Topic: Project Awesome

[laminarflowone]

Hi, my name is Josh, I'm an engineering graduate student.  I race bicycles when my research isn't dominating my life, and when I'm not doing either, I like to have little 'engineering' projects.  I first got into motorized bicycles when my house-mate and I were perusing craigslist and found a moped for 50 dollars.  I ended up getting it, fixing it up, and performance tuning it.  
I also came across a CB750 fairly cheap and began this little project.  In the end, I want to modernize it a bit, all the while retaining its classic classy looks.  This forum has been such an incredible resource thus far, and I hope I can contribute a little by documenting my journey and hopefully getting feedback from the gurus around here.

So, this is what it looked like when my Dad and I unloaded it from his minivan into my garage.

It had this really not-so-sexy dirty sheepskin cover super-glued onto the foam....not so cool.  Definitely need to re-foam and re-upholster this thang.

Stripped it semi-neked: took the seat and gas tank off.  Gas tank has a little bit of rust inside, nothing some phosphoric acid from the labs won't fix...I will probably Kreem it or Por15 seal it because otherwise, the tank is in pretty good condition without any dents.



I don't have a shop table, just a garage in the house I rent with a couple other grad students.  Ooops! taking up the whole garage...I just made a make-shift table with some spare plywood.  All of the parts I took off thus far.  The frame and exhaust are a little rusty, so they will both get a nice new coating.  

[Roach Carver]

welcome. looks like you have a good start.

[Lawdog374]

Don't feel bad.  My "shop table" is 2 saw horses, 3 2x6s and 2 sheets of plywood.  It ain't pretty but it works pretty darn good.

[laminarflowone]

Yeah, as much as I would like to have a fully pimped-out shop to work in, I think DIY and improvising make the journey that much more fun.  
Soooo, I removed the swingarm and nearly everything else except for the front end and the engine.  I found that I definitely have to replace one of the spark plug boots because there was a huge gash and when I was yanking them out, it ripped right apart and I have to go in with needle-nose pliers.  The rear wheel and swingarm were fairly difficult to remove so I sprayed it several times with WD-40 and let it sit overnight.  The next day, I attacked it with vicegrips and my body weight and finally came off. 





The inside of the rear wheel had a nice dusting of rust (not sure if it is obvious in my camera-phone pictures). 



I can't tell which is the actual color of the swingarm, nor where the crappy rattle-can job the PO did/grease begins.



Before the rebuild of the engine, I'd like to order replacement gaskets and was wondering anyone's thoughts on this set:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220630160944&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

[laminarflowone]

Next step was to remove the front end.  I fashioned a 'stand' for the frame and engine using some broken 2x4s and leftover bricks from the fire-pit we made in our backyard. Not sure how sturdy this is, but it seems to be working well enough.



The rickity-scariness/hobo/DIY-ish of it all:



Forks came off quite rusty.  Luckily, it seems to be localized well above the fork seals and will probably get a repaint.



Any thoughts on the engine gasket I posted above?

[Roach Carver]

i am not sure about that gasket set. sorry. I believe cycle exchange also has a set.

[laminarflowone]

I guess I will go full-out and pick up the Athena kit from www.vintagecb750.com.

[Roach Carver]

there are some rubber pucks that are omited from some of the kits. I think athena may be one of them.

http://www.cyclexchange.net/

[laminarflowone]

So, I got a new-to-me disc brake in the mail today for ~30 dollars because the PO decided to take the rotor off...It looks pretty good: very smooth and no warping.  It looks pretty close to new.



I also picked up a table at the recycling center so I was psyched about this weekend because I now have a clean space to disassemble the engine, but it seems it wasn't in the cards.  As soon as I lifted the chassis and engine up onto the table and took apart the bolts to remove the engine, I realized I would have to first remove the infamous oil filter bolt.



The PO had stripped the bolt and apparently used a rotary tool to make edges in the shape of a square.  I tried with vise grips, hammering on a hex head and using a ratchet, spraying the crevices with WD40 and leaving it overnight, all to no success.  So, I went to home depot and tried to use a bolt extraction set:

First by drilling a hole:



Second by hammering in the bolt extractor:



And third, by using vice grips to turn the bolt counter-clockwise to loosen and extract it:



However, the bolt extractor snapped near the bolt



I then removed the bolt extractor by very carefully turning it clockwise with vice grips, and repeated the process using a larger bore and extractor.  It snapped again and this time, I was unable to reach in and extract the bolt.



I started taking my dremel tool's cutting disk to the bolt and attempting to cut the bolt washer-like body off from the oil casing, however I am only 1/8th of the way and have already worn down two disks.  Not sure exactly what I am going to do , but I think I might try to keep using the dremel tool there cut the bolt out with a tungsten carbide tip...

[Ecosse]

just popped in to say welcome, fellow bay stater.

thanks for bringing one back from the brink. 

so... do you have a clear idea of that you want from this project and just how 'modern' you want to go?

[laminarflowone]

Haha, the bike, though missing many parts such as turn signals, gauges, carbs, battery, and entire disk brake setup, was in fairly decent condition.  I do want to restore the bike and don't want to do heavy mods to alter the appearance significantly, however, I do want to make the bike safer and more efficient.  Not sure if that made any sense...

I really would like to put a new cycleX ignition system, progressive shocks, bronze swingarm bushings, and if possible, better calipers/master cylinder.  
Also, I'd like to put some of these sexy gauges on it.


I've been thinking about the paint scheme lately when I should be working on my thesis...and have been liking the idea of painting everything including the engine black, and white honda wings coming up from the bottom of the tank.  If I had photoshop skillz, I would try to illustrate...


