Topic: 1972 Honda CB350F Restoration

[Rob69]

While doing some research on a restoration project, I came across this forum and found a lot of helpful tips and techniques, not mention a plethora of other information. The project came about as a result of my former boss being approached to do a full restoration of a 1972 Honda CB350F. He was interested but didn't have the facilities or time to dedicate to a full restoration, so he approached me and asked if I'd be interested in taking on the project in a joint effort. Of course, I accepted. We had both worked for the same Honda dealership. My former boss being 25 years my elder (I'm 43) remembers these bikes when they were new, so his knowledge had proved invaluable. Me, well, I've developed an appreciation for these relics that I didn't have before. Hence the reason why I'm here. Anyway, that's the story.

Pictured below is the bike as it was delivered to my garage last August. I'll be posting additional pictures and details as time permits. As of this post, we're half way through the restoration.

[toytuff]

These are just fun little bikes.


Keep us posted on the project. I just finished mine and it is up for sale. If it sells I have a lot of spare parts but like I said. If the bike sells. 

tt

[Rob69]

These are just fun little bikes.


Keep us posted on the project. I just finished mine and it is up for sale. If it sells I have a lot of spare parts but like I said. If the bike sells. 

tt

I'm sure you'll have no problem selling it  . I didn't realize how collectible these are until I delved into the project. While searching for parts on E-Bay, I saw one go for $9,055 [USD]. Of course, it was absolutely mint and only had 500 miles. I've seen other examples going for $2,000 and up.

As far as parts are concerned, the one part I haven't able to find yet is a tool tray lid.

Anyway, below is a picture of the bike after I power washed off decades of grease and dirt. That was after cleaning a sizable rodent's nest out from under the seat (I used a spatula and followed up with a wet and dry vac. Not anything you want to breath in). The last time this thing was registered and inspected was 1984. I suspect it hasn't run for almost as long.

[thrutheframe]

Is that a stock tank?  With the tank on it looks like the bike has more rake than larger SOHC4s.  Do the 350 's have more rake?  I don't really see it that way with the tank off.

[toytuff]

Wow, starting to look good. 

Three lids on flea bay but way over priced. Put a want list in the "parts wanted" section. Members more than happy to help out.

Yes, it seems they are going a little higher on flea bay now. Might put mine away for two or three years. 

tt

[Rob69]

Is that a stock tank?  With the tank on it looks like the bike has more rake than larger SOHC4s.  Do the 350 's have more rake?  I don't really see it that way with the tank off.

Yes, it's the stock tank. It might be the angle at which I took the photo that's giving it a more raked look.

Wow, starting to look good. 

Three lids on flea bay but way over priced. Put a want list in the "parts wanted" section. Members more than happy to help out.

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I found a tool tray and lid  on E-bay for $85.00 or something like that, and the lid is cracked in several places. Sorry, no deal. I can get an aftermarket tool tray for 45.00 from davidsilverspares.com. I can't say much bad about E-Bay, I found some incredibly hard-to-find NOS pieces. For awhile, I was checking for parts every other day.

Yes, it seems they are going a little higher on flea bay now. Might put mine away for two or three years. 

tt

Looking at yours, I don' t think you'd have any trouble getting at least 5-6 grand. Maybe more. I guess it's worth what someone's willing to pay. It is an exceptionally nice piece and it's rare. I'm sure there's a buyer out there willing to pay a pretty penny. Unfortunately, I don't get to keep this. I'm just getting paid to restore it. I think the bike has a lot of sentimental value to the owner, being that it was a restoration project started by his son, whom as I understand it, is deceased. After all the effort that's been put into this bike, I'll hate to see it go.

Below is a photo that I took after removing the motor.  I won't bore anybody with the dozens of pics I took before and while I was disassembling the bike. Those are for my reference. I want everything to go back exactly as it came apart. I do wish I had taken more pictures of the actual tear-down process in steps, but hindsight is 20/20. I will be more conscious about taking pictures of the assembly process, which has already begun.

[CycleRanger]

I want everything to go back exactly as it came apart. I do wish I had taken more pictures of the actual tear-down process in steps, but hindsight is 20/20. I will be more conscious about taking pictures of the assembly process, which has already begun.

You do have the parts list right?
http://honda4fun.com/materiale-documentazione-tecnica/parts-list/parts-list-cb350
 

[toytuff]

You have to take your time finding parts. Deals are out there. Be patient.

5 or 6 grand? Don't think so. I wish! 

 My bottom on mine is $3500.00. Losing money and the labor was the love it.

tt

[Rob69]

I want everything to go back exactly as it came apart. I do wish I had taken more pictures of the actual tear-down process in steps, but hindsight is 20/20. I will be more conscious about taking pictures of the assembly process, which has already begun.

You do have the parts list right?
http://honda4fun.com/materiale-documentazione-tecnica/parts-list/parts-list-cb350
 

Much thanks. This site is overwhelming. I'm trying to take in as much as I can. All help is greatly appreciated.

You have to take your time finding parts. Deals are out there. Be patient.

5 or 6 grand? Don't think so. I wish! 

 My bottom on mine is $3500.00. Losing money and the labor was the love it.

tt

You should have no problem getting $3,500. I suspect if you really want to sell it and placed it on E-Bay, you'd have a bidding war on your hands. I've seen rougher examples go for 2-3 grand. Perhaps I'm just being an optimist. 

Well, below are pictures of the top end of the motor being disassembled and inspected.  The poor thing had a rough life. One of the cam followers showed the stellite coating worn off and had to be replaced. The corresponding cam lobe has some slight wear, but nothing that warrants replacing the camshaft (if they can even be had anymore).

