My '79 Restoration

Hey, what projects are you planning or preparing for? CBX, other motos, workshop, WHATEVAH!
Russ
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My '79 Restoration

Post by Russ »

My first post on here so be gentle with me :D . This might be a long first post, so you'll have to forgive me if it gets boring..........

Bought this in November 2015 and it's has taken me two years up to now as I work full time and have other things on the go...

First a bit of background....

I had a one of these 30 years ago in Candy Glory Red. My first litre bike. Had it for about 2 1/2 years I think, UK Reg ABV 248V. It's still out there somewhere, and I saw it for sale on eBay about 2 years ago. It was high mileage, high owners and painted bright yellow :(
As I was 20, knew everything, and a bit daft I decided in my wisdom to take it to bits. There was nothing wrong with the fekin thing, I just took it to bits..... . I sent the engine cases off to get blasted and powder coated black, frame and tank got a make-over and every component was inspected, measured and anything out of spec was replaced - luckily at the time I worked in a huge machine shop.
The place that I sent the cases to then promptly burnt down with the completed motor still inside :? . I had to sue their insurers, which was a bad idea as they said there was, or used to be, a sign on the wall saying everything was left at owners risk.
So, all this took at least a year and about £1000 in costs, and I still didn't win so was left with a load of sooty bits and a hole in my wallet. I took it round to a workshop and shop spent two days blasting all the powder coating off. The engine was assembled and everything put back together, I was running round on various bikes over this period and a mate of mine rolls up on his new Z1300 and says "have a go". Well, this put a rocket under me, immediately got the CBX running and got it sold, for about £2,000 I think?
Trawled the magazines as you did before the web and bought myself a Z1300.

Fast forward 30 years and I was in a position to put things right before the CBX Karma monster got me .


I looked for maybe a year at every bike I could, they were either massive money or basket cases.
I joined a couple of forums and thought I had secured a red one in Kent that had been done by a recognized CBX builder. Arranged to view it and the fecker sold it from under me.

I saw this one in a dealers in Holland, he was selling it as a "barn find" non runner. The owner had left it for a couple (ten?) years in his garage. it was a two owner bike with papers and only 24,000km - about 16k miles. Even though it was a non runner (I thought carbs gummed up), I thought it looked promising. It still wasn't cheap though and there was no negotiating on the price, and I had to get it crated over and UK registered, which was expensive and a pain in itself.

The bike as it came off the curtain-sider from Europe;
IMG_0297.JPG
I thought it best to see if the dealer was telling the truth about what he knew about the bikes history and find out if I had at least a runner. Emptied out the fuel, put in fresh and pressed the button, and pressed, and pressed.........first it farted, then fired on one, two, three, four, five, but never six. It ran, but only over 3,000 RPM, and very badly......carbs.
The next week I got it up on the mezzanine in work and started to scratch my head.
The bike was in a fair condition, the dealer had sent loads of pictures over so I knew basically what I was getting. Tank had been lacquered over and was solid but rough, exhausts were not original, frame was OK but a bit rusty, wheels were corroded and scratched, tailpiece was split as usual.
I decided I wanted to rescue it and get the bike as best as I could without getting it back to a "factory" finish.
IMG_0590.JPG
I needed to get it UK registered in a certain amount of time after importing it into the country, can't remember how long but couldn't cheat with the dates as import paperwork has to be forwarded with all the details on. To get a UK Reg No. you need an MOT (An "MOT" is a UK test to make sure vehicles are safe to be put on a road), fill out some forms, send all the import documents and £55 for the first registration. To get it to the MOT testing station you need insurance, with no UK Registration number the insurers are supposed to insure it on the chassis number but they won't, or at least I couldn't find one that would. So, you can't insure it without a Reg number, you can't get a Reg number without an MOT, you can't get down to the MOT without insurance. Just goes round and round in a vicious circle........

On to plan B then, called in a favour from my tester - this is the bike on the day the MOT test was done :D
IMG_0343.JPG
Sent all the documents off and they got sent back because I hadn't filled in something, call to the government helpline and resend it all back again and finally got a UK Registration No. Pressure was off a bit now so could start planning what to do first............
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steve murdoch icoa #5322
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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by steve murdoch icoa #5322 »

Excellent first post of your resto thread, Russ.

