Author Topic: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod  (Read 8378 times)

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Offline zammykoo

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1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« on: April 18, 2016, 06:56:16 AM »
Hey guys, Tam here - new to the forums but I've been riding for a few years. I have recently picked up a non-running CB350F and plan to get it back on the road. Looks like it needs a bit of love and I'm here to give it. This is my first project bike so I imagine it being quite a learning curve. But I've been reading plenty of tear down threads on this forum and watching videos which have been super helpful so far. Not very many 350f guides out there but I'm making do with other models.

I'm waiting on some hand tools to arrive so hopefully I can dive in soon. I don't know exactly what I want to do with it yet as far as styling goes - wanted to first check if the engine is in good shape, then go from there. I'll probably start by building a wooden jig to help remove the engine from the frame and prop it up. And as I'm still learning how to rebuild, I'd appreciate any feedback/suggestions/tips along the way.

Cheers!

« Last Edit: April 18, 2016, 06:58:19 AM by zammykoo »

Online calj737

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2016, 07:01:45 AM »
Buy a good quality set of JIS drivers. All the "screws" on that bike are NOT Phillips, they're JIS and they're quite different. Also, an impact hammer to help with stuck or slightly stripped screws makes short order of removal.

Easiest to lay the bike on its right side, then lift the frame off the motor to remove the engine if you go that route. 350s are great little bikes, and plenty of them on this Forum with build/resto threads to help you along. Just scan the "Project" boards for any insight you might need.

Welcome!
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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2016, 07:32:37 AM »
Buy a good quality set of JIS drivers. All the "screws" on that bike are NOT Phillips, they're JIS and they're quite different. Also, an impact hammer to help with stuck or slightly stripped screws makes short order of removal.

Easiest to lay the bike on its right side, then lift the frame off the motor to remove the engine if you go that route. 350s are great little bikes, and plenty of them on this Forum with build/resto threads to help you along. Just scan the "Project" boards for any insight you might need.

Welcome!

Yessir! my JIS screwdrivers and impact are supposed to arrive in the mail today. But Houston has been storming heavily over night and parts of town is flooding. I may not see my package till tomorrow or the next day.

And I know you're right about pulling the engine out by laying it down, but I just can't see myself doing that without the possibility of knackering something up  :-\. I can possibly get a second pair of helping hands but didn't want to rely on that. For now it's a one man show.

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2016, 01:30:50 PM »
It is easier (okay, much easier) with 2 people. But, stack some magazines (they do make them still) on the side to support the points cover. Pad a few blankets. Comes right up. Especially if you have the front end off the bike.

Else, strap the bike down (upright) and position a jack under the oil pan with a wood block to protect it. A little upward pressure, remove the motor hangar bolts, and lift out to the right onto your awaiting pile of blankies and mags. Your motor is not that heavy that a strapping Young gun like you will have any problem hoisting her right out and one-handing it up onto an engine stand.  :D
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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2016, 09:12:08 PM »
Today I pulled the engine out! I'm pretty handy with wood working so I put together a mini gantry on casters to make this process a lot easier. It went out really smooth. I didn't have a chance to build a stand/frame to mount the engine to though. I could possibly just buy a HF stand... but what's the fun in that. We'll see what I have time for :)




Online calj737

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2016, 04:06:46 AM »
Every engine hoist needs a bottle opener!  :D ;D
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Offline iiAtlas

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2016, 05:07:59 AM »
Today I pulled the engine out! I'm pretty handy with wood working so I put together a mini gantry on casters to make this process a lot easier. It went out really smooth. I didn't have a chance to build a stand/frame to mount the engine to though. I could possibly just buy a HF stand... but what's the fun in that. We'll see what I have time for :)





Great job!  That gantry looks sweet - nice project.  Looking forward to whatever is next!

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2016, 06:40:36 AM »
Every engine hoist needs a bottle opener!  :D ;D

It just didn't feel quite complete without one  ;D


Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2016, 06:48:14 AM »
Great job!  That gantry looks sweet - nice project.  Looking forward to whatever is next!

