Topic: 1972 CB750 Four K2 -- Rebuilt to NEW OLD STOCK -- PIX ON PAGE 50

[edwardmorris]

@calj, I have been trying to pull them out inwards, but haven't yet tried the heat. So far, everytime I apply pressure, I end up with a stripped bolt 

@prokop, thanks! the frame paint approach was due to inspiration from the K3F

[Kickstart]

See if you can get a larger diameter bolt through the sockets (might have to use 1/2" drive sockets if you're not already)... and/or see if you can get the bolts/nuts in a stronger grade.

[edwardmorris]

Thanks Chris, will make another trip to the hardware store and pick up some stronger ones, hopefully everything will be set for the swingarm by next Sunday.

Prep work is a b$itch, this is the first time in the entire project that i felt overwhelmed not having any help. After about 6hr of wire wheeling the damned thing, my hands were starting to swell so I quit. Woke up this morning rested, took some ibuprofen and got back to it. The bastard likes to flash rust like crazy so had to be fast, almost started over everything I had already done. Few hours later, I hung it up and primed it, made it just it time as it started raining within an hour of finishing up with the primer. Borrowed some extra lighting for tomorrow when I start with the paint. WIll probably have to wet sand with fine grit first, seems grainy and there is just one spot up at the neck where there is a small run off. Thoughts/Suggestions?

[edwardmorris]

Shux, most coarse grit I have is 500, guess I'll be heading out to menards again. Thanks for the tip calj, I'm only going to level out the one run off spot, its looking much smoother as its drying up. I realized I had all the foot pegs, engine mounts, the brake light switch bracket and the ingnition switch bracket all stripped down from a while ago, so I primed them up too.

For the triple tree/fork bridge and the dash panel, it looks like Honda used a flat black, and I'm having doubts about using the Rustoleum Gloss on them. I had a separate thread where I asked about colors that were close to factory and consensus was Gloss for the frame, swingarm, battery box, tool tray and electrical panel, and Semi Gloss for the gauge cases, triple trees and dash.

Rostoleum does have a flat black color, but I don't know if that will be more close to stock. Thoughts?

[edwardmorris]

Well, some good news and bad news. Went to the hardware store, $4.50 for high tensile bolts and nuts, $6 for the machine shop to press the bushings out, guess which way I went Picked up 2' threaded rod, nuts, fender washers and flat rubber washers. Followed hondaman's instructions and swingarm was ready to be stripped and rust treated. Hopefully I'll be able to prime it today.

On the bad news front, the primed frame was a nasty little dust magnet, but the "grainy" texture went away on its own so I kept the sanding down to only the one spot where there was some run off. Wiped it down completely with tack cloth and gave painting a try. What a terrible way to do this, the damned can just kept spitting paint instead of spraying switched between three different ones and they kept doing the same, ended up just praying and spraying from a safe distance but a crapshoot of spit paint drops are all over, glaringly visible  Will let it dry and see how it looks, if its worth sanding and trying another top coat, might do that, otherwise, just give up and get back to work, and in time get it poweder coated. Pix in the next few hours.

[edwardmorris]

So, this is what failure looks like? Salvage or abandon?

Swingarm primed.

[edwardmorris]

I hate to say it, but given the extent of diligence you've invested, this needs to be redone. You'll forever kick yourself if it's not right.

Indeed. Realization has sunk in, time to get back to the grind, overtime and all without bitc$ing. Will get it powder coated properly in a few weeks. Clearly, painting is something I can't do regardless of the product..

[Blackfin5]

I just learned a lot from this thread - like the lower shock bushings like to be removed to the inside because they have a taper.  Crap.  A couple days ago I pressed in NOS bushings from the outside of my new CMR 550 swingarm toward the inside.  Shocks mounted up and they seem secure.

So do the bushings themselves have the taper or is it the swingarm fittings? Or both?  Neither my buddies or my shop was aware of the taper.

Is it a big deal I pressed them in from the outside?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

You can't go wrong with powdecoating, assuming you prep the non-coated surfaces.

[MCRider]

I hate to say it, but given the extent of diligence you've invested, this needs to be redone. You'll forever kick yourself if it's not right.

Indeed. Realization has sunk in, time to get back to the grind, overtime and all without bitc$ing. Will get it powder coated properly in a few weeks. Clearly, painting is something I can't do regardless of the product..

Me neither. Some people can paint with a rattlecan like Michelangelo. Others, you and me, looks like bird poop. Don't feel bad I gave it up years ago.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I hate to say it, but given the extent of diligence you've invested, this needs to be redone. You'll forever kick yourself if it's not right.

Indeed. Realization has sunk in, time to get back to the grind, overtime and all without bitc$ing. Will get it powder coated properly in a few weeks. Clearly, painting is something I can't do regardless of the product..

Me neither. Some people can paint with a rattlecan like Michelangelo. Others, you and me, looks like bird poop. Don't feel bad I gave it up years ago.

I am hit and miss with rattle can. 

[edwardmorris]

Thanks guys, I'm going to return the left over cans when I get the time. I found a company over in IL that does powder coating, hoping to get a quote soon, they want to look at the frame and the bits. In the mean time, I'll stick to getting the aluminum done, the valve train cover is eating away hours and hours and I still don't like how it looks.

What concerns me now, is that I still have the engine to paint, and if that turns out as bad, I'll be spending money yet again to get it blasted. Perhaps VHT paints are different, and hopefully better than Rustoleum. Any suggestions on how to approach that? I sure wish Nick/Tews19 would stop by and do it for me He's the pro 

[70CB750]

@prokop, thanks! the frame paint approach was due to inspiration from the K3F

Only I would never touch stripper again, back in the shop we took paint off two Corvette bodies.  It took us a week and after 2 days I was  not sure if I was coming or going.  It was awful, got my sense of smell back in 10 days or so and decided never again I will deal with that sihte. 