A "favour" from your tester? Cash or a kidney?

Russ
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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Russ »

steve murdoch icoa #5322 wrote: A "favour" from your tester? Cash or a kidney?
Both Steve :D

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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Russ »

I know a lot of people have stripped these carbs, and I'm no expert. This is just what I found doing the ones on this bike, and a bit of info for people who haven't done them before;
IMG_0591.JPG
After removing all the necessary bits I could finally get to the offending items, it also helps to spend 10 minutes with a hot air gun on the rubbers after 35 years - the ones on this bike will be replaced as they are too far gone.
After lot's of swearing the carbs are out...
IMG_0596.JPG
As everyone who has done it will know, the problem is deep inside the carbs.....I bet the Honda mechanics hated this bike.
Got Mike Nixons book and started to strip them down, all the rubbers are perished, O rings are the same as are the float bowl seals. Ordered a carb repair kit from "Randakks". All Japanese Industry Standard (JIS) screws on these bikes and they are TIGHT. A lot of problems are because someone has used a phillip's screwdriver on them and knackered the heads, then the chisel comes out........A set of JIS screwdrivers from Vessell were ordered, also bought an ultrasonic cleaner, which is a nice bit of kit.

Started to strip them down, each carb was separated and bagged up with associated pipes and connectors, "witness" marks all over the place to show that they had been "worked" on sometime in the past.
IMG_0604.JPG
Obviously not all the carbs are the same, some have different linkages and pipe work so care needs to be taken about the order of the things. I did one at a time but I know there are people on here that can do these in their sleep and strip everything at once.
IMG_0615.JPG
This is the bottom of the carb underneath the float bowl, the black rubber bung in the middle of the carb hides the problem.
IMG_0620.JPG
When this is removed it shows the offending jet. The problem is that the holes in the jet are 0.0013" which is 0.35mm, the jet is fed from one of the larger ones next to it. The rubber bung stops the fuel draining so the knock in jet is permanently in a fuel pocket and the very small holes soon get blocked up with varnish and the bike won't idle.
IMG_0728.JPG
This is a knock in jet with no way easy of getting it out, The jets on this bike have never been out, some people just soak them in cleaner or blow them with compressed air. This rarely sorts the problem, other people screw a self tapper in and try to get them out that way? Bit too rough-arse for me.
I made a puller out of an M2.5 screw and aluminium collar.
First thing is to tap the end of the jet, you have to count the number of turns though or you will damage the holes in the jet - I think it was 8 full turns of the tap.
Screw in the puller;
IMG_0715.JPG
And the jet pulls out, should have put a ruler in the picture - these jets are so small.....
IMG_0721.JPG
I made a couple of sets up consisting of a tap, pullers and drifts for knocking them back in and sent them to the UK CBX HQ.

The carbs come out of the ultrasonic bath a lot cleaner, they really are a die-cast work of art....
IMG_0635.JPG
And the finished articles, it took two months to do them all. Bench tested with fuel and a couple of leaks so had to adjust the float heights again.
IMG_0638.JPG
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Mouse
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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Mouse »

Nice job Russ. Also good photos and write up.
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daves79x
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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by daves79x »

Looks like nice work! Just be sure with your bench testing that you verify proper accelerator pump operation as well. Keep us posted!

Dave

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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by jnnngs »

Russ,

Good write up - getting the carbs done is always a great milestone in a CBX restoration!.

Paul.

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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by FalldownPhil »

Thanks for that Russ !!
Also very nice that you have a vacuum shut off fitted to your '79 carbs.
Best,
Phil
When you are up to your ass in alligators it is sometimes difficult
to remember that your objective was to drain the swamp !!

Russ
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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Russ »

daves79x wrote:Looks like nice work! Just be sure with your bench testing that you verify proper accelerator pump operation as well. Keep us posted!
Dave
All seals replaced and checked thoroughly for correct operation bud, petrol squirting great :handgestures-fingerscrossed:

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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Syscrush »

Good work, and good luck!
Phil in Toronto
A cool guy deserves a cool bike, a dork needs a cool bike...
Pics of Perry, my '79.

