Project: Pariah - CJ360T | Now with bad pics of even worse welds

IndieSol

"This one goes to eleven." -Nigel Tufnel
After riding all summer, it's high time this girl gets restored.

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One last glamour shot......

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After day one of the tear down.

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A quick mockup to get an idea where I want to try and mount the factory cowl. I like the looks of it here, and it seems like it would be easy to mount without much fabrication. I will have to modify the seat pan, though.

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Trying to keep things organized.

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The day after evening two.

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The tab to that front fender fell off in my hand when I pulled it off. Worth fixing, or should I just pick up a front fender in my parts purchasing frenzy?

Some questions I've come up with are -

1.) When I put the bike back together, can I mount the triple trees a bit lower on the forks, then mount clip-ons above the triple tree? It seems like this would effectively lower the front end a bit without much work.

2.) If I mount the battery just above the swingarm, is engine heat a concern for the battery?

3.) Why can't I remember all the questions I had when working on this last night ?

So, in conclusion, the bike told me she wants clip-ons and rear sets, and she's real attached to her factory cowl.

It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm looking forward to it.

I'm thinking I'll have the motor and wheels/suspension/swing arm pulled next week (Can the motor be pulled by one person easily?), then I'll get to grinding, polishing and parts ordering. I'm looking forward to the whole process.

Of course, as a rookie, I'm always looking for constructive criticism, suggestions, concerns, etc.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Thanks, when I got it, she had been neglected for a few years. She would actually start and run, but that's about it. I did what I considered a fair amount of work to get her to that point, but had a great time and learned a lot. And it was a lot of fun to ride. But the plan was always to ride it for the summer and then do a frame up cafe job.

A steering damper is definitely on the list of mods. With the lower rise handle bars (NOS CB400F bars) it was actually fairly stable at 65mph, even off the throttle, but I figured there'd be a bit of a loss of stability with clip-ons. I had a CB 550 that I put clubmans on and I remember how drastically different the bike felt. I think a set of clip-ons will help me keep the profile low and the lines clean. Sean from Roc City suggested using a new bit to drill the needed holes, but assured me the stainless steel will hold up under the weight of my beer loving upper body.

I just ordered a nice white speedometer face overlay from a fellow off eBay. He sells them in pairs on eBay, but was willing to sell me just the speedo for a great price.

Anyone know how to remove the speedo cable from the front rotor? Same with removing the tach from the engine?

Should I attempt removing the engine on my own, or is it a quick way to a week of back pain?
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Slight bits of progress have been made.

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Got the motor out on my own. Look, Ma, No hernias!

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So far, the hardest thing to get off is that fucking chain. I can't seem to get the clip off the master link.

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The pile grows as the beer empties.

I might have gotten more accomplished last night, but the rear axle took me quite a while to get out. I thought for sure it would be bent, but it appears to be straight as an arrow. What a pain in the ass.

I still need to pull the triple tree and steering stem parts, chain, swingarm and rear shocks. It'll be another two weeks before I can get my clip-ons and rear sets ordered, so in the mean time I'll rebuild the forks and get on polishing the bits and pieces.

I was thinking I'd powdercoat the frame, triple tree and swingarm. I'd like the wheels and hubs (not the spokes) to be black, but I'm not sure if I should powdercoat them, or just paint them. If I do paint them, should they get a coat of clear? Also, can anyone suggest a high quality, durable and perhaps a high temp paint for the cylinder head?

Your feedback would be great....
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

go for powder coating much better finish, take a grinder to the chain link.
Was there a reason you wanted the clipones above the headstock?
Take a look at bike of the month
Good progress so keep it up
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

jeff4uk said:
go for powder coating much better finish, take a grinder to the chain link.
Was there a reason you wanted the clipones above the headstock?
Take a look at bike of the month
Good progress so keep it up

Thanks for the encouragement.

I've actually had second thoughts on the clip-on position. I think I'm going to mount them under the top of the tree. I may get some clip-ons with a bit of a rise to them, but I'm still not sure. I've got another week and a half to think about it.

