Topic: Terry's NEW Redneck CB750 rebuild. The "Swamp Rat". Too soon? Nah..........

[Terry in Australia]

Okay, so the weather today was crap, rainy, windy, and no good for working on motorcycles outdoors. No biggie, tomorrow is supposed to be a cracker, so I should get some bike fixing happening.

The wife told me to take my K2 tank outside, she was sick of me staring at it and drooling, but geez, it's 47 years old and hasn't got a dent on it, not even a big scratch, which is amazing, most K2 tanks I see have had the sh1t kicked out of them, are full of rust and bondo, and have had 10 different coats of paint on them, how this one survived, I guess I'll never know?

I put it on the bike just to take this pic, I think it'll be a great match for the "patina" theme, nice old original paint, but not shiny enough to be out of place on a 47 year old bike. I better get my finger out of my backside and get this thing finished!

Swamp Rat shiny tank 17 Oct 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[PeWe]

Looking good Terry!
A little polish and wax will make it to shine.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Per, yeah I'll give it a clean and a polish just to see how well it comes up.

[RAFster122s]

Can’t believe you are letting that gem go with the bike...but then again you might not be doing another 750 for a while...

Glad you are feeling better.
David

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks David, I'm really sore now, but mostly my back, hips and shoulders, from old injuries that don't agree with my rolling around the concrete floor playing with old Harleys. No matter, gonna jump in the old rain box and put a bit of heat into those old bones, and drop a Tramadol or two while I'm at it, and I'll be good to go tomorrow.

[PeWe]

Terry, you will not sell that bike, right?
Built with blood sweat, tears while  the hospital butcher doing you now and then.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Per, well the good thing is that I don't need to sell the bike, but the bad news is that I do need to sell some of my bikes, and/or build another shed to store them. I always thought that owning lots of bikes would be wonderful, but now, with 16 motorcycles around the place and enough parts for a couple more, it's becoming a nightmare.

I've got no room to move in my garage, I've still got Spotty's K7 sitting on my trailer under a bike cover, my K2 swamp rat build, my Evo Sportster and my Z1000 Mad Max bike in the patio, the CX500 under a cover behind the garage, and the Rocket III, BMW K100RS SE, VFR750 and FJR1300 in a storage container that costs me $4000 per year. The trouble is, I bought all these bikes because I love them, so it'll be more painful than my recent surgery to move them on. Oh well..........

As I've mentioned previously, I've just bought an old Harley Sportster. It was cheap because it's a "Non Runner", but I'm happy to tinker with bikes. The issue is that when you hit the electric starter (no kicker on this bike) it makes a horrible noise, but the engine doesn't turn over. Yesterday, being a lovely sunny day, I wheeled it into my carport and took a look.

Terry's Iron Head Sporty 18 Oct 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

These old beasts are easy to work on, so it onnly took a few minutes to remove the primary cover. When I did, I realised why it's making a horrible noise.

Terry's Iron Head Sporty 18 Oct 2019 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Terry's Iron Head Sporty 18 Oct 2019 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

That washer is the thrust washer for the starter motor, and the white thing, and the metal thing, are parts of the primary chain tensioner.

Terry's Iron Head Sporty 18 Oct 2019 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

The metal thing holds the nylon "shoe" in place, but somehow this one came off, and the primary chain gave it a good flogging as it continued to flog around. Mark, the previous owner, told me that he went to start it, it made a horrible noise, and wouldn't start. That all makes sense, without the shoe in place it had around 2 inches of slack in the middle of the chain. I ordered a new tensioner assembly from the US, but in the meantime I needed a good redneck fix. I thought about glueing it in place but figured that hot oil would make short work of the glue, so I pop riveted the shoe back on. I used a bigger drill bit so I could recess the rivet heads, and the good thing is that the chain doesn't actually contact the area where I put the rivets, so it should last OK until the new tensioner arrives.

Terry's Iron Head Sporty 18 Oct 2019 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

OK, so I put it all back together, hit the starter, and.......... it made a horrible noise! I took the primary cover off again, and hit the starter, and I could see that the starter gear is meshing with the ring gear on the clutch, then in turn rotating the front (crankshaft) primary sprocket, but the engine isn't turning over? Well I ran out of time, so today I'm gonna go out and work out how to remove the front primary sprocket, to see why it turns, but the engine doesn't.

Hopefully it's just a sheared key or something nice and simple, but I guess we will see what we will see. If the worst becomes the worst, Ironhead Sportster parts aren't very expensive..........        

[Tintop]

"........Hopefully it's just a sheared key or something nice and simple, but I guess we will see what we will see. If the worst becomes the worst, Ironhead Sportster parts aren't very expensive..........        

And so it starts.....

