This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Topics - mattsz
16
« on: May 25, 2020, 01:11:33 PM »
I'm looking at getting new shocks - not ready to break the bank at this point, TEC seems to be a popular choice. I can buy them directly from TEC to fit the CB400F exactly, but including shipping they're well over $100. I searched ebay, and I found that I can buy some Honda-spec shocks from them there as well, with better pricing: $70-$80, shipped free. But (isn't here always a "but"?), they don't list the CB400F spec on ebay - they offer shocks for three other models of similar vintage that all have the same length (319mm), but no other specs given (bushing size, spring rate, etc). Can anyone suggest whether any of these alternatives would work? - CB360 CJ360 1974-77
- CL350 1968-73
- CL450 1968-1974
17
« on: May 16, 2020, 01:35:43 AM »
I'm working on cleaning my carbs - and familiarizing myself with just what I need to pay attention to, to do it effectively. Anyone who knows these things well want to look over my shoulder while I go over the details, and perhaps get a few questions answered?
18
« on: April 17, 2020, 05:12:26 PM »
I removed the U-shaped front fender "strut" from the fender (my '77 USA model only has the rear lower horizontal strut) to clean up some inner fender rust. The strut is fastened with two chrome (well, shiny) oval head screws, split locking washers and nuts, with formed plastic spacers between the strut and fender. One came off easily... and one screw sheared right off. When it came apart, I found one of the plastic spacers was broken as well. The parts books don't show any part numbers for these items... does anyone have any info on availability?
I know I can just get different hardware, and I could probably make a new spacer... but just wondering...
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
19
« on: March 02, 2020, 10:09:59 PM »
Hi all -
I searched the archives for info, but I didn't find anything - I'm not always very creative when it comes to searches...
Anyway, I am thinking about customizing a Kawasaki fuel tank with badges for a very different model. The badges are almost flat, but I'd like to mount them to a tank location which has quite a curve to it - which means I'd have to bend them to fit. It appears to be made of some sort of "pot metal;" I suspect that it would break easily. I'd have to bend them along their length, which would be ok, but also the forward corners of the center blocks (to keep them from sticking out), which would probably be more difficult. Of course, they weren't cheap, so I'm hesitant to just wing it in case they break.
They're pretty shiny silver, but not chrome-shiny. The black lettering is painted thinly; the red blocks seem to be filled with some kind of resinous material. I'm assuming that if I tried to heat the badges to "soften" them enough to bend without breaking, the colors would all go wrong. I could repaint the black and red - but probably not the silver?
Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.
Two photo attachments - one well-lit, but low resolution. The other is badly lit, but higher resolution for zooing in...
20
« on: September 30, 2019, 12:20:37 PM »
I stumbled across this "sat in a barn for centuries, will it start?" video. Shocking spoiler alert: yes, it will.... https://youtu.be/LTCG3enLpV8Actually, I don't recommend watching it, it's full of tool use and techniques which will make many of you turn over in your graves! But this guy uses a cheap media blaster with baking soda to clean up parts I never would have considered - dismantled carb bodies, fuel petcock parts... and he just holds the items in his fingers while blasting all the crap away! No sign that he's done anything to rinse the soda from the parts after blasting, but the video is highly edited, so who knows? Should I consider getting one of these? As he's using it, it seems like a cheap and easy - and fairly environmentally friendly - way to clean up parts. Can fueling components be safely soda blasted in this fashion? This one: https://www.harborfreight.com/21-oz-hopper-gravity-feed-spot-blaster-gun-95793.html
21
« on: January 18, 2019, 02:02:47 PM »
I'm beginning to think about my carbs. The PO says everything was running fine when the bike was stored, but I know the bowls weren't drained and the fuel dried out. I opened one carb up, it doesn't look all that bad, but some attention is needed. Here's a post with a couple photos attached, nothing too surprising there: http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,17461.msg150591.html#msg150591And here's a couple more (click to zoom). The float valve seat's o-ring is typical of the rest of them in this carb, dried out and cracking apart. Obviously, all new o-rings needed: [ Guests cannot view attachments ] The float valve - showing signs of age, but I can't feel any texture or ridge at the seat with a fingernail, and the spring action is smooth. Ok to try out, or should I just go right with new? [ Guests cannot view attachments ] Float bowl screws: 15 all the same, one different...  [ Guests cannot view attachments ] The jets and brass bits all seems pretty clean, so I'm hoping I can reuse them. Of course, things could be different in any of the other carbs!
