Honda-SOHC

So the engine is buttoned back up! No massive problems putting it back together. Last evening I cleaned up the exhaust studs and put the good ones back in. One was 'short' and one was an M6 bolt, so I've ordered replacements.
Looking forward to cleaning up the carbs, I have a Crusinimage kit I'll be breaking open in a couple days. Few jobs left to do before I fit the engine; new rear tyre, paint the rear wheel spokes, repair the master cylinder as it's puked it's guts all over my floor....
Then I think the real work starts!

Looking at the front oil galleries that go up through the barrels (the ones that use the large dowels at the head) I'm concerned there are different shapes meeting each other. The cases have a kind of triangle section but the barrels side looks round. Should i use some hondabond on the base gasket i wonder?

That should be at the top of anyone's restoration list! Good work

Quick update, I haven't stopped working on it!

Cleaning, cleaning and cleaning has finally meant I can't find any traces of dirt on a clean cloth when I touch any part of the cases, inside, outside, oil galleries etc. Some of those 90 degree bends inside are almost impossible to get to, but many cable ties and a couple clothes hangers put their lives to the cause!

Have decided to get all new bearing shells, a couple might have been able to be cleaned, but I figured I may as well get it all sorted once, rather than pull it apart again in future. An eye-watering £218 to Long John Silver in exchange for 18 bits of curved metal... 

Crank is pretty much assembled now, torqued up the big ends slowly, then again the following day and a satisfying teeny blob of green paint on each nut. The little things that provide satisfaction!

The gear clusters I got from America have been knobbled. In the countershaft one of the oil plugs was missing, the other punched through with a screwdriver. Although the old one I had was complete, I had no way of getting them out. So I went to see the friendly engineers and am waiting for them to turn down some brass to fit. While I was there they did mention they look like 11mm core plugs (which I have spotted online for a few quid) but I feel like getting something engineered to fit properly is the safest bet.

Spent some time measuring up the piston rings in the kit I received from Cruzinimage. All within spec, nothing needed filing back at all. Managed to bust a black ring assembling one of the pistons though. Top marks for customer service from the seller though, I explained I did it and they came back with a pretty reasonable price for a replacement set (2 rings and a 3 piece oil control set).

Jury is still out on what to use to bond the cases back together. Hondabond, Yamabond, Threebond, Toothpaste, Silicon Sealer, Sand & Cement, etc... Answers on a postcard please...

Chuck a load of penetrating oil on it overnight first, then use a flat screwdriver in the slot to the right of the dimple. Twist and it should come up.

ill octopus! 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M18-X-1-5-PITCH-X-45-FINE-PITCH-HEXAGON-BOLT-BZP/272510162261?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=571579385136&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

A while ago I purchased a set of gears for the bike after seeing 6th was damaged and no sensibly priced single gear replacements were available. Looked at the set last night and I realised I've been 'done'! The countershaft is supposed to have a press fitted seal inside at both ends and on my replacement set, one end had been punched through (screwdriver?) and the other end was missing. Unfortunately I know this set is off a 14k mile bike and it's in much better condition than the one I took out. There's no wear at all on the needle bearing end.

So I have my old knackered one with intact plugs in, and the new one without. I expect a local machine shop could fix something in either end, but I wondered if there was a technique for removing these plugs that didn't involve a screwdriver punching one out, so I could reuse?

I experimented. That was my problem. I got two pistons done by hand just fine. And then the 3 part oil scraper on number 3 was fine. Then I had the bright idea. Then I did number 4 just fine without, too.
Thing is, you don't learn how rings break until you break one! If this project has taught me one thing it's to admit mistakes and learn.