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400f choke lever
exvalvesetdabbler:
I have been searching around to find images of original carbs to determine the finish on plated items.
For the choke lever
Pictures of push mileage F2 on Ash's drop box
Yellow zinc with CHOKE stamped on the lever
NOS carb set on cmsl. - same as above
All of my old sares same as above
Carb link set on cmsl. Has OPEN stamped with the arrow pointing in the opposite direction with the lever and the associated bits on BZP.
NOS link set purchased around 2008 from DSS
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I would be interested in any observations or insights as to why Honda would bother making the change or if it was model specific.
Can't help noticing these things and curiosity gets the better of me.
Regards
Dave
AshimotoK0:
I think they were all yellow chromate passivated from the factory ...but if fades with time. Spares were possibly BZP though.
Here are mine that a guy in Hull near me rebuilt for me. He occasionally sells sets on eBay and set them up on his own 400F. He doesn't normally yellow passivate though ... I gave him mine in bits and did them myself in yellow pass. His carb rebuilds are better than Gerbens IMHO ... I know because I already have a set built by Gerben.
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exvalvesetdabbler:
Doesn't explain the change from Choke to open stamped on the lever.
The image on cmsl is a good restorers reference, so long as it doesn't disappear if they sell them. Certainly explains the black coated star washer in my bits box that I couldn't figure out where it came from.
I have seen the ones you mention on a well known auction site , they don't look that great.
I'm trying to work around smutt when plating before I go and order in some fresh chemicals. Seems to affect spring washers as well as springs. Just dug out my ancient ultrasonic from the loft to see it that will shift it otherwise it will be anodic cleaning in alkaline media.
Regards
Dave
AshimotoK0:
--- Quote from: exvalvesetdabbler on January 29, 2026, 06:41:25 PM ---Doesn't explain the change from Choke to open stamped on the lever.
The image on cmsl is a good restorers reference, so long as it doesn't disappear if they sell them. Certainly explains the black coated star washer in my bits box that I couldn't figure out where it came from.
I have seen the ones you mention on a well known auction site , they don't look that great.
I'm trying to work around smutt when plating before I go and order in some fresh chemicals. Seems to affect spring washers as well as springs. Just dug out my ancient ultrasonic from the loft to see it that will shift it otherwise it will be anodic cleaning in alkaline media.
Regards
Dave
--- End quote ---
I looked at the CMS ones and I would say that someone has cocked up on the arrow direction. The originals were definitely yellow chromate passivated. Maybe the replacement was made BZP in order match a bike that's a few years old, as the plating fades to silver colour after a few years.
I take issue if you are talking about the local guys carbs as I can tell you that they are far superior to the ones Gerben in
Holland ... who is/was the go-to guy on all of these forums for carb rebuilds (inc. top restorer JamesH on here). My 'Gerben' ones had 1) replated used JIS screws, some of which were a bit knashed, silver painted alloy link bar, unbranded, pattern brassware not Keihin originals etc. The local guys carbs have new screws, polished alloy bar, original Keihin brassware, synced and tested on his own bike. Both charge about the same money (they may be more after shipping/customs etc from Holland in Gerbens case). Neither have the yellow chromate passive zinced parts unfortunately.
It will be interesting for you to 'pick the bones' with the picture on my carbs (they were fitted with brand new Genuine Honda brassware).
You need dilute nitric acid probably 0.5% to de-smut in my experience. APC Pure on line will sell you it but you have to choose a low concentration like 2% otherwise, anything stronger they won't sell to Joe public.
exvalvesetdabbler:
The carbs I was referring to was someone in the Netherlands , they had cleaned /rebuilt them but not bothered replating, and claiming new brassware inside
Your set looks top notch. Hope mine turns out like that.
Been reading up on various standards for plating high carbon steel. Smut comes from over pickling an the paper suggest anodic stripping to avoid hydrogen formation and straight into the plating bath.
https://www.scribd.com/document/959060419/ASTM-B-242-99-Standard-Guide-for-Preparation-of-High-Carbon-Steel-for-Electroplating
Regards
Dave
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