OAP Ted's CB400F2 rebuild - engine not run for about 12 years.

[Oddjob]

Ted you little tease. There I was thinking, oh look he's fitting a 4 into 2 system as I can see 2 end cans, he kept that quiet I think. Then I notice there's a mirror behind the end can making it look like 2, bugger.

Love the wheels Ted, black and gold, never fails.

Oh, spray the coils blue, you know you want too.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

After much fiddling about I managed to fit the front pipes so they do not touch and are reasonably well engaged into the 4 into 1 section of the silencer.
I think I will have to remove the silencer for a final fit as there ought to be some sealant where the front pipes go into the silencer.

I used the original rear bracket in the end to use both hangers - only bolts I had that would fit the dead eyes are the allen key headed ones - as & when I'll fit proper bolts.

.front pipes by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr


.rear bracket fits by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Johnny4428]

Tidy looking build Ted! What colour tank and sides did you end up going for?

[Johnwebley]

This is looking good,


Well done

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Tidy looking build Ted! What colour tank and sides did you end up going for?

Tbh I'm still undecided I might leave the tank & panels and see what they look like in place before I make a final decision - at the moment I'm leaning towards the same colour as the frame - I have the RAL number so can go with that or a much darker  cobalt blue / navy blue colour.

Thanks for the feedback folks - the photographs do flatter the build of course - my phone  camera must be soft focus by default.

[Laverdaroo]

Thats looking fab Ted, I'm ABSOLUTELY loving the gold rims, they bring the blue out beautifully. Dont make it 'too' blue though mate. It's your bike but just saying. I always go out looking at colours in the car parks, its a great starting point as you'll know the make so you can narrow the colour chart down then once sorted, take that colour code to your painter and say what alterations you want such as brighter, darker, bit of sparkle, what ever. Saves a lot of umming and ahh-ing and trawling through colour charts.

The colour we did Chewy was a Mercedes Vito colour, they only did four or five shades of that blue that year, on that van. Once all five are in front of you it's easy to spot the one you liked and thats the code to start from. Saves loads of time and makes the process a lot less faff.

Go for a mooch round the supermarket car park, next time your there and see what floats yer boat and yer away...

Top build though Ted, loving it to bits, well done.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

As posted elsewhere today I bled the front brakes using a syringe to pump it into the front caliper bleed nipple using Silicone brake fluid in a clean system - it went like a dream with a decent solid lever.

Next task is the valve clearances - I could do with it being just a tad warmer as I want to do all 8 in one warm session. I have the feeler strip so next I'll read up on the sequence/order in the manual.

[Laverdaroo]

The manual's a pig Ted dont follow that!
 I think Bryan had a simple way on one of his posts, worth a read and makes much better sense. Have a look or PM him mate, it saves hours.

[K2-K6]

Tappets, all four cylinder conventional engines are the same essentially.

Turn crankshaft to T on 1+4 cylinders (1 OR 4 will now be on compression with both valves closed) set the clearance on the cylinder that's on compression with both valves closed, also 2+3 cylinders will have ONE of their valve closed so you can set those.

Now rotate the crankshaft 360 degree to T again, now the opposite of 1+4 cylinders can be set along with the two on 2+3 you didn't do the first time.

In short, with the two crankshaft position you can complete all the valves. 

[Laverdaroo]

Might have been K2K6 then

[Oddjob]

I just turn it to TDC on each cylinder as it closes the valves. So it's 2 more movements, so what, it's not like it's hard work.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I just turn it to TDC on each cylinder as it closes the valves. So it's 2 more movements, so what, it's not like it's hard work.

So Ken am I understanding you right  if I say when  number 1 cylinder is at TDC with the inlet valve having just closed then both inlet & exhuast can then be set on number 1 cylinder then repeat for remaining cylinders?

On the old A series BL engines I would get number 1 cylinder with the inlet valve fully open on the camshaft then there would be a corresponding (exhuast?) valve on number 4 cylinder that was fully closed. It is a long time ago it was a firing order thing.

[K2-K6]

Likewise, along time since I've done A or B series. Chugging through distant memories seems to bring the total of 9 up. Valves numbered 1 and 2 for first cylinder etc, and so with 1 down (valve open) then adjust #8 making 9 then so on with 2 down, adjust 7 until completely done with each pair adding up to 9.

Every four cylinder is the same though (except for Yamaha R1 that has offset crankshaft like half a V8) with all of the routine however you do it as applicable across them.

[Bryanj]

NO TED,
When the exhaust closes and inlet opens on No 1 tdc(called on the rock), adjust No4, then rotate crank 1 turn to tdc again  and do No1
To save any confusion at all i then do the same with 2&3

[Oddjob]

Bryan has explained it Ted.

Get all the tappet covers off, as the mark approaches 1-4 TDC or T watch the valves on number 1 and number 4 cylinders, one of them will have both valves going down/up, the other will have them both up, the one with both up is the one to do. If you grab a tappet adjuster you can rattle the one on compression stroke, if it's number 1 (and it's a 50/50 chance of it being that) then after doing the tappets turn the crank (clockwise, always clockwise) then as 2-3 T mark comes up you do number 2 cylinder, turn again to 1-4 and do number 4 and lastly turn again to 2-3 T and do number 3 cylinder. The firing order is 1-2-4-3.

I always do the tappets with the plugs out, Bryan always says DON'T use the big nut to turn the crank with, however that is how Honda tell you to do it, if the plugs are out it's not a problem and TBH how else are you going to turn the crank, yes you can use the kickstart BUT it's a real pain and it's very imprecise especially if your doing the timing that way, you could of course remove the generator cover BUT that's a big job, usually means a new gasket and chances the electrical connectors getting disturbed, no one in the trade would do that, especially if your doing timing, you need to rock the crank and watch the points open and you can't do that with the rotor, it's on the wrong end of the crank.