Thanks! And likewise, I looked through your build thread and you are many steps ahead. Def would be helpful during my tear down :)

Offline knowsnothing

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2016, 08:21:40 AM »
Nice looking hoist.  Might a touch overkill for the 350/400 engines.  I really like working on the smaller 4s because their engines aren't aboslute pigs (ahem 750s) and can be removed solo pretty easily. 

Keep up the good work!
« Last Edit: April 26, 2016, 11:03:41 AM by knowsnothing »
1978 CB750k Green - 811 engine
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1974 CB375F Faded Black - had to have that 6th gear
1976 CB400F Red - in many pieces
1973 CB350F TBD - in many pieces

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2016, 09:13:56 AM »
Nice looking hoist.  Might a touch overkill for the 350/400 engines.  I really like working on the smaller 4s because their engines aren't aboslute pigs (ahem 750s) and can be removed solo pretty easily. 

Keep up the good work!

You're definitely right! This thing can probably lift 3 of these engines easily. This is my first time pulling an engine however, and doing it solo made me a tad nervous. My wooden anvil stand was made long ago, so it was convenient using it to prop up the other end - while the gantry was cheap & quick to put together. Better safe than sorry!

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2016, 10:12:41 PM »
So I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm trying to remove the camshaft but I can't reach one of the cam sprocket knock bolts with my socket (or open ended wrench). The engine is stuck in that position. I was hoping removing the chain tensioner slippers would give some slack but it is not enough to help rotate the camshaft. Any ideas?

Side question - would there be any reason to save this chain? I have seen suggestions to cut it but I'd hate to ruin a perfectly good chain.


Offline iiAtlas

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2016, 08:26:05 AM »
So I'm in a bit of a pickle. I'm trying to remove the camshaft but I can't reach one of the cam sprocket knock bolts with my socket (or open ended wrench). The engine is stuck in that position. I was hoping removing the chain tensioner slippers would give some slack but it is not enough to help rotate the camshaft. Any ideas?

Side question - would there be any reason to save this chain? I have seen suggestions to cut it but I'd hate to ruin a perfectly good chain.



You're picture won't load but that could just be me.  If the bolt is what I'm thinking of, you'll just need to rotate that sprocket along the chain so that the bolt comes up in to position.  From what I remember it was a bit of an angles game, but any standard socket should be able to grab it.

Sorry if this is not the bolt you're talking about...hard to guess without the picture!  I used a coat hanger and rubberband to hold the cam chain once I got it off.  Here's a link to that post in my thread!

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #13 on: April 27, 2016, 10:41:49 AM »
You're picture won't load but that could just be me.  If the bolt is what I'm thinking of, you'll just need to rotate that sprocket along the chain so that the bolt comes up in to position.  From what I remember it was a bit of an angles game, but any standard socket should be able to grab it.

Sorry if this is not the bolt you're talking about...hard to guess without the picture!  I used a coat hanger and rubberband to hold the cam chain once I got it off.  Here's a link to that post in my thread!

Hmm, I'm not sure why the photo isn't showing up. I'm using Google Photos to host my images for the first time, maybe it's not the best way to. But I'll upload here.

And thanks for the feedback, but the engine does not rotate freely for me to do so. I suppose one of the pistons are stuck. I tried soaking in marvel mystery oil for many months but still doesn't budge.

I'll try to keep at loosening the chain somehow. Maybe there's something else I can undo/unbolt other than the tensioner slippers? Other than that, I do have a bicycle chain breaker that I can try haha.

Offline iiAtlas

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #14 on: April 27, 2016, 11:43:48 AM »
You're picture won't load but that could just be me.  If the bolt is what I'm thinking of, you'll just need to rotate that sprocket along the chain so that the bolt comes up in to position.  From what I remember it was a bit of an angles game, but any standard socket should be able to grab it.

Sorry if this is not the bolt you're talking about...hard to guess without the picture!  I used a coat hanger and rubberband to hold the cam chain once I got it off.  Here's a link to that post in my thread!

Ahh, got it.  Shame!  Maybe someone here wiser than I can chime in...interested in seeing what they recommend.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2016, 07:35:59 AM by iiAtlas »

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #15 on: April 29, 2016, 09:13:17 AM »
Well I tried everything I can think of to save the chain but ended up cutting it to release the camshaft. I tried rocking the cam back and fourth given the extra slack from removing the tensioner slippers, but was still not enough for me to skip a tooth one at a time.

