dormant brain cells to remember a couple of the steps.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
cylinder head had some carbon buildup and while the intake valve seat
and valve faces contact looked good, the exhaust valve seat was dull
and pitted. I have some old Honda valve seat cutters that fit the
seat and stem size, but they generally leave a rough surface that
needs a lot of lapping to complete the seal. Despite a round of
power washing and paint thinner cleaning, a lot of gunk remained
stuck in the porous surfaces. The owner didn’t want to pay for
vapor blasting the top end as the bottom end was still stained and
dirty and we weren’t going into the bottom end.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
cylinder came off and there were several rings of stains where
moisture had gathered at times, but after my machinist hit the
cylinder with his Sunnen hone, it looked like it would be useable.
The piston ring gaps were close to new specs, so it hadn’t been run
in a lot since it was apart before.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
case bolts had all been changed to large Phillips head screws
previously. That could mean that just the screws were replaced or
that the bottom end was opened up for service work. Its previous
history is unknown. The owner supplied gaskets, seals, an Allen bolt
screw kit, and instructions to redo the top end as needed.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Whatever
was used to glue the gaskets on the engine last time was very
time-consuming to remove. After replacing the one exhaust valve stem
seal and reassembling the head, the top end started to come back
together again with new gaskets, but reusing the piston, rings, and
STD bore cylinder. There were some metal chips in the remaining oil
that dripped out of the side cases and inside the centrifugal oil
filter on the end of the crankshaft. I could see some wear inside the cam chain tunnel where the chain had been left un-tensioned and it
carved a bit of aluminum out of the inside of the cylinder block. The
bottom filter screen was checked and cleaned, so all that was waiting
for was the side covers.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carburetor attached was another Taiwan Chinese copy, with no marked
jet sizes. I cleaned out the blocked pilot jet and the rest of the
float bowl components, the readjusted the float level to 25mm which
was initially set about 22mm for some reason.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carb was reinstalled with the sandwich of gaskets, o-rings for the
intake insulator, manifold extension and carb flange.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b>One
down and two to go…</b>.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In
the meantime, while the SL125 engine was on the bench, my friend Don
brought over a CT70 that his buddy had bought from a guy who has a
bit of an assembly line in Hemet, CA, rebuilding these little
Mini-Trail 50-70s. Visually, it looked great, but when it was started
up, some oil came shooting out the side of the cylinder from a hole
where the cam chain guide roller pin is supposed to be located. He
shut it down right away and brought it over for me to look at and
repair. Thinking it was going to be a 1-hour fix, I was not prepared
to see that the cylinder assembly was alloy and marked Takagawa on
the upper edge. Factory cylinders are cast iron, so I suspected that
it was some kind of 88cc big bore kit installed on a stock motor.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had hoped to be able to remove the top end, install a Heli-Coil in
the 8mm hole and button it back up again, but as soon as the cylinder
was removed, I saw deep seizure grooves in the top of the piston
skirt and there were some matching grooves in the cylinder. Baked-on
oil deposits on the piston crown indicated that it had been burning
oil for quite some time. The cylinder walls were paper thin and the
piston was 52mm, I think.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Keeping
it on the cheap, eBay sellers offer tons of Chinese aftermarket parts
for little 50-70cc Honda for dirt cheap. A whole top-end kit is $100
with free shipping! Sounded like the best plan, however, as my luck
would have it the replacement parts are modeled after the CRF70
apparently, as the combustion chamber is smaller, as are the valves
but the big issue was the piston crown height. With the cylinder down
over the piston, at TDC there was about a 20mm gap from the edge of
the piston crown to the top edge of the cylinder. Generally, the head
gasket is the main provider of the “squish band” needed to help
stir up the mixture and that is in the .040” range. I was looking
at a .080” space in addition to the gasket thickness.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>Going
on the FB forums for Z50s, I got a conversation going with a
Mini-Trail guru, Josh Eule, at </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #001435;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>JE
Vintage Honda Minis LLC </span></span></span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://www.vintagehondaminis.com/"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #001435;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>https://www.vintagehondaminis.com/</span></span></span></span></a></u></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #001435;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>
and he said the solution is to get an original style piston/rings and
use the original cylinder head. The only other concern is that the
camshaft has a mark on the end that leads me to think that it is a
Takagawa performance cam, which may not play nice with an otherwise
stock CT70 engine. </span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p class="western" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #001435;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>I
did dismantle the cylinder head, clean the valves and lap the seats
in so it will have the best compression possible when it is all done
in the end.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #001435;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span>There’s
never a dull moment in MrHonda’s Casa del Plata workshop space...</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span><br />
</span></span><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">And
finally….</b></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">A
bike that I worked on a few years ago for a young high schooler, had
disassembled the engine and asked me to rebuild it, while he was
finishing up rebuilding the chassis. He, apparently, has access to a
vapor blaster and was bringing in all the parts, ready to go. After
comparing my local guy John, who does amazing vapor blasting work, he
agreed that the parts needed another run-through to get them looking
really great.</span></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Problems
arose when John sent back a photo of the lower engine case with a
huge chunk missing from the bottom where a chain had gone through. I
tracked down a good replacement from eBay sellers and had that
shipped in. The upper case had its own problems with a broken off
case bolt and a broken off kickstarter bolt hole boss towards the
front of the engine. I had Rob North do the bolt extraction and
welded up the broken boss. I didn’t have a kickstarter cover to
help locate the hole for drilling and tapping, so that will wait for
later.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
cylinder head had mashed fins on one side, so an appeal to the
250-305 Forums on Facebook yielded a reply from a local San Diego
enthusiast who had a bare head with one broken fin at the top corner,
which would normally be somewhat easy to repair. Again, Rob North
lended his talents to the job and built up a good section of fin
material to the head. John, not only has the vapor blaster, but has a
small lathe and mill in his shop and was able to machine the fin down
to near perfect for this engine.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">All
the parts were cleaned and all holes re-tapped to get the media out of
the deep recesses of the screw holes.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
pistons and rings looked to be fairly unused. I had my machinist hone
the bores and they came out looking great. The ring end gaps were in
specs on the .25 oversized pistons that had been installed long ago,
so that was all reused. The cylinder head got a fresh set of OEM
valves and a valve job at the machine shop.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There
was a lot of running around San Diego, gathering parts and getting
specialty services performed in order to get the engine parts
arranged for installation and assembly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
had problems getting the rotor off the end of the crankshaft, due to
someone attempting to remove it with a 3-jaw puller and damaging the
first few threads of the rotor where the removal tool inserts. I
forced the 16x1.5 Honda tool into the first few threads and kept
hitting the handles with a hammer to continue rotating the tool into
the threads. At some point, the rotor popped off the end of the
crankshaft. I had to put it in a vise with the tool handle down and
used a big pair of Vise-grips to spin the rotor back off of the
threads. I ordered a 16x1.5 tap for $10 and will clean up the threads
from the inside out to save the rotor from being scrap.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
got an endless cam chain from Tim McDowell’s website and looped it
over the crankshaft before dropping it into the crankcases. In went
the transmission shafts after the shift drum and forks were
reinstalled. Checking the gear dog engagement was surprisingly good,
so I saved my few offset cotters for the next go-round with an
upcoming engine project. In went a new low gear bushing and
kickstarter pawl and plunger/spring assembly, along with new seals. A
coating of MotoSeal on the bottom case half was applied and the cases were reunited again.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Flipping
the cases over, the center cam chain guide roller was installed, now
available from CMSNL.COM. The pistons were installed with new clips
on the pins and rings were checked for end gaps. With the nearly stock
bores and chamfers at the bottom, the cylinders slipped right down on
the pistons with little effort. The OEM head gasket was installed
with a coat of MotoSeal around the o-ring holes to lessen the
possibility of oil migrating through the gasket.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
tricky part of installing the endless chain is that you have to
install the inner ball bearings into the head and leave the cams out
until you slip the chain over the cam sprocket in the narrow channel.
