Topic: Starting Restore, little advice....

[dgilling]

I went to change my sprockets, chain, front disk, and brake lines, and now I have the bike taken down completely to frame and motor.  I've always wanted to restore as much as possible and I guess now is the time.  I'm not looking for perfection, just better and I want to keep it running as good as it does.  The bike is rusting out in lot of places, electrical was in pretty bad shape.  I would like to do small things to the engine, but I don't want to mess with it too much.  I did the carbs a while back and don't plan on messing with them. 

Any tips on cleaning for paint?  solvents? sanding? I plan to paint almost everything flat black and just put it back together and only replace the major items that I should do with everything off.

Do you think I can paint the wheels with out removing the spokes?  They are rusted as well. 

Some other things I would like to do:
Put on some new smaller gauges.
redo the seat cover cause it needs it bad, and possible change the shape (not sure how hard this is)
New brighter headlight so riding at night feels safer
find those freaking oil leaks and fix them.  I'm pretty sure the head gasket is one of the main causes.
I pulled the headers and I don't even think there was a gasket on them, not really sure what to do there.
I need a new air box or at least some parts to get mine to close properly. 
New spark plug wires and plugs seems like a good idea but how do you replace just the wires and not the coils?


Oh, and all this needs to be on a budget but I'm not really in a hurry. 

I'll try and get some pictures up of the parts. 

[seems2Blost]

   I would take my time do alot of reading. i jump into a similar situation with a previous bike and it kick my tail. Have a strong vision and stick to it. My biggest internal struggle was whether to restore close to original or freak the *^&% out of it. Cut no corners given the state you are at. You have the chance to make it your vision. Cant wait to see pictures and follow the build.

 I would definitely simplify wiring and get reliable charging

[Vinhead1957]

Since flat black is color of choice.  I would use a rust converter for first coat to neutralize further corrosion.  Wheels are tough.  If you paint them plan on doing them every time you change a tire.  Powder coat is tougher.  Keep in mind spokes need occasional adjustment. Most of the rust in the wheels will be inside the rim.   I replaced both rims and spokes on mine and polished hubs in the process.  If the coils are good why replace?  I did so though too. May have skipped that. The wires can be trimmed Back.  Plug caps should be measured and replaced if out of spec.   There are a lot of choices for electronic ignition and higher performance coils. Depends on the pocketbook. I invested in a basket case spare bike and it has proven to be a very good choice. Spare wheels engine parts and allowed me to ride while working on parts for replacement.

[flybox1]

Any tips on cleaning for paint?  solvents? sanding? I plan to paint almost everything flat black and just put it back together and only replace the major items that I should do with everything off.   Sand 400/800, fill or sandable primer to get out the low spots - sand 400/800, repeat till acceptable, clean, paint.

Do you think I can paint the wheels with out removing the spokes?  They are rusted as well. 

Some other things I would like to do:
Put on some new smaller gauges. check Dime city cycles
redo the seat cover cause it needs it bad, and possible change the shape (not sure how hard this is)  ebay has some recover kits with new foam but they are OEM shape($150). OR you can take it down to the seat pan, spray glue on several layers of foam, and knife cut the shape you want, and then take it to an upholsterer to do ($150-300) or sew your own.
New brighter headlight so riding at night feels safer  upgrade to a H4 bulb and 7" lense
find those freaking oil leaks and fix them.  I'm pretty sure the head gasket is one of the main causes. if we're talking about a 750 here, the engine is easier to work on OUT of the frame....
I pulled the headers and I don't even think there was a gasket on them, not really sure what to do there. pick out the old gaskets, if they are there, insert new ones, and reinstall your headers.
I need a new air box or at least some parts to get mine to close properly. check the for sale section of the forum or ebay
New spark plug wires and plugs seems like a good idea but how do you replace just the wires and not the coils? NGK has wire splice kits that do a good job


Oh, and all this needs to be on a budget but I'm not really in a hurry. 

I'll try and get some pictures up of the parts.

I'm assuming you are talking about a 750....Hondaman's book is a worthy resource when doing any repairs, teardowns or upgrades.....

[dgilling]

Thanks guys for the advice.  I especially like calj737's.  I will be replacing the spokes and just do that part right.  I think I'd probably buy after market wheels if I could find some that would just bolt right on.  I would think that powder coating the wheels would be a good option, it seems like that would hold up pretty good. 

What are some some of the best ways to simplify the wiring? Are there unnecessary things I could remove?  There is a 1973-1975 wire harness for sale on CB750 supply  right now.  Anyone know the differences between that and a 77 750?  It doesn't seem like it would be that much. 

I'll get a thread going on the restore section and hopefully get some much needed advice along the way. 

[Stev-o]

Aftermarket wheels? Put a K3 wire harness on a K7??  Sure, it could be done, but why make things so difficult?

Replace the spokes, and either powder coat your rims or buy new. 

Here's a harness for a K7....

http://www.vintagecb750.com/products/5/electrical/55/wiring-harnesses-and-charging-system-parts

[Dunk]

Take your time and don't cut corners. Paint the frame well, repair or replace anything not serviceable. This may mean new wheels (they get bad inside) and definitely means new spokes if yours are rusty. Replace wheel bearings, triple tree bearings with tapered bearingsd, new bearings or bushings in swingarm, etc... Do all the safety type maintenance stuff. Go to the Projects section of the forum and read threads there, start your own so we can follow and to help keep you motivated.

My restoration started because I needed new tires, and while I had the wheels off I may as well replace the wheel bearings, and while I did that I may as well do the swingarm bushings, and since it's that far I may as well do the triple tree bearings, and while that's apart the forks could use a going through, and by the end of the night I had the bike entirely stripped down while the only parts I had on hand were tubes and tires. It's been a year and it's almost done. If you have more time to spend on it and are not quite as OCD as me, you can probably get it done in a couple months depending on what your doing with it and how correct you want it to be.

[dgilling]

I was just asking about simplifying the wire harness because i thought there might be some tricks that all you smart guys have already figured out.  I think the wheels scare me the most.  seems like getting the right tension and truing the wheels can be really difficult. 

Anybody have any good shop references in the Denver area?

A couple of dumb questions:
What is pitted on a rim? Is that dents?

What's a triple Tree Bearing? 

[conseann3ry]

With the wiring just make sure you go over all of it.  Clean all the contacts and use dielectric grease or it can come to bite you in the ass later.  Open up the kill switch and get that one too.  I believe there is a small ball or something like that in there that can fall out, so do it over a towel.
If any contacts are wacky or reg/rectifier look too shady this guy at http://www.oregonmotorcycleparts.com/Reg_rec_units.html has replacements for parts of the wiring harness individually: the plugs and male and female spades on the harness.

I replaced the harness on my bike too, but as long as you clean everything up well enough the stock will work.  Also I would replace your brake line flush your fluids and check those wheel bearings.  Really, like cadunkie said just go through it all.