Topic: Noblehops makes a 400F pretty for his wife

[NobleHops]

That green wire you pictured attaches to the top of the left outside carb top.  Remove the rear screw on the small cap on the top of the carb, and attach the green wire to that one.

Whoa, really? It looks like a main wiring loom ground, and in Inv3ctiv3's thread I saw it under a bolt head on top of the battery box. Click on the photo to 'zoom' it, upper right, you can just see it. Lemme see if I can link to his photo...

[nvr2old]

My 400F had never been apart before I started on it, and I, too, thought that was a very strange place for what looks like a ground wire, but I took a ton of pics before disassembly and that's where that green wire was attached.  Everything worked as it should before I took it apart..so I can only assume it was from the factory like that.

[NobleHops]

My 400F had never been apart before I started on it, and I, too, thought that was a very strange place for what looks like a ground wire, but I took a ton of pics before disassembly and that's where that green wire was attached.  Everything worked as it should before I took it apart..so I can only assume it was from the factory like that.

<Rubs chin> "A ton of pics", you say? Hmmm. 

[nvr2old]

This is what mine looked/looks like.  I was just about to remove the harness for the first time, saw where the green wire was attached and figured I'd better take a pic or 2 because it does look like a strange place to have a ground wire..



With the harness in place it drops right into position.



Here's a pic of the bracket at the front, too..



Hope that helps.   

[NobleHops]

This is what mine looked/looks like.  I was just about to remove the harness for the first time, saw where the green wire was attached and figured I'd better take a pic or 2 because it does look like a strange place to have a ground wire..



With the harness in place it drops right into position.



Here's a pic of the bracket at the front, too..



Hope that helps.   

Very helpful Larry, thanks a bunch.

[MoMo]

The switch wires loop to the right of the frame over the top  and down into the sleeve.  The green ground does not go to the carb.  The harness does not go over the frame but under.  If I ever get out to the shop I'll take some photos...Larry

[MoMo]

found this in my photbucket archive,  I'll look for other shots

[Just4fun]

Nils and Larry,

You two make starting a project so much more easy, both have provided great details on CB400F that are definitely worth referencing in the future.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[MoMo]

and this

[NobleHops]

Great stuff Larry, making good headway on it all tonight. Thank you kindly, each photo adds another detail I needed.

Site-wide request: If I ever buy a bike that someone else took apart first, please slap me.

Getting there!

[NobleHops]

Nils and Larry,

You two make starting a project so much more easy, both have provided great details on CB400F that are definitely worth referencing in the future.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Pat, you have to take what you find in my thread with a grain of salt, this being my first SOHC project, but thanks for the good words all the same

[NobleHops]

OK, progress was a little slow and painstaking tonight, but in fact a lot of stuff got figured out and done. More to do before I can call the wiring close to done, but I'd say I'm more than halfway there.

Fished out the headlight shell and reflectors, cleaned them up a tad, mounted it up. Had to do a little light light work with the file to get the collars into the shell, but that was fast and easy and ensured a nice snug fit.







Did figure out a few ways I had the wiring wrong, re-routed the switch pod cables up and over, mounted up that bracket on the tank bumper, got the main loom positioned just right so it would fold back onto that little 'shelf' and out of harm's way with the right amount of slack everywhere. 





Thank you VERY MUCH to all the people that variously chimed in with photos, tips, diagrams, and (tactfully) the knowledge that these routing diagrams WERE INDEED in the manual, in the supplement to the rear. D'oh!

...

[NobleHops]

Installed my clutch cable, test-fit the throttle cables, fussed around with some of the wiring for the ground, battery, and the connections to the alternator,



Popped off the alternator cover and went after it with a little scotchbrite, and compressed air to get that little bit of rust off of it.




Just going slowly, making sure all the connections are clean, and seated well in the bullet connectors. Double-checking the wiring diagram. Coating all the male connectors with a little protective dielectric grease



Cleaned up my ignition switch, installed the new Emgo base, with a little fresh grease in the detents. It looks fine, nearly identical, but it Just Doesn't Fit Right, and the little fangs that are supposed to catch in the recesses in the switch body got instantly rounded over and would not catch positively - the plastic is just too soft and not cut sharp enough.  I ended up using the Emgo guts and the old Honda cover, despite being 40 years old, because it still caught and fit securely. No more Emgo switch bases for me. It works, is a lot crisper than it was, but I'm not 100% happy with it.





