Topic: Project "Hard Luck - The Red Racer" - updated 07/30/2010 w/new project!!!

[DarkRider]

why not see if you can find wheel bearings that fit the Katana wheel on their OD and have a 20 mm iD?

[KB02]

Well, the front end of the Katana has been stripped down except for one nasty bolt that doesn't want to come off that holds the right handle bar on. I've got it soaking now with Kroil to see if that will help to loosen it.

The good news is that the bottom of the steering stem is the same dimension as the stock Honda Stem, 30mm.    The bad news is that it is 1/2 an inch too short.   The top of the stems are different enough from each other that I can't just do a stem swap as I won't be able to get the Katana Top tree to bolt onto the Honda Stem. I might have to have a custom stem made up. But bearings shouldn't be any problem. 



As for the rear, the new is better. The Honda Axel bolt is about half an inch longer, tip to tip, than the Suzuki bolt, BUT the Honda nut and the head of the bolt are both about twice the size as what is on the Suzuki, so when all is said and done, the needed areas of the bolts are the same length.

why not see if you can find wheel bearings that fit the Katana wheel on their OD and have a 20 mm iD?

I thought about that, but I would then have to bore out the bracket for the brake as well. I probably could source out bigger bearings, but I think making a small bushing will be easier. I'll need to make up a couple of spacers anyway once I get everything measured out, so while I'm making them up, I'll make the bushings, too (or rather my Dad will make them.  )

[DarkRider]

just a thought how you could go about it with the stem. Why not cut it in half and make a solid plug to go in the center to lengthen the Kat stem? I know the reverse has been done a lot so i wouldn't be surprised if it could be done to lengthen it. Basically cut a length of steel to extend past the cut point by at least an inch to provide strength and machined down to fit inside the stem with a 1/2 section in the center of the plug to give you the needed length.

[KB02]

I have thought about that. Once I talk with my machinist (Dad) we'll see what the best option is. Right now he is thinking that making up a new stem is the better option, but I lean more toward what you are thinking. All I need is half an inch.

[DarkRider]

About the only area i can see concern is if somehow the welds holding it all together failed i thought about that after i suggested it. The only solution i came up for that was drilling through both the stem and inserting pins through both the plug and the stem. Of course grinding the ends of the plugs flush with the stem. Gives a bit of a fail safe incase the center welds fail.

[KB02]

Well, I've had some successes and failures today.

I was finally able to make it out to the garage and start getting my engine together. The lower half went together really well.


After the case halves were together, I was getting the new HD studs installed, using the old double nut technique, and one of the nuts slipped out of my fingers and shot right into the engine. It was kind of one of those one in a million shots that I never would have been able to make if I had tried. The nut shot right into the cylinder hole, right past everything and made it through the smallest hole in the walls of the lower half and landed right in the transmission.    I was thinking that the only way I was going to get it out was to take the case halves apart again. As it turned out, by tipping the engine forward and to it's right, the nut slid right out the oil pan opening. YEESSSS!!!! After that, I took a bit more precaution and covered up the openings.


As I was working on this, the mail lady showed up and delivered my tank!!


The tank had been repainted with a really good rattle can job. I'll probably strip it down before it's painted, but it's in really nice shape. I also got my new tank mounting rubber pieces as well.

That's when the set backs started really setting in. I was getting the new pistons installed (Cycle-X 850 kit), and one of the wrist pins retainers jumped and dropped right into the engine.    FORTUNATELY, it shot right through the opening into the oil pan hole and onto the table. 
Hole got covered up again...

When it cam time to the slide the cylinders down on, though, I was having troubles getting the rings all compressed and in jugs. After fighting with the first two for over an hour, I decided to try a different tack on getting them in. That's when I broke a ring... 

It's really depressing that, after I finally got a chance to work on getting this engine together, now it is on hold again while I wait to get a new set of rings.
Oh well. I guess that means it's time to work on other things...

[Spikeybike]

Oh well. I guess that means it's time to work on other things...

and there are always other things  ain't building bikes fun

brightside:
1.you got them from cyclex, so they are easy to replace (the main thing stopping me from doing an overbore on my 550)
2. like you said there's plenty of other stuff to keep you busy
3. it could always be worse, you could be opening the motor and finding a nut , ...or it could have BURNED TO THE GROUND.........  sorry     





yes i just knocked on wood 

[KB02]

yes i just knocked on wood 

After reading that, so did I.   

[DarkRider]

heh my roomates wondered what that knocking noise was lol

[KB02]

Can anyone else make heads or tales out of this?



These are the measurements I took to figure out what sized spacers I would need on which side to get the Katana rear wheel to fit and remain on the same center line of the original.

Turns out I need spacers that are 23/32 and 29/32 wide.


ON other notes:
I have been waiting about two weeks to get a hold of Cycle-X to order a replacement set of rings and an offset front sprocket. Sue (who, I think, runs the office) has been out for medial reasons. She said she would be back in the office starting on Wednesday. I am still unable to get a hold of them.  Grrr...

My Dad and I were planning on extending the Katana steering stem by half an inch to make it fit. After both looking at it from different angles for about an week, we seem to agree that turning a new, custom, stem will be a better bet. The biggest reasons for MY decision was finding a top bearing that would fit. The CB stem is 26mm. The Kat's is 25mm. While it is easy to find bearings to fit a 25mm stem, finding a race to fit the 48.5mm Honda neck is a little harder. With a custom stem I can do whatever I want.

Now the question is, do I get that mini metal lathe I found on ebay or not... That could be a very dangerous tool for me to own...

[DarkRider]

Yes..yes it could be...especially once people figure out you can make your own stems...could be an easy way to pay it off in a hurry though building parts to adapt modern components to our old bikes.

[KB02]

Or maybe that nice little 3 in 1 - Drill, mill, lathe. THAT would be really dangerous.   

[DarkRider]

I repeat my statement lol

[seaweb11]

Haven't been in here for a while.

Good to see someone is working on their bike project

Nice work

[KB02]

See my other post in the SOHC4 page In desperate Need!!!

I have a broken ring and currently no way to get a new one... this sucks...

[KB02]

It has been a month since I broke the ring, with no real new news untill today!!!

I found a replacement ring set for the 850 kit from Total Seal.

In desperate Need!!!

At $17.99 a peice, it is still seeming like a Bargin at this point in time. I've got to get the garage cleaned up and ready for winter; which means moving the engine into the basement - hopefully in one peice and not the many peices it is in right now.

Better ring compressors will be a must.........   

[KB02]

It's my Mom's birthday today, too. I have no idea what that has to do with anything, but it just makes it a happy day all the way around (except for her, she hates getting older. )

[KB02]

I've been working on the aftermarket rearsets (Yoshimura) I bought off of Ebay a long time ago for my F1 (before I sold it). They were listed as "universal fit" but the mounting points were 110mm apart (Universal to all bikes with mounting points 110mm apart, I guess). The lower engine mount bolt and swingarm bolts on the CB750K are 111.5mm apart. I've got a hunk of 8"x1/2" aluminum that I am just going to make new mounting plates out of so I can use the two bolts mentioned above.

The drawing:


The wooden mock-up:


It puts the pegs just about right where I want them. Once I get the plates made up, then I can go through and "lighten them" a little bit and get artistic and stuff.

Also, I got the spacers made up for the rear wheel. Now I just need to get an offset front sprocket and a mounting point for the brake arm and the rear will be all set. (I'll try to post a picture later today).

[KB02]

Here are the spacers:


Here is the Katana Wheel placed in the CB Swingarm. A 160 tire will fit in a late K swingarm.     I do have one issue, though. In order to use the 10mm offset front sprocket from Cycle-X I will need to off set the rear by 5mm. I'm kind of tight on that side, though... Hmmmm..... I might have to rethink that part a bit.



And I'll need to weld on a new brake stay as well. I thought about swinging the caliper underneath to use the stock arm location, but the bleeder  bolts would then be on the bottom and that just wouldn't work.    I'll also have to double check clearance of the shock on that side.

[KB02]

I finally have a tracking number on my new rings. 

[KB02]

I'm the only one so far that has posted on page 7. Maybe I just like to hear myself type.   

why not see if you can find wheel bearings that fit the Katana wheel on their OD and have a 20 mm iD?

I have actually been thinking about this since I had my spacers made up. I still need the bushings on the very ends to fit the adjusters, but have been having troubles finding ones that will work. I did find, however, that certain year GSX-R750's, SV650's and various other Suzuki models used the size wheel bearings that I would need to use the Honda Axle (20x47x14 vs. the Katana' 17x47x14). I'm going to have to pull the hub apart and take a look at the spacer in between the bearings. If it's big enough to host a 20mm bolt, then I'll just reem out my spacers and use the CB Axle. If not... well, I'll burn that bring when I come to it. 

[MCRider]

And I'll need to weld on a new brake stay as well. I thought about swinging the caliper underneath to use the stock arm location, but the bleeder  bolts would then be on the bottom and that just wouldn't work.    I'll also have to double check clearance of the shock on that side.

Other than offending one's sensibilities, I wouldn't let the position of the bleeders interfere with an otherwise good idea. You can bleed the brake any one of a number of ways.

[KB02]

yeah, but with the way that caliper is designed, the fluid input is right about in the middle of the caliper, so if it was upside down, there would be a large section where air could accumulate and would have no way to escape when it came time to bleed it out (unless the bike was upside down - unless that's what you meant  )

[MCRider]

yeah, but with the way that caliper is designed, the fluid input is right about in the middle of the caliper, so if it was upside down, there would be a large section where air could accumulate and would have no way to escape when it came time to bleed it out (unless the bike was upside down - unless that's what you meant  )

Only if this furthers an otherwise good idea, and only if it is actually possible...
Take the caliper off, set it on the top of the disc, bleed it, put it back on the bracket.
Also, if while its down the low area may allow the air bubbles to float up to the pedal area. Bleed it at a banjo junction there. Messy, but it works.  Just a thought, maybe worthless.

[KB02]

Only if this furthers an otherwise good idea, and only if it is actually possible...
Take the caliper off, set it on the top of the disc, bleed it, put it back on the bracket.
Also, if while its down the low area may allow the air bubbles to float up to the pedal area. Bleed it at a banjo junction there. Messy, but it works.  Just a thought, maybe worthless.

Okay. Now I see what you mean.

why not see if you can find wheel bearings that fit the Katana wheel on their OD and have a 20 mm iD?

I have actually been thinking about this since I had my spacers made up. I still need the bushings on the very ends to fit the adjusters, but have been having troubles finding ones that will work. I did find, however, that certain year GSX-R750's, SV650's and various other Suzuki models used the size wheel bearings that I would need to use the Honda Axle (20x47x14 vs. the Katana' 17x47x14). I'm going to have to pull the hub apart and take a look at the spacer in between the bearings. If it's big enough to host a 20mm bolt, then I'll just reem out my spacers and use the CB Axle. If not... well, I'll burn that bring when I come to it. 

Okay, numbers 5, 9, and 13 are the trouble makers in using the CD axle. I could bore them out to fit the 20mm CB axle, but their OD is only 25mm. a 2.5mm thick wall is pretty thin...