Author Topic: First project (Read 4863 times)

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 25, 2011, 11:24:52 AM »

Thanks for the heads up about partnmore. I think I'll buy the one from CB750 supply. I just picked up some tags to label EVERYTHING before I get started. Looks like the last guy even cut all the wires to the tac and speedometer as well. Here's a couple more pictures of the mess. Can't wait to get everything ordered, laid out, and started.

On the plus side, when I have all the wires out it will be easier to grind off the surface rust and hit it up with some rustoleum paint...

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 25, 2011, 11:26:10 AM »

Johnie · « **Reply #27 on:** March 25, 2011, 11:46:32 AM »

Gosh...all I can do is shake my head and

at what was done to the wiring. I just for the life of me can not figure out what the motive was? What was he trying to accomplish? I wonder if he had a short or 2 and tried to by pass stuff? But that would not warrant cutting all the male and female off the entire bike. We will never know. Just think how easy your next project will be...

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #28 on:** March 25, 2011, 11:56:26 AM »

Yea, if can figure out this mess I will feel much better about wiring in the future. Once I get this project done...years from now, I will be able to buy my wife a project (really just a second bike for me).

My father inlaw just put down a deposit on an 83 Honda nighthawk. I didn't even know he was looking. Right after he put down his deposit I found a decent looking 76 CB750F in his price range... If only I was a little faster...

Eydugstr · « **Reply #29 on:** March 25, 2011, 02:44:06 PM »

Quote from: Johnie on March 25, 2011, 11:46:32 AM

Gosh...all I can do is shake my head and at what was done to the wiring. I just for the life of me can not figure out what the motive was? What was he trying to accomplish? I wonder if he had a short or 2 and tried to by pass stuff? But that would not warrant cutting all the male and female off the entire bike. We will never know. Just think how easy your next project will be...

+1. Didn't know that budweiser made electrical diagrams for CB750's.

GR750, can you send me a better pic of the front turn signals? To me it looks like a set from a kawasaki...If so, will make you a deal you can't refuse and get you hooked up with a proper set of front turn signals & stems.

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #30 on:** March 25, 2011, 02:58:23 PM »

Yea, I'll get you a pic next time I get a chance. I thought the front blinkers were original, just not the lenses. I should get you a pic by tomorrow at the latest.

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #31 on:** March 27, 2011, 01:19:36 PM »

Seems that ripping stuff off your bike gets addicting... Because my exhaust was blocking my oil drain bolt, and because they are so beat up, I decided to take them off while I'm waiting to order all the wiring goodies. Not sure what I'll do with them now that their off, but it's not in the budget to replace them this year, so I might just black em out or wrap them. Turns out they were in worse condition then I first thought; notice the wood screws someone put in to hold them together... a nice touch...

Johnie · « **Reply #32 on:** March 27, 2011, 05:08:12 PM »

Yah, hard to tell from the pics on the blinker housing. But your rear housing is period correct for your bike and the front housing should match the back.

Johnie · « **Reply #33 on:** March 27, 2011, 05:12:06 PM »

OK, I went back through the pics and you are right. The front housing is not OEM and the front blinker stems are also not OEM.

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #34 on:** March 27, 2011, 05:15:49 PM »

Good to know, I'll take a look. Putting in orders for all kinds of new parts on Thursday, just in time for the weather to be getting warmer. By the end of April I hope to have everything rewired, new seat, new headlight bucket, new igntion, and rust taken care of... Can't wait to get to work...

Red750K1 · « **Reply #35 on:** March 28, 2011, 03:51:00 PM »

I'm doing some "spring cleaning" here soon. I parted out a '74 a couple years back, let me know if you need some parts. I may have a spare tach/spedo wire harness. If you're going to do it by hand the best advice I can give ya is to just go by the wiring diagram. Its really NOT that bad. You can go online and get a crimp tool that will let you put new bullet ends (male and female) on the loose wires or you can get some shrink wrap numbers to "code" the wires yourself, then just make note of your "code" in the wiring diagram. Example: #1 = green, #2 = orange, #3 = brown/white stripe ect. . . .

Don't get worried about wiring issues, they're pretty easy to deal with, these bikes are simple man, you can do it!

Just give me a holler if you need any parts / "stupid stuff". I have a nice 4-1 750F supersport exhaust head pipe, just need a muffler for it. Looks nice too, I rode with it before scoring a set of 4-4's.
good luck!

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #36 on:** March 28, 2011, 04:55:34 PM »

Thanks Red,

If you have a spare wire harness for the speed/tac that would be really helpful. Some of those wire are cut pretty short, so I'll need to take some wires from the old harness to lengthen them. I'm thinking once I lengthen time and test them I may wrap them in shrink wire wrap, just to give it a clean look. I wont know for sure until I get the bucket and wiring harness, but I really want everything to look super clean when I'm done. Come Thursday (payday) I'm ordering a new harness, bullet connectors, bucket, fuse box, seat lock assembly, and probably a few other items. By the time I get everything the weather should be nice enough to spend some time in the garage. Thanks for encouragement and I'm pumped to get working. Also, if you had some front turn signals laying around let me know, figure I'll get those back to original while I have it torn down...

Johnie · « **Reply #37 on:** March 28, 2011, 06:00:38 PM »

The black protective covering comes automatically on the speedo/tach wiring. Like in my earlier pics. Unless a PO cut it off like your guy did there.

