Topic: A sandcast restoration....on a budget ? Ridden for the first time since the 80s

[lucky]

Replating all those rusty, corroded nuts and bolts is the way to go.
Even if you laboriously clean every one they will just rust again later.
Imho, ANY original part you replace will lessen the eventual value of the bike.

If you're really serious about it it's right way to go.
You can do it yourself relatively cheaply.
http://www.medial.com/suzuki/zinc-plated/

I agree.

[jaguar]

So whats the good word on the bike?

[greenjeans]

Been sitting for a few weeks - got busy at work.   working on getting a used set of HM300s so I can fire it up.

I did score a bottom half for my air box and a really nice set of fork ears.   Such a shame though....  the guy I got the parts from has a sandcast with a stuck motor that has been sitting outside - under a carport - but still outside.   The tops are off the carbs - I could go on...such a shame.   Rusting away. 

Cleaned prettty much all my wiring connections.  Oil pan and oil tank cleaned.  Fresh oil for the first time in 25 years.   Cleaned the timing advance as well as the timing chain tensioner.    Valves are set as are the points/timing. 

Got some new wheel bearings waiting.   I hope to have a set of pipes by the end of next weekend.   I'm pretty confident this beast is going to fire right up.

[Greggo]

Such a shame though....  the guy I got the parts from has a sandcast with a stuck motor that has been sitting outside - under a carport - but still outside.   The tops are off the carbs - I could go on...such a shame.   Rusting away. 

Haven't you seen MarkB's sandcast thread?  Anything can be saved if it's worth the dough

[jaguar]

there is a set of 300s listed here

[greenjeans]

Such a shame though....  the guy I got the parts from has a sandcast with a stuck motor that has been sitting outside - under a carport - but still outside.   The tops are off the carbs - I could go on...such a shame.   Rusting away. 

I'm trying to talk him out of it.   He knows what it is worth.  Have a feeling he's going to sit on it for a while.

Haven't you seen MarkB's sandcast thread?  Anything can be saved if it's worth the dough

[Tews19]

Been sitting for a few weeks - got busy at work.   working on getting a used set of HM300s so I can fire it up.

I did score a bottom half for my air box and a really nice set of fork ears.   Such a shame though....  the guy I got the parts from has a sandcast with a stuck motor that has been sitting outside - under a carport - but still outside.   The tops are off the carbs - I could go on...such a shame.   Rusting away. 

Cleaned prettty much all my wiring connections.  Oil pan and oil tank cleaned.  Fresh oil for the first time in 25 years.   Cleaned the timing advance as well as the timing chain tensioner.    Valves are set as are the points/timing. 

Got some new wheel bearings waiting.   I hope to have a set of pipes by the end of next weekend.   I'm pretty confident this beast is going to fire right up.

How did you clean your wires up? I know sounds like a dumb question.. I need to clean mine up. Full of gunk and grease looking #$%*.

[greenjeans]

I get some remarkable results with plain ol simple green.   I usually just take a rag that is soaked in it and wipe them down.
Then, 1 by 1, I spray a bit in the ends with the connectors and hit them with the high-pressure air nozzle.   Then I usually spray a bit of electrical contact cleaner on them and hit them with the air nozzle again.

works surprisingly well.

[Tews19]

I get some remarkable results with plain ol simple green.   I usually just take a rag that is soaked in it and wipe them down.
Then, 1 by 1, I spray a bit in the ends with the connectors and hit them with the high-pressure air nozzle.   Then I usually spray a bit of electrical contact cleaner on them and hit them with the air nozzle again.

works surprisingly well.

Thanks, Now i have to figure out how to bookmark your response. I will try it tonight and post pics on my build thread.

[Magpie]

Simple Green and Q-Tips worked well for me on the female connectors, cleaned the plastic covering up nice too.
If you can stand the smell Brake Cleaner worked too. Use it outside. Gives me a headache.
Cliff.

[Prospect]

What ratio of water/simple green are you guys using when cleaning carbs and dunking them?

[greenjeans]

The last set I did - maybe 5 parts water, 1 part simple green.   Be careful with simple green - if you leave them over night in straight simple green, it will dis-color the carb bodies.

I've rebuilt about 10 sets of carbs during my addiction to the CB.    I have it down now after many different methods.    Boiling them speeds things up immensely.    I have 4 big coffee cans that I use for my carb cleanings.   I have an old coleman propane stove and an old enameled pot that I use to boil the carb bodies (1 at a time) in.

The homemade soda blaster really works.   Really.    The carb bodies look brand new.  Really takes no time.   While I'm boiling one carb, I'm blasting the one that just came out of the pot.

You still have to remove all the jets and needles and make sure, really sure, that all the passages are clean.  I use a combo of compressed air, carb cleaner and a fine guitar string.

Believe it or not, I clean them until I think they are spotless.  Then, I do it again.   When I go to start things up, I can eliminate any problems with fuel.
Carbs just can't be clean enough.

[jaguar]

Yeah the home soda blasting is great.
I was thinking about getting a cheap ultrasonic cleaner but the soda works so well i decided to wait

[Prospect]

The last set I did - maybe 5 parts water, 1 part simple green.   Be careful with simple green - if you leave them over night in straight simple green, it will dis-color the carb bodies.

I've rebuilt about 10 sets of carbs during my addiction to the CB.    I have it down now after many different methods.    Boiling them speeds things up immensely.    I have 4 big coffee cans that I use for my carb cleanings.   I have an old coleman propane stove and an old enameled pot that I use to boil the carb bodies (1 at a time) in.