Making sure that the right side piston is on the T mark, you work the cam chain around until the flat on the cam sprocket is even with the
head and the 0 punch mark is at the top. I put a couple of short
sockets on the studs and add a few nuts to help cinch down the whole
cylinder head and cylinder stack while the cam chain is held steady
and camshafts are inserted into the master splines very carefully. It
is a juggling act but with persistence, the cams finally insert into
the sprocket. You have to tap in the right side point cam end slowly
until it engages with the slotted plate in the cam sprocket center.
Once the cams are inserted you have to push the bearings inwards to
clear the edges of the cylinder head surface so the end covers can be
installed to the correct depth.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Once
the cams are located correctly in the head, you have to cinch down
the locking bolt on the left side of the engine and then tighten down
the locking nut on the right side cams. Looking at the top of the
head, the left and right sides are reversed from what is normally called
left and right when you are riding the bike. With cams secured, the
valves can be adjusted, covers installed, and then the top gaskets,
baffle plate, and top cylinder head cover secured with new sealing
washers and nuts. Torque the nuts down to about 16 ft. lbs and you
are just about done with the top end.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">All
the clutch and primary parts can be installed before or after the top
end is done. A careful cleaning of the oil filter adding the missing
o-ring ensures clean oil getting to the crankshaft and top end
bearings. I had a better primary chain than the one that came out.
The original one was walking off the clutch basket and rubbing
notches against the shift shaft! You have to check EVERYTHING when
you reassemble a 50+ year old vintage Honda engine.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">All
in a day’s/week’s work for MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">6/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-32298817833171670772023-05-24T06:55:00.000-07:002023-05-24T06:55:33.805-07:00Lucky... for 75 years.<p> 75 Years of being lucky…</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYoW-xSUoMByl_aeUbWT9wrASsZfqdN1UFRSuOwTiVGm_X7wT6DCuiOPeFBgyW9C1iHR8RxzZyToIP9r8n4T1WMv4WxYXgya52jxbIFlphY7rX-noNi7Sp7tmpBqVsYQDqBBdV9wEHlb8r1XqdGYUG-7rvOilg9VNU4VoY50F9ZHKrakqmASEHKyt/s768/MRHONDA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="730" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYoW-xSUoMByl_aeUbWT9wrASsZfqdN1UFRSuOwTiVGm_X7wT6DCuiOPeFBgyW9C1iHR8RxzZyToIP9r8n4T1WMv4WxYXgya52jxbIFlphY7rX-noNi7Sp7tmpBqVsYQDqBBdV9wEHlb8r1XqdGYUG-7rvOilg9VNU4VoY50F9ZHKrakqmASEHKyt/s320/MRHONDA.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br />It sounds like a
very large number when you say it out loud… 75! Really? 27,375
days, starting in the year that Soichiro Honda organized Honda Motor
Corp. Somehow, that connection lead me to become known as MrHonda
to a worldwide community of enthusiasts. At least, that is how it
seems. Counting your blessings, in a life lived this long, would take another
year, I guess. But, here are some highlights that come to mind this day...<p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have been
born and raised in America’s Finest City. A place of nearly year-round motorcycle riding weather, where tornados, hurricanes, and sub-zero temperatures do not exist.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have been
raised by loving parents and sharing a life with my sister, Carole, and brother Jim.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have had
some “mechanical genes” that lead me to 3 years of auto-shop in
high school and eventually learning something valuable from over 400
cars and motorcycles (mostly Hondas) that I could share with so many
others.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have
avoided the Vietnam War experience, when I was guided to join the
USAF and wound up learning about electronics and winding up in Puerto
Rico for my overseas assignment with the Hurricane Hunters. I had
signed up to be an aircraft mechanic, only to find out that they were
all going to be sent to Vietnam. Divine intervention opened up a new
opportunity for training and a whole different life experience, free
of death, destruction, and war trauma.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have
inherited the “writer gene” from my Grandmother, which spurred me
on to learn to type and create books, blogs, and emails: and even
take over the VJMC newsletter for a few years.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have my daughter Sara, who with her loving husband Alex, has been raising
energetic and creative children who will take my DNA into the future.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have
survived three major motorcycle accidents, suffering road rash and
some broken bones, rather than paralysis or death. Ironically, my
father crashed small private planes three times and survived.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have the
presence of my 95-year-old mother, Shirley, who still drives, cooks, knits, and
laughs at my humor over the dinner table.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to be able to
keep working on vintage Honda bikes which the local populace keeps
dragging up the driveway for rehabilitation.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have the
VA health system to care for my aging bones and keep me healthy and
well.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to be able to
ride out on my 1991 Honda Hawk GT650 with my Jamuligan friends every
Sunday for breakfast rides and discussions about bikes and life in
general.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have
experienced two marriages and the adventures that came with those
relationships.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have so
many friends, near and far, who feel comfortable asking for help
or giving it to me in times of need.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have
technology to be able to share this story with a whole LOT of people
all at once.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lucky, to have
followed my instincts and interest in holistic healing to learn of
the EFT tapping method of healing PTSD and neutralizing unhelpful
memories. To share this kind of transformation work with others fills
me with joy with each client experience.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I have a little
framed poem that I wrote for my dear step-father, Ray Yahnke, who
nurtured our family for over 50 years. It hangs on my bedroom wall. It
was called “Three-quarter Years,” and was written in 1997. I read it and
think that it was a pretty good poem for him and for the times we
shared. </p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">And now, here I am at the three-quarter years mark, filled
with gratitude for the life lived in safety, love, and support from
family, friends and enthusiastic Honda owners all over the world.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Thanks to all who
have shared the journey with me.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka MrHonda</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.vintagehonda.com/">www.vintagehonda.com</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.back2balance.com/">www.back2balance.com</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-30190353425926354602023-05-10T13:56:00.000-07:002023-05-10T13:56:22.158-07:00 CSI-Spring Valley, SL350 mystery…<p>The
