Author Topic: My '78 CB750F project - Reassembly! (Read 10520 times)

tweakin · « **Reply #25 on:** January 15, 2012, 06:18:06 AM »

Excellent progress, good to see another F geting the treatment. Keep it up!

cmonSTART · « **Reply #26 on:** January 16, 2012, 03:39:35 PM »

More picking and poking this afternoon. I managed to get all of the stuck piston rings off tonight. I put all 4 pistons top down in a coffee can of Marvel's and warmed the whole thing up. After an hour of soaking in hot Marvels I managed to pop all of the stuck rings off with a pick. Just so you know, hot Marvel's smells like wintergreen gum.

I also did some more clean up on the bottom crank case.

cmonSTART · « **Reply #27 on:** January 20, 2012, 11:08:42 AM »

Well, I had never tried it before, but soda blasting does a great job cleaning up skunky carb parts. Now, my system is a bit unrefined as I am using a cheapy gravity fed blasting gun, but in the course of about 30 seconds I cleaned up a carburetor very very well!

I will have to post some pictures later!

cmonSTART · « **Reply #28 on:** January 21, 2012, 01:00:51 PM »

More cleaning up today! I spent some time giving various engine components a bath in the kitchen sink. Hot, soapy water and a long bristle brush really cleans up cylinder fins well. Just make sure you oil things you don't want to rust.

I also took apart the front forks and cleaned up/painted the fork lowers. The tubes aren't too bad I suppose. I might replace them at a later date. We'll see.

cmonSTART · « **Reply #29 on:** January 25, 2012, 11:36:26 AM »

Waiting for my fork seals to come in I cleaned up and painted the fork lowers. They look nice.

My blasting media finally came in for the frame. I'll hopefully get that cleaned up in a few days.

cmonSTART · « **Reply #30 on:** January 26, 2012, 03:35:41 PM »

My frame and swing arm are painted - finally! I have to get both wheels back on and I'll finally have a place to start bolting things back onto.

Freaky1 · « **Reply #31 on:** January 26, 2012, 04:47:27 PM »

Glad to welcome another "F" back to the world of the living. Nice work so far, feels so good when you turn the corner from pulling apart and cleaning to rebuilding.

cmonSTART · « **Reply #32 on:** January 26, 2012, 05:27:22 PM »

I'm so ready to turn the corner!

cmonSTART · « **Reply #33 on:** January 27, 2012, 01:12:04 PM »

The rear shocks cleaned up better than I expected, but I think I will still replace them at some point. They are pretty pitted in places. Other than that, assembly is beginning without a hitch right now. I got the swingarm and rear shocks on. I just have to get some more black paint before I can start on the trees.

I have plenty of "help".

cmonSTART · « **Reply #34 on:** January 28, 2012, 03:23:50 PM »

I decided to remove and clean up the rear shocks some more. So, after some disassembly, clean-up, paint, and reassembly, here they are. Or rather, here is a before and after picture. I need to replace the rubber bushings in the top eye still.

Freaky1 · « **Reply #35 on:** January 30, 2012, 08:53:45 AM »

Quote from: cmonSTART on January 27, 2012, 01:12:04 PM

The rear shocks cleaned up better than I expected, but I think I will still replace them at some point. They are pretty pitted in places. Other than that, assembly is beginning without a hitch right now. I got the swingarm and rear shocks on. I just have to get some more black paint before I can start on the trees.

I have plenty of "help".

I love having "helpers", I have three of my own and they do some pretty nice work too!

cmonSTART · « **Reply #36 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:55:29 PM »

I had to take it easy on the project for the past week or so. My wife was due to have a baby (and indeed we did this past Saturday) so I was trying to get in as much business related work as possible beforehand. I was able to pick and poke occasionally, but wasn't able to do much work until today.

In the past week though I have managed to reassemble the trees (only to find that when properly torqued, the bearing is garbage. New bearing ordered along with some clubman bars.

Today I started digging into the front wheel. I removed the tire and started cleaning things up a bit. I've mostly decided on a color scheme, but I may wait to paint it until everything is together. I keep changing my mind.

