Topic: 72 CB350 Build For The Wife

[Harsh]

Did you have the cam chain tensioner in when you were trying to install the cam ends?...Larry

Nope.   Looking back I didn't pay attention to the orientation of the eccentric adjusters.  I put then and set them to where they were the most loose.  Other than that I got nothing.

[Harsh]

Had to go back to work yesterday so I guess progress will slow down a little bit.

Since I am waiting on a replacement head gasket I decided to work on the wiring.  So that is what I did for the past couple of days.  Cleaning up a few old splices and getting rid of the old regulator and rectifier for a unit from Spark Moto.  I also scrubbed down each and every bullet connector so I should have nice clean connections.  Added in an electronic flasher because I am converting all bulbs to LED to reduce the electrical load.  I just got done taking apart the hand controls to clean the connections and so I can figure out what I want to do about making the housings all one color.  Not sure if I want to try and paint them or have the PC'd.  I am worried that the PC would be to thick which would cover the portions I am going to have to paint red later on.

Woot Woot.  The new gasket arrived yesterday so I guess today I will hopefully be able to get the engine completely assembled.

[Harsh]

Started the day sanding and painting the hand control covers.  I let them sit overnight and today I will throw them in my little oven to cure the paint.  I used the same paint I did on the engine.  Once the paint is cured and completely cool I will go back in and paint the red parts.

On to final assembly of the engine.  The gasket kit (Vesrah) I got from Bill fit so much better than the Athena stuff does.  I did a bunch of reading and decided to take a tip from someone that has assembled a number of these engines.  He likes to use a stack of washers to take up the space of the parts that go on top of the cam case so that he can torque down everything down.  Up until this point nothing is torqued down to the case.  I didn't really notice a whole lot of difference when I went to install the side covers though.



I struggled mightily to get the side covers on.  I think I tried about a dozen different ways to get them on.  One side would get close, but wouldn't go the last 1/2" or so at least not without a lot of persuasion and I didn't want to do that.  I finally tried to put them on at the same time so the cam shaft wouldn't get as cocked over to one side.  I got the covers started, but they would barely go on so I decided to rotate the crank a little bit as I pushed on the covers.  My thought process on that was rotating the crank would rotate the cam which would change when pressure was being applied to the rockers.  Then all of a sudden there was a POP from each cover as I pressed on them.  They slid right into position.

I started the process of setting the gaps on the valves, but I am not sure if I have the cam in correctly.  I fear that I may have it 180* out.  When I follow the instruction in the manual to align the marks for TDC and have slack on the rockers I no longer have the pin on the cam shaft pointing at 12 o'clock, it is at 6 o'clock.  If I rotate the crank 360* to get the pin at 12 o'clock there is a pressure on the rockers.  However, I am not 100% sure that it matters where the pin is at this point.  All I know is that from the reading I have done that is the predominant consensus.






There is also some discussion that I need to trim some fo the rubber off of the cam shaft gear.  The new cam chain sits lower than the old one did and rubs against it.  Not really an issue since the new chain will wear into it, but the oil will need to be changed and monitored for a while.  The big issue is that removing the rubber will give provide a little bit of pressure relief on the cam.  I am going to try and see if I can trim it down with everything installed.

[grcamna2]

That what the oem manual says about adjusting the valves also applies to this task you're doing when getting everything together " 90 deg. after TDC for the LT(left cylinder)while going counterclockwise"  my own rough translated quote from the oem Japanese shop manual 

[Harsh]

Well I took apart the cam and cam cover this morning to trim some of the rubber off of the cam gear so the chain will sit a little deeper on the gear.  I think that helped a lot.  I can visibly see that the chain sits deeper on the gear.  Put everything back together and was able to use the same technique I used yesterday to get the side covers on.  They are an interference fit part that the cam shaft rides in so there is very little wiggle room.  I just had to make sure there was no pressure on the cam shaft from the rockers.  She is all together minus some covers that I will put on once it is in the frame.




I also cured (baked in a toaster oven) the hand controls.  All that is left on them is to paint in the areas that are supposed to be red.

[Harsh]

Thanks cal.