I worked smarter not harder on the chain thing. I realized the swingarm was coming off anyways, so i just waited until that was done and let it fall off.

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I sat down with a budget and a time line and I realized that if I want to have this done by the summer, with what I make, I might have to settle on a few things. I won't be able to afford a custom alloy tank from Team Hansen. This is disappointing, but $850 is a lot. I've got other large expenses associated with this project that come before something cosmetic. The stock tank, or preferrably an 80 or 81 GS450E tank, will have to do. I can still afford to add a couple bits to the powder coat box, though.

I'm also going to hold off on rebuilding the front forks until after I've gotten the rear sets and clip-ons, as I'll need them to mock up the bike. I'll also leave the triple tree in place until then. I should be able to order the rear sets and clip-ons in less than two weeks.

Up until then, I'll just do some cleaning and polishing of some bits, and, of course, get that kick stand off.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Good start man! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

As far as paint for the motor, any parts store will sell a good engine enamel in a rattle bomb. Just DONT over do it. A few light coats and some clear is all you need. If you put too much paint down on too many engine parts you can cook the motor.

For wheels, you can paint, but PC will hold up a shit ton longer. And in the end will probobly look nicer.

Keep the updates coming!
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

the CJ tank has a real nice look to it. Straight and low with a flat bottom should help the cafe look.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Hey look ANOTHER CJ! We are slowly taking over... muhuhuhahahahaa!

I find it rather amusing that I did the exact same thing with the rear cowl when I first got mine home. I ended up refabricating the rear cowl tho mine had a few cracks in the plastic so wasn't real usable.

Good luck with the build! Just for reference here is my build (i stalled from 6mths of renovating my house...)

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=12079.0

If you need any info or reference pictures I have been collecting heaps since I got the bike... just let me know.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Looks like the consensus is to powder the wheels and rotors. Sounds good to me.

PHeller - I too like the general lines of the tank, but the flap lock thing is shit (so bad it may just be worth a picture). The hinges are creaky and poorly made, the lock has the same problems, and it's just generally not attractive. I'm not sure what's possible and what's not with a gas tank, but I'm going to see what I can do to fill that in and just fit a new gas cap. I don't know if welding something in there is kosher, or if bondo is the best way to go, but I don't care for it and would prefer to get rid of it.

Belch - Dude, that seat fab is awesome. You really nailed the lines of the factory cowl perfectly. I can't wait to see updates. I know how the home ownership things goes, though. My wife and I just passed a year in our new home (already lost 20k in value - woohoo). About to escape into the garage yet again....
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

VonYinzer said:
Good start man! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

As far as paint for the motor, any parts store will sell a good engine enamel in a rattle bomb. Just DONT over do it. A few light coats and some clear is all you need. If you put too much paint down on too many engine parts you can cook the motor.

For wheels, you can paint, but PC will hold up a shit ton longer. And in the end will probobly look nicer.

Keep the updates coming!

Thanks, man. I'm looking forward to seeing the Horror Business!
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

i look forward to more!!

my CJ teardown will start soon. i cant wait!
 
Re: Project: Pariah - More time than money.

I've come to the realization that this is not going to be the most exciting project thread of the new millenium. It will mostly consist of me asking questions that, to anyone that has done this before, are going to be ridiculously easy. I'll do what I can to throw something witty or interesting in there, but I wouldn't hold your breath if I was you. Really.

Not much has been going on worthy of taking pictures. I've spent a lot of time trying to put together an adequate workspace. Had to pick up a part for my bench grinder, get it mounted, had to return a shitty angle grinder and get a new one, get polishing supplies and so on. While cleaning up the rear wheel hardware, I did manage to clean up the chain tensioners, but that's all for shiny things. It sure did make me want to get cracking on the engine covers, though....

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Oooohhhhh.......Aaahhhhhhh.....wait, those are just chain tensioners. Lame.

