Topic: The Lost Socket Garage

[Scott S]

 Since I always seem to have multiple projects going on, not all SOHC4, and since my garage is centered over a black hole and anything that is dropped promptly disappears (CB550 wrist pin clips are the worst), I've decided to start a thread documenting the goings-on of Scott's garage; aka, The Lost Socket Garage.



 Elsewhere on this site you'll find the starter threads on my '85 VT500 Ascot and '75 CB360.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,166228.0.html

 And the CL70, CL90 and now the S90.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=137314.25

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,167031.0.html

 From now on, most updates on those bikes will be here. Since I'm scattered all over the place and can't seem to finish one project before another stray follows me home.

[Scott S]

 I'll begin with a question.
 I have a '67 CL90 that's missing the exhaust. The parts fiche lists at least two different exhaust systems, up to '67 and '68-70.
 Will they interchange? If I show you a picture of the head/exhaust port on the CL, would that tell you anything?

 These aftermarket pipes are available:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-CL90-EXHAUST-MUFFLER-W-PROTECTOR-SWEPT-UP-/171136823032?hash=item27d88caef8:m:mCX3bVV367K4zXD8zHCwnIg&vxp=mtr

 And a couple of used OEM pipes are on eBay right now, but listed for '68-70.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-70-Honda-CL90-Scrambler-H1017-1-exhaust-header-muffler-tail-pipe-/232407068247?hash=item361c8a6e57:g:j1EAAOSwEAtZZnRp&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CL90-Exhaust-Muffler-/192224506818?hash=item2cc17933c2:g:lfEAAOSwstJZSu2s&vxp=mtr

 Would actually prefer a slightly "well used" stock pipe to match the rat-bike thing I have going on with the CL90.



 Both it and the S90 will be "preserved" and not fully restored. I want them to look like I just pulled them out of a shed and fired them up, but be dependable and run/stop/turn as they should.

[Scott S]

 The S90 is starting to clean up nicely with just a few minutes of chrome polish and wax.





 It just so happens that I have a much better seat for it. I picked it up at Barber a couple of years ago thinking it would fit the CL90 but they're slightly different.
 Found out last night that the engine DOES turn over, but it makes a funny little noise, like a loose cam chain or something. I'll be tearing it apart to replace the stripped kick start splines anyway. Already placed an order for some gaskets, seals, cam chain, etc. I'll see what the piston and bore look like before ordering that. Maybe a hone an re-ring will do it.

[Scott S]

 Used an XL600R headlight assembly and modified the brackets so that it bolts right up to the stock Ascot headlight ears. Lowers the headlight almost two inches and covers up the gauges. The turn signals are smaller versions of the stock signals.
 I'll neaten up the wiring behind it before final mounting. It will be painted black to match the bodywork with maybe a couple of small grey and white pin stripes in the outline of the existing black area. Grey and white to match the side covers and the wings on the tank.

[Scott S]

 This is the '67 CL90 exhaust port. It, too, is angled. Anyone know what exhausts it accepts? Will the '68-on exhaust fit?

[Scott S]

 Today, I traded this...



 ...for this. 2008 Royal Enfield Bullet 500. Two seats, luggage rack, stock mirrors and signals included. Little over 5,000 miles and good title. Runs great. I think I did OK.




 Because I actually came home with a running, riding bike for one, I've decided to finish the S90 but cut the CL70 and CL90 loose. I'll also be selling the CB360 soon. Maybe once they're all gone I'll find a ready-to-ride CT90/110.

[Scott S]

Cleaned up a little bit and put the stock seat back on. That solo seat in the previous pics is handmade and I told the P.O. I'd give it back (no tools on hand earlier today). There is a stock solo seat we might use but I need some hardware that's missing.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I saw one of those in (of all places) the base of Aconcagua in Argentina.

[Scott S]

 Spent at least 9 hours in the garage over the last two days trying to get the S90 cases split so I can replace the kick start shaft.
 Seized screws and bolts, WRONG bolts used where there should be screws (I don't even know how they tightened a few of them....couldn't get a wrench or socket on them), mangled heads, etc., etc. We used everything from an impact screw driver to a chisel to a Dremel tool to grin in slots or cut off heads....you name it.
 Everything is finally out and will all be replaced. I'm waiting on a rotor puller to get the rotor off so we can split the case and change out the kicker shaft. A $7.49 puller, but probably close to a week of down time waiting on it.

 And about that kicker shaft....
 The P.O., who's owned this bike since at least the early '70's, told me it was stripped out and that they used to bump start it. I kinda noticed that the shaft seemed awful thick to have stripped splines on it. Well, when we got the clutch cover off, we found this:



 Apparently, whoever went inside it and #$%*ed up all the hardware, just cut off the shaft and used a sleeve and some split pins to connect on a piece of rod. That explains the thick end sticking out of the clutch cover.
 We drove out the pins and removed the sleeve, but it took at least 30 minutes to drive out the oversized rod. Good thing I have new oil seals.
 
