Author Topic: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.  (Read 31570 times)

Online Moorey

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1666
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #225 on: January 12, 2020, 09:09:23 PM »
I find it far easier to fasten whatever I am using to remove the retainers in a vice and sit the wheel on top and turn the wheel to remove the retainers. You must drill out the pop marks as Bryan says or you will destroy the retainers.
 

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #226 on: January 12, 2020, 09:20:12 PM »
thanks guys...that's good to know. I will make sure I drill before I start.

CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #227 on: February 08, 2020, 11:00:14 AM »
Like a glacier.....I roll forwards, but not always at a pace. Life, work, time and money are all things that I have either too little, too much, or whichever 'too' I don;t want..... but we are getting there nicely. And every bit I get done so far, I am happy with, and have done as well as I reckon I could...and I am proud of it. All my own work that. I did that. Me.

But ramblings aside...

Birthday gifts were received, which included a set of rear shock bushes and a set of TEC shocks.....



A slight mix up with the shock order was swiftly rectified by TEC ( must say.,..their customer service was really good. No messing about and problem sorted double quick. Highly recommended in my book ) and this morning was started with a quick shed session. Shock bushes were pressed into the swingarm nice and easy with the old large shock washers making a lovely surface to press on the outers.... and they went in far easier than the old ones came out....

Swingarm was greased up, the old end caps popped back on ( they are still good and fit snugly on the end ) and the swing arm eased into place. Shocks dropped on neatly, and lined up just right. The instructions suggest I give the shocks a workout to settle them, which I will do later, but with the frame propped up as it is...I don't want to. Once the front end is all together...it's going to be a lot more stable!



Next job is to fit the new head bearings. Required a bit of puzzling to figure out which way up each bit was meant to go, but the old rubber dust seal and shim/washer were in the jar labelled 'steering stuff' ... so perhaps I am more organised than I give myself credit for. The lower shock bolts were left in the original FVQ shocks for safe keeping. I have not got a clue where the hell the old shocks are though....doubtless in a 'safe' place.



With this lot all together, the next job is the forks.

Got a holiday to pay for first, but once that's done and funds are available again, I will be sending the fork legs off to Philpotts for a dose of their chrome. I would much rather refinish the original forks than just replace the things. Though...in all honesty, the forks are not 'bad' and would have no issues passing an MOT if I reused them as is...I just don't like pitted forks. New seals, dust covers and circlips are already in the spares box. The lower legs have been painted in fresh satin black....and while I haven't tackled the wheel bearings yet...with the forks done, I have a rolling chassis...so they will be popped in for the time being.

I now need to work out what I am going to do about the rusty chain adjuster block. One side is OK...one side is nasty.


edit: just for the record...total parts spend so far is around £250 ... plus a couple of cans of paint I already had. That includes the front and rear master cylinder rebuild kits and the front brake seals and dust covers. Rear caliper still refuses to budge. Heat required...a job for tomorrow ( Mrs will be out...oven will be free ;) ) so a rebuild kit and probably a new piston there. Was expecting a total outlay around the £3500 mark ... so £1100 for the bike, and hopefully a chassis rebuild not busting £750 with brake lines etc and bodywork....I still have around £1500 in the imaginary kitty to put the engine together. The aim is to have a bike at the end which I can use....enjoy...and have it worth what it cost me.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2020, 11:09:40 AM by SumpMagnet »
CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline paul G

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1748
  • No room left in the garage what now !
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #228 on: February 08, 2020, 11:05:41 AM »
Coming on mate slowly but surely  ;D philpots do a great job you won’t be disappointed
Honda CB400 4
Honda CB550 K3 (sold)
Honda CB750 UK K1
Kawasaki Z650 C2
Kawasaki Z650 cafe racer (Sold)
Honda CD175 sloper

Offline Spitfire

  • SOHC Master
  • Posts: 1769
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #229 on: February 08, 2020, 02:17:11 PM »
That's coming along nicely, my F2 is still waiting for me to find all the parts that I stashed in the loft or in the garages when I cleared out the garage to work on the grandson's Moto X bike.

Cheers

Dennis
1976 CB750F

1977 CB750F2 In bits

1964 BSA A65R In bits

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #230 on: February 09, 2020, 02:41:20 PM »
Thankjs guys :) I'm really enjoying the process
CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #231 on: March 29, 2020, 12:28:31 PM »
Baby steps....and supply issues....and all the other nastiness around right now, but some shed time has been found as 'self isolation' of the best kind!