[HondaMan]

Well since the prostate surgery I'm producing nothing but air guys, so no fear of anything naughty, but yeah, a "Brew and Bike shack" would be a great cottage business that I could maintain post retirement, for sure. When it rains it pours, the VA lady rang me to offer me MORE money yesterday, and I told her I'd think about it, as everything the government offers you always has it's drawbacks, especially if I keep looking at Harley pics......... (or Vmaxes)

Yeow! I didn't know you went thru that, Terry! But...so did I, in 2001. In the end, it was one of the best things I did (that didn't involve Fours). I just got my back fixed, too, and now I feel like I am 30 years younger!

[PeWe]

I guess the CX500 can go and make more space?
The Triumph rocket is a beast and must have, right?
CB750, Kawasaki Z1000 also must have. Then your Yamaha cruiser, also must have. Plus Harleys for the style and sound, riding safe in not that high speed work fine when you are 70+....

[Terry in Australia]

"........Hopefully it's just a sheared key or something nice and simple, but I guess we will see what we will see. If the worst becomes the worst, Ironhead Sportster parts aren't very expensive..........        

And so it starts.....

Ha ha, yes Brian, never a truer word was spoken. But anyway, buoyed with new found internet knowledge, I attacked the task of removing the engine sprocket. The 1972 and 1973 (my model) has a "compensator" device designed to work like a cush drive, and you need Harley special tool #123456 ($159.99) to remove it, along with Harley special tool #123457 ($89.99) to lock the primary chain while you're undoing it. I made Terry Special Tool #11 plus a chunk of alloy plate wedged between the chain and sprocket for the same effect, at a cost of $0.00. It did the job perfectly.

Terry's Iron Head Sporty 19 Oct 2019 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Terry's Iron Head Sporty 19 Oct 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

So all was going well, when suddenly it dawned on me that I was in trouble. Yep, there I was thinking that the sprocket shaft extension was turning on the end of the sprocket shaft, when I realised that the sprocket shaft was turning too? The sprocket shaft has a taper on one end and is connected to the flywheel of the engine, and once torqued in place, shouldn't move.

Harley Sportster sprocket shaft. by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Mine had somehow come loose. I have a theory, that when the primary chain adjuster collapsed, it got jammed between the chain and the primary case, momentarily seizing the engine. The pressure on the sprocket shaft would have been immense while the engine was running, and it basically spun the sprocket shaft in the taper. Hopefully the shaft is still good and hopefully the flywheel is good too, but to fix this, the engine needs to be stripped down to the last nut and bolt, the cases need to be split, and the complete crankshaft assembly needs to be checked. If the shaft is just loose and can be fixed by just tightening the nut then that's great, but the worst case scenario is that I might need a new shaft ($80.00 USD) and a new flywheel, or a pair of flywheels, if they're matched. Or a stroker crank assembly. Oooher...........      

[BPellerine]

kinda thought that this is where you would end up on this,one thing leads to another!bill

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, thanks Bill, but no worries, it'll give me the opportunity to strip and inspect the engine, and fix whatever needs fixing along the way. But of course I can't be fixing Harleys while my honda is taking up valuable real estate on my bench, so I got stuck into "getting her done" today.

I installed the oil tank, which was a difficult task considering that it was on the other side of the bike, so I had to climb up onto the bench, then drop down between the bench and the toolbox stand, but the bottom line was I got it on pretty easily. I then took a look at that beautiful tank, and decided to give it some love. The fuelcap seal was as hard as a rock.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 8 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr


So I installed a nice new genuine Honda seal.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 7 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And of course, it needed a petcock, so I dug out a shiny new repro one, and installed it.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Ok, so what next? Carbs! But before I got too excited, I had to do a little maint on my airbox. The "Wingnut/screws" (Wingscrews?) were buggared.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

But many moons ago, I bought new ones for another bike, so decided to give my airbox a birthday.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And it looks better now.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I bought new insulator rubbers to mount the carbs to the head, but after several tries, I almost gave up, the shape of the new non-genuine insulators was all wrong! I ended up using the rock hard old rubbers after I heated them in boiling water. I'll order new clamps, as the old ones are buggared too. At least the aftermarket airbox rubbers were a nice fit, and it only took a minute to install the airbox. I need to order a new air filter too.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 9 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

OKay, so I was running out of energy by now, but wanted to get the tool roll tray installed. Trouble was, I didn't have the little steel dowels to stop the plastic from getting squished, so i had to turn a couple up on my lathe. All done.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

So dear readers, that was my day. 6 hours today, but nothing half arsed, and I'm happy that there's not much left now, some badges, some wiring, some pipes, some oil, some fuel, a headlight assembly, some footpegs, wow, not much to do now! More soon.

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Swamp Rat Sunday 20 October 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr



   

[spotty]

CX500......... hahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahaha hahahaha........

hang on a minute, gotta get me breath back

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahshahahahahahahahahahahahahahagahahahahahahshahaha

Ah well, no-one is going to take the piss out of you for buying a Harley after that admission, they've got way better ammunition now

[RAFster122s]

Plastic Maggots are much aligned but they are not that awful. Not an exciting bike, but great at getting you through a commute or on a trip.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks David, and technically, the CX500 is my son Tim's bike, but if I can ever find a CX500 Custom frame I'll buy it (if Tim will sell it) as I loved my last one, even though it was very heavy and no powerhouse.

