Author Topic: 75 CB400f Massive restoration and Cafe project. (Read 35213 times)

wowbagger · « **Reply #25 on:** March 13, 2013, 07:23:51 PM »

I saw another thread where a guy just tapped a new brass tube over top the existing cracked one. I haven't tried it but if the inside diameter of the new tube was close enough to the outside diameter of the existing it should work well. Especially if you add a dab of solder at the top and bottom.

[EDIT:]
Here it is under Tips and Tricks:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=74755.0

straat-toe · « **Reply #26 on:** March 13, 2013, 11:26:35 PM »

Radical. Thanks for the info guys. Guess I'm buying a Soldering iron. If I keep this up I wont have the "I dont have the tools" excuse to use on my Girlfriend when she asks me to fix something around the house.

braveg · « **Reply #27 on:** March 14, 2013, 06:04:37 AM »

Aha! So you must be the guy who beat me to the punch buying this bike

Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Im almost glad I didnt get there in time

I'm working on one at the moment too, nice to see these beautiful old bikes getting some love here in SA. Drop me a PM if you ever have any questions, would be happy to help a fellow CB400F'er

G

straat-toe · « **Reply #28 on:** March 14, 2013, 06:59:53 AM »

Hey braveg,

Yeah I guess I'm the guy.....sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night wishing I wasn't ha ha. Just kidding. I'm in it for the long haul. I'll def take you up on your offer.

braveg · « **Reply #29 on:** March 14, 2013, 08:31:27 AM »

Quote from: straat-toe on March 14, 2013, 06:59:53 AM

Hey braveg,

Yeah I guess I'm the guy.....sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night wishing I wasn't ha ha. Just kidding. I'm in it for the long haul. I'll def take you up on your offer.

Lol, yeah I know the feeling

hang in there, once you break it's back it will start being fun, if it hasn't already been...

straat-toe · « **Reply #30 on:** March 26, 2013, 04:39:04 AM »

Yup. yup bring on the long weekends and public Holidays. I managed to spend Saturday on my bike. I got the head off stripped the tappet cover . I'm glad to report that besides for loads of carbon the valves look good and so do the pistons. I'll be replacing the rings and all of that. The cylinders also feel smooth to the touch so that's a relief. There is a little bit of wear on the camshaft bearings but nothing bad, the nobs all still look really good too. The bike only did 25 000 km according to the odometer.

Ok so then the moment I was dreading approached. Removing the side covers on the engine case. All the bolt's phillips heads were stripped from the PO or someone else, and my EZ out was worn out ....cheap crap. So I went old school on the bolts. Hammer and chisel time with the anti clockwise taps to shoot the bolts......it only took me two and a half hours to remove all of them on both sides. HA! I win. I'm definitely forming a bond with this engine, more love then hate ha ha . At the drive sprocket it looked like the bike might have been used as a lawnmower at some stage and some spiders had left their kiddies behind. I felt bad destroying the sensitive eco system that had called the side cover home for many years.
Sadly I had to leave the bike after that, life and Newlands was calling my name.

I've ordered some carb kits (keyster for now) and will be ordering new gasket sets soon. Hopefully I can get the engine stripped and the wheel hubs ready to go for a soda blasting session in the next few weeks. and start cleaning up the forks and the frame. and fix that leak in the tank. and look at new mudguards and get some pipes bent and restore or replace the clocks and get new rims sorted and start making a seat.

This might not take a year. Famous last words eh?
Onwards and upwards.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #31 on:** March 26, 2013, 08:03:30 AM »

I've never been able to make a so-called EZ Out actually work. I've probably broken a dozen of them over the years in a stubbborn attempt to make it work just once.

You can buy a replacement bolt for the filter housing with a larger head. You might also consider an adapter that allows you to use a spin on filter. The adapter runs about $90 here, so not much more than the replacement cover and bolt.

I fixed my cracked drain tube with JB Weld, but it wasn't as bad as yours.

I have read multiple suggestions of using a brass sleeve from a hobby shop. Use a micrometer to measure an undamaged pipe to double check the size. Then put the bowl with the cracked overflow in the freezer for a bit, heat the sleeve and it should slip over the cracked pipe and as one cools and the other warms they should come together for a nice tight fit. I don't think additional soldering should be required, but it won't hurt to do it if it makes you feel better.

Oh, and here in the States the wooden rod you used to drive out various parts is called a dowel.

straat-toe · « **Reply #32 on:** March 26, 2013, 08:43:29 AM »

Hey Banker, yeah it's called a dowel here in the RZ of A too. I just slipped up in my spelling. ha ha.

I think I'm going to give the pipe routine a try, a friend over here also told me he used a mini blowtorch to fix his.... but I don't think that's for me. Thanks for the info. I already have a replacement filter cover and bolt from one of our local breakers that's in pretty good condition. I'm going to take the bolt to a local bolt manufacturing firm here and get them to modify it with a bigger stronger nut on the top, I'm planning on using the same guys to replace all my engine bolts and screws with some nice high strength Allen key bolts.