Glad it worked for you.

[Terry in Australia]

I think you must have gotten a bad batch of Rustoleum Rafi, I'd never seen the stuff before I found some cheap at my local hardware store a month ago, and I'm rapt with it, I did the alloy parts on my S&W shocks with Rustoleum gloss yellow enamel, and the battery box, engine brackets, lower triple tree and a few other parts with their gloss black enamel and it worked superbly.

It goes on very fine and covers really well, and appears to be living up to it's boast that one can lasts up to 2 cans of other brands. I'm sure you shook the hell out of your cans before you used them, so I won't insult your intelligence, and I'm guessing that the weather is warming up so that shouldn't be a problem, so all I can think is that the paint is either faulty, or past it's use-by date.

I installed new genuine Honda shock bushes a couple of weeks ago and measured them to make a tool to remove them, and they're definitely not tapered. It might be that the holes in the swingarm are slightly tapered, but the bushes aren't. Cheers, Terry.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

@prokop, thanks! the frame paint approach was due to inspiration from the K3F

Only I would never touch stripper again,

I've heard that before! 

[edwardmorris]

@prokop: Yes, I agree, nasty smelly stuff, burns right through nitrile gloves, had to double up and do it outside to prevent vapor accumulation. After the hell I went through stripping and wire wheeling the damned thing, there is no way I'm attempting it again. I know it won't be as close to stock as I want it but hey, powder coating will make it last another 40+, lets hope

@Terry: Yes, initially I thought I'm not as good with it (probably still true) but I noticed that the primer cans were much better when it comes to uniform spray and I got that on there pretty evenly. The paint cans yes, I shook the living hell out of them, I tend to be very compulsive when following instructions but all three cans I tried were spitting after about 3-4 good initial sprays. Has to be bad paint, but oh well, for now I'll live with powder coating. The bushings, I'm going to press the new ones in with your "soft jaw" vice grip trick. The old one were stuck in there pretty bad, but I can clean out the holes in the swingarm thoroughly before pressing in the new ones.

[Terry in Australia]

Yeah mate, powder coating is great, just make sure that the frame is totally clean with no goop inside the frame that will drip out when it goes in the oven and gets hot.

And clean the swinger bush holes really well, and don't be afraid to wipe a little grease around the hole before you press the bushes in, you'd think it wouldn't matter, but it does make it a little easier. Cheers, Terry.

[edwardmorris]

Thanks Terry, the inside of the frame is gunk free and treated, so it should hold up well (see page 4 of this build thread). I read about that light grease on the swingarm holes here, was planning on doing it

A small set back today, lower back spazzed out and I've lost most of my mobility for the moment. Resting up for now, perhaps I'll manage to rebuild the starter solenoid as that doesn't require much physical anything Once the muscle relaxers kick in, and a day or two off work, I'm hoping to be back on track asap. Thanks for following along fellas, and putting up with me, failures and all.

[edwardmorris]

Well, health is slowly improving, back to work but taking it easy as best as I can. Had the time to make a few calls to some local powder coat shops. Marc/Powderman has been an incredible help with this, invaluable guidance on pricing and workmanship. First shop was a bust, guy was primarily a blasting shop and was asking for two time of Marc's pricing guidelines. Found a second shop in the area that does work for a custom cycle shop, hoping to go talk to him soon. The biggest pain for the first guy seemed to be the front brake rotor. He said masking it will be a pain. What do you guys suggest? Should I just use caliper paint and match it with the caliper or have it coated?

[edwardmorris]

Been a while, a few things have moved along since. Frame and attached hardware is at the powder coat shop. The pesky speedo cable screw was stuck dead, thank heavens for left handed bits. Anyone have a spare one of these screws?

A nice sticker from our friends in England arrived today. I did my best to center it correctly but its a little off center, not so obvious though so I'm gonna leave it alone.

[edwardmorris]

The hubs and sprocket carrier got all new SKFs double sealed bearings today, baked them to 240, froze the bearing overnight, gently tapped in place with spacers.

After the epic fiasco that was me trying my luck with spray paint, I decided to ask for help. Our very own Jerry H was kind enough to paint my gauge covers for me.

Will be ordering NOS rims and spokes tomorrow along with new gauge faces from Marcel/LeCram, hopefully keep things going all week.

[edwardmorris]

Finished clear/blue chromate conversion today on most of the hardware, still need to do crankcase bolt set. Look great in natural light, but crappy in pix. First pic is after zic plating and polishing, second and third are after chromate conversion.

[Kickstart]

Looks good to me!

What plating kit are you using?

[Tews19]

Hey Ed make sure to only look at total cost when you ride is complete!

[edwardmorris]

@Chris, no kit, just plated following Tom Gugliotta's gold standard recipe. I've been in touch with him for a while now, great guy. For the chromate conversion, most of the hardware is clear/blue chromate, but some parts like the center stand hardware and pillion foot pegs are all yellow chromated. There is a recipe for the yellow chromate which is cheaper than Caswell's kit. After months of searching, I dug out the oh so secret blue chromate recipe, only to find out that the reagents are too costly and the Caswell kit is cheaper. So, the clear/blue stuff I've done so far is basically Tom's plating recipe + Caswell's blue chromate kit. Hopefully next weekend, I'll mix up the yellow chromate recipe and finish all the hardware.

@Nick, I know, I'm too scared to run the tally so deep into this project. I will someday figure out what it cost me. Shipping parts around and failed attempts (such as paint) are doing damage, but otherwise, I've done as much as I could on my own. I'm hoping to get the frame back this week, and some rims too. Only thing I want now is for an expert at engine paint help me with the engine  (hint hint, its Tews19  )