 We also honed the cylinder, cleaned up the piston and installed new rings, and cleaned up the head. I removed all the carbon and used a bottle brush to run down inside the ports. I let some solvent sit in the combustion chamber and, at first, the valves seemed OK. But, after cleaning, when I was hosing it off outside, the high pressure water made a tear sized drop of water leak past the intake valve.
 I looked into disassembling the head so I could lap the valves, but ran into a couple of issues. One, the screws that hold the cover for the rocker arms are, you guessed it, stuck tight. And they're recessed in some fins, so there is no way to work on them. Then, Two, I read in the manual that the valves/seats can't be lapped and must be replaced.
 We cleaned it up some more and my Dad took a quarter and clamped it in some vice grips and we were able to spin the valves in place. That loosened up some more carbon and now they both seal.
 All of these parts will get another clean with some diesel and parts cleaner before final assembly.

[Scott S]

 One of the cam chain rollers hasn't been rolling for a while, apparently. New one on the way.

[Scott S]

 The carbs that came with the '75 CB360 were too far gone to save. The float posts were broken, etc. Found a set on eBay "from a running bike" for a pretty good price.
 Opened them up for cleaning and inspection and everything looked pretty good except one diaphragm.



 Got a partial refund and then used one of the old diaphragms to put the carbs together. The bike has the wrong starter solenoid in it and I thought I could make some jumpers and make it work, but....no go. New solenoid on the way.
 Started the bike up today and it idles, doesn't smoke or leak or make bad noises, but won't rev. Absolutely nothing happens when I twist the grip. Guess the carbs are coming back off so I can look at the diaphragms again.
They feel like they could use a little bit of synching, too. One exhaust is slightly stronger than the other. And, of course, I don't have the proper tool to reach the screw.
 If I can just get this one to go up and down the road, it's going bye-bye.

[Scott S]

 I don't even feel like riding lately. There's a heat index here of 105 degrees and it's humid as hell. Just went out to the garage to snap some pics and even with the door closed it's 96 degrees in there.
 Been putting in a few hours in the morning and then giving up.

[calj737]

Thank God it's only a twin! What a pain it would be if it had 4 cylinders and carbs 

By the way, that bike resembles my very first street bike! Except the side covers of course...

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

My buddy has one of these that is minty -- Sunburst Orange.  He's threatened to sell it to me cheap, but I don't need it.

[Scott S]

My buddy has one of these that is minty -- Sunburst Orange.  He's threatened to sell it to me cheap, but I don't need it.

 I kinda dig it, and the GF was interested for a minute. But then she saw the S90 and fell in love. and THEN I traded for the Royal Enfield.
 It's time for stuff to start going bye-bye. And I had a couple of CL350's for a while and they were fun, but limited in their usefulness, at least compared to the 500/550, etc. The guy I got the 360 from has asked for first refusal once it's road worthy again. That might be neat....seeing it go back to the guy I got it from.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

My buddy has one of these that is minty -- Sunburst Orange.  He's threatened to sell it to me cheap, but I don't need it.

 I kinda dig it, and the GF was interested for a minute. But then she saw the S90 and fell in love. and THEN I traded for the Royal Enfield.
 It's time for stuff to start going bye-bye. And I had a couple of CL350's for a while and they were fun, but limited in their usefulness, at least compared to the 500/550, etc. The guy I got the 360 from has asked for first refusal once it's road worthy again. That might be neat....seeing it go back to the guy I got it from.

That would be cool.

[Fezzler]

All that in this heat!  Man, you may be the hardest, continuously restoring and modifying garage jockey in Hondaland USA!  In this heat! Phew.  King of patience too I suppose.

[seanbarney41]

cb360 was the first bike I put real miles on.  I like 'em better than a 350 twin.  Mine went bye bye the first time my friend copped me a ride on a 4...and a cv diaphragm went bad.  I used a bicycle inner tube patch kit on it.  That didn't work very long.  I did it again, parked it out front for $300 more than I paid for it, took $100 more than I paid for it...no more twins.

[Scott S]

I have a bag full of clutch friction discs. Probably 25 or 30 of them.
None of them are the exact part number for the S90.
There are some S65, CL90, ATC, etc. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't work. The grooves are slightly different on some of them. But they fit the clutch basket and the thickness seems the same.
Can I use them in my 1965 S90?

[Scott S]

 Drained the Metal Rescue from the S90 tank and it looks good. Tried to remove the petcock and, you guessed it, the screw is as boogered up as every other screw on this bike. Anything I have here that would get it out would be too violent. Dropped it off at my local Mom-n-Pop shop to let their guy use an extractor bit on it. The tank is too solid and too clean inside for me to mess it up at this point, and the petcock is being replaced anyway.

