Topic: Sandcast 4286 Project

[Greggo]

Good plan, your Dad has given you good advice.

Yep.  If I'm going through the trouble of making everything else perfect, and I'm going to go for top dollar when it's ready, I might as well go with the right motor.  I spent a lot of money for it, and now for the right head and cylinders. 

[Greggo]

Ebay has been good to me and this project so far.  The ears and grab bar showed up, and the bar is in superb condition.  Also picked up that early K rear hoop for under $80 shipped.  It's not rolled, but the shoulder seems softer than later rims, and there are no markings except the single DID stamp.  It also doesn't need chrome.  I think I can clean up the front rim well enough so it won't need a dip either.  Tires are getting pulled next week so I can pull the old spokes, clean the hubs and start lacing!

[seanbarney41]

I know it detracts from the originality...but a chrome swingarm is a wonderful thing

[toytuff]

I know it detracts from the originality...but a chrome swingarm is a wonderful thing

So is a stripper but that's another thread. 

tt

[Greggo]

I know it detracts from the originality...but a chrome swingarm is a wonderful thing

They can look good on some bikes, but it wouldn't look right on this one.

[Greggo]

I got a couple pieces from that early sandcast parted out on ebay.  Two bolt rear fender, and a double cut front.  The rear was cheap, but the front was almost as much as a new repop.  I'd still rather have nice original over repops.

[HondaMan]

I know it detracts from the originality...but a chrome swingarm is a wonderful thing

They can look good on some bikes, but it wouldn't look right on this one.

It took me a while, but I found that the 80% and 85% Gloss Black from PaintForCars.com (and other places, like Duplicolor) is a dead match for the OEM frame paint up to 1975 (and the black front caliper on the non-sandcast K0 through the K5). Their 65% gloss also matches the color on the instruments and the K1/K2 master cylinders, if you don't go for new black anodize.

When I painted my frame (last week) I waited for 3 days for it to dry, then lightly ran a rag dipped in lacquer thinner over it to remove the bright sheen. That works, too!

[Greggo]

Thank you Mark

I will probably go with 80% then, because I don't want an overly shiny frame.  I want the red tins to pop the most.

[toytuff]

Greggo, did you use the Evap-O-rust full strength and how long did you leave it in? I have two (2) tanks to clean.

Soak, swish around, drain? Thinking I might have to put a small chain inside to get as much as possible removed.

tt

[Greggo]

Greggo, did you use the Evap-O-rust full strength and how long did you leave it in? I have two (2) tanks to clean.

Soak, swish around, drain? Thinking I might have to put a small chain inside to get as much as possible removed.

tt

tt, I used it at full strength, and I think it took a few days with swishing it around and rotating it.  Then when I was done, I read someone's genius, but simple idea to use golf balls, or something similar to eat up volume inside the tank.  That way you need only one gallon of the stuff to fill it up! 

[toytuff]

Greggo, did you use the Evap-O-rust full strength and how long did you leave it in? I have two (2) tanks to clean.

Soak, swish around, drain? Thinking I might have to put a small chain inside to get as much as possible removed.

tt

tt, I used it at full strength, and I think it took a few days with swishing it around and rotating it.  Then when I was done, I read someone's genius, but simple idea to use golf balls, or something similar to eat up volume inside the tank.  That way you need only one gallon of the stuff to fill it up!

Great idea! I have plenty of balls. 

tt

[Greggo]

I received the fenders, and they're both in great shape, especially the rear.  The front will clean up nice, but the slight pitting is not bad enough for me to justify a re-chrome. 

I wanted to save the original harness, so I did.  I ordered about $30 worth of supplies from VintageConnections.com, and went to town on it yesterday and this morning.  I figure I'm saving over $100, and it's another original part that stays with the bike, so it's a win-win. Some of the connectors have paint on them, so I'll carefully clean them up. Also, one of the soldered junctions for the grounds was disconnected near the steering head area, probably from movement over the years.  It would have been frustrating to trouble shoot the problems that would have caused.  I'll solder it at the shop next week and finish the sleeving and taping.  I used 3M Super 33 electric tape for wrapping.  It stretched nicely, and was easy to work with in the trickier areas of the harness.  I was impressed when I first unwrapped the tape from the harness; Honda used a single piece of tape to do that job! 

The wires were in good shape under the original tape.


The broken ground junction.


Mostly done!

[toytuff]

Good job! I think I need a kit from that Vendor just to have on hand.

Back to the tank. Did you put anything inside after cleaning to prevent flash rust? I was thinking some WD40 but want to verify. Could fill with Diesel also.

tt

[Greggo]

Good job! I think I need a kit from that Vendor just to have on hand.