22
« on: January 11, 2019, 09:18:11 PM »
EDIT (1/17/2019): The UK diagram is available. Skip the boring build-up:
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,17969.msg156361.html#msg156361EDIT (9/16/2019): I added the USA diagram to the same post above. There have been a couple of questions about it, and I know some USA bikes end up in the UK anyway, so why not?I've been foxtrotting with a few guys over on the US group about the wiring diagram for my bike, and the potential errors it has - or at least the things about it that confuse me. In my "spare" time I've been working on creating a color version of it. I know there's a few around already, but none has quite the detail I'd like to see for the USA models. What I've done is basically recreated the diagram I found in the copy of the factory service manual that's posted in the "Aladdin's Cave" area of this forum. Since working with that one, I've found other versions, but I've already invested enough in that one, so that's the one I'm committed to (see the first attached file). I'm still working out the bugs in my version, but I've included a "small" sample of what it looks like (second attached file) - the full version is a high resolution pdf file, for screen viewing or for printing on (ideally) A3 (US 11" x 17") paper. I have a similarly laid out UK model diagram; there's some minor differences which most of you know about. My question is, would anyone be interested in a similar large-format diagram for the UK model? It wouldn't be too difficult to do - just a question of whether anyone likes this particular layout...
23
« on: December 10, 2018, 02:36:35 AM »
One of my cables had a broken ball end at the carb mount, so I thought I'd get a new pair. I thought I'd found a good deal at newmotorcycleparts.net, from an entry which indicated them specifically for my model, including the reminder, "NOTE; '77 CB400 has slightly taller bars than earlier CB400F's '75-'76." As it happens, they're NOS, but not Honda manufacture: "Very high quality Japanese made cables that replicate original design." Part numbers are 17910-377-710 and 17920-377-710. ( https://www.newmotorcycleparts.net/deals/deals2.html) They just arrived, and I have two concerns - one of the cables has, over the casing at the carb end, a fine flexible spring about 6" in length, which is rusty. No other obvious dirt or rust on either one, and no such spring on the other one, does this sound right? My bike is "in storage" so I can't look at the old cables. Also, both of the wire cores seem to be loose in their casings - looped in their packaging, I can move one ball end about 1/2" before the other end moves. Would you call it "lash?" I suppose if in use, both cables are stretched out fairly straight, and they only pull, then this slop can be adjusted out, but I'm not sure if this is normal or not, and whether I should try to return them. Finally, does anyone have the specs for the actual lengths so I could check their measurements?
24
« on: November 27, 2018, 11:08:08 PM »
In my research on line, I've never come across a copy of the manual that came with my bike. So I thought I'd make it available, via a Dropbox link. I can't promise I'll be able to keep it available there indefinitely, so if anyone here has a more permanent storage location, feel free to post it there, I guess. I've shared it with the US forum as well... It's a PDF of scanned pages; I tried for a happy medium between readability and file size, hope I managed it ok... https://www.dropbox.com/s/ohvkpvabl4q6dp9/CB400F%201977%20USA%20Owners%20Manual.pdf?dl=0
25
« on: November 13, 2018, 08:28:43 PM »
My starter button is very tight and it sticks when you push it in. Fortunately, the rest of the circuit is also bad and the solenoid just buzzes... rather than having the starter motor get stuck on and running! If I want to dismantle the module to clean and possibly rehab it over the winter, will I be able to just remove the mounting screws and disconnect wires at that location, or do I have to trace the wires back to the main harness? There's no light switch (US model), but the wires do run inside the bars... I'm hoping it's easy... 