I love V Twins (obviously, with 5 other V, or perhaps, L twins around the place, plus the VFR750, a delightful V4) and as you've alluded, they were a great little bike if you weren't looking for a power house.

 I sold mine and bought my BMW K100RS and GL1200 with the proceeds, so there are cashed up hipsters who pay big bux for the old maggots. Anyway, that's probably a retirement project, I need to get the 750 finished and off the bench so I can quickly remediate the sporty's engine issue, then finally get the big Z up and going, so I can ride it over to Spotty's place and encourage him to finish the ZZR.........

[Terry in Australia]

So today I tackled a job I've been putting off since the day I decided to make this bike an original "patina bike", cleaning the old HM341's I've had hanging in the garage for the last few hundred years, or so it seems. These pipes were considered so far gone that when I sold a guy 2 projects last year, he refused to take them, saying they weren't good enough to haul away.

Oh well, maybe he was right, on a high dollar resto that he was planning (but hasn't finished yet) they might not have added any value, but for the ol' Swamp Rat, they look fine. I spent an hour or so with some stainless steel wool and phosphoric acid, and they cleaned up pretty well. Lots of scrapes and dings, and one pipe has a little too much rust but overall, infinitely usable. I might have to keep my eye out for one better pipe, but they'll do for a start.

I need to find some bolts to mount them tomorrow (or whenever I get off my arse again) and I might need to pull the bike off the bench before I mount them permanently, because fully loaded it'll be dangerous to try to lift it off with my "200 Kg (440 pound) max" capacity. I think I'll take the tank, battery and exhausts off, just to be safe. It does look good though!

Swamp Rat Sunday 27 Oct 2019 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Swamp Rat Sunday 27 Oct 2019 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr   

[ofreen]

It does look good.

[WhyNot2]

wow....................swamp rat my azz.

This thing looks great.

I'd be proud to ride it, even to a Harley rally..

[BPellerine]

looking good terry,surprising what a basket case can turn into.bill

[seanbarney41]

That is a lot cooler than a Sportster ha  ha

[RAFster122s]

Yep, she looks great I think!
Have you decided to keep her or are you still planning on selling her?
You have dug into your stash of NOS parts and bought a lot of new parts for her. Consider the cost of picking up replacement parts to restock those same parts...not cheap.
If you sell it, the guy will replace the exhaust with new, tell him you want the pipes back when he tears it down. That is if you intend to put together another 750 down the road...that is what I would do. My unsolicited $0.02.
She really is starting to turn into a head turned...more of original survivor vibe than restored bike.

[Tintop]

"...more of original survivor vibe than restored bike."

Perfect description. +1  Maybe starting to look a bit too nice Terry.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, I did think about the "Original Survivor" tag, but I felt "Patina Build" was a more honest description, keeping in mind that the original bike hadn't survived, and all that I salvaged was a seized engine and a bare rusty frame. Still, yep, it looks like a bike that's survived the ravages of 47 years of not much love, so I can't pick too many nits, I suppose......

I did find a better exhaust pipe on Ebay, but like just about everything I buy nowadays, it comes with a negative. The muffler looks great and rust free, while the header has come into contact with something solid which has pretty much fcuked it, but for 75 beans plus another 80 to ship to Oz from US, plus 21 to our thieving government for "Goods and Services Tax", (GST) it was still a reasonable price, so what I'll do, like I did with the blue K2 that won bike of the month many moons ago, is "Cut and Shut" my half decent header onto the unmarked muffler. Basically, I install my header onto the engine and the muffler onto the frame, and weld them where they meet, then brush a little silver paint around the weld, and call it good.

Interestingly, Harley parts are either much more plentiful in the US than Honda 750 parts, or at least it appears that here is a heap of stuff available at much more reasonable prices. I asked about bits for my 1973 XLH1000 on a FB site this morning, and a guy came straight back and said "Yep, I've got all that stuff" and sent me a pic of a 1973 Sporty that he bought to build a chop out of, and so I bought the fenders, all the lights, blinkers, horn, original bar risers, speedo and tach, all in minty condition for $200 (US) plus shipping. Bargain! I've paid a lot more for a lot less when it comes to CB750 stuff.

Dustins 1973 XLH1000 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Anyway, I'll post some more pics of the 750 when I actually get off my arse and do something, the weather is getting better and better, and that's firing up my desire to get this poor neglected "survivor/patina bike" done, and back on the road after so many years!

[PeWe]

You have the riding season coming. Here finito.
+4C ride yesterday, today frozen landscape.
The bike look good Terry! Looking forward to the first ride report.