Back to the tank. Did you put anything inside after cleaning to prevent flash rust? I was thinking some WD40 but want to verify. Could fill with Diesel also.

tt

Nope.  I just air dried the tank after draining the rust remover.  It says on the package that it will leave a film to prevent flash.  So, if it will be filled soon after cleaning it should be completely fine.  WD40 works if you feel you'll need it, and 2-stroke oil works well also.

[Greggo]

Finished off the harness.  I put new connectors on it, and the rectifier.  All the spade connectors cleaned up nice with some sandpaper, so I just slipped them into the new bodies from that website. 






Big thanks to Tews!!! for sending me some great looking turn signals, rear brackets, and passenger pegs.

[Stev-o]

Harness looks good, Greggo.  Is the frame out getting blasted?

[Greggo]

Harness looks good, Greggo.  Is the frame out getting blasted?

Not yet...next week or two.  I'm paranoid about it sending my precious frame out, and I might end up painting it all myself. 

[Stev-o]

Harness looks good, Greggo.  Is the frame out getting blasted?

Not yet...next week or two.  I'm paranoid about it sending my precious frame out, and I might end up painting it all myself. 

I hear ya, too many horror stories. No VIN tag, right?

[Greggo]

Harness looks good, Greggo.  Is the frame out getting blasted?

Not yet...next week or two.  I'm paranoid about it sending my precious frame out, and I might end up painting it all myself. 

I hear ya, too many horror stories. No VIN tag, right?

Correcto.  I would be up Deliverance creek without a paddle if the stamp was blasted away.  Vic World used an oven to bake the paint off.  If I could find a body shop that did that, I'd let it go.

[Greggo]

Little progress: hubs, fork legs ready for clear.  D'oh, forgot to do the brake hub plate!  Once I get that ready, I'll send those parts out for clear so the forks can go back together, and the hubs will be ready for lacing. 

Got some priming done on small bits.  The top tree replacement still needs blasting, and so do the engine mount plates. 

[HondaMan]

Last year I bought one of those cheapie Harbor Freight soda blasters to de-paint some sheet metal I had. I think that of all the things I have bought there (most which I didn't like), this is the best piece. When set to 40 PSI, it cleans carb bodies to a soft sheen, and when set to 60 PSI it removes paint from frames! I didn't expect that, but am pleased with the results. I bought 2 of their 50 lb bags of soda, and still have most of that left after a year of carbs and old 750 swingarms. It even does a halfway good job of smoothing pitted chrome, if you're not picky (college kids don't mind it too much on these little 100-something CC bikes I cobble together for them).

[Don R]

 My brother brought over one of those soda blasters, it worked great out in the driveway but it might take a year for the nearby grass to recover. Or two.

[Don R]

Greggo, the guy I buy my Honda parts from has a sandcast with a chassis number under a thousand. In the 70's he threw a chain through the case on a trip in ohio and bought a used replacement engine there. It's like my 70 and your sandcast, it's been heavily part swapped. He was at the auction where I got mine but wouldn't bid against me. Not sure if it was friendship or depth of pocket.

[Greggo]

Last year I bought one of those cheapie Harbor Freight soda blasters to de-paint some sheet metal I had. I think that of all the things I have bought there (most which I didn't like), this is the best piece. When set to 40 PSI, it cleans carb bodies to a soft sheen, and when set to 60 PSI it removes paint from frames! I didn't expect that, but am pleased with the results. I bought 2 of their 50 lb bags of soda, and still have most of that left after a year of carbs and old 750 swingarms. It even does a halfway good job of smoothing pitted chrome, if you're not picky (college kids don't mind it too much on these little 100-something CC bikes I cobble together for them).

Hmmm, we already have the portable blaster at the shop.  If my dad has a compressor that can get over to the field, I could blast the frame myself and not care about the mess.  I'm going to work on a few things there today: prep the brake panel for clear coat, pull the collar and bearings from the swing arm, and sandblast a few last things for paint.  The swing arm needs the parts removed before I can have the chrome removed locally.

[Greggo]

Greggo, the guy I buy my Honda parts from has a sandcast with a chassis number under a thousand. In the 70's he threw a chain through the case on a trip in ohio and bought a used replacement engine there. It's like my 70 and your sandcast, it's been heavily part swapped. He was at the auction where I got mine but wouldn't bid against me. Not sure if it was friendship or depth of pocket.

Makes you wonder how many are still out there, looking ordinary and cheap.  I'm almost glad I don't have a much lower number bike for my first one.  It's a lot of project already without having to find all of those exceedingly rare parts.  Have you read through the ninety-some differences in the first few thousand sandies?  It's a daunting task to find some of those items.  But, I like having the early motor.