Topic: hello, newbie in over my head.

[oldk6guy]

hello all,  i recently purchased i bike that i never heard run and its now half torn apart in my garage.  i found a badly scored cylinder and corresponding broken piston ring that i would like to assume was the problem.  but, im more than likely going to take the bottom end in to a shop to have them check crank and rod bearings. the bike is a cb750k5.  its my first.

[HondaMan]

A word of caution: most modern bike shops have NO CLUE about these bikes. Make sure they are well-versed in the art of CB750 SOHC4 engines before letting them look at it. We have a LOT of horror stories here of huge funds spent, bad results...

On the other hand, if you are savvy enough to have got it this far, we all can probably help you through the whole rebuild yourself, saving you a fortune in the end and giving you a ride you can trust again. 

[oldk6guy]

thanx , this is how far I am right now. i am an ase certified auto mechanic, so i can turn a wrench, however this is my first time turning one on a bike.

[bender01]

Your all set if your a trained pro! Welcome.

[oldk6guy]

On cars.  i have no idea what the terminology is for bikes....stator, rectifier, etc...., i also have no idea how a motorcycle clutch works, so i dont want to touch it.  i'm also dealing with a broken arm right now so im just trying to learn as much as possible.

[HondaMan]

I hate to sound like the salesman, but...if you're already an auto wrench, perhaps my book will take you through all you need to know? There's a link to it in my signature, below. It's all about how to rebuild these bikes, with hundreds of full-color pictures and 40 years of experience with them. 

[oldk6guy]

perhaps it would but i was already on a tight budget before i broke my arm, being out of work that tight budget has tightened up even more.  i would love a comprehensive guide to follow(the repair manuals aren't really very helpful) but your book cost almost as much as my new pistons even though i cant afford your book at the moment i would still love your help on occasion.  i am skilled in the art of "search" so it shouldnt be too often that i have a question.

[burmashave]

You'll have no problem with the clutch. I've done a couple, and I'm no where near your skill level. SOHC4 clutches are a breeze and nothing at all like the pain that automobile clutches are. You'll want a guide, though, if for nothing else than to know the torque spec for the bolts on the press(?) plate. That way, you won't break one the way I did.

[oldk6guy]

i will, thanx.  I LOVE your engine!  i plan on doing mine very, very similar.

[HondaMan]

perhaps it would but i was already on a tight budget before i broke my arm, being out of work that tight budget has tightened up even more.  i would love a comprehensive guide to follow(the repair manuals aren't really very helpful) but your book cost almost as much as my new pistons even though i cant afford your book at the moment i would still love your help on occasion.  i am skilled in the art of "search" so it shouldnt be too often that i have a question.

Well, fire away! We always show up here sooner or later.
Sorry about your arm! The unemployment bit, too: I went for 14 months without work, still very broke from it all. The only good thing that came from it: I had time to finish that book. Otherwise it would still be a file floating around on my jump disks. I think I'll call that my "silver lining" in the unemployment cloud I went through. Still working 3 jobs, but at least it's work.

[Freaky1]

Welcome and congratulations on finding the best place to begin learning about these bikes. An infinite wealth of wisdom awaits you here, I was clueless about these bikes when I first showed up here. Don't get me wrong, I'm still pretty clueless compared to most people here but I have yet to have a question go unanswered. Good luck and there is no better therapy then working on one of these bikes.