A few questions on my cb450

I am in the process of taking apart my cb450.... well

swing arm is also off. however i do have a few questions

im having a hard time getting the rod that holds the center stand and rear brake are there any tips for that?

if i were to get rid of the center stand where would the rear brake attach to?

are there any tips on making a rear cowl like this? [
img width=770 height=577]http://spincycleindustries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/70CL450-1024x768.jpg[/img]

If i wanted to have a natural metal look, what would you recommend to do this?

a noob question: if i wanted to clean the engine on the outside and the build up on the inside word i be doing a rebuild if i replaced the gaskets? what products do i use to clean?

thanks in advance for all the help!
https://www.facebook.com/Mashaka.Bike?fref=photo

G'day mate, you've probably figured it out by now but I'll throw in my experiences.

I removed the rod with a hammer, a pin punch and some elbow grease. It did take the better part of half an hour though.

The rod that holds the centre stand can be put back in once the stand is removed and you can mount the rear brake as before.

The other questions I can't really help with as I'm not that mechanically skilled .

For engine help pop over to that sub and they should be able to help