Topic: 1975 CB400F ignition switch: serviceable?

[JZEROE]

Literally one start after I got my hand controls properly wired (PO must have thought the bike was a tube amp...), the ignition switch crapped the bed. It had always been a little bit finicky, needing to be jiggled a little before the contacts engaged. Well, now it doesn't engage at all. I pulled thing off and wondered if I should crack it open. Looks pretty modular, and they're available online for cheap, but free is better than cheap...

Has anyone cracked one of these open? What should I expect inside? Is there anything I could adjust, lube, reposition, or re-wire to a good effect? Or is it a fool's errand?

Thanks
J

[MoMo]

Had the same problem happen after fixing all the wiring problems from PO.  Temporarily fixed the switch but wound up buying the cheap aftermarket, which the word cheap fits the quality as well as price. That unit is held together with a cable tie, but I have had several others that were marginally useable, Larry

[JZEROE]

Yeah, it looks like all of them--even the ones from David Silver Spares--are made by Emgo. I had an Emgo switch on my 550. Yech.

[bollingball]

I'm not sure about the 400F but if all you can get is the cheap SW. can you take some of the load off of it with a headlight relay and what ever else has high current draw going through the SW.

[Bodi]

Yes you can take it apart. Maybe you can put it together again. There are few parts and springs and at least one tiny ball that all come loose.
Not impossible though. The bad news is that the housing is probably worn/broken/burnt beyond salvage. If not the mechanism is pretty easy to understand: you just clean the contacts and maybe stretch the springs a bit, add a dab of dielectric grease, and put it together again. The grease retards corrosion and holds the bits in place as you fit the case together. The tabs that hold it together are pretty weak and probably brittle, if they break off you can hold the case together with tiny wire ties. Use the black ones that won't turn brittle in sunlight. This is not visible unless you really look hard.
I've found a few used switches in good condition at bike wreckers- the same one is on a few Honda models - and just moved the switch part to the original lock part (to keep the key the same) and going the other way when a lock has been buggered beyond repair. The Emgo switch-only assembly is really very poor compared to the OEM one.
A good locksmith can usually rekey the lock to your old key so the seat key is the same. I prefer rekeying the seat lock if I have the ignition key as generally you can use the parts in there and get it to work with a key but with maybe one or two active pins. I can do this myself, I don't want a one or two pin ignition lock though! Anyway both locks are a few seconds work for anyone who can pick a lock and are hardly secure - they stop casual idiots from turning on the bike but a real thief won't be impeded.

[Gaither]

FWIW

If yours ign switch is like or similar to a '77 550, look in FAQ.

TwoTired was good enough to post his "rebuild" of an ign switch there while I was having  trouble with mine. TT's was a bit different than mine - but similar.

I had already put a new EMGO on the 550. However, after going into the orig factory switch, I found it had absolutely no wear or heat damage (12,000 miles) but the old grease was hard and likely causing problems with the contacts. 'Gonna clean & grease it and put it back on the bike - before the new EMGO gives up.

They are fairly easy to disassemble - IF you are very careful not to break anything in the process. Likely Honda didn't intend for them to be taken apart. But, if I can do it, anybody can do it!

My actual problems were caused by fuse clip and connector corrosion - which has been corrected.

May we all ride safely with a wide grin!

[JZEROE]

Oof. Cracked it open... not good. Plastic is all chewed up in the electronics module. I think If I get a new/old one of those I'll be all set, but there's no saving this one.

[camelman]

Those things wear out.  I guess the best option is to crack it open and lube it up from time to time, but who's going to do that?  I pulled mine apart a while back to figure out my starting/headlight issue.  It turned out the headlight switch broke, and a little piece of plastic fell into the starter button assembly.  I stuck my headlight switch on "hi", and got my starter working again.  Just the way it goes with old plastic.

By the way, I'm driving a 350F, and I haven't had any charging issues with the hi-beam on 100% of the time.

Camelman