Sort-of new member restores an '80 CBX

[Noblehops]

Greetings all,

This is kind-of my re-introduction, as I'm an ICOA member and did previously have a login, but it got lost in some or other site maintenance, so I'll just do it again!

My name is Nils, I live in Massachusetts, and I'm the proud owner of an '80 CBX that I am doing a pretty complete restoration of. I'll admit that wasn't the plan when I tore into it, but you all understand what happened next, way better than anybody else in the world might

Here's a gallery of my bike during restoration, although you are forewarned these are not beauty shots, more like 'photograph this so I have a chance of getting it back together' shots:

http://noblehops.smugmug.com/Motorcycle ... 3586_tUmBm

So far the black and chrome bits have all been powdercoated or rechromed, the engine has been powder-blasted and painted, side covers polished, valve cover powdercoated, and the wheels are all rebuilt, powdercoated, and the silver bits polished for a bit 'o bling. There's a Delkevic repro system waiting in the attic along with a new Honda seat, and all the black plastic bits are off getting reshot with SEM satin bumper paint.

Racetech rebuilt the fork with gold valves and progressive springs, new shocks are in process, and a fork brace is on order from Superbrace.

A CBR1100F swingarm is inbound, and my carbs just came back from the full Mike Nixon treatment.

So this thing should look and ride pretty well I'm hoping, and look not to far from stock.

I just turned the corner a couple of week ago to reassembly, and have found this site and the now-defunct 'other site' absolutely invaluable. Thanks to all the contributors here and on the other site that have made this project so much easier with your experience and help.

I'll update this thread as I go, for those interested in my progress.

Nils Menten

[SteveG]

Welcome Back Nils!!

Steve

[Noblehops]

Welcome Back Nils!!

Steve

Hey Steve!

Thanks!

N.

[EMS]

Welcome, Nils! I am working on your shock question. I am going to take some measurements tonight!

[steve murdoch icoa #5322]

Hi Nils.
I know all about a couple small repairs turning into something much larger. The difference being is you are making great progress on your resto and mine sits idle, mocking me from the lift.
Excellent documentation in the pics.

[Noblehops]

Welcome, Nils! I am working on your shock question. I am going to take some measurements tonight!

Thanks! Louis photographed one for me, but the individual dimensions would definitely be helpful.

N.

[Noblehops]

Hi Nils.
I know all about a couple small repairs turning into something much larger. The difference being is you are making great progress on your resto and mine sits idle, mocking me from the lift.
Excellent documentation in the pics.

Thank you Steve! It sat for over a year before I tore into it in earnest, so don't give me too much credit. Once I had a critical mass of parts to begin reassembly it suddenly got a lot more fun, and way less expensive

Nils

[Rick Pope]

Nils,
Either you are not married, or you have a very understanding wife.

It looks like you've left no stone unturned in your quest for excellence.

I hope you haven't kept a log of expenses.

[NobleHops]

Nils,
Either you are not married, or you have a very understanding wife.

It looks like you've left no stone unturned in your quest for excellence.

I hope you haven't kept a log of expenses.

Haha, Rick, you are correct, not married but I do have a very understanding motorcycle-riding girlfriend that frankly eggs me on.

And yeah, I am 'all-in', and no, although the receipts are all together more or less I am trying not to think too much about the tally.

So we're back at it today, I have my 1100F swingarm in hand and freshly powdercoated, some inexpensive eBay shocks to use till my Progressives get here next week, and tonight I pick up the airbox, fenders, and other plastic bits that were repainted. I am holding my breath on these plastic pieces, frankly, will examine them closely and report back separately on how that went tonight or tomorrow, with photos.

Will post again with photos, bloody knuckles, etc., as conditions warrant

N.

[NobleHops]

OK, so I got the 1100F swingarm on with a teeny bit of thrashing. As Dave McMunn pointed out in a note to me, it's a skosh too wide with it's dust caps on. My remedy was to grind down the swingarm pivot on the right till it was just barely protruding from the swingarm boss, and then torque and lock the left side to spec. My thinking is that I'm going to have to fine-tune the wheel spacers to align the sprockets anyway, and the thickness of the dust seal cap probably makes up for the material I removed from the pivot.

I rediscovered that I'm going to need to shorten up the left side rear wheel spacer a skosh, probably on the order of 8mm or so. I will report back the dimension of what worked when I get it all the way sorted out. If anyone knows this number for sure, I'll buy them a smoothie or something.

Stopped with the rear wheel for the moment, I went on to the clutch. Here's a shameful admission for a wannabe motorcycle restorer: I have never torn apart a clutch before, even with my roadracing and dirtbiking and all that. So this was all new ground. Tom Whalley did some slightly experimental magic on my clutch basket where he machined a groove at the flat side, and inserted an o-ring to try and quiet it down. He also inspected the isolaters and pronounced them excellent, machined off the bolt heads a skosh, and sent it back spotless. Thank you again and again Tom.

I had a set of new friction plates in my box-o-parts from the PO, so installed a set, being careful to oil them and verify alignment of the grooves the second time I did it . Once I figured out I needed to get those lugs on the basket to go into the oil pump drive gear, and how to rotate that, I got the basket to get all the way on the splines, although that did kick my ass for 20 minutes until I went back and re-read the manual a third time. The trick for me was to reach around the basket and turn the pump gear with my dental pick while putting pressure on the basket, and then it went that last 1/4" onto the shaft.

