1977 400F2 first restore project

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Working on the rear wheel today. Plan to replace the bearings as there is some noise when spinning the wheel on my truing stand, could just be the sound of grit falling in the hub but anyway I will replace them. Meanwhile removed the cush drive rubbers by first drilling out most of the rubber and then hitting with a sharp screwdriver. Final stage was to cut a slot with a hacksaw blade and then split the outer wall with a small sharp screwdriver to tear the outer alongside the cut line and then peel it out.

Helpful photo Steve - I have my original wheels still, the rear drive dampers need replacing - a picture is worth a thousand words. 

[Laverdaroo]

Theyre reknowned as being a pig to do. Mine were 'neclear welded' in by 'time' and after swearing at  the first one for ages trying to get it out I chose to do some reading up a bit, might even of been on here.
There's various methods spoken about but I drilled down with a 6mm drill bit through the rubber and the metal that sits on the spidle creating a split, rather than use a hack saw blade and they simply came straight out and I think I had them all out in about 10 minutes.
With them being so corroded in when I replaced them I gave them a good coating of 'ginger'  so they might come out a bit easier if they need replacing again under my watch. Pushed them in with a hand clamp and a wooden spacer and finished them off   with a socket to tap them all down. Worked a treat.

[Laverdaroo]

Ted,
sent you a pm with some crap photos of a very bad drawing I quickly did but since found the thread on the 'sherman' site that I read and had a go at. He descies it much better than I can. Well worth a read and as found out, it works a treat.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,27968.0.html

[smoothoperator]

New DID rims arrived so started with the front. I don't mind admitting that I found the lacing completely baffling at first until I switched to a different video tutorial and it all came together much more easily. Actually found the truing to be much more straight forward, well anyway easier than I was expecting. Nice to have a warm inside the house job to do in this weather. Need to clean up the rear hub and fit the drive rubbers before I start on that. Hub looks dirty on the photo but it isn't!

Link to video that got me sorted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guOaA0BzaNM

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I'm impressed Steve building your own wheels - respect.😎

[K2-K6]

Nice work smooth operator.

I'm more often building cycle wheels currently, but when you get into it not too difficult and quite therapeutic to sit quietly lacing and then truing.

Pattern looks confusing initially,  most of them repeat in rim with 4 spoke cadence of two inner and two outer making the 4 consecutive spokes round the rim, and hub having (usually) each spoke crossing three others on its way to the rim location. Someone explained it to me like that and it made it easier than it looks at first sight to lace them.

[Laverdaroo]

I did mine on 'Chewy' and found the same experience as you. The lacing does your head in until that spark comes from another tutorial and you're away. I true'd up mine flat like you, in the vice after watching Alan Millyard do his.  Similar to you, it was way easier than i expected. I always thought it was a dark art too, I'm really
 looking forward to doing the 550 now

[K2-K6]

I've always liked the truing, firstly on bicycles prior to getting motorcycles and made a small (proper spanner shape in miniature) spoke spanner for Honda wheels as an apprentice with thick section jaw in hardened steel, as opposed to many commercial type made of cheese  to prevent rounded spoke nipples.

Still do, trying to teach my son on bicycles but he subs them all out to me 

[smoothoperator]

Tyres fitted yesterday so wheels now looking more like, well, wheels. Rear brake panel has taken a LOT of polishing by hand. Starting to rebuild around headlamp area, zinc plating kit is coming in very useful for various bolts, top hat washers etc.

[Nurse Julie]

Tyres fitted yesterday so wheels now looking more like, well, wheels. Rear brake panel has take a LOT of polishing by hand. Starting to rebuild around headlamp area, zinc plating kit is coming in very useful for various bolts, top hat washers etc.

Don't they look posh 😍😍😍

[Sesman]

Very smart indeed. Great result.

[smoothoperator]

Routing cables etc around the front end, quite a jigsaw but it feels like progress. Routing diagram from this site is so useful, as are photos from disassembly and little black book full of notes particularly on wiring connections. I've also grown a beard which is coming in handy for beard scratching contemplation.

[Nurse Julie]

You must be very close to the finish line Steve.

[smoothoperator]

Still a fair number of bits to do but hopefully will be somewhere near complete by April, at least I feel close enough to set a target.

[smoothoperator]

Inching towards being in a position to be back on the road. Current plan is to more or less complete but leave some jobs for later whilst I see what sort of bike is emerging from this restoration. For example I cant lay my hands on a silencer at the moment and whilst mine looks OK the baffles are only hanging on by a thread. I have all the electrics working but haven't tested the coils, starter or oil pressure as yet, obviously the latter will require an engine start! Working on the carbs at the moment without a complete strip down, mainly because the bike was running when I first recommissioned it and I'm too chicken to take them completely to bits before at least having a go at seeing how things go as they are. I have cleaned all the jets and everything accessible from removing the float bowls, set float heights and bench sync etc.