SL350 Honda series of MotoSport models had a short-lived and
interesting life span. Honda spawned the SL series models in 1969,
starting with the one-year-only SL90, adding SL70, SL125, and SL175 and
finishing with the 350 twins. Honda’s CL350s were hardly off-road
worthy, being based upon the heavy CB350 street models, by adding
some handlebars, cosmetics and high mounted muffler system. The
initial SL350 was a meager attempt to make the bike more off-road
friendly, at least a little bit, but they continued to make the bike
with an electric starter which added a good ten pounds to the bike
when you consider the starter motor/starter clutch parts, the starter
solenoid, wiring, and a heavier battery.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
SL350K0 continued to use the basic CB/CL engine with large CV
carburetors, but the power delivery might have been altered a bit by
the low-slung black mufflers, mounted on both sides of the bike.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda
got a lot more serious with the SL350K1, when they totally revamped
the bike, adding alloy fenders, deleting the electric starter system,
then installing low-end power-producing modifications such as a
small-port cylinder head, revised camshaft, and a set of 24mm slide-type carburetors. These revisions helped to build mid-range power at
the expense of cutting off the 10k rpm power peak that the earlier
engines were producing. Not content with the K1 mods, Honda added
35mm fork tubes to the front end, replacing the 33mm units that were
commonly used during this period.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
SL350K2 in this case, came from a BAT (bringatrailer.com) auction,
which made its way all the way from FLA to SoCal. The local owner
bought it somewhat on a whim, at what seemed to be a decent price for
what appeared to be a restored machine. Certainly the paint and
bodywork were all up to a good standard, but there were some noted
“oil leaks” and running problems that were addressed by adding a
set of Chinese-made carburetors and manifold adapters, plus some
large pod-type filters.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqnZYPrU8EGmmI0jTGuVXZNLEuWQ1o92ap_knMiuWgEaXGbFk36o2bv-sYbH5BdbmhyhbiQzz5riWbzk0M6uFGolCN0NwAYXI_TiHezewpmXWE_yX-HNkQIzy6jOh0fFaXtyBkZm5SRVZNmGZK4l4DKSjbC_knRRcDX1rzB6lyXBu6ndQJm5Vn3gm/s620/1972_honda_sl-350_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqnZYPrU8EGmmI0jTGuVXZNLEuWQ1o92ap_knMiuWgEaXGbFk36o2bv-sYbH5BdbmhyhbiQzz5riWbzk0M6uFGolCN0NwAYXI_TiHezewpmXWE_yX-HNkQIzy6jOh0fFaXtyBkZm5SRVZNmGZK4l4DKSjbC_knRRcDX1rzB6lyXBu6ndQJm5Vn3gm/s320/1972_honda_sl-350_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Once
it arrived, the bike was taken out for a test run and it promptly
died about 10 miles out from the garage. After popping the gas cap
open to check fuel level and perhaps lessen any effects of a
restricted fuel cap vent, the bike fired back up and was driven back
home safely. In an odd quirk of fate, the owner had the bike out in
his front yard when another friend/customer whose CL77 I had revived
after a 10-year sleep happened to drive by the house and spotted the
bike. He stopped to talk to the owner and the discussion arose about
the bike’s running issues. My name was given as a possible resource
and I got the call the next day.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG23OVrAawpGg4zNQa1GTFw3aK3DnG3iX004hl5J8KaF4NJpye4ysNuS-im3XE6_dTnNBu4HoVptAKvIqv_1sQBrGGdAkJjjxX7oSPsVKAj_xOACQ_KivZQGPW8CO-B8EBYk5JX2p1vo1Qr1wmPR2QnIniC-rRcBmaGpjMKXszwKRQvU_GsvbDJrP/s940/1972_honda_sl-3501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="940" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG23OVrAawpGg4zNQa1GTFw3aK3DnG3iX004hl5J8KaF4NJpye4ysNuS-im3XE6_dTnNBu4HoVptAKvIqv_1sQBrGGdAkJjjxX7oSPsVKAj_xOACQ_KivZQGPW8CO-B8EBYk5JX2p1vo1Qr1wmPR2QnIniC-rRcBmaGpjMKXszwKRQvU_GsvbDJrP/s320/1972_honda_sl-3501.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike and owner live about 35 miles away, near my sister’s house and
my chiropractor's office, which I visit once a month. Being in the
area, I swung by to have a look/listen to the bike. The bike was
started up after a few kicks and initially sounded quite noisy in the
top end, plus there were oil traces at various points on the back of
the engine cases and around both sides of the cylinder head. After a
discussion of the possibilities, I loaded it up and brought it home
for some TLC and hopefully resolution to the various issues.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBPWXoKuiptYBfSEBzBfR7Sr5gpRcxAHEgP9YtaubaRtDjMDYj-9lzUds9JsPHasqshTyRZgWtr5bl7GBoQfoH5rr-gRzNxgTdn6M8Z2ZhRtivvRdaszEygV8tSyFAfknLtG24ou0xTKYA5rjbjrl4YwU6NG4kzYAHjAJc7VJN05rXoT3RQ6mhqJ-/s620/1972_honda_sl-3502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBPWXoKuiptYBfSEBzBfR7Sr5gpRcxAHEgP9YtaubaRtDjMDYj-9lzUds9JsPHasqshTyRZgWtr5bl7GBoQfoH5rr-gRzNxgTdn6M8Z2ZhRtivvRdaszEygV8tSyFAfknLtG24ou0xTKYA5rjbjrl4YwU6NG4kzYAHjAJc7VJN05rXoT3RQ6mhqJ-/s320/1972_honda_sl-3502.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
first actions were to remove the beautifully painted (and signed)
fuel tank and lean the bike over to the right side against the wall
to keep from losing oil from the dyno cover when it was removed.
Rocking the crankshaft back and forth with a 14mm wrench, it was
obvious that the camchain needed to be adjusted. The locking bolt was
loosened and the little snapping sound of the plunger jumping forward
was heard. Rechecking the crankshaft motion again and now the
camshaft was following the crankshaft motion precisely. Next step was
to check the valve clearances, all of which were somewhat loose
beyond specifications. With the dyno cover off, the point cover was
removed and the points checked for proper timing, but only after the
plate and advancer were removed to reveal a leaking camshaft oil
seal. I happened to have one in stock, so it was replaced and
everything reassembled and adjusted.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
fuel tank was replaced and the bike fired up with the little black
carburetor chokes engaged. The engine was much quieter now and a
quick test ride revealed decent power, but the bike stalled out at a
stop sign, then restarted again with a few kicks. For some reason, the kickstarter mechanism seems very difficult to engage the engine at an
angle that promotes easy starting. Plus the right side muffler is
close to the kickstarter arm path, when pushed down with your leg.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Knowing
that the valves were set correctly and the ignition timing was set to
specs, the gas cap was checked by prying out the cap innards and
drilling it apart. There are several discs of metal that comprise the
cap vent system, but despite years of corrosion, the vent holes
appeared to be open sufficiently to allow proper tank venting. When
the vent system is blocked, the fuel flow is restricted or stops due
to a vacuum being produced inside the tank. I cleaned the parts and
used a pop rivet to reassemble the various bits, including replacing
the outer cap seal.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike was driven again, with mostly the same results. Ran fine under
power, but sitting still at idle, would tend to just die out after a
minute. The bike came with a stock set of 24mm carbs, which had been
“rebuilt” but was suffering from a left-side persistent leak.
