Author Topic: CB 500 Four (1972?) Full Restoration (Read 140323 times)

MickB · « **Reply #850 on:** October 04, 2015, 11:00:20 PM »

David yep, I found that out after I did the rust coating, I then top coated with the Black Enamel and finally UV resistant clear.

MickB · « **Reply #851 on:** October 09, 2015, 01:04:30 AM »

Applied the bands for wiring loom to the frame.

Idiot light console bolted and the lights work!

Still to do, timing, clutch adjustment, correct tightening on the swinging arm and grease.

PAINT THE TANK and SIDE COVERS.

Cal now it's finally looking like a bike!

Restoration Fan · « **Reply #852 on:** October 09, 2015, 04:40:59 AM »

Mick,
Looking good!
We all talk about that first start and it's certainly a momentous event. But that first time you turn the key after rewiring the bike and the proper lights start to work...that's a big event, too. It's one you won't forget.

Job well done, mate!

Ron

calj737 · « **Reply #853 on:** October 09, 2015, 05:59:50 AM »

This is turning out to be a challenger to Sohron's little gem

MickB · « **Reply #854 on:** October 09, 2015, 03:11:41 PM »

In your dreams Cal, it's nota patch on SR's build.

Stev-o · « **Reply #855 on:** October 09, 2015, 09:37:58 PM »

Looks like a bike to me, Mick! Check the routing of the clutch cable, don't think it's to go all the way to the right of the tach, between the 2 gauges might be better.

MickB · « **Reply #856 on:** October 10, 2015, 04:54:17 AM »

You're right Stevo, however it seems to fit that way better. I'll swap it over and try but it seems too long to go via the gauges.

bryanj · « **Reply #857 on:** October 10, 2015, 07:36:45 AM »

You have probably got UK style bars with US cable(longer for higher raise bars)

MickB · « **Reply #858 on:** October 10, 2015, 01:51:50 PM »

BJ you're correct the clutch cable came from the US, I bought bars here for $39 vs rechrome the genuine bars for $159. They look similar but I couldn't justify the extra.
The clutch cable would've worked on the original bars as they're wide and have a bigger rise in them which I never liked. I would have preferred flat bars but they weren't wide enough.

onetruepunk87 · « **Reply #859 on:** October 10, 2015, 10:06:29 PM »

Mick, I've got cb400 bars with a US length stock cable on mine and it works. I have mine run under the speedo and tach to the right side of the frame, back through the frame at the coils and then down in between the 1-2 carb intake manifold.

bryanj · « **Reply #860 on:** October 10, 2015, 11:29:54 PM »

It will be dearer but try a uk cable from dave silver if you don't like the one you have

MickB · « **Reply #861 on:** October 15, 2015, 05:59:54 PM »

Well I'm looking at my tank and side covers ready to start the bog and rub down when my wife said why don't you get a professional to do it seeing you've put all that effort into it (and she knows I'm not the best painter around, she's painted the house).
I had the tank and side covers down at Dave the Painter (only does restorations) that same afternoon.

ETA late next week.

Bootsey · « **Reply #862 on:** October 15, 2015, 07:18:55 PM »

What colour are you going with Mick?

MickB · « **Reply #863 on:** October 15, 2015, 07:21:44 PM »

Bootsey long time, tank and side covers are a standard Honda layout but colour will be candy apple red with red metal flake, black sides on the tank with the white stripe separating black from candy apply red.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #864 on:** October 15, 2015, 10:43:16 PM »

Mick, sounds like she's a keeper to have you go to the pro for the paint. She wants you to have a good bike that you can enjoy.

MickB · « **Reply #865 on:** October 16, 2015, 03:03:30 AM »

She's a keeper alright, 34 years married and still going strong.

calj737 · « **Reply #866 on:** October 16, 2015, 04:04:45 AM »

Going with a straight black, no flake, no pearl, Mick? That was the Honda style at the time.

By the way, congrats on the duration!

MickB · « **Reply #867 on:** October 16, 2015, 01:37:26 PM »

I didn't want to go away from the Honda original style but I didn't like their colours, I wanted something that would really pop and had the old school look of metal flake. Metal flake was big in Oz back around the '70s, as also was pin striping.
There was Vic Bogna (spelling) who was the best in Australia, just up one of the streets off Elizabeth St Melbourne. Elizabeth St was and still is the centre of motorbike shops in Oz, 3 blocks of bike shops on both sides of the street, Saturday mornings would find 300 + bloke's bikes parked in the morning, it was a real scene.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #868 on:** October 16, 2015, 01:45:51 PM »

Interesting thing about silver metal flake is it picks up the candy color or the base color if flake is applied over the base color with no candy.
So, a Corvette yellow with micro metal flake in clear is blazing day-glow, gotta have polarized lenses to look at in bright sunshine. Gorgeous when done right.

MickB · « **Reply #869 on:** October 16, 2015, 01:49:22 PM »

RAF I'm using red flake applied in the clear only on the candy apple paint but not on the black.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #870 on:** October 16, 2015, 11:17:33 PM »

I understood that. It will look great. Flake is different today, they have a little more variety available. The pearls weren't around back then.
Still done old school way. The metallics are so common now on everything, but metal flake is still a multiple step method and it takes skill to apply properly.

Look forward to seeing the tins come back, as you certainly are as well.

David

MickB · « **Reply #871 on:** October 17, 2015, 03:37:43 AM »

Thanks David, I hope it looks ok, as you say it still takes skill, thus the pro painter.
Pulled the stainless exhaust off and wiped it down with wax and grease remover but couldn't come at using a scourer on it, it looks too pretty all polished, so I'll leave it as is for a while.

Rerouted the clutch into the correct position

MickB · « **Reply #872 on:** October 22, 2015, 11:01:10 PM »

Because of the rain the tank hasn't been painted! Should be next week, and the forecast for next week isn't great.

So I've gone over the bike with a tension wrench and made sure they're all correct.

Greased the swinging arm, polished stainless washers where there were zinc washers.
I had never tensioned the head correctly I had only tightened it by feel so I took the tappet cover off and loosened all the head nuts, lo and behold I found an extra 12mm head nut in between no 2 and 3 cylinders, I have no recollection of how it got there. After all it was 12 months ago when I finished the engine, I tensioned the head to the correct (13 - 17) I used 15ft/lb.
The offending nut

Question should I let it sit over night and loosen and retighten as I read by the brains trusts in the forum?

bryanj · « **Reply #873 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:04:41 AM »

Let it sit but do not loosen just add an extra Ft Lb and re check

calj737 · « **Reply #874 on:** October 23, 2015, 02:56:08 AM »

I disagree with BryanJ.

To properly torque your head, it should be tightened in stages. First to 7# in full sequence. Then to 12#, and finally to 15#, always performing the full sequence. You can do it in two passes, but 3 is better. THEN, let it sit overnight, and loosen in reverse sequence. Then re-torque in 2 sequences to full torque. This achieves 2 important things: First it stretches the studs by design. Second, it squishes the head gasket fully and provides you the proper length/space to torque the head nuts.

If you simply let it stand, then tighten further, you run the risk of over-torquing the head studs and snapping one of, and achieving an unequal flatness as some studs may stretch more than others. This is a belts and braces approach, but it is the professional method for installation of a head unless you've used torque to yield studs (which ours are not).

I'm not suggesting bryanj's method won't work, but offering different advice I've received from engine builders on all my motors. And using it, I've never had a leak or snapped stud. (Knock wood).

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Author Topic: CB 500 Four (1972?) Full Restoration (Read 140323 times)