PS. Ecosse, you would love to ride around Western MA, this is what I see on my cycling routes daily.

[Ecosse]

is that the quabbin? my home town is amherst and use to ride my 88 shadow around there often.

rt. 47 and bits of 63 are nice too.


i hear what you say about updating for safety sake. when the time (eh em, money) comes that's my plan more or less for my 550.

"improved stock" is euphemistically what  i call it.  

btw: cool clocks! $$?

 

[laminarflowone]

Yup, Atkins Reservoir. 

Now if I could only figure out how to get the oil filter off successfully...

[void909]

keep cutting. discs are cheap.

[beks82]

wow I'm originally from amherst as well.  Havent been back in over 8 years.  the biggest thing i miss is the eating in amherst and northampton....i would kill for some spicy chicken from antonios....
nice build thread, hopefully you figure out the bolt situation.  Although a trick that used to work for me was to slot the top of the bolt with a dremel to fit in a flat head. 

[Retro Rocket]

laminarflowone, what brand is that gauge please mate...


Mick

[Ecosse]

keep cutting. discs are cheap.

yeah. at this point the filter housing is a write off.

this may be a nutty idea but how about using the dremel to remove some of the housing material surrounding the bolt surface?

you may still need to use an extractor to remove the bolt but there will be less aluminum locking that bolt in place. heck, if you "excavate" enough housing you might be able to use other methods to get the bolt out. i realize that sounds like a lot of work.

the biggest thing i miss is the eating in amherst and northampton....i would kill for some spicy chicken from antonios....

there's a new burger joint across the street from fitzwilly's in 'hamp (after the underpass) and it kicks @ss. it's byob too.

sorry about the threadjack laminarflowone .

Although a trick that used to work for me was to slot the top of the bolt with a dremel to fit in a flat head. 

that works too but this looks too far gone. oh, have you tried heat?

[laminarflowone]

@retrorocket:

Yah, those are koso, http://www.kosonorthamerica.com/, and they make a wide variety of fancy gauges.  Though they are a tad expensive...

@beks82 and Ecosse:

Amherst and Noho spoil me because I'll go to a restaurant in Boston or Worcester and ask for vegetarian options, and the waiter will just look at me funny. 

So it looks like I will be spending some intimate time with my dremel tool tonight.  I have tried everything I thought humanely possible before cutting bolt body, and I think it has cold-welded to the aluminum.  Isn't there supposed to be an o-ring or something between the bolt body and the housing?  I think I already made a dink or two in the oil filter housing, and am seriously considering putting one of these guys on.  I do plan on riding this bike for hopefully the next 10 years so if this enhances the durability of the engine, it might be worth it.

[fastbroshi]

I don't think you ever mentioned why you want to get into the guts of the motor.  Was it running when you got it?  Will the engine turn over?  How bout a compression test?  Those things would tell you a lot.

[laminarflowone]

It wasn't running when I picked it up (because it was missing carbs and a battery amongst other things), but it does turn over smoothly.  I didn't do any official compression test, but when I turn the engine over, there is definitely pressure thumps.

I don't know if there is any particular reason why I want to rebuild the engine other than I would like to learn how it works.  I guess it might be one of my eccentricities, but I don't like using things I don't understand and especially since I like to do all of my own mechanical/repair work, I think it would be a great learning experience.  Also, if I can take apart the engine, why not restore worn parts and give it a nice cleaning?  I do plan on using this bike a lot and would like to completely restore it.

Here is a piss-poor photoshop of what I would like the bike to look like eventually:


or this

[Ecosse]

have you used the search feature here? it's a cranky thing (imo) but your problem has been faced before, a few times times, and you could benefit from another's eureka! moment.

 

[Roach Carver]

If that tank is as nice as it looks, there is NO WAY that I would paint it. There is nothing better in my mind than the factory paint. gives the bike a nice vitage look. A paintable tank can be had for 50 - 100 bucks. I am however a big fan of black rims.

[laminarflowone]

Haha, that's not my bike, just one I found off of google images...I wish mine was restored like that.

Hmm, I've been thinking more about it and  might just redo the tank in the stock style and colors, though I def want to paint the engine black.  It turns out, the 'cracks' and 'oil stains' I was trying to scrub out and freaked about were just a crappy silver spray paint job the PO did...

have you used the search feature here? it's a cranky thing (imo) but your problem has been faced before, a few times times, and you could benefit from another's eureka! moment.

Friday I spent all day and night going through what the forum had to say and there was a ton of information.  I then proceeded to try everything over the weekend and nothing seemed to work. 


However, today, I looked at the problem with some fresh eyes, and proceeded to use my dremel w/ tungsten carbide bit to abrade away the 'washer'-like piece attached to the bolt.  The tools of the trade:


 
What I did was make linear cuts across the lip of the washer so that I could use a hammer and flat-head screwdriver to chip off the cold-welded washer-like piece and oil housing lip.



Like so:



However, with enough pounding on my last piece, the bolt ended up moving and untwisting.  I then went around pounding the bolt counter-clockwise with screwdriver and hammer until it came out.

Hooah, I have my engine free!  Now I have to take this apart, but none of the screws wanted to come out and I didn't feel like stripping another screw/bolt tonight.  I sprayed them all with WD-40 and hit them with screwdriver + hammer, and hopefully tomorrow, they will come out without the use of my remaining screw-remover bit.

[fastbroshi]

Save yourself some drama and do a search here on "impact driver".  A good one will cost $10-15 and is actually priceless.

[Ecosse]

Save yourself some drama and do a search here on "impact driver".  A good one will cost $10-15 and is actually priceless.

yeah. wish i still had mine.



congrats in getting that filter housing free! 

you've just added to the bank of information here i'd say.