When the carbs were inspected, the float valve needle was found to be
upside down, causing a fuel leak problem. After turning the needle
around and resetting the float levels, the Chinese set was removed
and the OEM carbs were installed. I had to make some new gaskets for the
manifold from cork material, but the carbs held fuel just fine and
the bike started up somewhat easier. But, again, the test ride was
fine, but the bike stalled in the driveway.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
spark plugs were removed and found to be somewhat fuel-fouled,
possibly due to the Keyster carb kit parts installed. Compression
readings were about 145 psi, which is on the low end of Honda’s
specifications. There was more than a little blow-by coming out of
the breather hose, which dripped some oil solids down on the swing
arm where the tube terminated. I figured that the engine, which
turned out to be from a K1, and bored. .50 oversize hadn’t had
enough running time to seat in the new rings, assuming that it was
machined and assembled correctly.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkuw1SHkwko9cuKJiR9ezJDXfAPPthAE4QdroHUcvFK9arx1c6XHUB-5NTdyD87KZeOreDKlpDtpcb5fGIRt6L_p3HpIcyZammQ-bO7kg2Z-ktxZdmJ2ZFaTz_kHadlLBJ0c5PpTKg1JIzAIsQwGVwJ3nEAgoUMw8cO-KeSXw3GNoHqJxEWuG8UYZ/s620/1972_honda_sl-350_instruments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="620" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkuw1SHkwko9cuKJiR9ezJDXfAPPthAE4QdroHUcvFK9arx1c6XHUB-5NTdyD87KZeOreDKlpDtpcb5fGIRt6L_p3HpIcyZammQ-bO7kg2Z-ktxZdmJ2ZFaTz_kHadlLBJ0c5PpTKg1JIzAIsQwGVwJ3nEAgoUMw8cO-KeSXw3GNoHqJxEWuG8UYZ/s320/1972_honda_sl-350_instruments.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Oil
was dripping into the right side cylinder head cover/cam bearing
housing from a leaking tach drive seal and might have been leaking
past the o-rings that seal the valve adjuster shafts. With some
careful work, you can remove the cam bearings, one at a time, and
inspect the bearings, gasket, and o-rings. One of the o-rings had a
bit of an odd kink to it, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. The
tach seal was replaced and the right side cover was installed. I had
already replaced the left side cam seal but pulled the bearing back
anyway to check the o-rings, which were kind of stiff. I found some
thinner o-rings that were the same OD and added them to the cover
shafts. The other source of oil leaks seemed to be in the top
camshaft cover for the engine and possibly the left side of the head
gasket.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Checking
the ignition system included running tests on the aftermarket coils
that were installed. Ohm tests showed about 3 ohm primary resistance
vs. 4.5 for factory coils and both showed about 10k ohm readings on
the secondary side. But when the bike was running, a dynamic test
light was hooked up revealing that the right side was firing
steadily, but the left side was firing erratically, I had already
made a small adjustment to the point fixed contact which was showing
contact at the edge of the set instead of more towards the center.
Cleaned and re-gapped again, timed accurately, the left side continued
to spark erratically which drags down the right side cylinder
function. This can alter the vacuum signals to the carburetor mixture
circuits, perhaps resulting in fuel fouling. I had already lowered
the slide needles to the leanest position, but the idle jets may be
out of spec. Idle mixture screws were not terribly responsive at
idle. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So, at the moment, the combination of erratic ignition firing
and possible idle jet calibrations was the probable cause of the
stalling problems. A new set of 4.5-ohm coils were ordered, but in
checking the charging system the rectifier wires, which were wrapped
with electrical tape, appeared to have a loose positive battery output
connection that had been “repaired” with a small bent piece of
wire hooked up to what remained of the original electrical
connection on the rectifier. Another rectifier was ordered, but
digging through my spares, I discovered a replacement unit, which was
installed and seemed to work, but just to about 12.5 volts with no
lights on. With lights ON the battery voltage started to dip below
12v, so there were more problems elsewhere.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">So
going down the checklist to consider for engine stalling problems:</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Low
compression/leaking valves</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Incorrect
ignition timing due to gap problems, dirt/corrosion on point contact
faces</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">High
resistance values on the spark plug cap
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Incorrect
coil primary winding values</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Fouled
spark plug/defective spark plug</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">A faulty ignition coil or wiring connections</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Air
leak at carburetor flange</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Inoperative
idle circuit/plugged idle jet</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Spark
advancer return springs weak or worn</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Low
voltage to the ignition system</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">All of the above were corrected, except for the compression issue.</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Establishing
some communications with the FL seller, it was determined that he had
bought the engine from eBay, as well as the cylinder head, which was
installed without checking the valves. Beyond the engine running
issues, the transmission has a bit of a double neutral when shifting
from 1<sup>st</sup> to 2<sup>nd</sup>. That could be some kind of
issue with the shift drum or stopper, but the owner doesn’t want to
spend a lot more money on solving the problems that have arisen. </p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In
having to refinish the rear sprocket cover, I discovered that the
stainless steel Allen head screw was close up against the shift pedal
on the upshift. I replaced the Allen head screw with a standard
Phillips screw to give more clearance.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The best scenario, with it as-is, would be that the piston rings seat
in and the valves find some improved sealing, as the miles accrue and
the bike begins to be more useful and less troublesome. Sometimes, it
doesn’t take much of a building error to spoil a bike project like
this when one component step goes south or is overlooked.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In
the end, I replaced the rear sprocket with a special order 38t unit
from the Sprocket Specialist company. This reduced the rpms by about
500 in top gear. There was some rattling noises on the chain guard,
which turned out to be because the inner portion of the guard was not seated
properly in the raised guides.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">A
final test ride yielded good power, easy shifting for the most part
and was easier to start that in the beginning. The plug check looked
clean on both sides, but it still wanted to die off after 30 seconds
if left unattended. The hot compression test was 120-130psi, so still
below specs, but perhaps it will improve with some miles added to the
engine build.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It
was quite time-consuming and everywhere I looked there were issues
that needed to be corrected or at least noted for the owner’s
benefit.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It
was here for a month… I wonder what’s next?</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver aka MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">05/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-52914434697148175362023-05-05T16:40:00.002-07:002023-05-05T16:40:52.298-07:00 Mini-Trail with maxi-problems…<p>A
local referral brought a nicely restored CT70H (4-speed with clutch)
bike to me to “make it run.” The owner couldn’t get it started
after installing an aftermarket CDI ignition system. I don’t work
on these little bikes very often, but how hard could it be? Right?</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4kY0vvVQ6zc74USZdLPQSTZTC-peCzYPtr2B4PzEbxA2srX5y8c9tzILNp_q1G0-H-7Hdgcvo-hKSQDef-2yoR8rR7sT77KBJ7jJGyjvotezfhvM6YhNS5FuFldGEq034r8R95BEMAANopz4JRunESoht1Y2zJUZEDjILfra3auspwJ33g3vMt4Z/s4080/20230427_115111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4kY0vvVQ6zc74USZdLPQSTZTC-peCzYPtr2B4PzEbxA2srX5y8c9tzILNp_q1G0-H-7Hdgcvo-hKSQDef-2yoR8rR7sT77KBJ7jJGyjvotezfhvM6YhNS5FuFldGEq034r8R95BEMAANopz4JRunESoht1Y2zJUZEDjILfra3auspwJ33g3vMt4Z/s320/20230427_115111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Well,
initially, having pulled the spark plug out and grounded it against
the head, I could see what is typically the little wispy CDI spark
jumping across the plug gap. CDI ignitions have a fast rise time and
the sparks are not the big fat arc that you see with a magneto or
battery ignition system. So, it is easy to miss the spark arc,
especially on a little 10mm spark plug.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Knowing
that I had a spark, but not knowing that it was timed right because
the CDI module controls the spark timing, I went to the next step..
fuel. The bike had older gas that was infused with “stablizer” to
keep it from going off. Age of the gas was not revealed, but it
seemed like it was probably good enough to fire off a 70cc single.
So, off comes the carburetor to check the jets.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As
expected, the pilot/idle jet was blocked off with fuel solids. I have
some tiny tapered jet reamers that will poke through almost anything in
the #35 jet, so once the orifice was clear, the jet was reinstalled.
The carburetor was a Chinese copy of the OEM CT70 carburetor with
#35/60 jetting which was stock for a stock CT70. The float level
looked off, so I reset it using my Honda float level tool, but it
wasn’t clear if the setting was from the gasket surface, the base
below the gasket or the raised flange around the outside of the bowl.
I opted for the gasket surface but found out later that it is
measured from the carb body itself.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Putting
the carb back on, I noticed that the stack of the gasket and
insulator were reversed when removed. Eventually, I had to remove the
manifold and put it on a sander to flatten out the gasket surfaces.
The mounting bolt holes in the manifold were “enlarged”
apparently to compensate for the replacement cylinder head mounting
bolt holes being a little bit “off” from what the manifold was
made for.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then, petcock started drooling at the lever so that needed attention.
The dual fuel hoses were pinched off and the lever was removed. The back
side of the lever was uneven, so that was smoothed out and the parts were reassembled with no further leaks. The float bowl gasket was
typically swelling up so it was washed in soapy water and left in the
sun for a while.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Once
everything was reinstalled, the bike fired up on the second kick with
a full choke. So far, so good… or not. The bike ran okay at idle,
but the first test ride yielded some part throttle misfiring through
the mid-range and towards wide-open throttle. Using the choke, it
picked up power with about half the choke closed, indicating a lean
condition. I tried a number of needle clip positions, but it seemed
to like the richest position for mid-range and top end, but you could
hear it “8-stroking” just off idle and the plug was sooting up.
After quite a while of messing with settings and texting to the
owner, he reminded me that the fuel cap had a variable vent feature
which was in the OFF position. The cap seemed like it might have been
an aftermarket copy as the vent passages were somewhat restricted, so
I spent another 10 minutes massaging it, so that the vent function
was fully operational.
</p><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zz7fQUUIkCXOQvYqQ7R1-s6-3t2EblrIbnQx9zLZBfUnoknvudGkd2OjtG4IAGPKni64INRvO0P8-NJsKj__w0Wmsh7Ncvgy-rxfTzXbq3jiqlgkYVinK-8LkygdLOMxje_-RcMqdCkHnG_wRIurmeEjZzB1s00RYe-PxDkMO_O8khIUYtsnfjaF/s4080/20230427_115118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="4080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zz7fQUUIkCXOQvYqQ7R1-s6-3t2EblrIbnQx9zLZBfUnoknvudGkd2OjtG4IAGPKni64INRvO0P8-NJsKj__w0Wmsh7Ncvgy-rxfTzXbq3jiqlgkYVinK-8LkygdLOMxje_-RcMqdCkHnG_wRIurmeEjZzB1s00RYe-PxDkMO_O8khIUYtsnfjaF/s320/20230427_115118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As
the text conversations continued it was revealed that the engine was
not 70cc but 88cc and more variables came into my head as to what was
happening with the carburetor jetting. The 88cc kits on eBay
included a performance cam, which will upset stock carb calibrations
to a certain degree. All signs were that it was running lean, so I
reamed out the main jet to about #70 size and the bike began to pull
strong through the mid-range and WOT but was still too rich off-idle.
Moving the clip up to lower the needle made the bottom-end leaner but
then the mid-range went lean. Looking carefully at the needle jet, it
appeared that the top edge was not beveled like most of the ones I
have seen. I have run across this problem with Chinese-made carb kits
and it appears to have a big effect on how the fuel is distributed
coming out of the jet edges.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As
an experiment, I had some aftermarket needles for CB400F carbs,
which are a little longer but thinner. I clipped it as lean as
possible and tried it out. The power improved in the mid-range and
WOT but it was still too rich off-idle. I contacted the owner who
told me that he had three more carbs, including an OEM that was going
to be rebuilt, so I asked him to bring it all to me for evaluation.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In
the midst of all this testing, an oil leak developed at what seemed
to be the shift shaft, but with the left side covers removed, it was coming from the big o-ring that surrounds the ignition/charging
system mount plate. I had to pop off the rotor, remove the two mount
screws, and borrowed the o-ring from the OEM plate to seal it up.
While apart, I noticed that one of the CDI coils appeared to be
rubbing up against the inside of the rotor, as there were witness
marks and a bit of metal debris floating around inside. I tried to
reposition the coil slightly and replaced a failed flat washer that
held it in place. Like the movie, these bike projects can become “
The never-ending story” when the combination of OEM and aftermarket
parts collide in a vintage Honda.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Certainly, when you install a big bore piston kit on a stock cylinder head and
manifold/carb setup, the airflow needs are going to be increased
quite a bit. The compression readings were about 160 psi, not
unusually high considering the engine setup. The intake manifold
mounting bolt holes were enlarged around the bottom portion as if
there is a mismatch between the head and manifold dimensions for some
reason. A lot of this information would have been helpful when the
bike was received, rather than learning mid-repair cycle after hours of
fiddling with what should have been an easy repair job. Oh, in the
last visit, the owner felt that the gasoline might be a couple of
years old, but had some stabilizer added when parked!
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">As a
final attempt, I put a #65 main jet in one of the new replica
carburetors, reset the float from 22 to 20mm, put the stock needle in
the middle notch, and bolted it all back up again. I did, as an
experiment, use a large drill bit to flare out the edges of the
needle jet in hopes of improving the fuel delivery flow.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike started quickly (with a new spark plug installed) and pulled
well at medium driving speeds, then with WOT it seemed to pull
cleanly to whatever redline was at a thrilling 30 mph. Hopefully, the
owner will approve of the current setup and it can go back home.
With some fresh gas, it should be good to go again.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka
MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">4/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-1145459247527224462023-04-10T07:18:00.000-07:002023-04-10T07:18:00.270-07:00 Flaps up, Flaps down, Flaps gone! Honda’s carb choke problem<p>If
you have been around vintage Hondas for a while, you may have seen
the destruction that occurs when the little spring-loaded choke plate
flaps break away and get sucked into the intake port. The results are
usually either a piece jamming the intake valve open, where it then
gets whacked by the piston on the upstroke or the part gets all the
way past the valve and into the combustion chamber where it bangs
around denting up the chamber and piston crown or worse…</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETLJmoZTNgiWKFauk0xtyvGCI6X_mV5318TV2NTUaEICjJ76c3_gDAGKdxMIcrKzn8R0aQlxDbvA0LBVxwbwNgNz31jVEF_OaGJgxmYzlfFqBjFa6cwHD3oSjvcP1o5QPNr6Vl1nhe7AoWrDaD0SixqLVW3bqug2OizHCknBPQYZwJmRWY7uL4nPk/s1411/350chokebroken1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1411" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETLJmoZTNgiWKFauk0xtyvGCI6X_mV5318TV2NTUaEICjJ76c3_gDAGKdxMIcrKzn8R0aQlxDbvA0LBVxwbwNgNz31jVEF_OaGJgxmYzlfFqBjFa6cwHD3oSjvcP1o5QPNr6Vl1nhe7AoWrDaD0SixqLVW3bqug2OizHCknBPQYZwJmRWY7uL4nPk/s320/350chokebroken1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Honda CB/CL/SL choke flaps<br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda’s
vision of reducing the amount of unnecessary hydrocarbons that are
created when the engines are put on full choke during a cold start.
Original choke plates were solid doors that shut off 99% of the air
coming into the engine when fully closed. Keihin engineers decided to
create a spring-loaded flapper door that was mounted in the middle of
the choke plate so that even with full choke, there was a way for
air to pass through and keep the plugs from fuel fouling and reduce
the unburned fuel that occurs when the airway is totally obscured.
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehdiPO8JJ5nQGpKPF9tGic1fMFPE3ptfFEbj2m64xhtRZgmluiFH6FXPyuGMkVtASzCWOUmbNFwrHVcnM8-_IkO8I8q3I-aBqksYw6ihp-BgiOdrUjy35BNzUmcv4qgfkM5r6ywMNevVls0kYIvg1QGiDpu5LxW9iWmyObY28abnsMTXBZLCObQMT/s1026/550chokeflap%20front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="974" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehdiPO8JJ5nQGpKPF9tGic1fMFPE3ptfFEbj2m64xhtRZgmluiFH6FXPyuGMkVtASzCWOUmbNFwrHVcnM8-_IkO8I8q3I-aBqksYw6ihp-BgiOdrUjy35BNzUmcv4qgfkM5r6ywMNevVls0kYIvg1QGiDpu5LxW9iWmyObY28abnsMTXBZLCObQMT/s320/550chokeflap%20front.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkQOKcOtiF2_L8LMY-xz8YcXj7OeX8b7Ygjla6XSfllkSQr-Q-nt7AobUYTRN4kdrMem-nBv1cY18ogcuQtU6QapdDfBh3ZoXv1yytPEksf6zXY5De9-VbywijcrFN6B3Fs7s8rgxwe7uddQZdsPuEwSpy1GNgfDWOsBJdWO0RjaUOKCsE4tr8Sdj/s994/550chokeflapback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="953" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkQOKcOtiF2_L8LMY-xz8YcXj7OeX8b7Ygjla6XSfllkSQr-Q-nt7AobUYTRN4kdrMem-nBv1cY18ogcuQtU6QapdDfBh3ZoXv1yytPEksf6zXY5De9-VbywijcrFN6B3Fs7s8rgxwe7uddQZdsPuEwSpy1GNgfDWOsBJdWO0RjaUOKCsE4tr8Sdj/s320/550chokeflapback.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Honda CB550 choke flaps</span><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Honda
put these little flapper doors on many models from the late 1960s and
well into the 1980s. The tension springs are very tiny and the little
flaps that they control can easily overwhelm the spring tension after
a few miles/years. Generally what happens is that the spring tip
breaks off, allowing the little flap to be subject to the whims of
the intake air which is moving at a fairly fast rate. The flappers
were scaled to the sizes of the carburetors, so the little 90s got
tiny ones and the 350-450s got much large versions.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">If
you are looking at buying a 1960-80s Honda with the choke flappers on
the carburetor(s), then it is wise to have the air filters removed to
inspect the condition of the flap. If it missing or damaged, look for
signs that either the compression is low or there are indications
that the engine has been rebuilt on the top end. Pull the spark plug
(s) out and look for signs of damage. What you might find is a bike
that “hasn’t run” for a while and may or may not even turn over
depending upon the amount of damage done. If the bike was trolling
around town when the flap lets go, then sometimes it will quit right
away before too many engine cycles occur. If it happens on the
freeway at 7k rpms, the destruction happens quickly and is usually
deadly to the engine components and hopefully not to the driver.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Looking
up Honda carb choke flaps on eBay, for instance, will bring up a
number of results for the various types depending on the size of
the carburetor throat. They became sturdier in design and probably in
materials towards the end of the carburetor run. Honda began to
switch from flat plates to enricheners using little plungers, some
with calibrated needles to sidestep the flapper problem once and for
