Topic: Restoration Coming: Looking for Guru in North Vancouver BC

[rbelak]

Hello Everyone,

I've been watching the site for a year now, as I debated taking action on a rebuild.  I'm ready to go for it now.

I'm beginning a restoration on a 1973 Honda CB750 that is already in very decent shape.  I'm looking for a local guru type who knows these bikes insided and out and is willing to be a "go-to-guy" when I run into issues.  Time is valuable and I understand that, so I'm completely ammenable to compensating such a person for their time.

Here is what I would like to accomplish after completion:

1. Evaluate currrent condition of motor, and select required maintenance.  In particular, need to determine if splitting crank-case and excahnign primary chains is needed.
2. Piston replacement and Cylinder honing - likely an upgrade to a standard 836CC Big Bore Kit
3. Blueprinting / Porting of cylinder head
4. Polishing all aluminum to show-room like condition
5. Cleaning, re-jetting and synching carburetors
6. Re-paint frame and refresh chrome in conspicous locations

I would like to have this done over the winter. i have a heated shop in Lynn Valley (North Vancouver) with a decent tool collection and lot's of cold beer.  If you feel like you have too much knowledge to go unused, and can provide troubleshooting advice when I get stuck I would love to hear from you.  I actually anticipate that I will be able to handle the lions-share of the work with the information already on the forums and the help of the members. Having said that, even being able have a proper diagnosis of the bike from someone who knows what it's capable of would be invaluable.

I will keep the progress on this thread, or most likely a new one once I actually start the project:  hopefully VERY soon.

Thanks in advance,

Roy

[AbbyRider]

That thing looks mint! How many km's? For the life of me I can't see too much that would need to be polished, but hard to tell from one photo I guess. Are you trying to get more hp out of the bike? Just curious about the 836 kit and the porting.
If you really want a challenge, why don't you just swap me for my '78 and you can use your same list.
Seriously though - I'm no guru. But I'm sure there's someone in the Lower Mainland that could have a quick look and listen and give you an idea of what's needed. You could probably even post a video or just describe how it's running and list symptoms to narrow things down. And if compression is good then rings should be fine.

[rbelak]

AbbyRider

I guess that is kind of my problem - it is in pretty good shape and I have to question my motives. that picture is fairly acurate, it's a clean bike. But it has SO much potential.

The bike has 60,000 miles on it, and I don't know what any of the POs did to it - I have no history (except an old picture with a leather jacket sewn onto the seat).  To be honest, it runs very well for a 40 year old machine.  It starts very easy and runs consistenly .  I've had it 2 years and re-did the paint and a few small things.

Here is what I'm concerned about.
1. With that many miles, will the top-end need to be done?
2. Head gasket leak, bearable but annoying
3. The idle tends to creep up as it gets warm, again annoying but completely bearable
4. some rattling / slapping from the motor.  I think it's cam chain, but adjusting the tensioner did not help.  I've also read that these bikes tend to have a bit of rattle.  This is probably my main question about the rebuild. I just haven't shown it to ANYONE who knows anything about these bikes.  I want to know if it's cam chain or primaries and if it is "normal" or excessive.


That;s really all that I can think of.  I'm not sure what a carb synch would do to it, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt.

All in all I'm very happy with it but I think if I give it a work over now, it will likely last me forever.... Dilemma.

I've never really seen any other comparable CB running up close,  so I have absolutely no frame of reference, hence why I want to start by showing it to someone knowledgable at the get go.

I'll pass on the 78....I've already got my hands full.. Thanks for the reply!!

RB

[Magpie]

Hi! I'm not far away and can try to answer your questions.
1. A leak down or compression test may answer your question about the condition of the head but if the motor's coming out of the frame it may be a good idea to do the head because,
2. To fix the head gasket leak the motor has to come out of the frame.
3. Normal operating by my bikes.
4. There is a clutch rattle however I have K1 with 12,000 miles on it and a newly rebuilt K0 motor with less than 100 miles on it and the noise difference between the two motors is amazing. The cam chain and primary tensioners have rubber "wheels" on them which over time seem to turn to stone. At 60,000 miles you may also want to replace the tensioners and chains because...see number 2 above.
If you have the motor on the bench you may as well go all the way with it. An 836 kit and some porting polishing should give it more snap.
Cheers,
Cliff.

[srbakker]

Well, I'm hardly an expert, but I am just another 20 min down the road from AbbyRider, and when beer and heated shops are involved, I can at least lend some manual labour to the equation.  Besides, it's nice to know all you guys are pretty local... more people I can call on when I get stuck!