75 CB400 "Dad's old bike" project

[Pops400]

 

Was a bit surprised to see you in new members when I came back. 

[Green1]

Oh yeh don't bring that up again. 

[Pops400]

 

[Chris400F]

Good to see you back on here Pops.
Yes, life can be a bu99er sometimes but hopefully you are on the way back up.
Looks like you have been catching up on threads on here and have some more ideas to work with - we await the outcome however long it takes.

[Pops400]

Cheers Chris. Looks like at least a couple on here have a rough ride in life lately, so wont complain. Glad to be nearer to getting back on it.

Little helper and I will hopefully get some more progress at the weekend.

[onethumb]

Hi pop. Good to see you're back on track. I know I lost 4 months when the enthusiasm died for different reasons but then you go back and it's the best thing for taking your mind off other shit and focusing on something positive. Every nut cleaned, every weld done (or cut of with a grinder in my case) is a step closer to the end, even when you make a shed load of mistakes as I did, I'm still closer to the end than I was the day before.
On a different matter I've a small grinder free to a good home if you can collect from wolves or Amersham.  The switch is really stiff but other than that is fine.
Steve.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Pops400]

Hi Steve. Thanks for that, it's a very kind offer and I'd like to take you upon that, it would be very helpful. I'm only half hour or so away from Wolves, as it happens. Let me know if that suits and thanks for the thought. Glad you got back on track, hopefully I'm back on mine now. 

[onethumb]

Hi Steve. Thanks for that, it's a very kind offer and I'd like to take you upon that, it would be very helpful. I'm only half hour or so away from Wolves, as it happens. Let me know if that suits and thanks for the thought. Glad you got back on track, hopefully I'm back on mine now. 

I'm back in wolves tomorrow (Friday) I'll PM you my email so we can arrange collection.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Pops400]

 

[Pops400]

Bit of progress yesterday, on a day of with the Girl.

Started off by going backwards, putting it all back together again...  Decided that I needed some really good clear photos of it side and front on, so I can make a firmer plan of the finished look and dimensions. Still undecided about the seat, so have decided on complete bespoke. Taking these snaps, I will be getting the tracing paper and protractor out and drawing out how I want it. Once I have it done properly, I will know where I'm cutting and what I can lose.

Looks like I can lose a good wedge off the length of the seat / back end, which is good, as I want to stay inside the centre of the wheels front and back, ideally :
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

And that's as far as we got before Little 'un called a soup break! 
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Pops400]

Once satiated, back to work...

Everything back off and had the usual struggles of everything being rusted, rounded or both... 

Got half way through getting the front end out, then found that the speedo drive retaining screw is completely, well, screwed!!! Wasn't comfortable getting the drill out on it, so back to that later. Decided to get to work getting the carbs out, so set Jess on WD40 duty, taught her the old "righty tighty..." and she got really stuck in.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]


What an absolute bar-steward getting the damn things out, though! I think they were as surprised as us when they finally popped, judging by their faces.   

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[onethumb]

Another job done.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Pops400]

Feeling buoyed that something had come off without disintegrating, (like actual progress was being made!) , Jess scored trophy 2. I let her separate the breather tube and cover from the cylinder head, which she very determinedly did all by herself, despite it being grimed in place tight fast.

Atta girl!  [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Pops400]

Another job done.

Yep, that was it for the day, Steve, but progress none the less.

Didn't get cause to attack anything with the grinder, for the first day since starting! Of course not, now I've got one...! 

[Chris400F]

.... I want to stay inside the centre of the wheels front and back, ideally :

Good to see progress, and Jess doing her bit too! Neither of mine (I have one of each) ever really showed any interest in things mechanical.

I thought I remembered, and going back to the first page of this thread confirmed it, that one of the design criteria (as specified by Jess) was a dual seat so she could come along for the ride. Might be a bit cosy to manage that within the centres of the wheels.

With the dual seat idea in mind, yours is an early model with the pillion footrests on the swinging arm. As replacing the frame with an F2 item is probably not really in the spirit of the project is it worth looking at fitting some loops on the frame for pillion footrests as on the later models? I think that would be a lot more comfortable for a passenger.