Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB350/400 => Topic started by: Sprocket on October 18, 2018, 10:20:46 AM
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Hi - have got the forks in pieces awaiting sending off to hard rechrome. Looking at the lowers as I don't want to embarrass the rest of the bike when it's reassembled. There are a couple previous finishes (or refinishes!) apparent. The top where the boots fit are machined slightly, can see some faint grooves. Bit further down I can see remnants of clear lacquer and the associated rot creep underneath. And a little bit further still there's bare metal polished to some extent. On the back I can see what I can only refer to as 'casting finish' which is slightly stippled and looks like it's the kind of surface I've seen before on newer Hondas I've owned.
So I know I could polish the lowers, but they're quite marked and I don't really fancy putting weeks of work into that. I know it's not going to end up concours spec, I just want it tidy. I am thinking paint, but don't know what was originally put on. Does anyone have any ideas? Paint codes or reasonable colour matches?
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Not painted originaly to the best of my memory but no reason you cannot paint them silver with the engine enamel
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Always polish mine. It’s not weeks of work usually an evening.
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a good scotchbriting will restore a factory like finish (work horizontally not vertically), then you can clear lacquer although the bare alloy is quite good and doesn't need much attention to keep its looks..
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I like a bit of a polished finish as per my picture. You can't lacquer over this though, well you can but the lacquer won't look nice for long. I have also seen them painted in silver engine enamel and they look great too.
[attachimg=1]
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TUT TUT TUT Julie, the gap in the fork clamp is supposed to be at the back not the front, I'd ask Graham to administer some punishment but I think he'd enjoy it too much :) :) :)
So would I Ken 🤗🤗🤗Duly noted but this bike is in storage so not even tightened up fully but I will attend to it, and check all the others, post haste.
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Of course my comments were tongue in cheek Julie, as I'm sure that's the way you took it. Nice to rib friends isn't it?
Indeed it is Ken, makes for a happy world. BUT, I have been on my bloody hands and knees checking every fitting on the fork bottoms and adjusting where necessary, do you realise how may bikes we have here, its gonna take me days 😀😀😀😁😀
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Should have read the buletin Julie-----not availablr from Specsavers
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Should have read the buletin Julie-----not availablr from Specsavers
Nah, not read anything Bryan. I think Trig assumes I know what I'm doing with these bits. I'm sure he would have enlightened me when they have their 1st service.....which is a way off yet as some still haven't even had the PDI yet what with being newly restored and not on the road and all that. Strange, as I have checked all the bikes we ride and they are OK, he must have rectified my past errors on these ones, without saying a word 😏😏😏
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Should have read the buletin Julie-----not availablr from Specsavers
Nah, not read anything Bryan. I think Trig assumes I know what I'm doing with these bits. I'm sure he would have enlightened me when they have their 1st service.....which is a way off yet as some still haven't even had the PDI yet what with being newly restored and not on the road and all that. Strange, as I have checked all the bikes we ride and they are OK, he must have rectified my past errors on these ones, without saying a word 😏😏😏
The chances are 50% were correct anyway! 😁😉
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Julie, the gap in the fork clamp is supposed to be at the back not the front
So, interesting find number #3856433/23b. The fork end clamp pieces are asymmetrical. There's about a 2mm difference between the shoulders. If the gap is supposed to be on the rearmost stud, does it follow that the shorter shoulder should also be on the rearmost stud?
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Fairly sure there is an arrow embossed in the bottom of them which points forward if installed correctly.
No arrows on mine Ken but Graham says some do, some don't.
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So, any idea which shoulder faces the wind then?
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The clamps have an arrow on them that faces forward and the front stud is done up first
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The high shoulder is at the front
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I'm stripping my CB750 K2 and these don't have an arrow either but they do have an F, you can just see it on the top right. [attachimg=1]
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Excellent, thanks guys! :)
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Yes gap at the back, think of it as so the rain doesn't get in. I'm sure that isn't why it's like that, but it helps me get my head around it and get it right.
For something as safety critical as holding the front axle in the right place you'd think Honda would have made it bleeding obvious or impossible to do wrong rather than just assume everyone had seen and memorised the service bulletin / manual.
My CL450 barn find fork legs took 2 or 3 hours each to make shiny, one was crusty, one was like NOS but covered in yellowed laquer. I used P800 wet, followed by the polishing wheel.
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I'm stripping my CB750 K2 and these don't have an arrow either but they do have an F, you can just see it on the top right. (Attachment Link)
I can actually see an arrow on that Julie, it's just above the J marking and is pointing forward. I may have been wrong about the arrow or maybe it;s just the 500 that got those but they all have some sort of marking like the F for forward to show orientation.
I know you are just winding me up Ken 😀😀😀 Here is a better pic, I defo can't see an arrow, a J, a D and an F but no arrow.
[attachimg=1]
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If in doubt there's always the owner's manual...
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So long as you can read it upside down
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Don't bither with powder coat especially on alloy castings.
Out-gassing apparently !
These British ones will now be getting flatted back to be wet sprayed silver and clear coated like car wheels.