Topic: High Quality of vintage Honda CB parts

[kyle750]

Yesterday a box weighing 24kg of vintage Honda CB parts was delivered by FEDEX.  A mix of both CB550 and CB750 parts.  I try my best to buy the best condition parts that I can find that are also priced reasonably. Not always an easy task and sometimes I make a mistake and make a bad choice.   I cannot afford NOS parts as they are too expensive and out of my budget for the bikes.

What I find surprising is the High Quality of vintage Honda parts.  Almost all of these parts are over 50 years old and the chrome and condition is Amazing!  It seems that almost everything made today is cheap and does not last a very long time.

[seanbarney41]

yes sir...that is what I find so fun about restoring old Honda's.  So often I find these bikes just really need a lot of deep cleaning and some maintenance and you got a respectable old machine that is very practicle to use as intended every day.

[kyle750]

In the shipment of vintage parts there was also a CB550 owners manual, HONDA patches, and a set of original CB750 American Honda service bulletins (30 pages).  I will try to make high quality scans of each individual page and make them available to CB750 owners and the Honda community. Very interesting to read from the early launch of the CB750.     

[Deltarider]

How about that CB550 Owner's manual? What model is it?

[Stev-o]

... and a set of original CB750 American Honda service bulletins (30 pages).  I will try to make high quality scans of each individual page and make them available to CB750 owners and the Honda community.     

We have a thread dedicated to service bulletins that some of the guys have uploaded to...

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,102388.0.html

[MauiK3]

Yes, many new products are just landfill material with a short life span. Of course there are exceptions but Honda stuff is generally very good.

[kyle750]

I've been working with the same shipper for many years.  Mostly smaller packages but this is the largest and heaviest shipment so far.  The shipper repacks all the individual packages into 1 large sturdy doublewall box trying to keep the volume size down to a safe minimum. No wasted space in the box. 

Photo when I first opened the box and after unwrapping the CB550 rear grab rail

[kyle750]

How about that CB550 Owner's manual? What model is it?

I have not unwrapped all the smaller items yet.  It's in there somewhere? 

[kyle750]

 . . .  and the most important item in the entire shipment 

[MauiK3]

+10 to that!!

[rotortiller]

Yes, many new products are just landfill material with a short life span. Of course there are exceptions but Honda stuff is generally very good.

While there will always be substandard parts out there we are very fortunate to have numerous replacement items. I have yet to receive a useless part from vintage vendors. Some new production items I have in place are, electronic ignitions, replica fuse boxes, brake pistons, oil filters, air filters, brake pads, brake shoes, shocks, handlebars, side covers, switches, batteries, bulbs, wire connectors, nuts and bolts, ignition coils and caps, spokes and rims, tires and tubes pistons/rings, gaskets, rubber mounts,  etc, etc. All this goodness comes from Asia, often repackaged in the USA. Buying direct online these days is the best thing to do if possible. Because the SOHC 750s are numerous they attract generous reproduction.

Where else can you find reproduction gas tanks?! I see way too little appreciation for our situation and far too much complaining. Remember for parts installation and selection many would screw up the lord's prayer that is provided they knew how it went. Buy wise and be happy.

[kyle750]

Combination of original, OEM replacement, and new

Replaced OEM fender and brackets, original to the bike disc brake and rotor (inner hub repainted black)
New wheel, spokes, and tire

2nd photo is the front as the bike arrived

Late Edit:  Saving the front forks and boot covers for another day    Right now I am installing an OEM fender, tailight, and rear grab bar rail  - What a HUGE difference this makes getting the back end returned to original. 

[kyle750]

Back end is looking much better 

OEM replacement fender, OEM grab rail, and OEM tail light

New wheel, new spokes, and new tire

Last photo is when the bike first arrived.  It's slow going but we are making progress

[rotortiller]

Nice job on the wheels, they look very nice!

[Oly]

Chrome rear fender update and new rims make a big difference...looking great!

[HondaMan]

By chan

Combination of original, OEM replacement, and new

Replaced OEM fender and brackets, original to the bike disc brake and rotor (inner hub repainted black)
New wheel, spokes, and tire

2nd photo is the front as the bike arrived

Late Edit:  Saving the front forks and boot covers for another day    Right now I am installing an OEM fender, tailight, and rear grab bar rail  - What a HUGE difference this makes getting the back end returned to original. 

By chance, Kyle: is Coca Cola sold where you are? For years we used to use it to remove light rust on bike fenders (especially Yamahas that were only 2 years old) and corrosion on car battery terminals, but always followed with LOTS of water to remove the sugar. The acid in the Coke drink was a big help at pulling out the dirt that masked the rust from rust-remover products of the day.

One thing I did remember from it all: I had to make a special spot designated out in the dirt parking lot for this activity, as it draws LOTS of ants...

[kyle750]

By chance, Kyle: is Coca Cola sold where you are?

Thais love sweet drinks and Coca Cola is very popular.  I find it interesting that Coke is still made with sugar cane here in Thailand and when sold in small restaurants still bottled the old fashioned way in  reusable green glass waisted bottles.  Most Coke all over the world including in the USA is made with corn syrup.  Sugar Cane Coke is fantastic with a sharper and less sugary taste than corn syrup. 

[Kelly E]

Coca Cola announced the are bringing back cane sugar in the USA.

[kyle750]

One more photo of the back end.  Round and round I go spinning my wheels 

I will be removing the back wheel today to replace the drum brake plate as I bought a replacement in excellent condition.  NOS brake shoes fitted to the replacement plate and pivots greased up and ready to install.

[CycleRanger]

Nice, big improvement! 

[kyle750]

Many thanks for all the kind comments, forum members sharing their experience and wisdom, and encouragement. It means alot to me - Thank You! I make a lot of mistakes but I'm finding that I really enjoy working on the bike and am learning as I go. I just learned about removing the pressure fit tabs from the gas cap in order to replace the gasket. Restoring an older Honda CB is so much fun!

But what I really need right now is an ice cold sugar cane Thailand Coke 

[Deltarider]

How about that CB550 Owner's manual? What model is it?

Kyle, could you post a pic of that manual? I wonder what model it's about.

[kyle750]

How about that CB550 Owner's manual? What model is it?

Kyle, could you post a pic of that manual? I wonder what model it's about.

I could not find the CB550 manual    It should be there but maybe the shipper forgot to include it in the consolidation.  I've saved all the wrapping material in the original box and not thrown anything out yet.  I will go through the packing material to see if I overlooked it. Maybe the manual missed the cutoff/deadline and will be included in the next shipment?   

[kyle750]

I foolishly believed changing 2 gas cap seals would take only 5 minutes 

Pried out the pressure fit triangular shaped tabs to remove the spring loaded metal star shaped inner mechanisms and found them thoroughly rusted to the top side but the visible bottom side toward the gas was in good shape with very little rust.  The metal along the outer edge where the seal sits was rusted (both top and bottom)

The inner spring is very heavy duty but both were heavily rusted and inaccessible?  I just used a thin and long strip of scotch brite pad and inserted it inside the flat round outer disc and moved the scotch brite pad back and forth using  the edge of the pad to remove the rust and clean the spring.

Sanded and lightly oiled, new seals, and reinstalled.   Metal will never be perfect again but should be good for another 50 years 

Late Edit: I now wonder if soaking them in Evapo-Rust would have yielded the same results?

[kyle750]

So very Japanese - looks like ancient ninja shuriken throwing stars