Topic: Honda General Service Bulletins and other miscellaneous Honda documents

[CycleRanger]

Scanning some stuff tonight. I don't know if these service bulletins have been posted here before. They're not specific to SOHC's.
I have a bunch more of these generic SB's. I'll post some of the others that might be interesting in the future.

[Dimitri13]

Mike, Steve, and Bob, eh?

[Stev-o]

Very cool. So you "borrowed" them from a shop?!

[scottly]

The battery acid part jives with what MCRider has been saying for a while now. I didn't really believe it, but I do now!!

[andrewk]

Cool pics-  thanks for sharing them!

[cookindaddy]

The check boxes and the names reminded me of working in an office in the late 60's when the mail girl (it was always a girl) would bring around your mail every day and things that were to be "circulated" (shared) went from person to person. You checked your name off to prove that you'd seen it and then you put it in your out box. The mail person would then take it to the next person on the list. Way before computers.

Thanks for sharing the battery acid/chain info. I had no idea it was catastrophic. I'll be under the bike checking the end of my overflow tube.

I've been storing gauges on their faces because they don't roll around that way - oops

[bollingball]

I love those SB keep them coming. Good argument for a (AGM).
I have read a lot of them but I'm sure there are some I have not seen.
Got any for a 78 750 K?

                                         Ken

[MoMo]

I remember seeing some of those bulletins.  I am now using AGM batteries on all my recent builds, to save chains, swing arms, frames, exhaust, fenders, etc. Here is damage caused by acid and water...Larry.

[andrewk]

It would be neat to find an old honda crate like that,  even better if there were a bike inside!

[FuZZie]

Cool CycleRanger thanks for posting them and I can't wait to see the rest! 

[MCRider]

The battery acid part jives with what MCRider has been saying for a while now. I didn't really believe it, but I do now!!

Yay! I knew I'd seen that in print somewhere in my earlier days, But i could not for the life of me find it. I think I always searched under CB750 Service bulletins, forgetting that it was a generic all-bike bulletin. No other reason ever fixed the problem or logically made sense as to why it was happening.

Note the date 1973. That's about when the CB750 breaking mysteriously stopped. Attention to routing of the battery tube is crucial. Especially when the bike is put on the side stand. The angle allows an out of position/ too short tube to drip right on the chaiin.

The tube should pass down the right side of centerstand mount, I tie wrap mine to the mount, and be long enough and low enough that it can't drip on the chain under any circumstance.

Many of the major chain manufacturers have the same warning in their install documents.
Thanks CycleRanger for confirming I'm not crazy.

[CycleRanger]

Yay! I knew I'd seen that in print somewhere in my earlier days, But i could not for the life of me find it. I think I always searched under CB750 Service bulletins, forgetting that it was a generic all-bike bulletin. No other reason ever fixed the problem or logically made sense as to why it was happening.

Note the date 1973. That's about when the CB750 breaking mysteriously stopped. Attention to routing of the battery tube is crucial. Especially when the bike is put on the side stand. The angle allows an out of position/ too short tube to drip right on the chain.

The tube should pass down the right side of centerstand mount, I tie wrap mine to the mount, and be long enough and low enough that it can't drip on the chain under any circumstance.

Many of the major chain manufacturers have the same warning in their install documents.
Thanks CycleRanger for confirming I'm not crazy.

It's obvious that acid will etch metal but I was skeptical it could happen so fast.   
I guess because the chain is tempered the acid etching would affect the internal stress of the link plates.

There's another SB a bit earlier that details the battery vent tube routing for about a dozen different bikes.

Also notice how Honda seems to be saying that now that they provided that info they will no longer factory warranty any damage, they've pushed the liability to the dealers. I imagine that's why all the guys in the shop had to acknowledge reading the SB.

Perhaps Glenn can archive these somewhere.

[MCRider]

Yay! I knew I'd seen that in print somewhere in my earlier days, But i could not for the life of me find it. I think I always searched under CB750 Service bulletins, forgetting that it was a generic all-bike bulletin. No other reason ever fixed the problem or logically made sense as to why it was happening.

Note the date 1973. That's about when the CB750 breaking mysteriously stopped. Attention to routing of the battery tube is crucial. Especially when the bike is put on the side stand. The angle allows an out of position/ too short tube to drip right on the chain.

The tube should pass down the right side of centerstand mount, I tie wrap mine to the mount, and be long enough and low enough that it can't drip on the chain under any circumstance.

Many of the major chain manufacturers have the same warning in their install documents.
Thanks CycleRanger for confirming I'm not crazy.

It's obvious that acid will etch metal but I was skeptical it could happen so fast.   
I guess because the chain is tempered the acid etching would affect the internal stress of the link plates.

There's another SB a bit earlier that details the battery vent tube routing for about a dozen different bikes.

Also notice how Honda seems to be saying that now that they provided that info they will no longer factory warranty any damage, they've pushed the liability to the dealers. I imagine that's why all the guys in the shop had to acknowledge reading the SB.