 Worked on the 360 a little bit, too. Trying to figure out why it wouldn't rev.
 Removed the tank and the throttle cable freed up. I guess I had something in a bind. Even though it was moving, it wasn't moving enough.
I had also fouled a plug. Cleaned those and it's running on both and revving. But I'm having a tough time getting a sweet spot.
  I checked throttle operation before installing tank, and I was getting movement, but something must've gotten in the way. Only after removing the tank could I tell that I wasn't getting FULL range. Still wants to idle too high or not at all. The points seem to be arcing a little bit, too. I'll pull the points plate, clean and lube the advance mechanism, set the timing (now that I have a battery) and dress the points. You also need a special tool to sync the carbs Luckily, it was only $16 and I can use it on the CB500/550, too. I feel confident that I can fix it from this point.

 The good news: No leaks, no smoke, no funny noises. I hated this thing yesterday. Feel better about it now.
 

[Scott S]

 Not much to report. Some parts showed up, got the stuck screw out of the S90 pet cock, got the carbs and air box back on the Ascot. My Dad got the S90 clutch basket apart and made a couple of homemade tools for the upcoming engine assembly.

 I don't have the energy or drive to do anything right now. Last Tuesday, I said goodbye to my best friend ever; Guster, my 17.5 year old Blue Heeler. Not only was she the best shop dog, she was simply The. Best. Dog. Ever.
 I miss her so much it's indescribable.




 People continue to suck. Dogs are awesome. It'll never be the same without her.

[calj737]

I feel for you deeply, Scott. She was a delight when I met her. I imagine Tamara is pretty broken up too knowing her heart for our pawed pals. 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Scott,

So sorry to hear about you losing Gus. 

[MauiK3]

Scott
My sympathies are with you, we are close to our Aussies. Hard to say goodbye, nothing like a loving shop buddy.
Dogs are wonderful, some people maybe not so much.
Steve

[Scott S]

 Lots more "invisible" stuff done. Work that needs to be done but doesn't produce any visible results.

 Set the timing on the 360 today and tweaked on the carbs. I don't have the proper fitting for the sync ports (it's a unique size for the 360), so we did it old school; by ear and by feeling the exhaust, since they are true dual's.

 Continued disassembly of the S90 engine in an attempt to repair the kick starter shaft. Found yet ANOTHER stuck screw that held us up, this on on the external shift mechanism, which must be removed to split the cases. Dad took it to a buddy's shop and they broke it loose for us. Note to self: Get a better impact screw driver set.
 Cleaned up the clutch basket and mic'ed out the plates. Everything passed inspection so we scuffed the plates and buttoned it back up.

 I actually rode the CB360 today. Runs nice, no leaks, smoke or funny noises. The master cylinder works, but poorly. That's the only part of the brakes I didn't rebuild or replace. I have one that will work, but looks modern. Tires are shot, so I stayed on my street.
   I'm now at the point of deciding what to keep and what to sell. The '67 CL90 and '71 CL70 went away the other day. Just wiped my hands of them, made some space in the garages and put some money in the kitty. Don't miss them at all.
 I'm thinking about either the 360 or the Bullet 500 for the GF. She's super excited about the S90, so that will be her "return to riding" bike at first, but I want something a little more capable for the long term. What would you pick? Both have Pro's and Con's.

 CB360
 -More HP and better top end
 -Slightly more highway friendly, not that she'd be doing that a lot
 -Cool, true vintage
 -Already a little banged up, so a scratch or a drop won't matter.

 *Still needs some work and tweaking
 *Master cylinder needs replaced, horn doesn't work.
 *Start button is grounded somewhere, so it needs a new RH control
 *Seat needs repair
 *Needs tires.
 *Need to rinse tank again. Got a little fuzzy stuff that came back.

Bullet 500
 -Just about ready to ride
 -Looks vintage but is (sorta) modern
 -Could be ready to go EASILY
 -WAY better shape cosmetically
 -Cool factor of the R.E. fame

 *Needs a headlight (low beam out)
 *Battery is a little weak, so I'd replace that for her
 *She wants a solo seat (cheaper than repairing the seat of the CB360)
 *Limited HP and top speed compared to the CB360
 *Limited highway usefulness but, again, not really a big deal.
 *Service schedule is way shorter than any Honda. Requires frequent tune ups, doable at home.

 Which would you pick to keep? I'd let the CB360 go for ~$1000, as-is, right now. For another $300-400 I could have it done and her on the road.
 The Enfield is worth about $2500 as-is, and I have nowhere NEAR that in it. I could make a nice profit. Way more profit than the 360. But I kinda dig the R.E. And it'd be like hitting the "easy button" to get that one DONE.