Author Topic: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.  (Read 8796 times)

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Offline mystic_1

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Re: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2008, 09:21:06 PM »
Rex,

Pics attached of the spring anchor installed.


Now, to digress a bit, let me say this.  In your very first post on this forum, you said the following:

Quote
So now on to the meat of my post - getting the 750 to run, because I think there is a good bike hidden in there somewhere, I just gotta coax her out.

I agree with what you said here, there IS a good bike hidden in there somewhere, and in fact I can already see the edges of it peeking out from behind all the blue paint you've stripped off :D  I think you've already doubled the resale value of the bike!  Right now you're in the worst part of the process, cleaning and inspection.  This is where all the nasty surprises lurk when reconditioning a bike.  Once you're through this and into the reconditioning and reassembly stages it'll seem more worth while.  The payoff is when you get it dialed in and crack the throttle that first time and trust me, it'll be worth it.

The carbs look tons better, if they ran before than there's a good chance that the jets and passages are not hopelessly plugged.  Don't get discouraged if you end up having to pull them back off again, one hears of this time and again on this forum when people redo their carbs.

Regarding stripping the engine paint, if you go to a good hardware store you should be able to score a variety of brushes, I just bought a new set of long narrow nylon brushes (like a small bottle brush) for cleaning out oil passages and the like, they cost me about a buck and a half each and I got them in sizes from 1/2 inch down to 1/16 inch.  Something like that may help in getting between the fins and the like.  You can also find a variety of long bristle wire brushes in stainless steel or brass.  Brass is good cause it won't scratch the aluminum so much.

What are you using as a solvent?  Aircraft Stripper, available at many hardware and auto parts store, will cut through just about any paint in short order.  It'll eat run-of-the-mill rattle can paint without even breaking a sweat.  It's green and nasty, so use gloves and work in a well-ventilated area, and protect the frame and such very well if you're doing all of this int he frame.

I can see where you're going with the seat, do some searches because some people here have made some amazing seats and there are a million variations and techniques to be found.  I must admit to having ridden for several seasons with a seat cover that was largely held together with duct tape :D but I've since replaced it.  Old hacksaw blades make nice tools for shaving foam, also a disc sander with some coarse paper will cut it nicely.  You can also use spray adhesive to add new layers of foam.  Meanwhile, always park the bike in the shade to make the duct tape last longer :D

Good luck on the carbs.  I think you're doing a great thing by rescuing this bike.  You may very well reconsider selling it once you've got it sorted properly :D  Still wanting to go with the cafe racer theme, or are you leaning more towards the Mad Max theme now? 

cheers
mystic_1
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
- John Augustus Shedd

My build thread:  http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=68952.0

Offline narcoticrex

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Re: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.
« Reply #26 on: April 14, 2008, 12:01:41 AM »
Thanks for the love mystic.  Actually, Im excited to get it all back together, I think she will run 100x better now that I done the carbs.  Some of the air inlets were completely clogged with blue paint!

I do use aircraft stripper. yes, it burns like hell when it hits your skin. 

the seat has already been fiberglassed and is being bondoed.  Im not extrememly happy with the results, but im happy enough that im not going to do it again.  I was going to post more pics and stuff, but i was all smurfed out after working on her all day.

as far as the brushes, i need something with stiff bristles sorta.  a toothbrush worked good on parts, but is too small to fit between the fins (as you can see in the pics).  I also used some steel wool wrapped around a pencil in a drill, but that didnt work well, the pencil kept breaking or the wool stopped moving.  maybe i should buy some sort of polishing tool  ::)

i have to sell this bike, im moving back to NY from VA (and going to new zealand shortly), and I thought the 750 was going to be the one to take me to NY...until i got my 550. 8)  i wish i could keep both.  if i was keeping the 750, i would certainly "mad max" it, i love the look of that thing - olive drab duct tape kicks ass.  but since i have to sell it, cafe is the way : )





"i love the smell of cooked beaver in the morning...it smells like....victory."

willhwhitt

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Re: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.
« Reply #27 on: April 14, 2008, 12:54:02 PM »
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=31844.0

 :-\

I bought this bike here in lynchburg locally, before I joined these forums, and before knowing that the bike was the laughingstock of the online CB community.  I originally bought it to ride/light project, but it is a major project, so I got a nice 550 and just took some of the 750 parts to fix her up - now I have a 550 daily rider, and a junk Smurf.  I was thinking of making the 750 into a cafe project, or like the Mad Max bike I am attaching (thanks whoever posted that pic, I love that bike!) - however the first thing to do is strip the paint.  Yes, I am going to do this.  I was thinking of just removing dumping a crapload of brake fluid all over the engine to strip the paint, leave it to sit overnight, then try and blow it off with an air compressor.  Does anyone have a better method, or see any problems with my method, for removing paint from an engine?


  Just remember,"Everything has potential if you have time." There was a man on the weather channel that makes millions on worm poop. Everything has potential.



Offline narcoticrex

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Re: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.
« Reply #28 on: April 28, 2008, 11:10:08 AM »
Hey guys, I finished my work and have this bike up for sale in the lynchburg area. i posted in on CL asking 1700, just because CL is notorious for lowballing, if I want an offer over 1000 I figure I have to put a high price on it.   

Sorry for not taking more "during" pics, but I was usually too busy/greasy to handle a digi cam.  Before I sell it, I will get some better quality pics to put up.

Here is the laundry list:  stripped engine paint and cleaned engine, same for carbs, complete tune up, replaced all 4 wires going into the coils, made a custom cafe seat, put on new drag bars and gel grips, adjusted the clutch, new battery, redid some electrical wiring that was messed up. 

took her out for a quick cruise down the street the other night - after riding and getting used to my 550, the 750 felt like riding a plane that was about to take off. it sounds like hell when idling until it warms up.  still seems like it wants to idle high, but has no tach, so i am just taking guesses based on engine sounds.  the carbs need to be synced still, they have only been bench synced. 

Its raining like crazy today, so when I can ill take better pics.  Thanks for all the support and help I have got from this forum!

"i love the smell of cooked beaver in the morning...it smells like....victory."

Offline Klark Kent

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Re: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.
« Reply #29 on: April 28, 2008, 11:17:21 AM »
wow- nice progress.  i like the 13 domino- very original. 

just one thing- the throttle cables can be routed through the triple tree headlight bucket space and then along the spine under the tank to the carbs for a cleaner look.  you might also want shorter cables due to the drag bars, but i think rerouting would go a long way towards cleaning up the look of the front end and looking the part of a $1000 cafe.

good luck
-KK

75 CB550k
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95 KLR650
www.blindpilotmovie.com

download the shop manual:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=17788.0
you'll feel better.

listen to your spark plugs:
http://www.4secondsflat.com/Spark_plug_reading.html

Offline Roach Carver

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Re: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.
« Reply #30 on: April 28, 2008, 11:29:20 AM »
vast improvement.

Offline .RJ

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Re: I bought the smurf?...hahaha f**k.
« Reply #31 on: April 28, 2008, 12:31:56 PM »
it sounds like hell when idling until it warms up.  still seems like it wants to idle high,

Needs a carb sync and a valve adjustment - I just went through this with my 750, I've got no history on the engine.