Split down the front wheel to get the discs off ready to clean up and paint, and so I can get the wheel looking nice. It's in pretty good order with just a minor mark on the outer edge  and a few light scrathes that will polish out easy enough. The 'spokes' on the Comstars are virtually rust free and will Solvol nicely. No polishing here....just nice and clean.

Getting the spindle out would have been easier if I had loosened the damn nut while the forks were still together and on the bike......  :o

Nut came undone without too much brute force, but the spindle was in need of some WD40 where it has solidified gunk holding it in the spacer. Tea break while it soaked...and it came loose.

Speedo drive had some solidified traces of yellow grease....but worked fine. No sign of worn or damaged gears, so a good greasing and back together.

Discs came off easy...was surprised to see them bolted through the hub, rather than threaded into each side. Pleasantly surprised....as it meant they came off easy. When I have had to remove doiscs on more modern machinery, it has been allen bolts into alloy with threadlock. Not always the best combo....and if you round a head out....it's not fun. For some reason...ther ewas sand in the spaces in the hub behind the discs.... no idea what's gone on there!

Going to wait for the current crisis to wind down bedfore I send the forks off to be rechromed.... but with the yokes ready, the wheel done bar the bearings ( A job I am putting off till later..... cowardice I know.... ) and all the bits to reassemble the forks already bought.... I can almost smell a rolling chassis.

Oh.,...but there was one fly in the ointment...

The rear caliper is FUBAR in all probability.

I simply cannot budge the piston. Not in/out or round. I can see corrosion on the exposed part of the piston. Far worse than the fronts...so that was going to go in the bin anyway. Heat...nothing. Clamped the mole grips on the piston to try and wiggle it round to work it out...won;t move. When I was looking for a master cyliner, E-Bay threw up loads of calipers...but no MC's. Now I want an rear caliper....not one on E-Bay. Oh well...I guess people are not listing stuff right now so they don;t have to go out and post it.... understandable. 

But hey.....still got plenty of things to keep me busy. At some point I got to clean the hideous mess off the back wheel.....
CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline Bryanj

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 10692
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #232 on: March 29, 2020, 01:23:16 PM »
Put the caliper back together if you have split it, fit and tighten bleed nipple, get a grease gun, preferably eith flexi pipe, and remove the nipple end from the pipe. This will now screw into the pipe fitting on the caliper but only 1 1/2 to 2 turns as its a different pitch. Now pump the grease gun and watch the pistons move, one will move first and you will need to put som thick steel where the disc would go(flat tyre lever) to stop it popping out then the second one will move. When both touch the steel remove the greas gun and steel, split the caliper and you should get the pistons out now.

Then the grotty bit!! You have to get all the grease out of the caliper body.

EDIT

Those instructions are for F1, the F2 has only one piston so just screw grease gun into pipe hole and pump.

You can post it to me if you wish, i never yet failed to get a piston out!!!
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 01:36:50 PM by Bryanj »

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #233 on: March 29, 2020, 01:52:48 PM »
Rear is only a single piston caliper...so the casting is a one piece deal. Seems to me like a downgrade step from F1 to F2 ... presumably it was cheaper and easier to make?

If I can't get the thing out in the next few days I will happily take up your kind offer. I want to save what I can. The jaw marks in the piston are mine....but as far as I am concerned, piston and seals will be replaced. Reusing and refurbing is all well and good....but I actually want the brakes to work as well as 40 year old brakes should :)



CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline Bryanj

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 10692
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #234 on: March 29, 2020, 02:21:24 PM »
Single sided piston  pistons move farther so sieze less(in theory) but they need sliders which sieze as well!!!!

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #235 on: May 17, 2020, 01:12:36 PM »
ahh....nothing slows progress like not being able to get stuff in a pandemic.... but we do what we can, becuase it helps stay sane!

So...I decided it was high time I sorted out the petrol tank properly. I had made a start and got the paint off....but had found 2 large plugs of filler..one on each side.

Initial investigations showed nothing underneath to worry about, and so I bagged it and did other things.