Perhaps Glenn can archive these somewhere.

My suspicion is that the test in the bulletin was just to show it could happen. In reality, what was happening was over a longer period of time. Say, someone parked their bike on the sidestand for the winter. During which they put a battery charger on it, causing fumes to come out of the battery and condense in the tube. Then there was slow Chinese torture type drip.

Come spring, take the thing out, go to blow the cobwebs out of it, crack the throttle and the chain snaps.

Of course there are many scenarios, that's just one.

[lone*X]

Your collection of SB's is a valuable resource and will be much appreciated as you get them posted.  Maybe the Admins can give you a child board in the Trick, Tips and How To's for "Service Bulletins and other Documentation".  Maybe other members have similar documents that they could share.  It could even include things like magazine articles and sales brochures.   Not a place for conversation but a place for research.  Just a thought.

[MCRider]

Your collection of SB's is a valuable resource and will be much appreciated as you get them posted.  Maybe the Admins can give you a child board in the Trick, Tips and How To's for "Service Bulletins and other Documentation".  Maybe other members have similar documents that they could share.  It could even include things like magazine articles and sales brochures.   Not a place for conversation but a place for research.  Just a thought.

There are such places on the Home Page for example;
http://www.sohc4.net/?p=134
But they are not easy to find. I don't even know how you get to the Home Page from the Forum page, I have to enter the addy in the browser and go that way.

[CycleRanger]

Your collection of SB's is a valuable resource and will be much appreciated as you get them posted.  Maybe the Admins can give you a child board in the Trick, Tips and How To's for "Service Bulletins and other Documentation".  Maybe other members have similar documents that they could share.  It could even include things like magazine articles and sales brochures.   Not a place for conversation but a place for research.  Just a thought.

Yes, that would be great.
I'd like to see these archived here.
There is an archive of the model-specific bulletins but I haven't found some of the "generic" SB's I've got anywhere else.
It's time consuming to scan this stuff but I will post some more since it appears there's some interest.

[lone*X]

Ron, the forum index page has the model specific links (just below the world tour index) to the documentation, and the SOHC/4 Web Site link is also at the top right, just under the search box but those are model specific.  But like you said, you have to go looking for it.   None of these would lend themselves to generic data from Honda.   I would think the SB's need to be in the How To forum.   Guess it doesn't matter where their put, they will be well received and often referenced.

[MCRider]

Ron, the forum index page has the model specific links (just below the world tour index) to the documentation, and the SOHC/4 Web Site link is also at the top right, just under the search box but those are model specific.  But like you said, you have to go looking for it.   None of these would lend themselves to generic data from Honda.   I would think the SB's need to be in the How To forum.   Guess it doesn't matter where their put, they will be well received and often referenced.

I see, though not really. What you describe doesn't seem to be what i see. To my limited powers its not intuitive. Why do I click on links to the World Tour for example, when i want to go to the Home Page? It works fine once you know.

In fairness I couldn't do ANY better, building and maintaining this beast has to be a grind. I have no complaints. Just questions I can work around.

Back to the SBs, there is a "technical" menu which could hold generic PDFs. In the case of the chain/acid SB, it could be on both the tech and the CB750 as that's where the main problem lay.

That one alone is worth a donation from me.   

[CycleRanger]

Ok, here's a few more.
One Service Reminder regarding the proper installation of the front axle, an SB indicating the switch from oil to ATF in the forks, and SB about bleeding the brakes.

[CycleRanger]

Then there's these pages from the "Honda Update '75", a package that was sent out to dealers as kind of a preview of upcoming models and changes for the new year.
 (The majority of the '75 update concerns the GL1000 of course.)
 These pages may help explain changes that were made to all Honda models in the '74-75 time frame.
 Particular to the 750's it may explain why the petcock moved, why the speedo numbers changed, the addition of the rubber tip to the kick stand, and some control standardization.
 Anyway, enjoy!

[bollingball]

OK Lone*x you brought up something I have been wondering about. What is a child board I look at them and it didn't look like it was just for kids

[CrankyOldGuy]

Good info.  Would like to try the acid test on the chain and hear the links cracking.

Any idea when Honda stopped replacing chain damaged crankcases under warranty?  I believe they replaced the crankcase on m 750K1 late fall 73 ... possibly 74.  Then again I delivered the motor to the dealer and they took pity on me ... not 

Harry O.

[lone*X]

OK Lone*x you brought up something I have been wondering about. What is a child board I look at them and it didn't look like it was just for kids

Hierarchical file structure.  OK, Think parent board (forum), and child board.  Like in file structure, a parent folder and sub folder.  For an example look at  the Trick, Tips, and How To forum.  Check just above the Electrical board and you will see the heading "Child  Boards".  It just boards within a board, or forums within a forum. 

[ekpent]

Learned something new on the front brake bleed.Always ran it back to the handle when pumping. Never knew about piston over travel,guess I will tape a little block on the handle next time.

[Stev-o]

Good info.

What happened to the "this is your chain on acid" thread name?! Far catchier!