79 CB750 LE

Just joined and posted in the New Member area. Figured i'd start a build thread to document my inadequate mechanic skills, lack of resourcefullness, and downright ignorance of all things beyond an oil change! Behold, the power (or danger) of determination!

My first 4 or so hours of work, just removing the basics, this is my first big project so pretty soon i know ill be running out of easy nuts and bolts and have to actually use some books for the mess im diving into.....

And also my buddy decided to "help"

Whoo-Hoo! Tearing down a LTD. Take your time, take lots of pics of the disassembly to refer to when you go back together. pay attention to wiring and cable routing. Masking tape on both sides of electrical connectors and label 1-1 or A-A, get a box of baggies and a sharpie to "bag-n-tag" EVERYTHING! Don't think "Oh surely I'll remeber that" because who knows how long it will be.
Just a heads up, if you are going to ditch the side covers, they are getting BIG MONEY on e-bay, especially the 79 Limiteds with original paint.
Don't get all wrapped up in the pod style air filters, these bikes are reportedly needing the factory air box unless you plan on swapping out the carbs.
Oh and... Nice Pooch

Good idea on the pictures, i need to go out and get some close ups and what not before i get too far! And i agree on the bags, priceless step to take, otherwise this thing would never get back together...... or if it did, would bear a closer resemblance to a picasso painting =P

Thanks for droppin in BTW Hoosier, i can tell you will be invaluable with these tips, besides you can stop me when you see something completely screwed up =D

I'm on board!

Im a fair weather fan living in the Pacific Northwest, cruel irony indeed. Since my last post i tore down the bike a little more but have mainly been doing research online, paying close attention to other builds. I only have a carport, so wind + rain + 40 degrees is enough to chase me in after a short time =P

So with that being said, my first priority is the engine, it ran when i parked it, albeit with a little stuttering on acceleration, and it smoked on a cold start but it seemed in pretty decent order, i do know that spark plug #2 is black. So at the very least im going to dive into the top end and go from there, my main concern is identifying ANY reason as to why i should even touch the bottom end, im sure i could rebuild it, but after reading the many posts of someone else doing it........... im really not into fixing it if it aint broke. Besides, engine only has 24K on the clock. If anyone has any quick hints or tips as to things i should look at to indicate any work beyond the top end, please feel free, ill keep reading into it! So far as i can tell, she hasnt appeared to have been abused.

Man she's pretty! At 24K miles I would think the bottom end should be fine. Like you said, I am a firm believer if it ain't broke don't fix it... but first you need to determine what you got.
I do know these engines have a history of piss poor valve seals from the factory.So that might explain the black plug. Of course it could be carburation too. The shim and bucket valve adjustment is usually neglected by the previous owners.... and 30+ year old cam chain tensioners may have started to come apart.
I would remove the valve cover and give it a good inspection. Check the condition of the tensioners, and your valve clearances and adjust has needed. Then do a compression test before pulling the head. All you need is to run a battery ground to the engine case, and the positive to the starter wire post and it will spin over. It should be done with the throttle wide open and the choke off, so you can even do it with the carbs pulled... I have done this with engines out of the bike sitting on the bench!
If you have a cylinder with low compression you can then do a leak-down test if you have a compressor with a regulator and see it it is leaking out the intake, exhaust ports (valve issues) or out the crankcase oil fill (rings).
If you determine it needs a valve lapping, and pull the head, it's recommended to replace the valve seals with the better viton ones that are available now, hold up much better then the OEM seals.

Did you get all that Doc? LOL. Thank goodness for HD!

Something else in common other than 79 DOHC, I'm an insane Deftones fan as well! It's clear that people who have awesome taste in music also have awesome taste in bikes too! ;D

No Kiddin, HD is an awesome quick cheat-sheet =P Appreciate all your wisdom Hoosier!

As for the Deftones Silky, im a nut, i was lucky enough to be stationed overseas and have now seen em in 3 different countries....... i like your taste!

Meh... more like a parrot.
Just repeating all the shit someone else once told me that worked.

Thanks to the help of a friend, we were able to get to this point today! It was a twelve hour affair, with 9 of those hours spent cleaning out my carport storage area, and making a little shop out of it. Next up is to pick apart the topend, bought the tools i think ill need, micrometer I/O, feeler gauges, Piston ring pliers and the sort, gotta get a gasket kit, but from here ill figure out what ill need for the engine =D

And ill be getting an engine stand next =P Man that beast is heavy.....