The homemade soda blaster really works.   Really.    The carb bodies look brand new.  Really takes no time.   While I'm boiling one carb, I'm blasting the one that just came out of the pot.

You still have to remove all the jets and needles and make sure, really sure, that all the passages are clean.  I use a combo of compressed air, carb cleaner and a fine guitar string.

Believe it or not, I clean them until I think they are spotless.  Then, I do it again.   When I go to start things up, I can eliminate any problems with fuel.
Carbs just can't be clean enough.

Haven't tried boiling it but sounds promising.  I've used an ultrasonic cleaner with a heat function that gets the water/simple green solution hot but not boiling.  It works pretty good.  I'm gonna try the boiling next time on my bbq hot plate. 

You're not kidding about not leaving the carbs overnight.  I did that once with a carb of a  cb350f and it looks like crap now. 

[greenjeans]

As much as it hurt, I dropped a grand on some new HM300's.  Yes I know that I need "no-stamp" pipes, but I've been looking, calling and digging for 2 months now.  They just don't come up.

Don't really want to drop $2500 for pipes out of Japan.    You only see the EPA paragraph if you're looking for it and I want to ride this thing for a bit
before selling it.

So......hopefully the pipes will arrive by Thursday.  That means this beast could be running (after 28 years) this weekend.   Provided there isn't a grenade hidden in the engine etc.    I'm feeling good that it will start.    Never had a new set of HM300's before - looking forward to hearing the difference when compared to HM315's

So far....money spent:

Time:    Free
$5        Simple green
$18      Carb cleaner & brake parts cleaner
$1036  Pipes & baffles.  HM300's

If I get it running well, the plan is to blow it apart and paint everything.   

Paint kit for tanks and tins:  $149  (vintagehondapaint.com)
Stripe kit $34 (vintagehondapaint.com)
Black for frame etc   $145  (with primer, reducer, cleaner etc)
Engine paint:  $20

Things are starting to add up. 

The main thing I need to figure out now is how I'm going to re-plate the screws, nuts and bolts so I can put it back together.

Then I can get another game plan / punch list for things that remain. 

[markb]

I wouldn't worry about running the HM300's.  Until (if) you get everything else correct they will be fine for now.  They will look good and sound good.  I've seen some pretty decent used pipes come up and it got me thinking that I should get a set for running and save wear and tear on the no numbers.

[greenjeans]

That's kinda the plan.  I have 1 really nice (8/10) lotus root - pipe #4 and another decent one (7/10) pipe #1.   
The inners I have are toast.  I have a lead on a couple here locally, and Vic World has 1 that I'll probably pick up as well - I think it's a # 3 or 2 so that helps.
So, I'm actually pretty close. 

The baffles for the Lotus Roots would still need to be sourced.   Does anyone sell those besides Yamiya ?   Haven't tried Honda yet.

I'll probably end up keeping the HM300s when the sandie goes up for sale.   Hopefully by then, I'll have pieced together a decent set of no-numbers for the
sandie.   

Trying to talk myself into buying one of those zinc plating systems from Caswell.    I love shiney clean bolts.

[bjatwood]

Trying to talk myself into buying one of those zinc plating systems from Caswell.    I love shiney clean bolts.

That kit is "Da Bomb"!!

[jaguar]

Maybe it might be worth it to corner the market so to speak...
Why not get good at it and then do some for other people to off set the cost of this bike?

Ive been soda blasting rebuilding and polishing carbs for local people like that for a while

[greenjeans]

Been thinking about it...   I know it's gotta be easy if you can read the directions.   Might be a good x-mas present.
I got the pipes ordered on Nov. 30 so that doesn't count 

You guys are going to talk me into it.   Maybe that will be my next service offered.  Everybody likes shiney clean bolts, don't they ?

[jaguar]

Some people have talked about local platers charging by the pound

[Stev-o]

Wow, over a grand for the pipes! And this is a budget build?

Get the plater and over the service, you'll have more than a few takers.

[Prospect]

Nickle plating kit???  I'll have to look into that for myself.  I could see using that for many years to come just like the ultrasonic cleaner.  I agree, you'd have a number of people asking for plating service is shipping is reasonable. BTW where did you buy the HM300's for $1036?

[greenjeans]

Yeah - budget is relative.   I still think I'll be able to stay under my $3000 budget -  might take a few months to scrounge up the rest of the money, but the major purchase (pipes) is done.   I'll nickel and dime it over the next couple of months.    The major pieces are there, it's just a matter of re-finishing and buying a few more tune-up/safety items - tires, chain, brake pads/shoes, master cylinder rebuild kit, fork seals & oil.  I actually think I'll be closer to the $2500 mark.    Thankfully, my elbow grease is free.

I don't have a single plater in my town.   The closest is Dallas or FortWorth (45 minutes away - not too bad)  but I have yet to find anyone that actually "wants" to touch them.   Everyone that I have contacted wants large commercial type orders.   The kit is $200 bucks.   I guess I could easily make that back by offering plating services.   We will see how that goes.

After sleeping on it, I think I'm going to order the kit.    Hope to have it to practice on extra nuts and bolts over the x-mas break.   I'll give a report on how it works etc.    Sounds like it is an easy process and the solutions are easily stored.

[bjatwood]

Some people have talked about local platers charging by the pound

I know a guy in Texas that will replate 20lbs of nuts and bolts for 80 bucks!