1979 CB750L. My first cafe/brat project. Denver Area

your attention to details has been great. I really liked the article you published on the paint scheme. That was educational. I always wondered about that. Your epoxy frame paint looks great too.
 
It was cool (lower 60's) when I did the 2K rattle can clear on my GL1000. Warmed the can in hot water and applied according to instructions. Was afraid it had screwed up royaly because it was milky with runs and looked awful. Maritime and others couseled that as it cured the milky would go away - and it did. They also counseled that the runs and sags would wet sand out and polush up great - and they did.
 
Like usual I had part of a day to get a few things done but nothing major. I stripped and painted the swing arm, lower fork clamp, rear brake, and some other small parts. I also had to repair a stripped thread in the head. I went with a heli-coil system. I’m also about to dig into the electrical system for the motor then on to the rest of the M-unit blue.


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V10Pilot said:
I’m not using exact scientific number to prove the cooling or lack of cooling but if you put a layer of paint on a surface it’s going to hinder it slightly. Even if it does it would be just a few degrees and that wouldn’t matter on an old Honda motor. I just wanted to keep it bare because everyone seems to be painting their heads and I like my stuff to stand out.


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Actually, there was a guy on this forum (i think) that did a whole paint analysis, I believe he said he was a paint engineer. It was some time ago and I don't have the specific link, but painting the fins doesn't have any significant influence or insulation to the fins. To paint or not to paint is a vanity question not a physics question.

Btw, love the build. and I like what you did with the color scheme on the engine. I left my raw after cleaning it. I never repainted it. I hate the process, like others have said, PITA. So better that I didn't paint this one. I might build another bike after this one is over and paint that one, mainly its a complete tear down and rebuild of a non running engine. The vapor blasting looks amazing.
 
Shaping up very nicely fella. Helicoils are the business. I had to use one for a stripped cam chain tensioner thread - sweaty palm time but damn those things work great. Watching your (and a few other 750 builds at the moment) is an education as I'm working on a smilier bike right now too. Watching with interest!

Edit - I’m working on a similar bike. It’s in no way smilier.
 
dwysywd said:
Actually, there was a guy on this forum (i think) that did a whole paint analysis, I believe he said he was a paint engineer. It was some time ago and I don't have the specific link, but painting the fins doesn't have any significant influence or insulation to the fins. To paint or not to paint is a vanity question not a physics question.

Btw, love the build. and I like what you did with the color scheme on the engine. I left my raw after cleaning it. I never repainted it. I hate the process, like others have said, PITA. So better that I didn't paint this one. I might build another bike after this one is over and paint that one, mainly its a complete tear down and rebuild of a non running engine. The vapor blasting looks amazing.
There was an article I put up somewhere in my post written by an aeronautical engineer on cooling performance that was pretty interesting. The chemical makeup of the paint plays the biggest role. Some paints result in a blanket effect while some actually dissipate infrared heat better than no paint at all. But yeah I’ll agree with you that when it comes to an old Honda motorcyle, the effects are nil. A few degrees this way or that way aren’t going to suddenly make a race engine or an underpowered turd. It’s about the look.

Thanks. The color came out great but I’m already wishing I hadn’t used VHT. That stuff is garbage. I followed all the instructions for priming and painting and thoroughly prepped the metal before I sprayed the primer. It is not durable in the slightest and will chip easily. I dropped a small socket on the cam cover from no more than 2 feet and it left a chip about 5mm. The frame came out great and I couldn’t be happier. I used a 2K rattle can epoxy primer and paint. I sprayed a test plate with the left overs and it’s durable.

The vapor blasting is incredible. It micro peens the surface of the aluminum and closed the pores and gives a durable velvet look.


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Jimbonaut said:
Shaping up very nicely fella. Helicoils are the business. I had to use one for a stripped cam chain tensioner thread - sweaty palm time but damn those things work great. Watching your (and a few other 750 builds at the moment) is an education as I'm working on a smilier bike right now too. Watching with interest!

Edit - I’m working on a similar bike. It’s in no way smilier.
I used your build as reference more than once so thanks for that. Yeah the Helicoils worked as advertised. Too bad the tap and install tool are priced like they are made of silver. I think I’ll strip a few more threads just to get my money’s worth

Have you posted your new project yet?


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On the VHT, it's not durable until cured if it was the high heat engine paint. if you don't bake it or cycle the engine to cure it, it's pretty easy to damage it. after cured it's usually ok. That being said the 2K is 100X better paint.
 
V10Pilot said:
Have you posted your new project yet?
Ha ha, yes. It's in the Restorations section, which is a total joke as it as much a restoration project as I am Alicia Vikander's dream date. You can find it under the title The Resto-not.
 
Starting to look like a bike again
Don’t judge me on my dirty rear shocks. They are the originals just holding up the rear until I decided which shiny new setup I want.

I’ve got the engine side of the wiring harness split away from the rest of the crusty old bunch. Won’t need the rest of it with the M-unit blue going in. That was an exercise in patience.


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Nice, Honda seems to love to use way more wire and connections than required on their harnesses. You can slim them down a lot like you did.
 
This is a cool build to follow, nice work!

I remember back in the day, guys used to paint the engines flat black, thinking it helped to cool the engine, I know I did. I would like to read the post mentioned above, I'm curious as to the real effects, if any.
 
In this write up, it mentions that Grumpy Jenkins (a famous engine builder and drag racer from the 70's) used to paint his engines black and the engine compartment white.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/grumpy-jenkins.182784/page-10
 
So I think I’ve got the wiring for the engine side of things all figured out. I’ve spent a lot of time looking through the electrical flow but if anyone sees any fatal errors call them out. This doesn’t include separate power distribution and grounding blocks that I’ll draw in later.

There are a few scribbles when I forgot where I was in the layout so it’s not as pretty as it could have been.


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Good luck, it’s rewarding when all the switches do what you intended them to do


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Got the new isolators and boots on and temporarily connected the M-Unit Blue. I wish the very first thing I did when I was working on this bike before the build was but factory fresh rubber parts. The carbs pop on and off SO easily compared to the rock hard crap that’s been on there since the 70s.


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Well she fired right up without hesitation!!! New homebuilt harness works! The M-unit blue works! The engine didn’t explode! The rebuilt and vapor blasted carbs work! All this is such a relief. Now on to sourcing new controls, making the tank look pretty, and mounting the M-unit in a permanent location.
https://youtu.be/ZvjWqZD_BqM


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