Topic: Phaedrus: CB750 RestoMod - Update: 09/23/21 w/ new video

[MCRider]

..............
Reading in your other thread, you said you needed some rest. What ails thee?

Few years back at school, when moving out of an apartment, I lifted a very heavy couch with very very bad form. That did some permanent damage to my lower back and has become a recurring nightmare since. So I've become used to watching it every time I lift anything since. Friday I was cleaning out my shop space and was moving some heavy stuff around to make more room, all the while very consciously guarding my lower back, but I got careless with the rest and ended up aggravating something else. Not quite as severe, but feels like a hernia. No more lifting things for a while, may also end up taking a few days depending on how tonight's shift goes...

Other than or in addition to powerful drugs, rest is what it takes.

See my post about the Dreyers Soutside Show? Its 4 hours + and may be more worth the drive than the 1 hour Dreyers North show.  Either way that's a long drive.

[MCRider]

Here's the Burgie 400 bearing work we did.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=140898.0

The CVT is a point of contention between real men and faux men. While I've always been attracted to its simpicity of design, at least perceived. The fact that it has eliminates the foot controls may be a big factor in my life going forward. "A man's gotta know his limitations" or such.

One thing at a time though. The Burgie is up for sale. Phaedrus is scheduled for 2 shows this month. My friend Rick D is coming over 9/14 to wring it out. I'm not one to cling to the easy break in protocol. The hard protocol makes as much sense to me and that's what will use. OR some kind of blend anyway. The Lucas Drag Strip is open till Oct 30th.  Busy month.   

We've got several sub-assemblies to work on this winter. And I'd like to get started on the SuperHawk.

[MCRider]

We went to the Dreyer's Bike Night Show. Dodged the rain, but it was ominous, restraining the turnout.  Ed of "Phoenix" fame on SOHC4.net entered, making it 2 SOHC4s in a field of 6 or so. The GL1000 MadMax rat won. Note the beer bottle for coolant overflow, hand grenade taillight, suspended seat pan (not for me!) and shovel blade windshield. Turns out I knew Tony the GTS owner who got second. Phaedrus got 3rd. Gift card of unknown value.  $$
People's Choice: "There's no accounting for taste:"
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/there's_no_accounting_for_taste

Win or lose, shows are fun!







Now to give it a once over. Sunday AM we hope to get some real break in miles on it.   

[MCRider]

First run, not what I expected. Rick got here at 8:30. After a brief pre-flight he took it out on the road. A little inauspicious. He reported back all systems a go, brakes, fork, etc all in working order, except... the clutch. The last thing I'd guess. It slips so bad it will hardly move above 2000 rpm. These things aren't rocket science, so its got to be sequence, or some other such thing. Its a brand new APE extra plate clutch. I Held the front brake and goosed it and it barely budged the chassis.  I'll pluck it out soon but not now. Open for comments.

Unrelated the headlight doesn't work. I have an off/low/high switch with HondaMan relays. It had been working fine. Now the relays hum (they used to click when the light worked) but the bulb (H4 60/55) dosen't light. It was a little corroded so I pitched it but a new bulb doesn't light either. Comments?    I'm PMing HM now.

All solvable, Checling for leaks later today. None obvious, no smoke either.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

All things considered, not a bad first day of shakedown.  The key thing is that the motor shows no signs of leaks.  The clutch issue can be resolved relatively quickly, and the electrical has a glitch but functions overall.   

[MCRider]

The H light prob was a loose ground, one of the green wires in the gang of green in the headlight. Thought I'd had those all snugged up. And it worked for a while, then didn't without ever removing the HLight bucket or disturbing the rats nest. Guess the bumping into the trailer chock shook it loose. Thanks HondaMan for the response.

Still struggling with clutch, opening line of communication with Big Jay.

[MCRider]

Pat at Ape emailed back. Told me it was an "extra plate" kit and to use all plates provided. The problem is the stock allocation is 7 fibres/6 steels. The APE kit provided 9 fibres and 2 more steels (added to 6 stockers for a total of 8.  Should be "extra plateS" kit.

I had installed 1 extra: 8 and 7. Bumped that to 9 and 8 and it all fits. While I have it out I ordered 6 Barnetts steels from eBay (IN seller). 2 new from APE and 6 from Barnett gives me a full serving of new steels. Hope to have them soon and wrap this up. A couple extra plates should fix the slipping problem.   

[MCRider]

That did it. 9 fibre plates and 8 steel plates did the trick. I had only put in 1 each, up from 7 to 8, thinking the others they had provided were for some other application. After all, its an "extra plate clutch". It didn't say "2 extra plate clutch".  Not as good as a test ride, but I put it in gear held the front brake gave it some gas, let the clutch out and it lurched forward and died. Before it would just rev.

Hopefully the new Barnett steel plates will get here before the weekend so I can button it up permanent.

Sat the 20th is a Vintage bike show at Dreyers Southside.  10-2, any Hoosiers within reach, see you there.

Maybe I can get my test rider back on the 21st.   

[brandEn]

With all those plates installed did the lock down nut engage all the threads with the slotted adjustment screw? Mine came up a little short so I left one of the fiber plates out....

[MCRider]

With all those plates installed did the lock down nut engage all the threads with the slotted adjustment screw? Mine came up a little short so I left one of the fiber plates out....

Yes it did. Lucky I guess. One thing Pat at APE told me (I think he got it from Jay as how else would he know?) it to be sure the steel plates are stacked properly. I thinnk HondaMan has talked about this as well in his book.

Pat said the steel plates are stamped and have a slight curve in them. And a sharp lip on the outer edge. Think of a stack of dinner plates nested together. Turn one over in the stack and the stack gets taller.

It doesn't matter if all the sharp edges are inside or outside, just so long as they are all the same.