...

[NobleHops]

Have plenty more wiring to do, a few mystery colors in the big bundle under the steering head that do not match up to anything in the switchpod bundles, routing and connecting the rear taillight and then installing the turnsignals, scrounging a spring for the brake light switch, and at some point, test fitting the bezel and the gauges, although there is a mini project still to do to refurb the gauges before I can really install them.

I also need to install this, and it ought to be pretty interesting:



This is an optically triggered multi-spark pointless ignition from C5 Ignitions (http://www.c5ignitions.com/) with some ability to modify advance curves, and uses new compact 100,000 volt coils. It's been around for a bit, but this is one of the first instances where it's been fitted for the 400F. I need to make a set of plug wires for it from the stuff they sent, and install it carefully, but it should be pretty interesting, and of course reversible. I will tear into that at some point this week, when I wrap up all the other wiring and electrical work.

That's it for tonight. Thanks again to all for the wiring help this week.

[Just4fun]

Nils, which ignition is that?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[NobleHops]

Nils, which ignition is that?

Whoops! Edited that post to include the info, the company is called C5 Ignitions and it's a pretty interesting product.

Read more here: http://www.c5ignitions.com/

N.

[MoMo]

Interested to see how the C5 works(not the dynamite),  quite pricey tho...Larry

[NobleHops]

Interested to see how the C5 works(not the dynamite),  quite pricey tho...Larry

Yeah, its a bit more than a straight-up Dyna, more in line with this newer Dyna 2000:

http://4into1.com/dynatek-dyna-2000-digital-performance-ignition-system-ddk1-2c-honda-cb500-cb550-cb750/

Should be interesting. Not such a fan of the printing on the Moroso wires they sent, will go shop for something plain black today, tear into it tonight or tomorrow.

N. 

[inv3ctiv3]

I've got a Dyna ignition waiting to go in but didn't get the upgraded coils....now I'm thinking I should.....

[neevo]

I have no idea where I found this (or if I was given it), but it might help for this discussion.

[NobleHops]

I have no idea where I found this (or if I was given it), but it might help for this discussion.

Awesome. I finally found that page myself in the supplement to the manual, after another inmate tactfully made me aware if it's existence Thanks Neevo

[NobleHops]

Disaster. I am a dumbass at times, and a few of you even tried to save me from myself, but being a dumbass at times I didn't take the good advice and make this motor run before I went crazy refinishing it and all the rest.

Tonight I was installing the new ignition and coils, and in anticipation of timing it I recalled that the engine was dry and I'd need to turn over the engine somewhat, and so I put the oil back in, verified that my seal repair on the shifter shaft had worked, and then installed the kick starter and clutch cable to kick the engine over several times and get some oil throughout. Dug out the shifter lever to put the engine in neutral so I didn't have to hold the clutch in. It won't shift, doesn't feel right. I tried rocking the sprocket back and forth, thinking it might be bound up somehow, but that didn't have any effect. It just feels like the shifter is not engaging something and it's slipping off. That's as best I can describe how it feels. If I kick it with the clutch out everything spins, including the sprocket, so I don't think it's the transmission per se, but the shifter mechanism. 

Yes I should have taken advice that several folks gave me and make it run before I made it pretty. Now I get to take it back out and learn how to repair a transmission. And given all the other easter eggs I have discovered, that makes me think I should just tear the whole thing down.

Advice is most welcome, I'll read it later, right now I'm going for a beer.

[MoMo]

Is the chain on?  Centerstand? Put bike on stand and move the rear wheel while trying to shift.  If that does not work, pull the clutch cover and check out the linkage.  Hope it is simple...Larry

[NobleHops]

Chain not on yet. Will check that out tonight if possible.

[thirsty 1]

+1 on trying to free it up with the chain on. This is what the shift mechanism looks like.