Author Topic: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall  (Read 2811 times)

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Offline sayntdownfall

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1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« on: October 22, 2010, 05:27:00 PM »
Ok wow, where to start? I suppose I got the itch when a buddy of mine at work and his brother got motorcycles of their own. They picked up some Honda shadows pretty cheap and started riding them around. I myself have never rode a motorcycle, dirtbike, quad, or snowmobile so why I felt the sudden overpowering need to buy a motorcycle I have no idea. Anyways long story short I found a 1975 CB750F on Craigslist for 450.00 it came with 2 engines. The main engine had 8,800 miles on it but a bolt came loose and scored the cam so the original owner of the bike had a friend with a spare engine and took the cam out of the donor engine and replaced it into the original engine but never torqued it down and never replaced the valve cover. Needless to say it sat in the original owners garage for a few years before he bought a new bike and his wife told him to get rid of it. I knew it would be a project but I love tearing things apart and putting them back together. Something about knowing my bike so intricately and me (not having much automotive background) bringing this thing back to life is beyond exciting. I have been a forum lurker for quite sometime but seeing how amazing and helpful this community is I've decided to start posting pics...


This is the original craigslist picture


seat and tank off...don't worry the purple will die


Begin the teardown


i think im gonna get rid of that horrible looking light panel and switch to the ones that have all the lights in a row, also going to relocate the ignition.


interesting hidden bundle of wires...


the night drags on


the tree stands alone...for now


parts...


more parts...

Well Ill be posting more pictures of the breakdown soon, I'm further along than these pictures show however I don't want to flood the first post. I don't really have a clear picture in my mind of what I'm aiming at for this bike. I do want to get rid of the big orange blinker lights and perhaps change the rear light to a LED light. I like the cafe racer bikes I see on here but that's just not my style. I guess I'm just gonna go with where the process takes me. I do have a good idea what the paint job is going to look like though....



Offline ofreen

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2010, 07:06:39 PM »
You chose well. ;)
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline brah pitt

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2010, 07:22:24 PM »
nice, I picked up one myself.

Offline ryani

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2010, 07:52:25 PM »
Enjoy your project!  I'm in the midst of my first tear down and rebuild.  It is a fun process.

Offline brandEn

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2010, 10:26:33 AM »
Looks like a fun project! As a word of advice take lots of pictures and label parts as you tear your bike apart. It will make it tons easier putting it back together.

Offline sayntdownfall

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2010, 06:53:41 PM »
yeah pictures will surely help me on re assembly. I dont know how many times i've looked at the parts and thought to myself "where the hell did I get that piece from....." Ive decided on a gloss black body, tank and rear fender with double 1.5-1.75 inch gray racing stripes. Gonna pick up new tires and black shocks. Gonna have to find some black gator fork seals (I really like how they look on black bikes). Along with other things I plan on doing : taper bearing conversion, new brake lines, new throttle and speedo/odometer cable, new rotors and chain, gonna reupholster the seat (keeping it a two person for the rare occasion I have to rescue a damsel in distress (HA), Im going to be getting the "Hondaman" swing-arm rebuild for the ill fated F type swing-arms. Master cylinder rebuilds (I seen two canisters and am assuming I will need 2 rebuild kits, correct me if Im wrong here) Going to clean up the rims and paint them black but leave the spokes chrome. I plan to have all these things done by the end of November/early December. After that It will be off to the one thing I'm dreading the most : Complete engine dis-assembly and rebuild. I will be dedicating the rest of the Michigan winter (Dec, Jan, Mar, half of April usually ) to getting it clean and most importantly getting it right. The prior owner said he had problems with the clutch slipping into a lower gear while riding. I've heard this problem a few times here and there on this board and other forums, can anyone point me to explinations and fixes for that? Ok I have bored you enough already, picture time...


Rear wheel off now to the front...


Forks and the front wheel are off. Looking more like a frame than a motorcycle now.


Gonna polish up those up, get new springs (and hopefully boots), and paint the bottom {you guessed it} black.


Getting the swing-arm locking nut off was a two man job, luckily after the nut was off the bolt tapped out nicely. (I hear this is rare)


Tank stripped, going to sand down and get some metal rescue to pour in there. Afterward I have some welding to do/get done before priming and painting.


Rusty battery box is being taken care of as we speak...


Gonna use this gauge as I feel it looks cleaner.


Rear F style fender before sanding...the purple is almost gone


Last but not least: all the frame parts neatly arranged for a picture before heading to be blasted, primed, and painted gloss black with a clear-coat finish.

I got a great deal on the blasting/priming/painting work on the frame pieces (300.00). This is one part I didn't want to do my own as I've never painted anything automotive and I wanted to be sure all the rust on the frame was gone. The guy I took the pieces to is a professional auto painted with a paint booth at his house so I know it will be done right. Now I wait in patience for my pieces to be returned...time to start looking into tires.

Offline sayntdownfall

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2011, 12:40:33 AM »
Well its been quite some time and perhaps my ambitions were a bit too overzealous. I did in fact get some things done to the bike but unfortunately its not done or (at least in my opinion) even close :( While I am a little disheartened I am not down for the count. Perhaps its because I am standing before the parts I feared the most: engine disassembly and rebuild, carb rebuild, master cylinder and caliper rebuilds as well as new brake lines, and electrical. Anyways here are some pictures of the little progress I have made



A freshly painted frame!



A reupholstered seat



Polished by myself



close-up of rear wheel and spoke polishing



both wheels polished laced and trued



Crate of parts



This is how she currently sits :(

Oh if only I had more time between work and college...


Offline ofreen

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2011, 01:07:31 AM »
Looks good.  Don't get discouraged.  I've seen guys get a lot less done over a lot greater length of time.  I'd say you've made good progress.  It does take time.  I have a very good idea how much effort you have put into it already.  I am just finishing up a CJ5 rebuild I started 14 months ago.  Sometimes I think if we knew at the start what these project were going to take, we'd never begin.  So it's a good thing we don't know, right?
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon

Offline BeSeeingYou

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2011, 10:38:45 AM »
As long as you are making progress things are good.  Just take one smaller project at a time and don't get overwhelmed by the whole thing.  Think, well this week I will rebuild the calipers and next week the master cylinders.  It looks good so far. 

Offline Greggo

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2011, 12:31:44 PM »
The work you've done so far looks great!  Don't get discouraged about the time consumed.  Unless you do this stuff for a living, I feel it's best to try and enjoy it!

Offline scunny

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2011, 01:06:23 PM »
as said above, small steps lead to project completion.
past-cb100,ts250,cb500,cb500,gs1000,gs650g.phillips traveller
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Offline MrGardman

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2011, 07:10:28 PM »
Looks like you're doing a great job. Just hang in there and like others have said, make your goals small and don't get overwhelmed by looking at the complete project. If you just do a few things here and there and get them knocked out, you will be suprised how it will all come back together.

Offline Hasenkopf

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2011, 07:58:31 PM »
the original paint was nice......
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Offline Greggo

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2011, 11:12:17 AM »
the original paint was nice......

HA!  Nice is one of those subjective words, right?

Offline hapakev

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2011, 01:21:55 PM »
Its always good to see another F build.  Subscribed!
Smoking Jack
1978 CB750F(ish)

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Offline Bgbrnbby

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Re: 1975 CB750F rebuild - Project Downfall
« Reply #15 on: November 19, 2011, 06:05:40 PM »
Sub...scribed! I still don't have one...yet!
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