Topic: Really Honda, a 17mm allen head

[eigenvector]

I see that Honda isn't immune to non-standard parts and unnecessarily complicating repairs that should by all rights be just as simple as it was 1 year prior.  Doing winter maintenance on my '79 CB750 here.

I didn't see the clutch coming, when I tore it down to service it, I noticed that the basket was held on with a spanner nut.  I couldn't believe it, that they would choose to use a spanner nut when something as simple and tried and true as a normal nut would have easily sufficed.  I don't know who the engineer was on that task, but he was an idiot.  Having to buy a special socket to remove a nut is ridiculous.
That trauma survived, I took a gander at replacing the fork seals.  No problem, they aren't nearly as complicated to remove as the older CB models.  Well, except they used a 17mm allen bolt to cap the fork with.   Who the heck does something like that?  It's unnecessary, the cap isn't held on tightly enough to require that kind of strength.  I'm trying to simulate it by inverting a 10mm bolt and using the head as the 17mm socket.

Other than those quirks, there really isn't anything particularly complicated about this bike.  In many ways it's actually simpler than the older bikes - but they just had to throw in a few 'Gotchas' or it would have been too easy...

[754]

You must be new to Honda, the locknut has been in use as far as I remember...needs a simple cheap tool, learn to live with it.
 The nut they use , is thinner than standard nuts, and hex head sockets require more clearance than the tool for that nut..
 The sohc. Only needs two special tools, and the motor can be completely disassembled, using only one of them.....not too bad compared to other motors..

[eigenvector]

That's a 750 thing.

Wouldn't have thought the clutch on the 750 would be different than the 550 - can't see the reason, but they most certainly are different, really different.

I've never seen anything like that spanner nut on any of the other bikes I've owned - certainly the width isn't the only reason, normal jam nuts would have been perfectly acceptable and clearance is hardly an issue anyway.

But Honda does have one thing going for it - other than that stupid spanner nut and that 17mm allen cap, the rest of the motor is pretty standard. Indeed no special tools required.  My Triumph was the same way though, the BMW - no so much.  I had to buy a complete set of Torx tools to even begin to work on it.

[754]

The 550 does not have that locknut..   350 twins use it..
 Another thing, the locktab is far easier to bend up than  the flat type.

[tbpmusic]

You must be new to Honda, the locknut has been in use as far as I remember...needs a simple cheap tool, learn to live with it.
 The nut they use , is thinner than standard nuts, and hex head sockets require more clearance than the tool for that nut..
 The sohc. Only needs two special tools, and the motor can be completely disassembled, using only one of them.....not too bad compared to other motors..

All the old twins and singles are like that - just two tools, one for the oil filter nut, the other for the alternator rotor . Each tool is about $10...... a CB350 rear axle will fill in for the alternator tool.
The wild hair is a DOHC 450, you need to deal with breaking/riveting the cam chain.

[eigenvector]

I already have the spanner socket.  I wasn't about to risk damaging the clutch by trying to jury-rig some solution.

The fork tube cap on the other hand is killing me.
17mm allen head

[ofreen]

The fork tube cap on the other hand is killing me.
17mm allen head

You can get a 17mm driver bit for 5-6 bucks from Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears, Harbor Freight, etc...

[eigenvector]

Naw I just bought a 17mm allen key.  More leverage.

[ofreen]

The driver bit works well with a T-handle for installing fork caps against spring pressure.  Makes it easy to avoid cross-threading.

[754]

Have fun starting the plug with an allen wrench..
 Hot tip,   cut 1 1/12 inch off the long end of allen wrench...now you can use it in a socket, plus you still have the allen wrench..
 Them cutoff bits are great to take along travelling..less space.

[ofreen]

Have fun starting the plug with an allen wrench..
 Hot tip,   cut 1 1/12 inch off the long end of allen wrench...now you can use it in a socket, plus you still have the allen wrench..
 Them cutoff bits are great to take along travelling..less space.

That is an idea that works.  I have a few cut off bits around.  The main drawback compared to driver bits is that the cut off bits want to fall out of the socket unless they are taped in or something.  Just not as handy as the driver bits.  A full set of them doesn't cost much.

[eigenvector]

That gets back to my main point though - the only time I'll ever use it is when I change the fork oil.  That would be every couple of years or so.

At least with the 550 I can just use a crescent wrench.