So...having ruled out heat and chemical appraoches for filler removal, I hit the stuff with the old Black and Decker and a wire wheel. Heat and fuel tanks is not something I like mixing. doubt very much there is any fuel vapour left in there, but I still worry about distortion. Chemicals...well...can't get a stripping compound that works through available retail outlets.

So...much dust later ( improvised mask was not that effective...so I will probably now die of some obscure Victorian mining disease.... ) but the stuff is off both sides. Tank actually looks pretty damn clean for a 42 year old petrol tank. There is one tiny ding about hte size of a penny, which hadn't been filled....

What has clearly happened is the previous owner decided Honda badges just didn;t fit with the Outlaw matt-black look he wanted, so he binned them and filled the mounts with a metric tonne of Bondo. Removing....I find the badge mounts still in place, the badge recesses pristine with remnants of shiny paint...and I even managed to tease the bits of filler out from behind hte badge screw mounts. Small zip-ties make good 'filler saws' and don;t bend or damage the metal.

Which leads me to a question....

The badges screw onto the tank, and I see the 2 holes each side in the spot welded on bar in the bagde recess. In each hole is a flimsy, thin metal insert. All 4 seem to be there...and I assume these provide an 'edge' for a machine screw to bit on and screw in.

Can these be replaced?

I haven't tried putting any screws in yet, as I need to find out what size they are meant to be...but I assume this is in place of trying to tap a thread into thin metal. Back in the day...I would guess the 'self tapper' would have been the answer...but that would wreck the inserts and potentially widen the holes.

Whats's the best way to deal with that?
CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #236 on: May 20, 2020, 04:23:08 PM »
The reckless spending continues.....not to happen.

But...I now have a left hand side panel to cover the space that was previously vacant.

Bought from LPM, ordered at the weekend, and on my doorstep by Wednesday. Can't argue with that.

I also can;t argue with the quality. Compared to the stock panel on the other side, it is thicker, weightier, and has a lot more supporting the lugs and areas where a lot of the 'used' examples I have seen had cracked. Consdiering I was seeing genuine but damaged panels fetching £80-£90 in teh wrong colours and in need not just of repair...but paint too. And lacking badges.... the cost of the LPM panel is a steal.

Good quality...good service...good price.

wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for pattern panels
CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline Bryanj

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 10692
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #237 on: May 20, 2020, 08:29:29 PM »
Also more flexible than original

Offline SumpMagnet

  • SOHC Pro
  • Posts: 683
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #238 on: May 27, 2020, 12:32:51 PM »
Finished the tank cleanup, and the tap is even servicable....aside from needing a new seal between it and the tank. No filters on the tap......so an inline filter will be required.

Very happy with the state of hte metal. Total of 3 very small dents to fix. Lots of good steel.



As the tank will be black, gave the underside a coat of smooth hammerite. Need to makle sure it is fully cured before petrol gets near it...as I know what happens otherwise. But it will help prevent corrosion where you can;t see it or clean it.



New set of tank rubbers and badge clips coming from DSS, and when I get some more primer and rust treatment...I will give the tank a basic black rattle can job.

Having to make some serious design decisions now though. Do I go for a stock style seat and bars....or do I go for drops and a single seat for that cafe reacer vibe.
Maybe something like this....
http://www.meadspeed.com/resources/meadspeed/media-files/products/honda/cr750/seat/no-cut-out/main.jpg
as the one thing I will NOT be doing is chopping the frame rails

If I had a stock seat already, I would just go that route. But my project came with a hideous US 'chopper' seat and high bars with oddly angled ends that put your wrists at a silly angle.

Fork legs going off to Philpotts shortly... and teh search is on for replacement chain adjuster blocks. The pieces that fit into the end of hte swingarm. One is fine...the other is corroded to hell and pitted badly. I can smell a rolling chassis in the not too distant future
CB750F2 - in pieces
CB900F Hornet - the daily transport

Offline K2-K6

  • Grogu
  • *
  • Posts: 5232
    • View Profile
Re: CB750F2 .... silk purse from a sows ear.
« Reply #239 on: May 27, 2020, 03:57:16 PM »
It's good you've a decent tank out of it after the stripping etc.

Looks are obviously personal,  but I think they do look good with the std seat cowl on them with the light lifted up and more inside the housing,  plus a shorter rear mudguard.  Bit more of a "california" look to it.

Slightly flatter bars and a bit wider,  more like an American superbike type look with an inch or so longer shocks to give it that production racer stance.

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal