Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
We noticed you are blocking ads. DO THE TON only works with community supporters. Most are active members of the site with small businesses. Please consider disabling your ad blocking tool and checking out the businesses that help keep our site up and free.
So the wheels being completed, and the fact that I have a few bucks, has motivated me to finish the teardown of the frame and have it blasted and powder coated. They guy that does it downsized his business and built an oven in his garage with a huge blast cabinet. He quoted me $180 for the frame, swing arm, motor mounts (not pictured), center stand, foot peg brackets, battery box and tool box. I'm going with a matte black finish to offset the chrome and tank. I also cut down the foot peg brackets to make room for the Motobits rear sets.
So I got the parts back from powdercoat. They turned out excellent! Now to start getting things back together so I have a rolling chassis. Interestingly enough, upon searching for swingarm bushings, the local dealership Western Hills Honda in Cincinnati has them in stock. However, they are asking $18 a piece for them! I decided to go with some replacements from McMaster-Carr for a fraction of the price. I might have to do a little fiddling to get them fit but at least I can start with some bushings that are close to right size, etc.
LOL! Yeah, my dad lives in Michigan and I live in Southern Ohio so it's kind of our way of doing this project "together" long distance! So when we see each other we swap parts to work on!
I took off the old torn seat cover and nasty foam to reveal this. Pretty rusty on the top side but nothing that can't be cleaned up. I'll be taking the wire wheel to it to clean most of it up and then primer it before deciding how to build the seat back up. I'm still debating on a Vietnam seat cover with foam.
Found an easy way to clean up the rear swingarm collars. Run a bolt through it, tighten it down with a nut and pinch the bolt in a variable speed drill. Turn on and clean up with a fine piece of sand paper.
I got the new bushings installed. It took a bit of sanding the O.D. and the swing arm I.D. to get them to be gently tapped in. I also discovered fitting up the swing arm to the frame had a tad bit interference because the bushing flange was a half mil thicker on both sides. So a bit of filing down the inside face was in order to mate up. I stripped the paint off of the caps that go over the outside of the swing arm and painted it with Krylon flat black enamel.
Big, yes I tried the freeze trick first and let them quench overnight in the icebox to no avail. I think the swing arm bores were slightly out of round enough to necessitate material removal albeit less than a mil. They tapped in nicely with a rubber mallet. I didn't do the heat idea just because I was paranoid about the new paint job.
I got some more work done these past couple of days. Installed the triple tree after cleaning the bearings and repacking with grease. I tried painting the top half of the fork tubes to cover up the corrosion but it just came right off when I installed them through the trees. A quick mock up with the NOS tank, drag bars and headlight ears to keep the momentum going. I need to polish the lower fork tubes and reassemble them so I can get the wheels mounted for the rolling chassis.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.