As for EZ outs. I've had limited success. I'll leave it at that.

braveg · « **Reply #33 on:** March 27, 2013, 02:24:01 PM »

Hey man, good work so far

just a quick note on keyster carb kits, not sure if anyone has mentioned them on your thread yet, but while the gaskets are fine, the other bits are el-crappo and made all wrong. I think Swan here on the forums figured this little gem out with one of his builds.

You are going to struggle to jet the carbs and will have to pay for another set before you can run the carbs smoothly...hate to be the bearer of bad news since you have already bought them, just so you know and don't spend weeks trying to get your carbs working without any idea why they won't

Keep calm and carry on...

straat-toe · « **Reply #34 on:** March 27, 2013, 11:18:16 PM »

Hey Braveg, Thanks man. I'm away for the weekend so shés going to have to have to stand in limbo till Monday before I can crack the case. I've heard all about the keyster kits. My order hasn't been confirmed yet so I can still cancel it. I just heard from people closer to home that the Keysters are fine. It might have been for a different bike though. All I really need is 2 new main jets and the gaskets. Should I just order these from Honda Cape Town or do you know a different source for them? Craig's laughed at me when I asked them.

braveg · « **Reply #35 on:** March 29, 2013, 02:37:25 PM »

Hey man,

I would defo cancel the order and place an order with David silver spares in the UK - www.davidsilverspares.co.uk and get the genuine parts. More expensive, but with the state your bike is in, you need to try and reduce the number of variables to troubleshoot issues when it's finally running, (and believe me, there will be

) so with genuine parts you know that your carbs have their best foot forward

it will be some of the best cash you could spend on this bike apart from good suspension and good tyres.

G

straat-toe · « **Reply #36 on:** April 03, 2013, 01:14:40 PM »

Hey G

Yeah I cancelled the order. I noticed David Silver now also has a US site up and that's cheaper then the British one so I'll check them out. I'm currently waiting to hear back from Honda Cape Town for prices and availability of the parts. If they can help me or charge ridiculous amounts I'll go the David Silver way. They wanted to charge a mate of mine a R1000 for a petcock.....

braveg · « **Reply #37 on:** April 03, 2013, 02:11:01 PM »

Hmmm, when you factor in shipping (add roughly 25%) onto the price R1000 for a petcock is not that bad...would prolly cost more to ship it in from uk or us. If their service didn't stink so bad I might reconsider ordering some parts thru Honda here...

What else you got going on with your bike atm?

G

straat-toe · « **Reply #38 on:** April 04, 2013, 07:40:27 AM »

Ah man. I'm going to go buy a tool for the castle nut so I can get the clutch out. Im hopefully splitting the case and getting the hubs a stripped over the next week or so. I want to send it all off with my carbs to get soda blasted. I'm planning on restoring my front forks while the engines gone, I ordered some preload adjusters for them.I've started on my front brake Caliper but surprise surprise the big pad in calliper A is stuck so I'll get a grease gun and try that method. Did manage to get the bleed screw out though which I was pretty stoked about. Small victories. I also still need to fix the pipe in the float-bowl. Ha ha. I might seem all over the place but that's because I am. I wish I had more time on my hands at the moment. But the after hour work pays for the bike...double edged.

Any recommended shops in CT for getting motorbike tools?

What's happening with yours?

braveg · « **Reply #39 on:** April 04, 2013, 08:23:33 AM »

Yeah, it's all too easy to get distracted with the 5 billion little things that need to happen, and then even easier to lose stuff, be sure to take a zillion photos, get LOTs of containers ie ziplock bags, yogurt, icecream containers and label everything. Waiting for things ie blasting, parts etc is a major part of building bikes and when you come back to a part a month later, you suddenly realize you have no Frikking idea where anything goes

Another thing, make sure you get yourself a shop manual, owners manual and parts book (or you can use www.motogrid.com) I can help out with anything you don't have.

As for shops in CT, I don't know man, I'm in Jhb

try calling Ryan at Ryan's motorcycle surgery, he is helpful enough and should be able to give you some pointers and has lots of cb400 spares as well.

As for my bike, just doing a lot of little bits here and there, i am doing a weekend apprenticeship with Kevin from TTR400 who you are ordering some of your parts from and he is teaching me how to rebuild mine, the man is a cb400 genius

should have both engines rebuilt in a few weeks and then finishing up my race and stock bikes. Have been meaning to start a build thread as well, just too busy in the garage

seeing as I'm currently like sick in bed, maybe I should crack open the laptop and start my own build thread...

straat-toe · « **Reply #40 on:** April 10, 2013, 12:42:29 AM »

Ha Rad. I'm actually going to go pick my parts up at the post office just now. Yeah man get a thread going would be cool to see what happens under Kevin.

Yeah I've been labelling and taking pics. I'm away again this weekend so no stripping for me

. Hoping to get loads done next weekend.