Alrighty...I painted the controls this morning.  What an absolute pain that was.  I knew it was going to be tough, but damn it was exhausting.  I ended up using a pin to apply the paint.  I didn't do nearly as good of a job as I had hoped, but I really don't know what else I could have done to make it look better.




Cleaned up the bars with some Prep-N-Etch and installed the controls.  Not too shabby.




I also took apart one of the air filters.  These things are stupid expensive.  I think the cheapest I have seen them is $120 for the pair.  instead of paying that I am going to get some Uni Foam and glue it in place.  You can see how nasty the original paper filter is.




I also started the process of stripping the paint off of the side covers.  I had to get another set since the ones that came with the bike were cracked.  The set I got had a lot of cracks in the paint that went all the way to the plastic.  They had been painted so many times some of the paint was flaking off and it was thick.  I tried a number of things to cut through the paint efficiently, but nothing really worked too well.  I counted 6 layers of paint in addition to primer between each color of paint.  They started off as gold, then maroon, green, red, brown, and finally a dark purple.  The best thing that cut through the paint was good old DOT 3/4 brake fluid.  It takes some time to start working and then a little attention with some steel wool, but it is working.  I don't figure the brake fluid will harm the plastic since most brake reservoirs are made of plastic and they seem to hold up just fine.  I will just make sure to clean them thoroughly after I get all of the paint off.

[grcamna2]

Harsh, I also have a pr. of plastic side covers that have many layers of paint on them,they're the ones that I eventually want to paint gold the same color as my bike;I cracked the little ribs/vents on my mint L. side original by pulling my car's bumper up too close w/ the bike covered... How did the brake fluid work on your plastic surfaces? was it fresh brake fluid? or a little older/weaker ?

[Harsh]

Harsh, I also have a pr. of plastic side covers that have many layers of paint on them,they're the ones that I eventually want to paint gold the same color as my bike;I cracked the little ribs/vents on my mint L. side original by pulling my car's bumper up too close w/ the bike covered... How did the brake fluid work on your plastic surfaces? was it fresh brake fluid? or a little older/weaker ?

It seems to be working fairly well.  I let some sit for a while so I could take a shower and eat dinner.  I just went and checked it and the paint is starting to peel off.  The fluid I am using is a bit old, but I don't know if that makes it any weaker.  I think I have a left side cover that isn't cracked and has its tabs.  I would have to check to verify that it is the left side.  It know it doesn't have the jewel or the rubber piece that the attachment bolt goes through.

[grcamna2]

Harsh,
Do you have an extra left sidecover? they always seem to crack right where those side vents are on the K4,of course it would have helped if I didn't pull my car up too close...  I park my cycle outside my apt. in the same space as my car in front of it as I'm  allowed only the one space so I park it the long way covered up. The work you've been doing on yours cosmetically is excellent and it certainly must have taken you many long tedious hrs. to accomplish.I hope your wife gets many good enjoyable miles from that 350 

[Harsh]

Harsh,
Do you have an extra left sidecover? they always seem to crack right where those side vents are on the K4,of course it would have helped if I didn't pull my car up too close...  I park my cycle outside my apt. in the same space as my car in front of it as I'm  allowed only the one space so I park it the long way covered up. The work you've been doing on yours cosmetically is excellent and it certainly must have taken you many long tedious hrs. to accomplish.I hope your wife gets many good enjoyable miles from that 350 

I thought I did for a bit.  I was trying to figure out where it came from...then it dawned on me.  It goes to my daughter's bike.

[grcamna2]

ok

[Harsh]

Well the brake fluid seemed to do the trick.  I let it sit over night and it bubbled up the paint fairly well.  The brown layer wasn't paint, it was body filler.  That stuff was very difficult to get through as was the second color the cover was painted.  Unfortunately, the not cracked covers I bought did have a crack in one of them.  It was right next to the tab.  I mixed up some Hysol and was able to get it inside the crack and made a nice support on the back side to help keep it from cracking again.  I will say using the brake fluid  is not clean in any way, shape, or form.  I used a razor blade to help scrape and slice through the layers of paint.  If I was a patient man I would put on a coat and occasionally re-apply more and just let it work, but I am not.  So I would put on a coat, work on something for a bit, then scrape, re-apply........After I was done getting the paint off I thoroughly cleaned them with some degreaser I get from work.




