Rusted seat pan

[mtrhead]

folks, new to SOHC UK and just posted in the welcome section. Got some useful initial comments on this but thought I'd better post this in the right section.

Picked up a cb550f2 and just started what will be my first restoration project.
My first challenge is a very rusted seat pan. The sides where the chrome strips once attached are completely gone as is the front and back angles. I'd be interested on opinions on this and if/how others have repaired/remodelled or given up and chucked. I haven't seen any good pans on eBay. I have it in my mind that perhaps it's possible to get someone to weld replacement sections into the good metal remaining? Any thoughts, advice or experience appreciated. I will try calling DSS but I don't see any replacement seat or base on their site.
Alan

[matthewmosse]

Wire brush in a drill, clean it up, then put up photos. It depends on how bad the rust is and how much time you are willing to spend plus if youncan weld + bash tin around to get shapes right. Commercially speaking it probably wouldn't be viable to fix. But that is because of the cost of skilled labour. Mig or mma would probably blow it away too easily, hencd why I gas welded mine  - well braze welded it mostly. If the markett were there I would be tempted to make a former out of wood and bash out tin copies - are Silvers et al no longer stocking seats? Ebay usa might be worth a call as might Ap incorporated who sold me a cb550 seatpan for my other cb550 k3.

[royhall]

And don't forget, if you opt to replace the seat you wont be able to get a replacement with the Honda logo on the rear. You shortly wont be able to even get a loose cover with the logo on.

Honda have had a big girly fit (sorry Julie) about using their logo on non Honda produced items. Understandable I suppose but "Come on Honda grow up were Honda fans".

That said, does anybody know where seats are still available with the logo on (for a CB350F in my case).

Cheers all.

[AshimotoK0]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VbwPmNrcQKU

[royhall]

Cheers Ash. For anybody that lifts the seat though, its pretty nasty. Looks awful and ,crikey, the sharp edges to catch yourself on. Think I'm still looking for a new replica seat as my base is also rotted badly. Thanks anyway. Any ideas on where to get a replica seat with the Honda logo anybody.

[AshimotoK0]

Cheers Ash. For anybody that lifts the seat though, its pretty nasty. Looks awful and ,crikey, the sharp edges to catch yourself on. Think I'm still looking for a new replica seat as my base is also rotted badly. Thanks anyway. Any ideas on where to get a replica seat with the Honda logo anybody.

Yes it doesn't look ideal but the principle of making a short section with the spikes the same way as the original (not as in the video)  and then brazing or spot welding it on in damaged spike areas would be a good idea.. For my CB250SS K0 there are no replica bases available so lucky really to have what I have to work on.

ash

[royhall]

By the way Ash, not fitted the F2 carbs with the rubbers you did for me yet.

Unbelievably I'm still waiting for the clamp bands to come back from Lancaster Bronze with the new chrome on them. It's now going into week 7. Think they may have lost them and don't know how to tell me. They keep saying on the phone (for two weeks now) they are just going into the chroming tank. They cashed the cheque though.

Will report back when the carbs are back on, if ever!!!

Cheers.

[AshimotoK0]

By the way Ash, not fitted the F2 carbs with the rubbers you did for me yet.

Unbelievably I'm still waiting for the clamp bands to come back from Lancaster Bronze with the new chrome on them. It's now going into week 7. Think they may have lost them and don't know how to tell me. They keep saying on the phone (for two weeks now) they are just going into the chroming tank. They cashed the cheque though.

Will report back when the carbs are back on, if ever!!!

Cheers.

 I thought they were supposed to be BZP Roy? That's what I did on the old 400/4 ones I replated for Nurse J. Or does F2 have chromed ones. I know my 750K0 ones are BZP.

[royhall]

Your right they should be, but Lancaster Bronze didn't want to do that. They said it's not corrosion resistant enough. Think all in all I need a new chromer. Or buy a plating kit myself. Think that may be the way to go.

[AshimotoK0]

Here is mine...a horror ..  I bought recently from Germany for my '69 CB250SS (K0).. It was from Frank at jap2wheelz who normally sells really decent stuff.. He's going to give me a partial  refund based on how it turns out. To be fair to him the complete seat looked not too bad.

After soaking in oxalic acid solution  for a couple of weeks it has been transformed .. some bu@@er moved our blast cabinet to a spot where there is no compressed air but it's been sorted out now, hence the acid treatment.

Thinking of glass fibre reinforcing the underside to strengthen it. The foam was nothing like I have seen on a Honda before,  its a bit like an egg box shaped construction in black rubber foam overlaid with a covering of 10mm skin of red rubber  foam (like 750K0). The black foam is in almost perfect nick just need to find a source of red  10mm thick rubber foam  'Dunlopillo' type covering now.

Ash.


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[Trigger]

Ash, That is unusual for Frank but, to be totally fair, you don't know what the state of any seat will be until stripped. Seat pans from the states are nearly always in good nik but, the sponge just falls apart. 

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Go along with Trig but boy thats one of the worst seat pans I have seen sorry Ash
Cheers
Bitsa

[AshimotoK0]

Will post my pics of the restoration of it when I have blasted it  .. it looks nothing like that now. Yea it wasn't Frank's fault he is definitely one of the good guys .. wouldn't hesitate from buying from him again. I think it was due to the fact that the egg-box type foam, leaves areas under the foam open to the elements. Anyone know a source of 10mm thick sheet Dunlopillo red foam?

Ash

[tom400f]

And don't forget, if you opt to replace the seat you wont be able to get a replacement with the Honda logo on the rear. You shortly wont be able to even get a loose cover with the logo on.

Honda have had a big girly fit (sorry Julie) about using their logo on non Honda produced items. Understandable I suppose but "Come on Honda grow up were Honda fans".

That said, does anybody know where seats are still available with the logo on (for a CB350F in my case).

Cheers all.

Must say having the logo showing is an advert whether Honda made the part or not. They only need to insist that pattern part makers say not made by Honda.

I think Piki stenciled his own?

[AshimotoK0]

Well got this bad boy working after  work tonight  and blasted the mega rusty seat base  above and looking much better now. Never used a sandblaster before . Man is it satisfying seeing all that rust disappear. Before blasting I dunked it in oxalic acid solution for about two weeks.

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