all.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi1TQ7F5mOqUKMexSsd2H4RelOQUDytmIGG8oj4KXHicUM2qmb5M1zaypmuJJQtFVNckNpqwl1jAu1i5U89U3KfXZ5gFY_3nR7XdZ0uVdGOHCTKwhrwjOsi48vi8f3qd-GDYGbtTWZci-98QtjOD0oRiIz59ghHCMvJKkJfmLxp0FQsNVwmuXODWw/s944/750flapper%20back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="772" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi1TQ7F5mOqUKMexSsd2H4RelOQUDytmIGG8oj4KXHicUM2qmb5M1zaypmuJJQtFVNckNpqwl1jAu1i5U89U3KfXZ5gFY_3nR7XdZ0uVdGOHCTKwhrwjOsi48vi8f3qd-GDYGbtTWZci-98QtjOD0oRiIz59ghHCMvJKkJfmLxp0FQsNVwmuXODWw/s320/750flapper%20back.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXmjc8vr-mxi4_iOYchPqKnN8B7Vrtr_PMu8BGsbttoXiBJC_q3gTQe9uCdg8HTzA6mR3XQeS6QIsSaU_Yhkg8mDUVc7Tcd_rIHyQim18G3u0vMJV0gElE_RMASW6yTG6AU5KccG2ryVl5lTpkU6qog9aN2rInqtVv6c8bolpw_nMMoRlx3fXKtYw/s913/750flapperfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="714" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXmjc8vr-mxi4_iOYchPqKnN8B7Vrtr_PMu8BGsbttoXiBJC_q3gTQe9uCdg8HTzA6mR3XQeS6QIsSaU_Yhkg8mDUVc7Tcd_rIHyQim18G3u0vMJV0gElE_RMASW6yTG6AU5KccG2ryVl5lTpkU6qog9aN2rInqtVv6c8bolpw_nMMoRlx3fXKtYw/s320/750flapperfront.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Honda CB750 choke flaps</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlxe5cdT6p4kVOVkQyq4XJ5uGLe2ny2IJoPec5OVdQGfw66RQAgJMRltSHmCDma6PpOB-thRxpqWZ2BvqiAJX0Xmfzm0ULkrhfLlGFIBsbnO7-C6x3mrZIHT2cwHooqSzwefXg9qEqOqy_NytiGy_BnxZ8hChISJe-E0OwAQwT5ZQ9fwLpgWa3Dp0/s739/chokestarter%20valve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="739" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlxe5cdT6p4kVOVkQyq4XJ5uGLe2ny2IJoPec5OVdQGfw66RQAgJMRltSHmCDma6PpOB-thRxpqWZ2BvqiAJX0Xmfzm0ULkrhfLlGFIBsbnO7-C6x3mrZIHT2cwHooqSzwefXg9qEqOqy_NytiGy_BnxZ8hChISJe-E0OwAQwT5ZQ9fwLpgWa3Dp0/s320/chokestarter%20valve.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Choke enrichener</div><br /><div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka
MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">4/23</p></div>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-59340473446986994902023-03-30T10:03:00.000-07:002023-03-30T10:03:08.374-07:00 What comes around, goes back around, sometimes... CB160 cafe'<p>Well,
here we go again. Some people adopt stray dogs and cats, I adopt
stray Honda motorcycles. And so it goes… In a local Craigslist
posting, this “cafe” CB160 popped up with a price so low it could
have been a scam, but the text was pretty clear that it was a project
and no longer needed/wanted.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iwds-1k-MLcs4byYjSUwcOeHkE5fR3QybTyu1r8QcCnGrikIAui_XXRSd5TVDksU8ElR2e3nPsONa6iGmAz2wA0rbLJef-AmWcHguVHfh2MjSXOAcjSL718eIZgImZxFjPSAwN0oALpWZcPk4hJ5h6fTqe-cS9jkihwRlxfphNqCCLt_qKurEYI2/s640/00J0J_8rYpbqkvLm7_0ak07K_1200x900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iwds-1k-MLcs4byYjSUwcOeHkE5fR3QybTyu1r8QcCnGrikIAui_XXRSd5TVDksU8ElR2e3nPsONa6iGmAz2wA0rbLJef-AmWcHguVHfh2MjSXOAcjSL718eIZgImZxFjPSAwN0oALpWZcPk4hJ5h6fTqe-cS9jkihwRlxfphNqCCLt_qKurEYI2/s320/00J0J_8rYpbqkvLm7_0ak07K_1200x900.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I responded quickly but didn’t hear back the next day. I
imagined that the seller would have been flooded with responses, but
after a few more days of seeing the post, I renewed my message to
him. The reply was that “someone was coming for it this weekend,
but if it didn’t sell, he would let me know” so I just let it go
for the moment. After the weekend, the post was still up so I checked
again and then the answer was that the buyer had flaked out. Would
I be able to meet him on Thursday? Sure!</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It
was a rainy week, with a bit of drizzle on Thursday, but I loaded up
the Tacoma with a ramp and tie-downs and a bit of money and headed over
to the North Park area of San Diego to see it in person. The owner,
Kevin, had a couple of Honda XL650s, with street rubber, mounted up
and the little CB160 sleeping at the back of the garage. Kevin said
that the “first buyer” had sent a deposit, but lived in
Huntington Beach which is about 90 miles up the coast. When the
weekend rolled around, the buyer couldn’t get a truck to come
down and pick it up with, so the deposit was refunded and I got the
call.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">According
to Kevin and the sparse paperwork supplied, the bike was built in
Utah for the guy’s daughter, who promptly decided that she didn’t
like it, so it was sold to a woman in Pacifica, CA (Northern Calif.).
Kevin bought it from her in 2019, rode it once, tipped it over in the
garage, and broke the connector for the master cylinder reservoir. So, that was the end of the CB160 adventure for him. Now, his wife just
had a daughter, so he was cleaning house and preparing for
fatherhood. We came to a mutual agreement on the price and I loaded
it up in the Toyota and off I went.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
bike: the serial numbers for the frame and engine were pretty close,
indicating that it was a factory-paired bike. Obviously, there was a
great deal of work involved in powder-coating the chassis and wheel
rims, plus the engine was all painted up. Hydraulic master cylinders
operated the small slave cylinders that pull, rather than push when
activated for the front brake linkage and the clutch lifter.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Peeking
under the cafe racer seat pan, all the electrics were relocated to a
flat plate that was welded to the back of the frame. A rather large
AGM battery was mounted using parts of the original CB160 battery
holder bracket. When checked, the battery was down to 3.4 volts, so
that went onto the charger right away. The beautifully reworked fuel
tank had been smoothed out and the tank badge recesses filled in. The
stock CB160 petcock was removed and cleaned/rebuilt.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
carburetors were some Chinese copies of Honda ATV carburetors from
the 1980s, having only 18mm slides. Because they were made for
single-cylinder models, each had a separate plastic choke lever, on
the left side. The carb flanges mounting holes had been enlarged in
order to fit onto the stock 160 carb manifolds and the carb tops had
shortened tubing connectors to allow the throttle cable to be
attached. The carbs were full of slimy old fuel, so were disassembled
and given a bath in the ultrasonic cleaner.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
AGM battery mounted in the tail section was dated 2018 and failed to
take a full charge after 24 hours of cooking on the charger. The
replacement cost $80 but was available at a local bike supply shop.