I cleaned, de-rusted, and painted the air boxes.  I know they will not be seen, but they are nice and clean looking now. 




I have a set of each of these.  Which one is correct for a K4?  Neither set is in great condition and they both look like someone attempted to paint them, but didn't do a good job.  These are the better of the two.

[grcamna2]

From memory the one on the left(I don't have the bike near me right now)is just like my K4.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Well the brake fluid seemed to do the trick.  I let it sit over night and it bubbled up the paint fairly well.  The brown layer wasn't paint, it was body filler.  That stuff was very difficult to get through as was the second color the cover was painted.  Unfortunately, the not cracked covers I bought did have a crack in one of them.  It was right next to the tab.  I mixed up some Hysol and was able to get it inside the crack and made a nice support on the back side to help keep it from cracking again.  I will say using the brake fluid  is not clean in any way, shape, or form.  I used a razor blade to help scrape and slice through the layers of paint.  If I was a patient man I would put on a coat and occasionally re-apply more and just let it work, but I am not.  So I would put on a coat, work on something for a bit, then scrape, re-apply........After I was done getting the paint off I thoroughly cleaned them with some degreaser I get from work.




I cleaned, de-rusted, and painted the air boxes.  I know they will not be seen, but they are nice and clean looking now. 




I have a set of each of these.  Which one is correct for a K4?  Neither set is in great condition and they both look like someone attempted to paint them, but didn't do a good job.  These are the better of the two.

Navy de-greaser.  I bet that's some potent stuff.  Apparently, the Navy used to dump that and aircraft stripper at El Toro MCAS for decades to the point it was poisoning the water table.  I bet it makes short work of baked on oil and grease on a crankcase!

[Harsh]

When I closed down Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Fl the Navy was fined pretty heavily for all of the crap they dumped over the years.  The stuff I am using is actually designed to be much safer, yet actually work.  We use it in the scrubby machine that cleaned the floors in the hangar.

Well today was my first full day at work since my surgery and I must say i didn't like it one bit.  Not only was I not used to getting up at 0430, but I didn't get to spend nearly as much time working on the bike.  All I accomplished was sanding down the Hysol on the crack that was in the side cover.  It is nice and solid now.  I also picked up some Uni foam and adhered it to the screen.  Tomorrow after it is thoroughly dried I will adhere it to the covers.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Well today was my first full day at work since my surgery and I must say i didn't like it one bit.  Not only was I not used to getting up at 0430,  . . .

Isn't that 0 Dark Thirty?  I hate it when you get up and it's still pitch black.

[Harsh]

Yep...been doing it for 24 plus years and it still sucks.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Yeah but, no traffic, home early, and there's never a line at the drive-thru at that hour. Even the drunks have made it home by then.

The bummer is when the drunks have not made it home by then, but you can usually pick them out .

[bjbuchanan]

Yep...been doing it for 24 plus years and it still sucks.

The winter is what gets to me with the early rising. You go in and its dark and you get out and its dark. Depressing

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Yep...been doing it for 24 plus years and it still sucks.

The winter is what gets to me with the early rising. You go in and its dark and you get out and its dark. Depressing

Hate that, too.  04:30 sounds brutal though.

[Harsh]

Had my follow up today.  Everything is going great and I have been cleared for pretty much everything.  Took some x-rays which I was able to get a copy of.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Had my follow up today.  Everything is going great and I have been cleared for pretty much everything.  Took some x-rays which I was able to get a copy of.

Harsh,

That doesn't look fun.  Did they go in from the front or back of your neck?

We can all see your fillings now!  Take care of those choppers!

Glad you are cleared for duty.  Hope the surgery helped.

Don

PS  Where's the GPS tracker they implant in you service guys?

[Harsh]

They go through the front.  If there is a gps installed they aren't telling me where they put it.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

They go through the front.  If there is a gps installed they aren't telling me where they put it.

Glad the surgery was successful.  Luckily, I dodged that bullet on my L4/L5/S1.

[grcamna2]

How she going lately Harsh ?