The valves were removed, cleaned and inspected, as well as lapped and new valve stem seals installed. Each valve was flow tested. Again, some wear, but nothing to be too concerned about. I personally was a little concerned about the lack of "margin" on a few of the valves, but they're all within spec. The decision was made to forge ahead. Wear (mushrooming) was also noted on the tappet adjusting screws, so it was decided to replace them. Oh, the valve guides are fine.

The cam chain tensioner slipper showed wear and was replaced.

The bores look good and the rings are free. My partner ran a hone through each bore. Of course, all top-end gaskets and seals were replaced. We decided not to get too technical with things (mostly for reasons pertaining to cost and limited parts availability). I don't think this bike is going to see much road use once it's completed, let alone having its guts turned out. It'll run just fine and be a great daily rider.

[Rob69]

As indicated below, I removed the clutch and measured the springs and friction disks. The metal plates showed no signs of burning or being warped. All components look good and are within spec. While all of this was happening, I was also busy with stripping the rest of the bike down to the frame to get it powder-coated and cleaning and polishing salvageable parts.

[Rob69]

A lot has been accomplished since I last posted. The restoration is nearly complete. Below are some pictures of the progress that's been made over the past few months.

While the engine was apart, being serviced and painted, I had the engine covers and the rear brake panel polished:



After the polished parts came back, I sent the following parts out to be chromed:



I also sent the frame and related parts out to be powder coated. Below is before and after pictures of the frame:











More to come.

[toytuff]

Great job!

I sold mine so if you need anything let me know. I don't have much but a part is a part.

tt

[Rob69]

Great job!

I sold mine so if you need anything let me know. I don't have much but a part is a part.

tt

Thank, but I have everything I need, though I could use a properly working petcock assembly. Despite completely rebuilding mine, it flows fuel when the lever is turned to the "off" position. Upon further inspection, it appears as though the petcock body is eroded, which is keeping it from sealing properly.

By the way, how much did you get for yours? That was a nice piece.

[Rob69]

Moving along.

Below are some pictures of the motor after it was painted and assembled (I know I went overboard).

















More to come.

[CycleRanger]

Looking very nice!

[toytuff]

Looking very nice!

I'll say!



tt

[L3niin]

whats your trick for polishing ?


subcribed!!!!

[Rob69]

Thank you all for the compliments. 

While the frame was out being powder coated and the engine was setting on the bench finished, I continued forging ahead. I decided to get the wheels and front forks out of the way. I purchased new rims and spokes from David Silver Spares and decided to go with Avon Roadrider tires.

Before:





The front wheel finished. Before lacing the wheel, I removed the peeling clear coat from the hubs and polished them out.



The rear wheel finished. New sprocket and all. I want to add that I had never laced a wheel before. My former boss laced the front wheel while I watched attentively. I laced the rear wheel. Truing the wheel proved to be relatively easy using my former boss' technique of incrementally tightening each spoke the same until each spoke was tight (no spoke torque wrench used). The lateral and radial run-out was minimal. Just a few tweaks were necessary to get the wheels within spec.



Finished set of wheels:

whats your trick for polishing ?


subcribed!!!!

I sent the engine cases out to be polished. I polished the fork legs (which I'll explain in my next post), the cylinder head cover and the wheel hubs. After this project, I'll be tacking a CB750 and will invest in buffer and the proper wheels and polishing compounds, and use the techniques shown in the link below:

http://www.dimecitycycles.com/dccdiatribe/2010/09/aluminum-polishing-101-with-the-herminator/

[catsoup]

This is SO clean. very nice, looking forward to progress shots!

[Rob69]

After finishing the wheels, I moved on to the forks. The fork legs were severely oxidized. I started by stripping what was left of the old clear coat. I studied the surface and found some areas of severe corrosion and light scratches. I decided to start wet sanding with 400 grit. Hours later I had worked my way up to 1500 grit. I finished them off with some 0000 steel wool and Honda metal polish.

Before:



One fork leg completed:




Two legs completed:




Fork legs completed. Of course, I installed new seals, replaced all sealing washers and checked the free length of the fork springs. I was fortunate enough to find a set of NOS fork bolts for the top. The originals were pretty much gone.

[iron_worker]

What did you use to strip the clear coat? The forks look awesome.

I love the little 350s ... I'd like to have one some day.

IW

[Rob69]

What did you use to strip the clear coat? The forks look awesome.

I love the little 350s ... I'd like to have one some day.

IW

I used some paint stripper that I had laying around. I brushed it on each fork leg (do one at a time) with a paint brush, gave it about 10 minutes to do its magic and hosed it off thoroughly with water. While the stripper was applied, I used a stiff nylon brush to help loosen up stubborn areas where the clear coat seemed thicker. I had to repeat the process to remove all of the clear coat.  I used the same technique to do the cylinder head cover and wheel hubs. You could also use aircraft stripper/remover. Follow all safety instructions and directions to the letter.

[liPPy]

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

[hs2k007]

Looks great.  I am mid way on my 350f.  I can't wait to see your project completed.  It makes me want to finish mine faster

[Rob69]

Looks great.  I am mid way on my 350f.  I can't wait to see your project completed.  It makes me want to finish mine faster

I'd like to see the progress if possible. Mine is almost complete, so I'm not doing this update in "real time." I did run into a problem yesterday. I mounted the headlight shell and found that it's off center. After a bit of detective work, I found that the dimensions between the bolt hole centers on the fork ears differed. I wasn't sure which one was the wrong part at first, so I grabbed the old, bent headlight ears and measured. It turns out the that the right turn signal ear is the wrong one. Now I have the task of locating one and getting it painted and hoping I can get it to match. I'm not in a good mood.