So then I bought a set of HF offset wrenches but the space was still too tight for the wrench head to squeeze into. I figured at this point I'd say screw it... and took a hack saw and carefully worked my way through, making sure the blade did not touch any of the sprocket teeth. A couple mins of sawing for each side of the chain link was enough to free it.



Cylinder head came out quite easily after. The pistons looks really dirty but I hope it will clean up ok. It appears that piston #3 is stuck. I tried taking the cylinder housing off by wiggling a bit and pulling, and started sliding off. Didn't put much too pressure anywhere but it's def stuck. I might take a torch to it next.





On another note, I got an ultrasonic cleaner in hopes to ease the carb cleaning process. I've seen many mixed reviews but want to try it for myself. So far I tested and am getting pretty decent results. I used about 4:1 water to SG mix at 3 cycles of 450 seconds with heat. I think it may be too diluted of a mixture so I will make more concentrated next, or pre-soak. So many different combinations to try!




Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2016, 06:22:47 PM »
There is a broken spark plug that has been troubling me. I tried using an extractor but it won't budge. I cleared out all of the porcelain innards so am able to see all the way through. I tried lubricating it and also applying some heat but no movement. I'm afraid to apply too much force on the extractor, maybe causing damage to the threads. Not sure if it would be ok to keep going. Any thoughts?






Offline Stev-o

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2016, 07:15:44 PM »
Put some more penetrating fluid on it for a day or two.  ATF/acetone makes a great cocktail. 

Then heat the head to expand it and unscrew the extractor.
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Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2016, 08:30:43 PM »
Put some more penetrating fluid on it for a day or two.  ATF/acetone makes a great cocktail. 

Then heat the head to expand it and unscrew the extractor.

Ah, I've seen many mentions of that mix for piston rings but never crossed my mind to try that on the spark plugs! Thanks Stev-o :)

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #19 on: May 03, 2016, 01:48:08 PM »
So the piston and broken spark plug has been soaking in the ATF/Acetone mix for almost a day now. I'll see if there is any movement when I get out of the office today.

In the mean time I got my hands on some hid projectors that I'm considering for this project. Definitely not what you'd call classic style, but I'm digging it. It may completely change what I had in mind for styling.



I also rebuilt this old junked compressor that was given to me. She works as good as new now! I'm hoping to use it for some light duty soda blasting. Time to whip together a DIY blast cabinet :)


Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #20 on: May 03, 2016, 02:15:17 PM »
If the rest of the bike is period correct, I'd save the HID projectors for another project -- maybe a restomod.
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Online calj737

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2016, 06:55:09 PM »
You need to pay close attention to the Wattage of those projectors. They may tax your charging/electrical system very heavily and leave you dark and dead beside the road. Your stock headlight was probably 35/45 Lo to Hi. Just something to think about...
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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline zammykoo

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #22 on: May 03, 2016, 07:51:47 PM »
You need to pay close attention to the Wattage of those projectors. They may tax your charging/electrical system very heavily and leave you dark and dead beside the road. Your stock headlight was probably 35/45 Lo to Hi. Just something to think about...

Thanks for the wise words. I was looking into that as well. I have a 35w ballast kit, so maybe having a single projector would be more appropriate than a dual setup. Or maybe it's still ok if converting the tail lamp to leds? Still need to do some more digging!

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #23 on: May 04, 2016, 04:13:11 AM »
I doubt the tail light conversion would release sufficient taxing to satisfy a second HID. This dual lamp conversion is something I've explored for a build but shied away from for this very reason. Absent of a major upgrade to the alternator or using an aftermarket stator designed for battery-less operation (with CDI) you'll likely not get there.

Any chance you could find/use 1 HID and a single LED projector instead. That may get you there. And lastly, in some states, those won't pass Inspection because they don't have the focus planes or dimmers as HI/LO operation. Depends upon where you live, and how sticky the Inspectors/Cops are. If the lens doesn't have DOT approved on it, ticket time for you!
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Offline sbeckman7

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Re: 1972 CB350F First RestoMod
« Reply #24 on: May 04, 2016, 01:00:07 PM »
Good to see another 350F project! Welcome to the forum, looking forward to seeing where this goes.