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I pulled the seat cover off last night, and pulled the foam from the seat pan. The pan was pretty rusty, and the previous owner (or a half-assed upholster, perhaps a bit of both) affixed the seat cover by snagging it over notches he punched out using an old can opener. I can't imagine this being original. I still would like to make it work, since I plan on keeping the rear cowl, but I'm not sure if it's worth it at this point.

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Nothin' but class.

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Anyone have any tips for getting these bushings out? I've tried hammering a similarly sized socket over them, but it didn't seem to make any difference at all. Are they something that generally doesn't need to be replaced? I want to replace all the bushings/bearings I can during the rebuild.

So, I'm ordering my clip-ons and rear sets in two days. Once those come in, I hope to increase both the quality and quantity of posts coming out of this thread.

Next items on the list are:
-Get a new, smaller battery and make a box for it that will use existing tabs on the frame.
-Make a seat pan decision, then mock everything up once the new parts arrive.
-Chop and grind the frame
-Get those bushings out of the swingarm if possible.
-Disassemble the triple tree
-Sandblast frame, wheels, triple tree, swing arm, rotors(?)
-Polish engine side covers

That should effectively do it until I can afford to send everything off to powder coating. If anyone can suggest how to go about sandblasting the frame, I'm all ears. The blast cabinet I have access to is only so big.

Now, keeping with the spirit of Halloween......Imagine it's late at night. You're riding your cafe back home after one of the last events you'll take the bike to this year. You're on a lonely, twisty, mountain road. No street lights. Nothing but you, the mountain to your right, and a sheer drop to your left. You've just fully committed to a hard, blind right corner. Since it's dry out and there's no traffic, you're moving at a "spirited" pace. Just as you've committed to your line in the turn, you feel something tingling up your neck, starting from the center and working its way toward your jaw line. Then you feel another. Then two more. Then more. Then, a spider slides across your visor, blown by the cross winds. Another hangs on for dear life in the corner of your field of vision. You start to lose control as you wonder where all these spiders are coming from, straightening up and crossing into the oncoming lane.....

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I hate spiders. A lot. I'm glad these "under-seat gifts" didn't unwrap while I was riding.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Those teeth on the seat pan are definitely factory. They work really well, too.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

yep had them on three or four different honda seat pans
looks cool and i have never seen the j model before
are you in the states
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Ethanol said:
Those teeth on the seat pan are definitely factory. They work really well, too.

No doubt. That cover was really on there. Good to know they're factory. One more thing that wasn't done wrong. So many other of the PO's decisions leave me scratching my head.

rjz5400 said:
yep had them on three or four different honda seat pans
looks cool and i have never seen the j model before
are you in the states

I am. Vancouver, WA.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Lower shock mount rubbers rarely need replacing unless they have been covered in oil or damaged when powdercoating.
If you want to change them, get new ones before you start.
You'll probably have to make some tubular extractor with a long bolt to 'press' them out
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

If you really need to replace those bushings (Which as PJ stated, you probobly dont) take the swinger to someone with a press. Takes about 10 seconds. Your local auto mechanic has one.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

Thanks for the info. I had heard horror stories about the bushings in the front of the swingarm, so I have some bronze replacements for those and thought "why not". If these come out of powder coat okay, I'll leave them in. I just want to be thorough on the rebuild.

At the end of all this, I want to have a safe bike....well.....as safe as a 34 year old bike with a guy who likes going fast on it can be.
 
Re: Project: Pariah - A '77 CJ360T goes cafe....

belch_brother said:
Safe bike = glow in the dark paint?

Nice, Belch. Ruin the surprise for everyone....

When I mean safe, I just mean I don't want the wobbly action of my back tire to put the drivers behind me in a trance, sending them careening into me at a stoplight.

I ordered my clip-ons and rearsets today. And as an added bonus, a decent pair of CB360 headers popped up on eBay. Since the last set got bought the day I decided to bid on them, I went ahead and bought them. They're not perfect, but I like the look of header wrap anyways. On a side note, the last time I spent more than a couple hundred bucks on something, it involved the whole family. I feel kind of guilty. I'll have to buy the kids some books or something.
 
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