With a fresh battery installed and rebuilt carbs, the remote fuel
bottle was connected and then the left side carb started leaking from
the drain port on the bottom of the bowl. I removed the bowl and
cleaned the shutoff screw tip more thoroughly but it still dripped
until I put the bowl in a vise and used my big screwdriver to tighten
up the screw with a lot of force. That fixed the leak, so the bowl
went back on.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
ignition timing was checked next. The spark advancer weight springs
were a bit loose, so the advancer was removed, and cleaned, springs
tightened up and point cam lube applied. The ignition timing was
checked and adjusted, along with the camchain tension.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The
electric starter was working now, but there were snapping sounds
coming from the starter clutch which was slipping on the hub. So, the
rotor was removed and loose pieces were retrieved from below the stator
where they fell out. Fortunately, the starter clutch parts are all
the same as the 250-305 items, so I was able to rebuild the starter
clutch with spares.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With
a good grip on the crankshaft, the engine spun over and started up to
full roar. The carb cable for the left side wasn’t letting the
slide come down all the way, but a bit of work got that squared away.
Apart from a bit of valve clatter, the engine settled down and didn’t
smoke while running for the few minutes of start-up after 4 years of
sleeping.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">I
thought that the valve noise needed to be investigated, so I checked
the clearances… The right side valves were at about .004-.005,”
but when I went to the left side the clearances were about .125”!
Looking at the height of the adjustment screw settings, it was
apparent that the valves had been set on the wrong stroke. When they
were adjusted back to the .002” specification, the motor quieted
down markedly.
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Having
the original UT title in hand, because it had never been changed to a
CA title, I contacted the original owner and builder to see if there
was anything else he could tell me about the bike’s build. He was
surprised, of course, to hear about the bike that he had built almost
ten years ago. After sending him photos and details about what had
been done to the bike recently, he asked if I was going to sell it.
Having ridden it once around the block, it was so uncomfortable that
I would never have kept it for myself. We struck a deal and when he’s
able to fetch it from 475 miles away, it will be his once again.</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill
Silver</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka
MrHonda</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">3/23</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1972124591600358168.post-19538407681898201432023-03-20T16:25:00.000-07:002023-03-20T16:25:22.474-07:00 Mechanic to the stars…. Sort of<p>Those of you who
follow the comings and goings of bikes, in my care, may have seen the
1965 CP77, which I wrote about last year and could have owned (but
didn’t), go through BAT auctions for $31k recently. Records were
produced that showed the bike being given to Solar Productions from
AHMC as a “promotion” gift and DMV paperwork also verified the
ownership of Steve McQueen. How AHMC got their hands on a non-Police
CP77, which is not a US model, and passed it along to Steve will
always be a mystery. When I had the bike here, it required rebuilding
the seized engine, full fuel system clean, adding new tires, cables, and a battery to make it
run again, but no other restoration of any degree was performed.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">See:
<a href="http://www.mrhonda.guru/2022/08/1965-honda-cp77-p-stands-for-project.html">http://www.mrhonda.guru/2022/08/1965-honda-cp77-p-stands-for-project.html</a>
for details on that one.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">My friend Don, who
is a wrangler of bikes and deals with the rich and famous <br />
(and
was the middleman for the CP77 repair work) then brought by a very
innoculous-looking white 1964 Honda Cub 50, a few weeks ago. It had
an oil leak, the ignition switch was damaged and when it did run, the
rear tail light filament wouldn’t light up, even though we put in a
new bulb and a 12v test light showed power getting to the bulb socket
contacts.</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08jwx32LST-OU5oAD6DNZsLafhl_Fu6BrUSYjA6cp8psMVEbyIYXGP0es3IY_KYtvpDz8sBD4pjQIxb0IiQ3j0hHhS9vVohC7tuNGRrZGUzD-W73uv_FmPvw38hg7RU-UwKuKQeAYRau9pGr41ux3ZZ5cEOdb5ld2B7yBHQ12DU-DAcAujbTegFld/s1015/CA100%20-%20HONDA%2050.TIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1015" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08jwx32LST-OU5oAD6DNZsLafhl_Fu6BrUSYjA6cp8psMVEbyIYXGP0es3IY_KYtvpDz8sBD4pjQIxb0IiQ3j0hHhS9vVohC7tuNGRrZGUzD-W73uv_FmPvw38hg7RU-UwKuKQeAYRau9pGr41ux3ZZ5cEOdb5ld2B7yBHQ12DU-DAcAujbTegFld/s320/CA100%20-%20HONDA%2050.TIF" width="320" /></a></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Factory C100 photo, courtesy of AHMC.</span><br /><br /><p></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Anyway, after
receiving a defective 6-wire ignition switch from Thailand, the
replacement arrived within 10 days and proved to be a better
candidate for the bike’s ignition system issues. Several problems
were resolved after removing an extra ground wire that had been
installed which kept the neutral switch ON and the brake light
circuit energized even with the ignition switch OFF. The wires were
reconnected properly (these are unusual bikes in that they have a
fuse on the ground wire of the battery, instead of the + positive
side and the ignition switch opens the ground circuit instead of the
normally hot side of the wiring) and the neutral light/brake light
problems were eliminated.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The tail light
function problem was resolved when I used my 12v test light to ground
the tail light bracket to the engine and then the light powered up
normally. Despite being bolted firmly to the rear fender, somehow the
paint on the tail light bracket and the rear fender kept the bracket
from grounding properly. Removal of the bracket and a bit of paint
solved the grounding issue, which apparently must have been present
since the bike was built.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">There was another
problem with the new headlight bulb only working on high beam. After
disassembly of the dimmer switch, which takes watchmaker skills,
nothing was seen to cause a problem with switching from LOW to HIGH
beam, so a further check discovered that the tang on the headlight
bulb was installed into the reflector in one of the three socket
slots instead of the index slot. Turning the bulb a half inch solved
that problem, as well.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The big oil leak
proved to be due to the thick, but original shift shaft seal. For $8,
an eBay seller provided just the right seal and the leaks underneath
were reduced to nearly zero after it was replaced. The magneto and
rear chain cover had to be removed to access the seal more easily, so
I nudged the ignition timing a bit more advanced than it was before,
through the access holes on the flywheel.
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">With the little bike
up and running, charging and lighting up properly, Don came back to
fetch it again. He said that the bike has been traced to the estate
of Grace Kelly. Apparently, Honda shipped a white and red C100 Cub to
their address in 1964. It is uncertain as to whether Grace Kelly
actually rode the bike or not. There was no license plate on the bike
and no indications of ownership. It just looks like a plain white
2,600-mile C100 Cub 50 with a nice fresh seat cover and new tires.
You just never know what the story is behind some of these vintage
Hondas.</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Coming soon…
Another Steve McQueen vintage Honda story…</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Bill Silver</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">aka MrHonda</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.vintagehonda.com/">www.vintagehonda.com</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>MrHonda (Bill Silver)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01545188341727367145noreply@blogger.com0