Topic: I've been K0'd!

[jaguar]

that really sucks about the coater....

Good looking bike.
im a sucker for lesters....

[Don R]

Yeah. Oh well, now I get a pretty new tag. I wet sanded the top triple tree, it has one flaw but looks like it will buff out OK. I did rub through on a corner but it's behind the gauge.
 My bolts all look shabby now. I need to order felts for the swing arm, I may tap the swing arm bolt for american zerks. The swing arm has new bushings already.
 I welded, drilled and tapped the headlight ears for early reflectors. I'm stuck again because I want to paint them and that's not happening until after the holidays.

[Don R]

I called my local bike shop and ordered new wheel bearings, felts and bushings for the swing arm. I will wait until I have the parts before I take anything else apart. Too many pieces already.

[Don R]

I got the frame on the table and started putting on parts.


I had to make a puller to get the collar out, it was siezed pretty tight.


This is what i found when I took apart a spare drum for parts. Old Honda buyers beware.

[Don R]

The wheel bearings are in, the drum brake is rebuilt, things are cleaned up. I re-painted the spokes on the rim and the sprocket/cover.


This swingarm had new bushings already so I used it, I modified the collar by deepening and widening the grease grooves as in the Honda bible. I bought new bronze spacers and felts. Everything got a dose of anti-sieze and I pumped some grease through the bolt to make sure it was clear and flushed out.
 The short chainguard had some gouges and scratches on it. I sanded them, scotchbrited and rubbed it down with peanut oil.

[Don R]

I ordered an airbox from David Silver Spares tonight, along with a centerstand spring and gas tank chrome strips.

[Stev-o]

Looks good Don! Have seen the brake shoe separation before, worth the price to replace 'em.

[Don R]

It's scary to think what could happen if one came apart at speed.

[lucky]

Question? Why not put the frame over the engine first before building up the frame?
It is much easier and less chance of damaging the paint on the frame to lower the frame over the engine rather, than trying to lift the engine into the frame.

[Don R]

Two reasons. I have a hoist on a trolley that drops it right in.



And the frame was butchered once so I repaired it with a tig welded Gordons kit.


Shown with the kit removed.

I'm behind schedule on the bike work, now I'm into race car season. I might drop the engine back in and top end it later.

[Don R]

Well, I've been stalled a bit this winter, drag racing on a pension requires priorities and the 750 has to wait at times. Anyway I now have everything I need to go to paint. I got the David Silver airbox last month and the repop franken sidecovers this month.
 I'm thinking of using House of Colors candy teal colored basecoat. I found a place where I can buy Quarts and small amounts of it in candy green or blue to adjust the color if needed too. I already have a quart of their clear which dries like glass. Paint stripper will barely remove it.

[Don R]

The paint is still on hold but the Dragster is in the trailer ready to race.
 I ordered a new K0 wiring harness and have been working on the hand controls and wiring accessories trying to freshen them a bit. I found a real nice 450 right control that looks new so I'm using the top half of it with a black knob from an old one. A headlight relay is probably going on it anyway.
 I got a new diehard battery it's agm so no venting issues. Pictures soon.

[Greggo]

Hey Don, what paint did you use on the Lesters?  They look great, kinda flat, which I like!

[Don R]

Thanks, Rustoleum low gloss black engine enamel. It was what I had, Lol. They looked pretty nice but there were some scratches and rock marks so I hit em with a fine file, where needed then scotchbrite and paint. I auctually sprayed with a crescent shaped cardboard shield for masking and wiped off the overspray with a little laquer thinner.
 The front is still original, haven't done it yet.

[Don R]

I installed some electrical parts. A new wiring harness in ordered. In view of this being a non original resto, I'm adding relays to the electrical to reduce the load on the headlight and start switches. I'm making a new battery cable also and  probably a multi fuse block.



 I found a 450 RH switch in a broken housing, the switches got moved to a 750 housing and a black button got moved too.

[Don R]

The new K0 handlebars and hand controls moved over.

[lucky]

I see that you have the best TIG welding machine in the world!

Miller Syncrowave 250. Nice.

[Don R]

I think so too thanks, picked it up used, it was a production machine.  Inside info got me one that was only used on one shift.  I have the foot pedal but prefer the amp control on the torch. It came with a nice water cooled setup too. I used it on the frame repair and installing the Gordons kit.

[Don R]

 I got the harness from vintage CB750.com it looks nice, However the round connector for the ign. plug doesn't match the Honda plug on the switch. I'll try to ream the hole for the center pin, if that ruins the switch plug I'll cut it off and use the new square plug I bought.
 I added a ground from the rectifier to the frame ground location and found a fuse panel like the one Hondaman uses. I'll add a fuse for the red wire, the red/white and a fuse for the new feed to the headlight relays in the bucket.

I made a new positive battery cable, the old ones I have look dangerous. I will also make a new ground cable as soon as I find the large ring connector to fit between the frame and engine. pictures to follow.

I also stumbled across a similar looking screen to go behind the side cover louvers. Film at 8.

[Don R]

I reamed the center hole on the Honda switch for the aftermarket plug. It's junk. The contacts don't reach far enough to click in, there's a very vague feel when it plugs in so, off it goes and on with the new square plug. The two plug in hot wires are routed to fuses now and I'm ready to add the new hot feed for the headlight relays..



New harness, battery cables, fuse panel, Ground on rectifier added.

I made an aluminum blinker mount on the top of the rectifier. it's a 3 wire electronic loud style.

 EDIT, I used the round plug after all. It just plugged in very hard then felt tight.

[Don R]

The engine was claimed by the PO to be variously an 836, 900, 936 etc. it seems to be bone stock dangit.

[Don R]

I just wanted to see what the bore was so I would know what head gasket to get. Now that it seems to be a stock bore the question is, just slap a gasket on it, or bore it. It  seems fast to me. I am thinking it is a K4 engine. It has the 4 cable K0 carbs. The casting # on the cam is high but I know that may not mean anything. I do have an 812 that was run with plugged exhaust. It is packed with carbon. I almost hate to work on it it's so black inside. HMMM.

[Don R]

I don't know what creatures were living under the rubber nickels but it was packed with cocoons and web like material. It's a wonder the heat didn't burn them out. I did pressure wash the block but not effectively.

[MCRider]

"I will also make a new ground cable as soon as I find the large ring connector to fit between the frame and engine. pictures to follow."

Interesting stuff. BTW: the ground goes under the head of the top rear motormount, not between the frame and engine. Its ultimately covered by the sidecover. Or pert near. I'll get you a pic if you care. I've seen it put between the engine and fame but that's not original.

[Don R]

I know and thanks for the correction, but I'm a big fan of the hondaman book and I believe he puts them against the engine. Being a drag racer I ground the heads to each other, the frame and the battery. Of course the Honda ignition won't throw a spark to the piston top but once you have seen the effect of a poorly grounded engine it's hard to leave it stock. The cable end I did find is very similar to later 750 original, not perfect but better than a brittle grease soaked 40 year old one.