Freaky1 · « **Reply #37 on:** February 08, 2012, 08:54:51 AM »

Congrats on the new little helper!

dagersh · « **Reply #38 on:** February 08, 2012, 10:00:07 AM »

Congrats on the baby!

Dude, the pace of your work is incredible - so is the quality!

Looking forward to seeing this bike rock!

Enjoy!

Gersh

cmonSTART · « **Reply #39 on:** February 08, 2012, 04:58:14 PM »

Handlebars and bearing set came in the mail today, and even though I have to take it back apart I couldn't resist mounting the handlebars. I love them. They definitely give the bike an attitude and a direction.

cmonSTART · « **Reply #40 on:** February 10, 2012, 01:18:07 PM »

I installed the new All Balls steering bearing set yesterday evening and put the front back together this afternoon. I ended up shaving the old gauge mounts off as I will not be using them. It's a cleaner look I think - and I saved probably .000001 ounces of weight!

cmonSTART · « **Reply #41 on:** March 02, 2012, 05:32:41 PM »

After being away on a business trip for a week and the following week+ of catch-up, I finally got out to the workshop today! The wood stove was going and it was just a nice afternoon working on a rear wheel assembly. I cleaned things up a bit, repacked a bearing, cleaned up a sprocket (which has zero wear on it weirdly), etc etc etc.

I have to order some tires so I can get those on. I'm still bouncing around ideas about what I want.

CBDee · « **Reply #42 on:** March 03, 2012, 08:13:52 AM »

Put the engine back in the frame before you mount your wheels its def a lot easier to put the frame together with the engine then it is to heft the engine in later, and less chances to f*#@k up the paint. IMO

cmonSTART · « **Reply #43 on:** March 03, 2012, 02:18:07 PM »

You sir may have a point there!

lucky · « **Reply #44 on:** March 03, 2012, 03:51:24 PM »

Quote from: cmonSTART on January 09, 2012, 05:46:43 PM

The past couple days I've just picked and poked at things, trying to get my head around what needs to be done to this to get it where I want it. Here is my plan of attack thus far:

1. Rolling Chassis - Get the frame sandblasted and painted and the front and rear suspension/wheels bolted back on.

2. Engine - Rebuild the engine (836 kit, head work, clean it up and figure out a paint scheme for it.) Get the engine back into the frame

3. Carburetors and other stuff needed to make it run and drive.

4. Tank, seat, signals, electrics, odd essential stuff.

I may or may not rewire the bike. I'm trying to cut as much weight as possible. We will see.

Paint the frame but do not put on the front and rear suspension until you have
the engine in the frame.

Just lay the engine on its side on a blanket and lower the frame over the engine. MUCH EASIER.

Freaky1 · « **Reply #45 on:** March 30, 2012, 11:29:50 AM »

I've got a Gordon frame kit on mine and even with an extra set of hands I still think it was easier the first time when we lowered the frame over the motor like Lucky said.

cmonSTART · « **Reply #46 on:** April 22, 2012, 02:37:09 PM »

I've actually been considering a frame kit as you said (Gordon, I think cycle X has one, etc.) just because I probably will have this engine out again at a later time. The only bummer is I've already painted the frame, so it means messing up a bit of that. Oh well.

I just finished joining the engine crankcase halves in the shop. Everything major down there looks pretty good now, so I just need to focus on painting the crankcase and deciding what I'm going to do with the pistons/rings.

Lucky, I probably will take your advice about putting the engine back in.

smitty836f2 · « **Reply #47 on:** April 22, 2012, 06:53:59 PM »

great work so far man, where did you get the all balls steering bearing kit?

cmonSTART · « **Reply #48 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:13:17 PM »

http://www.z1enterprises.com/Steering-Bearing--Seal-Kit--Honda-2778.aspx

cmonSTART · « **Reply #49 on:** April 25, 2012, 04:02:48 PM »

I was able to join the crankcases after putting a new cam chain on and got it up on the engine stand finally. I really have to figure out a paint scheme for this engine!

So far I'm pretty impressed with Cycle X's "race proven" gasket set. It's a complete set (oil seals and all) and top quality!

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Author Topic: My '78 CB750F project - Reassembly! (Read 10520 times)