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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Russ »

Apologies for the delay in posting, just had a couple of weeks hooning round Germany :D

Bike was almost fully stripped.
IMG_0664.JPG
Next was refurbing the wheels, tyre's were removed and the wheels were put into a big lathe. They are anodized I think but they came up fairly well using wet and dry down to about 800 grade and then finishing with Autosol. New boot on the rear and ready to put back on, all this took an age to do :(
IMG_0851.JPG
The clocks were working OK but after almost 40 years they were a bit tired looking, also they were in Kmh and the Odometer was obviously the same. They were dispatched to a bloke who specializes in refurbishing these clocks, he does do a nice job.
All the female spade connectors were removed from the blocks and cleaned with Scotchbight and electrical cleaner, wiring was also cleaned up and new bulbs.
IMG_1148.JPG
New sponge clock mounts, gearing changed to MPH, Odo swapped to the equivalent mileage from kilometers and mounting plate powder coated matt black
IMG_1150.JPG
Again, this all takes an age to do, and isn't cheap.

Fork stanchions were slightly pitted so they were sent to be ground and re-chromed back to standard. New seals, circlips and dust covers, bushings were OK and in spec so they stayed in. Fresh medium weight oil in them and ready to go.
Brake discs were almost unworn so made a jig for them and took the smallest clean up from them on the lathe, purely for aesthetic reasons. Material was nothing special, just a type of cast steel I think. Painted the centers up and they are ready to fit.

The 1970's electronics were a sight to behold. Again, every spade was removed from every connector block and cleaned
IMG_0649.JPG
Typical damage to the headlight shell. Several narrow slots were cut on the inside of the shell at 90' to the crack, then I dropped small lengths of 316 filler wire into them and filled over them with Loctite 4090 cyanoacrylate gel and dremeled off when set.
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Repair is strong and virtually invisible after being painted.
IMG_1323.JPG
Next was the Tank and plastics.........
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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Syscrush »

Wow, keep up the great work!

The treatment for your pitted fork tubes was very interesting - I'm not familiar with that process. Others with the same issue may be interested to know about TNK, an Italian company that makes replacements suitable for the CBX:
http://www.racetech.com/page/title/FTNK%20Fork%20Tubes
Phil in Toronto
A cool guy deserves a cool bike, a dork needs a cool bike...
Pics of Perry, my '79.

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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Larry Zimmer »

You, my friend, are THE model of patience, persistence and durability!!! Fantastic effort and results. :text-thankyouyellow: for the post(s). Something that all can benefit. Enjoy.
Larry Zimmer
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Russ
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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Russ »

Syscrush wrote:Wow, keep up the great work!
The treatment for your pitted fork tubes was very interesting - I'm not familiar with that process.
Hi Syscrush
The fork tubes are measured then cylindrically ground, hard-chromed and then put back in the grinder to take them to the original size. This service is widely available (in the UK anyway) as they are just simple hydraulic piston rods at the end of the day. Mine were done at a place that refurbishes industrial rams - I think they were £120 + delivery. Turn around was about 4 or 5 weeks but I was in no rush.
Russ

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Re: My '79 Restoration

Post by Russ »

While all this work was being done I was asking round about a sprayer for the tank and plastics.

I wanted someone who was used to doing CBX's, or at least 70's bikes, I saw a post on UK CBX site about a lad who had just had his red bike sprayed, nice job. PM'd him and the lad who did the work was only an hour away from me.
Had a trip up without the parts to have a chat, he was just a 2 man band working out of a small unit on an old farm. Didn't advertise, which was good as he didn't need to, and specialized in 70's Candy stuff on H1's and 2's etc. He had some clients stuff finished ready to collect so I could look at some of his work, job done.
Dropped the stuff off the next week.
I um'd and arh'd about changing the colour to the red (I do like the red), but decided to keep it as close as I could to original.

He stripped it, pressure tested and did the paint on the tank, plastics and panels.
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One of the side panels on the bike had a repair to a sprue so it took six months to find another good Honda one (pattern one's are not the same), the freshly sprayed side panels also made the other black stuff look rubbish so I had to send them up to be done as well. Also had the headlight, back of the clocks and rear mudguard done.

If it's possible I like to do all the work myself, but this was way beyond me I'm afraid. I am well pleased with the result and glad I didn't try to do it. Credit where it's due, he did a great job and I've put two, maybe three, full bikes from other people his way........which is why he doesn't need to advertise :handgestures-thumbup: .
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