I saw this beauty on Saturday at the Biscuit Mill in Cape Town.....It inspired me to do the best job I can on my bike, and made me wonder if I shouldn't go for full restore maybe.

I'll have to think about it.

jackseattle · « **Reply #41 on:** April 10, 2013, 03:51:19 PM »

Kevin is one of the great engineers and minds in the 400f world. Lucky you, jealous

braveg · « **Reply #42 on:** April 11, 2013, 01:32:49 AM »

Quote from: straat-toe on April 10, 2013, 12:42:29 AM

I saw this beauty on Saturday at the Biscuit Mill in Cape Town.....It inspired me to do the best job I can on my bike, and made me wonder if I shouldn't go for full restore maybe.

I'll have to think about it.

Yeah it looks good, needs a little work but generally in good shape. Go for a restore if you can, but be warned it is not a cheap exercise. I am doing a partial restore with a few improvements on shocks and wheels etc to make it perform better, but most of the aesthetics will be stock - Im not finished and already my bill is sitting on R60k (including bike purchase of R10k). To do a full 100% restore you are looking at about R100k and then you would struggle to sell the bike for R50k, so you REALLY gotta wanna keep it

If your budget can handle it, go for it but if you are keeping it cheap then just get it running well and performing safely and enjoy it.

Quote from: jackseattle on April 10, 2013, 03:51:19 PM

Kevin is one of the great engineers and minds in the 400f world. Lucky you, jealous

Amen to that, its a real priviledge to be working with him

Im glad I managed to work with him before he heads out on his US trip, wish I could do that trip too!

braveg · « **Reply #43 on:** April 23, 2013, 11:55:53 PM »

Hey man, how is this build going? Done anything recently?

straat-toe · « **Reply #44 on:** April 24, 2013, 12:19:20 AM »

Hey, Yeah man I managed to crack the case and get all the insides out. Didn't have a camera with me so no photos. The gears the runners and crank shaft are all in really good shape. I even managed to source a 4 pin Socket for the castle nuts on my bike from a local bolt and nut guy at a good price. I've ordered replacement jets for the 2 damaged ones and new carb gaskets. I believe I have a solution to the cracked down pipe in my float-bowl too.

I'm getting everything ready for soda blasting now, I'm just struggling with the hubs a little bit. I'll drop a huge picture post once I have a bit more time. I'm pretty busy with a few things right now. Hopefully I'll get some frame and tank work done this weekend.

I picked up the bits from Kevin. Really great! How's yours?

braveg · « **Reply #45 on:** April 25, 2013, 06:16:09 AM »

cool sounds good, keeping ticking off little jobs and one day it will all be done

Mine is going well but slow, having been finishing off the controls (took them down to the aluminium finish and polished), have repainted the clock housings and replaced the pilot light casing with a new console sticker, so now my handlebar elements are ready to go on. Should hopefully finish up one of the engines this weekend, just waiting on parts now, got stuff coming for DSS and a crapton of zinc/chromeplating to still come back...

I am actually building my own zinc platinf setup, tired of waiting 4 weeks for small items to get zinc plated!

Will start a build thread as soon as I invent a time machine...

braveg · « **Reply #46 on:** May 31, 2013, 02:09:02 PM »

Hey dude, how is this project going? Any progress?

straat-toe · « **Reply #47 on:** June 05, 2013, 06:00:18 AM »

Hey Hey.

Yeah man. I've been busy with some house renovations and car and other bike maintenance (taking chunks out of my build budget). Buuuuut I have managed a few things. I've gotten my front brake calliper's pad and piston out. The piston looks ok I might need to do a little work on it. My engine case and all the other bits that need blasting is sitting in a corner waiting to get dropped at the blasters.

In other news I managed to track down a complete Gasket set for a really good price out side of Cape Town's city limits....where apparently the gaskets are impossible to get. I'm still waiting on the last of my Jets to arrive from Honda. I also managed to pick up a complete spare set of carbs for a whopping R150.

So that's me.

braveg · « **Reply #48 on:** June 13, 2013, 02:06:36 PM »

Cool man, you getting the engine bead blasted? If so, make sure you block up any open threads, bolt holes, ports, etc that might give the media a chance to get into the engine, that stuff gets everywhere and the last place you want it is in your main bearings or gearbox, it's an absolute #$%* to get out (experience speaking here :p)

Nice work on getting an extra set of carbs, i keep telling my wife, you can never have too many parts

Chat soon
G

straat-toe · « **Reply #49 on:** June 20, 2013, 05:32:31 AM »

Yeah was stoked on the Carbs.

That find will tie me over for now. I'm thinking of getting the cases hydro blasted. I located a guy in Cape Town that does engines. So I'm going to give it a go. The onto replacing all the bearing and the rings in the engine.

Onwards.

News:

Author Topic: 75 CB400f Massive restoration and Cafe project. (Read 35213 times)