26
« on: October 25, 2018, 01:08:44 AM »
The new bike just arrived! Since I've only really got storage questions at this point, I'll start here... I stumbled upon this bike three years ago; it was sporting 21.7K miles on the odometer and a pretty orange and white for-sale sign, so I stopped and took a bunch of photos. Interestingly, at that time I didn't take any pics of the whole bike, just detail shots. I called the seller about it then; turns out he was a friend who invited me to take it for a ride. It needed some tuning, but it ran pretty well. It had some condition issues. I wasn't really looking to buy a bike, and I didn't - but he's come calling now to trick me into taking it off his hands. Here's those photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KAHnNEBDir375PbSAAnd here's a little youtube video of it running - it was a warm start - it took a few kicks and some throttle juggling to get it to catch, but it idled well once it did. I think I was focusing on noises, not knowing what's normal... https://youtu.be/Szxke8bD_dgToday... It was last registered on August 3, 2016, and was put in storage at some point after that riding season. The guy who was storing it for the owner just dropped it off and filled me in - he said drained the fuel tank, but not the carbs. It was stored in a garage, uncovered, so it's very dusty. He kicked it over occasionally, and it easily kicks through now. The battery is stone dead, and the electrolyte levels are uniformly down about an inch. It's topped up with oil, but I don't know how old it is. The guy says it was "running great" when it was put away. The air cleaner looks brand new. Some of the obvious rust spots in the photos aren't as apparent at the moment, but I doubt they've been cleaned up or painted. I'm new to Honda fours, so: Can I assess the carbs without removing them? I thought I might remove them for a winter once-over, but the "storer" says they'll be difficult to remove, and even harder to reinstall as the the rubber mounts will probably be hardened and expensive to replace. He thinks I should just try to run it, but two years is a long time with fuel in... I removed the tank and brought it indoors - the inside looks good and rust-free around the opening, but I can't see down to the lower recesses. There is a certain stale petrochemical odor within. I worry that there may be condition issues low-down where I can't see. Should I just leave it for the winter? Oil the interior somehow, perhaps? When we took it off the trailer, I grabbed the front brake at one point to steady the bike, and the wheel locked up. We backed it into my garage with the non-spinning front wheel leaving a rubber trail behind it. A few more solid brake lever cycles allowed the wheel to free up some; the wheel turns, but the caliper is still sticking hard. I can't imagine it's trustworthy without attention - worth removing for a winter overhaul? I think that silencer crack didn't extend all the way around, and I don't think it leaked three years ago - but it looks like it encircles the whole thing now and I think it might have some black soot around it... Might I salvage the battery, at least for testing purposes, by topping it up with distilled water and giving it a charge? I don't have room in my unheated garage to store it; my next-door neighbor will keep this winter in his "basement"; I haven't found out whether it's heated or not, his whole bottom level seems to be a big garage. But he says he has room along side three other bikes... I found the original owners manual under the seat - I haven't seen any like it on the internet. Maybe I'll duplicate it over the winter and make it available... Any thoughts or input would be welcome...
27
« on: October 23, 2018, 01:11:53 AM »
Greetings all, from Maine, USA...
In two days, a '77 CB400f (21K miles) arrives at my door - I'm taking custody from a friend who sadly cannot keep it. I have no experience with this type of bike (and not much with any other type, either!), so I'm hoping to find some useful info to help me along. I did ride the bike three years ago, and it seemed to run pretty well then, but the bike has been in storage for the previous two years, and I know it wasn't prepped beforehand, so I'm imagining issues with the fuel tank and carbs right off. I'll basically be moving it right into my own storage for the winter, so I'm looking to help it along with some proper preparation.
I have no print resources to guide me; I did download what Honda manuals I could find, but they're a bit short on details. I am in the middle of reading through Nurse Julie's engine rebuild thread, and have learned that I probably should be very careful about even trying to turn the engine over after two idle years - although I am told the bike was stored indoors, completely out of the weather.
Advice on what a beginner might do to stabilize and protect it for the winter would be most welcome!
~ Matt
|
Show Posts