Honda CB400NA Superdream - new money puddle.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

It looks very similar to the 400 & 500 ones.

My worry is pulling off an end and then being unable to get it back together! I assume the gear end will be just a bearing, the other end is where the commutator/ brushes sit with wires from the outer housing involved. Sounds like a recepie for disaster, if it ain't broke don't fix it Ian?

I might look for a video.

[Sesman]

Hi, Ted.

Take the leap. I did mine on the 550 and found it very straight forward without any special tools needed.

[Orcade-Ian]

Your shout Ted
They are really simple to dismantle - release oil on threads and heads, a good fitting JIS bit in a ratchet and remove the 3 long screws.  Grip the flanged end in soft jaws and just pull the body off.  There are a few end float shims to rescue and Bob's your Dad's brother!

Would you want to leave all this (conductive) crap in there?

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The two brushes were both tight in their holders too.  This is an untouched (until just now) spare from a 400/4

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Ian

[Craizeehair]

Agreed Ted, I did mine on the CB360 and found it very straightforward and definitely worthwhile , I could be wrong but can’t see it being very different and If I can do it, you certainly can.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Just spent most of the night in A&E as Wendy has been unwell for over three weeks. Now they are saying it's Viral so no more antibiotics, just go back if she coughs up blood!

I'm seeing sense now, the starter motor will be dismantled, easier to paint when it's in bits. Two long screws now being soaked in releasing fluid. Pricey for brushes & new bolts at £30.00 if needed.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

The two long screws are very tight, they have been there since 1980., more soaking in releasing oil. I'm going to use my old fashioned lump hammer driven impact tool tomorrow, might add a bit of heat with my electric paint stripping gun.

Worse case scenario is saw through the bolts then put bolt shaft in vice and turn

[Orcade-Ian]

Ted, if you grip the plain part of the long screws in the vice with a little bit of clearance between the body and the vice, you can then rock (twist) the body a few degrees back and forth and the screws will let go, especially after a bit of heat at the thread and head ends. I've not been beaten yet and those had not been moved since 1975!

Ian

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Never thought of that Ian, good tip.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

This morning I decided to follow the advice given by a number of members and dismantle the starter motor.

The first  long screw came out pretty easily using Ian's tip, clamping the long bolt and moving the starter motor body, then with my JIS screwdriver it loosened up nicely. Part nipped it back up to do the second side.

On the second screw it was seized solid on the none threaded end, after a lot of messing about getting nowhere I cut through the bolt shaft with my Dremel cutting Disc (brilliant cutter courtesy of Ken) the threaded end undid  easily when I put the bolt shaft in the vice.

I clearly cut the other end off too close to the housing cap so I have drilled off the JIS head and washer. I've cut the other side off as close to the housing as I could get.  The un-threaded shaft does not want to come out, it's at times like this I miss a Pillar drill.

At present I've put the end cap in the freezer whilst I gather up the energy to drill out the small remaing bolt part, tapping with a center punch has faied to move it, likewise heat from my heat gun. I might need to look at a way of pressing it out, not that easy as the housing has a sort of lip to hold the O ring in place.

Meanwhile looking at the starter motor shaft, the commutator has no step worn in it, I've wiped off the light carbon deposit with some meths on a rag.  Not sure what to use the clean the rest of the rotor with. The contact screw to the live terminal on the brushes was loose.

The light brown coating on the main part of the starter motor rotor (?) part is missing at the drive end, I can't see any contact marks with the outer coils so not sure if this is normal?

Superdream commutator by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Rozabikes Tim]

Ted

Pillar drill you miss. If space isn't the issue, I'm clearing out my deceased dad's house next weekend. There is one there you are welcome to FOC. Its only an Aldi Parkside affair but does the job (I have had one for years)

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Ted

Pillar drill you miss. If space isn't the issue, I'm clearing out my deceased dad's house next weekend. There is one there you are welcome to FOC. Its only an Aldi Parkside affair but does the job (I have had one for years)

I have no idea how much room I need for a Pillar drill, I'll PM you.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Back on the Starter Motor, at the output gear end there was a pronged washer plus two  shims plus what looks like a fibre washer. I failed to record what side the fibre washer fitted! Is it towards the commutator or the three pronged washer?

The brushes are 10.80 mm long, they look okay, no idea what the new or minimum length should be.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I had a response from an e bay seller, new brushes are 12 mm in length, mine are 10.8 mm so probably just bed in.

Looking at it logicaly the two thin shims go against the commutator boss, the fibre one will be against the pronged spacer to act as a cushion.

The casing seals are intact, at almost £18 for the two from DS I'll use what I have, I'll just fit a new seal on the outer boss where it goes into the engine.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Spent an hour or so in the garage, cleaned up one of the starter motor end caps.
Not going to go too mad with polishing (sorry Ken)  as you can barely see it once fitted.

.PXL_20250102_151612720 by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Starter motor back together & works off the bike.

.PXL_20250107_201938498 by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr