I have been lurking since mid September. The wealth of information freely given and the the helpfulness of this site is to be commended. It is also very refreshing to see the number of younger bikers contribute. I am 61 y.o. and have been riding for many years. I also over the years have done much of my own wrenching on my current rides. My first bike was a '72 CB 350 and I've always had an affection for the CB350f. In September I was able to purchase a '73 CB350 f that had 1993 plates and it's past history was not clear although the speedo showed 14000+ on the clock. It was on Craigslist and the owner took $340.00. It was non running, dirty, covered with white overspray paint, but not terribly molested. Visibly the exhaust system was not stock, the front disk brake was non functional. This site has been helpful in aiding me in the direction I might go with this old bike. In the course of events I purchased a very ratty '72 350F for $225.00 which had the front brake and engine covers that I needed, along with other small parts
Jumping the bike I found all electrical worked except the turn signals did not flash. That was a plus. I pulled the carbs, purchased rebuild kits, cleaned the carbs, benched balanced the carbs (thanks for all the help), new points, plugs, condensers, changed the oil and she fired up. A friend of mine has the vacuum manometers and I was able to synch the carbs. Given the engine ran well, I made the decision to do an off frame restore. I will keep the bike as close to stock as possible. Thank god for digital cameras, I will need all the help I can get to put this beast back together again.
Fortunately I have a garage with enough room and a furnace if needed to stay toasty. As you all know the tedious part is the cleaning. The tank had minimum rust, but I did recoat it. No dents in the tank The seat is original, no rips or tears and the seat pan is solid. Chrome is good to excellent. The signals and mirrors are bad, the upper side of the fenders are mildly pitted but cleaned up nicely. Underside of fenders are well rusted. The wheels are in surprising good shape. Tires are shot with extensive dry rot.
I am now to the point that my bike consists of a frame, swing arm, front and rear wheel, and engine. As I continued to strip the bike down, I have noticed an oil leak. It is around cylinder one and two. It is difficult to tell whether the leak is at the head gasket or lower off the cylinder cans. I think I will open the engine, do an inspection, valves and replace the gaskets. Any input is appreciated. This weekend I will try to post pictures.
Thanks