Red750K1 · « **Reply #38 on:** March 29, 2011, 06:06:16 AM »

Using shrink wrap is a MUST when re-wiring anything on these bikes. My '71 750 gave me a really hard time the start of the season a few years back. The original owner relocated the ignition switch to between the gauges which didnt bother me but he just twisted the wires together and wrapped them in electrical tape which got nasty after about 30 years lol. I had a short somewhere that was on/off, thankfully I caught it while doing the spring time tune up but it took a while to track it down to those wires. They got corrosion down under the wrap and it was shorting the wires together.

Whenever you do splicing or any wire work you gotta use shrink wrap! A good tip is to get the bulk roll of shrink wrap, the multi-color packs you get at the auto store are a total rip off and not that good of quality. I bought a roll of black stuff, ill try to look up the brand, but it was at the auto store and much better than those pre-cut ones. Just dont burn your wires when you shrink it! Also, when you go through the whole harness, clean up all the connectors with 400 or 600 grit sand paper then put it all back together with dielectric grease. For the big plastic block connectors you can actually fill both the front where it connects and the back side with the grease. It'll totally weather-proof your setup so no worries if you get stuck in a bit of rain. Use the dielectric grease on your plug wires too, and another good idea is to cut your own gasket for the points cover out of some neoprene (wet suit material) or you can double stack the factory gaskets or use some silicone. If you use the silicone, "Right stuff" is the best, put a thin bead where the points cover meets the engine, then let it DRY before putting it on. That way it'll seal it up good but wont bond to the engine so its easy to take on/off.

I'll see what I got for turn signals and wiring stuff for you.

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #39 on:** March 30, 2011, 11:50:13 AM »

I'm going to be ordering new bullet connectors tomorrow. Will I need any 2 into 1 or 3 into 1 connectors? I really want to get everything I need in one order...

Johnie · « **Reply #40 on:** March 30, 2011, 12:14:53 PM »

Yes, some of the OEM female connections are capable of plugging 4 into one. You will need at least a 8. Looking at my K1 which I am currently working on I see 7 of the 4 place female in the bucket and there is another for the grounds by the back fender light connections. Not all of the 4 connections are used on them, but better to have some extra than to run short.

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #41 on:** March 30, 2011, 12:26:44 PM »

Looking at the pictures of the harness it looks like it has a bunch of double connectors. I know I'll have to put the male connectors on a bunch of wires that were cut. Are there any connectors taht are not on the new harness that are more then one?

Johnie · « **Reply #42 on:** March 30, 2011, 02:39:36 PM »

Quote from: GrandRapids750K3 on March 30, 2011, 12:26:44 PM

Looking at the pictures of the harness it looks like it has a bunch of double connectors. I know I'll have to put the male connectors on a bunch of wires that were cut. Are there any connectors taht are not on the new harness that are more then one?

Could not tell you that for sure since you are getting an aftermarket harness. I would imagine the harness would come with some, but maybe someone who bought that Parts N More harness will chime in for you.

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #43 on:** March 30, 2011, 03:23:50 PM »

No problem, I"ll just get started and find out what I need as I go. I've got quite a few things coming in, so I'll be watching the mail closely...

Johnie · « **Reply #44 on:** March 30, 2011, 03:25:36 PM »

It will be like Christmas over in MI!!!

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #45 on:** March 30, 2011, 03:45:29 PM »

Well your partially right because when my wife saw the bill she told me it was christmas and my birthday... I told her then she better make me a motorcycle shaped cake....

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #46 on:** April 02, 2011, 06:35:48 PM »

In anticipation of all my new parts and wiring harness I got out in the cold today to get started. I got the the old harness out and everything that I could labeled. Also pulled out the battery box and a few odds and ends. I have a couple questions on some pictures below if anyone is more of a wiring expert then myself...

This red wiring was not hooked up to anything...

Another picture of same wire...

Blinkers are tied into the orange and light blue wires from the left hand controls, how will the hook into the new
wiring harness?

All cleaned up.

Good start today. Hopefully as the parts start trickling in I'll be able to get back out there and get things washed and cleaned up, lengthen some wires, grinded and painted, and ready to put back together. If anyone sees anything that should not be there, or is wrong please let me know.

Johnie · « **Reply #47 on:** April 02, 2011, 06:49:36 PM »

My K4 has a red (hot) and green (ground) wire that hang free in that area.

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #48 on:** April 04, 2011, 05:51:39 PM »

My first attempt at lengthening some of the wires that were cut short...I'll pick up some wire wrap to finish them off. I took some wire from inside the old harness to lengthen them. I realized after the fact (not sure how I missied it) but the green wire is one gauge thicker. Will this be a problem?

I also started grinding off some of the rust on the tool tray and battery box...

I'm going to be out of down for the next couple weekends, but hopefully I'll find some free time to keep working...

GrandRapids750K3 · « **Reply #49 on:** May 01, 2011, 06:28:09 AM »

Slowly making progress over the last couple of weeks... I was able to clean up some of rust, lengthen all the cut wires, schrink wrap the new bundles, and have started to put in/hook up the hanress. Happy to finally be putting things back together again. I'm sure I'll have wiring questions shortly but I'll save those for a different post.

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Author Topic: First project (Read 4863 times)