Been awhile since i updated! Sorry guys no big changes to the bike itself, but i gotta tell ya, ive been spending a TON of time reading your builds, researching various items i want to incorporate into the bike, and preparing my humble little work area to take on the task at hand! =D VERY humbling indeed seeing what you are all doing to your bikes.

Ive spent an inordinate amount of time and a decent chunk of change just buying tools and setting up. Another big part is selling parts i wont need to fund this little spectacle, not to mention my beloved beast (winter is a tough selling season in the PNW!)

Good news is that i sold all the parts i wont be needing for what i purchased the bike for in the first place, so i broke even but kept a running engine, frame, wiring harness, front end =)

So my current strategy after much contemplation is to achieve the cafe racer look with performance a strong first priority and form following a close second, suspension and reliability topping the list and refreshing the engine as needed (At least rebuilding the top-end). While it seems worthwhile to make some changes to the engine while im in there i think im going to leave it stock, power is not a concern as handling and bullet-proof operation most certainly are. Initially i was going to work on the engine first, but a friend make a good point that when i finished it, it would be sitting for likely months on end before i popped her back in, so ill get a rolling chasis with all the bits needed then bring the heart and soul up to speed.......

As with anything i post, keep in mind this is my first dive into building something to this degree, i invite any criticism, helpful hints, or general musing, it can only help me figure it all out!

-Corey

P.S. Not sure how to insert comments between pictures, but in order thats the Fianancier, Humble shop, Homemade bench for added workspace, and the bracket i had welded up for the engine stand.

So the next step i think ill take is figuring out the wheel situation, going to convert to spokes, which im looking into whether or not i can easily use some from the same generation of bike (Think its the K model?) and how much work it will take to make it work, but id like a disc brake in back as well. Then ill move on to suspension, looking into Racetech as recommended for the front end, i would like to make the stance a bit more agressive, but im reading up on it, dont want to sacrifice handling!

Couldnt figure out how to attach a picture to a personal message so i put it here Silky:

Here we go, attached the pic i used (better than the pic of mine) with drawn in measurements that rival the artistic genius of Michaelangelo himself =D

That red circle is me emphazing the size of the AREA around the mount point of the bracket..... When i had mine made i didnt think about this and the excess metal of the bracket hit the engine before the holes were even close to lining up....... out came the angle grinder, hahaha! Hope this helps, enjoy!

-Corey

No earth moving updates, but i did receive one of two items im eagerly waiting to mock-up! 82 750K going to test how it mounts up to the 79LE Swing-Arm.

After considering buying from BCR and a few other companies for the tank and tail, im going to try my luck with a local welder/fabricator, i much like the idea of using local talent to have a hand in my bikes build, little more pride to be had, currently talking to a guy with 20+ years experience, mostly with choppers but we shall see how this ends =D

I don't foresee any big issues getting that wheel to mount up to your swing arm if you have all the hardware from the 82 since the axel and spacing is based on the hub, and the swing arm mounting point is pretty generic. Are you going to keep that drum brake in the back? It would be cool to see if you can figure out a way to get a disc in there on the spoke wheel. I've been looking around a little, but haven't found anything. I wanted to do it in the beginning, but after hearing the arguments of disc vs. drum, etc., and my mechanical non-expertise, I figured the more stock I keep those major safety components, the better off I am. Where'd you get the front hoop?

Silky, i thought about the disc brake, and as much as id like to have it, the drum brake is easier on my novice skills, and im with you, closer i stay to manufacturer specs, better off i am! And thats actually a rear hoop 18" 2.15, D.I.D. got it off of ebay.

I might mount the rear tonight, ill let you know how it lines up!

I'm interested as well... I believed the Limited Editions were basically K models, so figured it would be a direct swap to the K spokes. So are you planning on swapping the 18" hoop to the K hub? Buchanans can set you up with spokes I bet... http://www.buchananspokes.net/

Yessir! Every inch counts HD! And good call, thats who i planned on going with for the spokes, gettin those next! =D

Sooooooo, hell of alot of parts ordered, all should be in within a week, picture of all the goodies will follow!




Embarassingly, after running the numbers a few times, this is going to be ever so slightly (a shit ton) over my original $$$ estimates...... whoops, better be amazing when im done.....

EDIT: Also commissioned a local welder/fabricator to make a tank and tail for me, his ball park estimate is nearly a third of what a certain online retailer that makes DOHC combos..... Not to bash, but certainly easier on the wallet AND supports a local tradesmen while getting some big ticket items custom =D