I didn't test this, but I made sure they were all pointing towards the inside. Also, you start with a fibre and end with a fibre. Most manuals and diagrams show starting with a steel. But as HondaMan also said, this works on some and not on others.

IF true and yours aren't stacked right that could buy you a thread.

[brandEn]

good info Ron thanks. So far its working great as is but will tinker with it when I open it back up

[MCRider]

good info Ron thanks. So far its working great as is but will tinker with it when I open it back up

That's the main thing. Ride while you can.

There are so many nuances to these things.

[brandEn]

yes there is, and I'm learning this the hard way

[MCRider]

yes there is, and I'm learning this the hard way

Big Jay just emailed me back on my clutch problem. Confirmed what his helper Pat told me yesterday. Me big dummy.

[MCRider]

Just received my Barnett steel plates from Sportbike shop in Elkhart IN. Never heard of. So clutch will be all new, fibre plates soaked in oil all night. Should be able to button it up tonight. With the proper number of plates, I expect it to work wonderfully.

Friday night polish it up. Sat 10-2 Dreyer's Vintage Bike Show. Looking forward to it! Just got another eMail from Dreyers (not just me, it was a broadcast) invite to the show. I'm actually more excited about recent activities than I have been in the last few years.

I've been able to load and unload it, put it up on centerstand. But riding it is probably not going to happen, other than duckwalking it around parking lots. 

Supposed to rain Sunday so next window for break in runs will be later. Test rider Rick said "just tell me when". 

Got some nibbles on the Burgman. Sure would like to replace that footprint with a lift!   

[MCRider]

Well, the law of whatever finally caught up to me. AFter having installed and pulled that clutch many times I finally broke the lifter plate. 

I was tightening it up, and saying to myself, this doesn't really feel right...and SNAP. So I buttoned it up broken so I could go to the show. Doesn't need to start for that. Besides I think it can start broken, just not an ideal thing to do.

Quick, ran inside and bot one off eBay. Won't get here till Tuesday. Got a package deal including an early K0 banded clutch hub. It may be nature's way of getting me to buy that. Years ago when I stripped Phaedrus I, I was educated on the early hubs, whihc had a steel band around their center. Pi had 1. The newer trans I bot did not. Its really not a big deal, who's ever heard of a clutch hub failing, banded or not? But I thought it was a step backwards to retire a banded hub (lots of miles) in favor of a non-banded hub.

Now I'll have the banded hub, low mileage, to retrofit as an upgrade. And I'll feel better.

FYI there was a NOS lifter plate and bearing, SIB for $119.00. Most cost effective way to buy was in a package deal with other clutch parts. I got the banded (K0) hub and lifterplate for $109.

[grcamna2]

Ron, you got the parts you were looking for + 

[MCRider]

Ron, you got the parts you were looking for + 

Yup, things work out.   

[MCRider]

So it was all buttoned up with a broken lifter plate, but ready for the show. Looking around the shop, I see the rusty old trans shafts that came with a set of cases I bot off eBay years ago. Hmmm, that main shaft has a clutch on it! I dug it out of its dustbed, turned it over and there it was, a spare lifter plate. So, couldn't take a non-running bike to show even if I can't actually ride it.

Blew the plate lose, burst open the bikes clutch, swapped the bearings with the help of the heat gun, reinstalled the good plate. And I feel so much better.

But here's the other thing. I'd put the springs from APE in when I didn't have all the plates in. The springs are longer than stock, much longer than the HD springs from P1. Now with all the plates in I break a lifter plate which I can't remember ever doing myself. On this try the bolts were feeling funny again and I aborted. I put the shorter used HD springs in and everything tightened down fine.

Can't help but suspect that with a full serving of 9 plates and 8 metal plates, the stack is marginally thicker than stock and the longer than stock springs just won't work. I'm not going to risk it anyway.


Tomorrow we go hang out at Dreyer's South.!   Yay!   

[grcamna2]

She's been a long time in the 'works' Ron  & it must be Great to finally have it 'out and about'    I think that APE springs may be more compatible for dragstrip runs... I think you made a good choice to install those heavier than oem springs which are more the correct length. I hope you enjoy showing her off this weekend  & it must have been nice to find that other part there in your shop just waiting for this moment a real blessing

[MCRider]

She's been a long time in the 'works' Ron  & it must be Great to finally have it 'out and about'    I think that APE springs may be more compatible for dragstrip runs... I think you made a good choice to install those heavier than oem springs which are more the correct length. I hope you enjoy showing her off this weekend  & it must have been nice to find that other part there in your shop just waiting for this moment a real blessing

Yup! 

[ThomasD883]

Ron your patience is an absolute testament to the strength of will. Forgive me if i missed it but i looked through to Find out what'd happened to you and could not find out. Hope this doesn't end your riding for good. Best wishes to your health and recovery.

[MCRider]

Ron your patience is an absolute testament to the strength of will. Forgive me if i missed it but i looked through to Find out what'd happened to you and could not find out. Hope this doesn't end your riding for good. Best wishes to your health and recovery.

Thanks Thomas, check your PMs

New Topic: Got another 3rd place in the show. Against 25 bikes. That miserable 1976 GL1000 Rat was there again and got #1!

Great big rusty diaper safety pin for an axle cotter. Grrrr

A pristine and ridden 1985 NightHawkS got 2nd. So had the classes been Rat, Original, and Custom we each would have gotten 1st. (Bear with me while I rationalize this out)   

Pooped for now, film at 11.

[Old Scrambler]

3rd Place is a PODIUM finish

[MCRider]

3rd Place is a PODIUM finish

Thanks OS! Good for a placque and a $25 gift card to the store. I cashed it in on a "CB750 Legend" T Shirt.