Here's a stupid question though: On the star-shaped clutch holder plate, I found the marks for the two longer screws, and ran those in till they bottomed. How far should I screw the remaining shorter screws? I could not find any torque values nor guidance in the manual. At first I thought I should bottom them, but that doesn't seem the case.

Also, how do you guys get the clutch actuator in the clutch cover with the little cup-shaped receiver to line up with that dumbbell-shaped actuating rod? I tried to catch it and lift it onto position as I put the cover on, am not at all confident I caught it. I cleaned up the gasket surfaces really well and installed a set of Stainless Cycle socket head screws (yes I used antiseize) and that looks great.

Oh and I destroyed my clutch adjusting cover trying to loosen it, please please please do not ask me how. I won't tell you anyway. Louis to the rescue there.

On to the alternator, I need to lap that cone-shaped clutch plate and install the gasket Bill Brint sent me, and then that's all done, and I can move onto the batterybox, headlight shell and airbox, so I can start reinstalling the wiring harness, which is probably the step I am most freaked out about for some reason.

Teaser: My plastic painting came out really well, B+ or A-. I'll post pics later.

N.

[Jeff Bennetts]

Here's a stupid question though: On the star-shaped clutch holder plate, I found the marks for the two longer screws, and ran those in till they bottomed. How far should I screw the remaining shorter screws? I could not find any torque values nor guidance in the manual. At first I thought I should bottom them, but that doesn't seem the case.

Whats important is that you put the shouldered screws in the correct bosses on the pressure plate, if you don't you will crack the non-shoulder bosses. When you can't find a specific torque rating for a bolt refer to the manual torque spec for the corresponding bolt size. On the star shaped holder you have the benefit of the clutch springs to provide resistance, make sure they are all torqued to the same setting.

Also, how do you guys get the clutch actuator in the clutch cover with the little cup-shaped receiver to line up with that dumbbell-shaped actuating rod?

Back off the clutch adjuster, it makes it easier to line up.

Oh and I destroyed my clutch adjusting cover trying to loosen it, please please please do not ask me how. I won't tell you anyway. Louis to the rescue there.

I grounded down an old eight sided chisel I had laying around to fit the that cap perfectly to avoid marring up the cap, if you look closely at the cap it has a little dip in the middle.

On to the alternator, I need to lap that cone-shaped clutch plate and install the gasket Bill Brint sent me.

Remember to shim that spring the amount you lap from the alt clutch plate.

[NobleHops]

Good progress today, too pooped to post photos. Got the battery box and main wiring harness on, headlight shell and ears, a slew of other small miscellaneous parts. Took some sand paper and a piece of polished granite and lapped that alternator clutch drive plate, and took photos with a truing bar and a light shining under it before and after which are interesting. You can definitely see the concave shape in the 'before' shot. Fiinished the clutch 100%.

Edit: Here are before and after photos of the alternator clutch plate (drive side), before and after lapping it. Sorry for the inconsistency of the way they were shot, but you can still clearly see the difference in how much light is passing through before and after.





Jeff, thanks for your notes, and for reminding me about that washer, one is enroute to pick up that space in the alternator drive.

Small snafu, could use some advice: In one of my baggies of wiring stuff was the spark units, and it appears that one of them leaked some sticky viscous black goo out and all over the other stuff in the baggie.

WTF?

I'm not sure what I'm looking at, but it definitely appears to be coming from one of the three spark units.

Any clues? Pics tomorrow, I promise.

N.

[EMS]

.

Small snafu, could use some advice: In one of my baggies of wiring stuff was the spark units, and it appears that one of them leaked some sticky viscous black goo out and all over the other stuff in the baggie.

WTF?

I'm not sure what I'm looking at, but it definitely appears to be coming from one of the three spark units.

Any clues? Pics tomorrow, I promise.

N.

The early spark units all leak the goo sooner or later. Doesn't necessarily mean they are bad. Replacing them with later (red shrink wrap) leak proof units is a little complicated because the connection to the harness is different.

[Jeff Bennetts]

No worries, its just insulating material. A little hint and rule of thumb, anytime you remove and store carbs, spark units, instruments or gauges store them in the position they were when they were on the bike.

I want to clarify the clutch assembly for anyone else doing this, the two dots on the star clutch spring holder are there to help the orientation of the shouldered bolts to the countersunk bosses, its imperative that you locate the countersunk bosses first then line up the dots to the countersunk bosses below with the star holder and use the shouldered bolts.

[NobleHops]

No worries, its just insulating material. A little hint and rule of thumb, anytime you remove and store carbs, spark units, instruments or gauges store them in the position they were when they were on the bike.

I want to clarify the clutch assembly for anyone else doing this, the two dots on the star clutch spring holder are there to help the orientation of the shouldered bolts to the countersunk bosses, its imperative that you locate the countersunk bosses first then line up the dots to the countersunk bosses below with the star holder and use the shouldered bolts.

Whoa, OK, mine is coming back apart then. No mention of the countersunk bosses in the manual, nor did I notice it! Thank you kindly Jeff.

N.