68 CL175 Project Vicarious

Re: 68 Honda CL175

I think I'm coming to the conclusion that I will have to repaint the motor. Its pretty easy to plop it out and blast it so its not gonna be TOO big a deal but now I'm not sure about the color scheme for it.

To give you folks an idea, I was gonna paint the tank and seat blue (same paint that is on the frame a couple pages ago) and have black fenders/splash guards. Any ideas/ suggestions/ comments on the motor?

Thanks in advance.
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

I'd suggest a silver for the engine if you're thinkinng blue for the tank and seat. Otherwise, the black with silver tips as you have already looks pretty good.

Cheers - boingk
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Rich - Did you have any problems with the cam chain and tensioner when you removed the head?

Are you going to be replacing them?
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

I vote black with natural fins for the motor like you have done already. It will save time and look just as good if not better.

$0.02
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Problems? Nothing other than what I caused with cold, clumsy hands. Just remember which way the link clip thing comes off. It has to go back on the same way. And there is a drawing in the manual on how to route the chain through the tensioner if you remove it. I didn't unwrap the chain from the crankshaft completely so my chain was just hanging around. Do you have some sort of small magnetic pick up tool? You won't NEED it, but it can come in real handy. Just make sure you have some kind of string around when you pull the master link out of the chain (and something close to drop the clips and such in), tie the string through the ends of the cam chain. Do NOT loosen the tensioner more than just "breaking it loose" when undoing the chain! If you loosen it all the way, the tensioner will shoot down into the bottom of the case (time for the handy magnetic tool). You will have to loosen it up to get the cam chain back on though.

Aside from some tuning of the carbs from my foam filters/cut muffler my motor ran pretty strong so I just replaced some gaskets and cleaned some 40 year old sludge from the bottom of the case. I figured next winter I will pull the motor, invest in all the awesome bits from Batemans, bore it out, maybe bigger pistons, new cam chain, etc.

I'm not a tear-apart-the-pistons and rods kinda guy either but you will be amazed at how simple these engines come apart.
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Well gents, thanks for the input on the motor paint. I still want to wetsand and repaint for a better quality but the color scheme is going to stay the same. Black case and fins (w/silver tips), silver side covers, with some other silver trim around the engine. I was checking out VHT's site last night and I never even knew that they make metallic engine paint:

http://www.vhtpaint.com/enginemetallic.html

Guess I've been living a sheltered life.....
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Have you thought about doing the motor in a cast coat iron finish? Duplicolor (i think...) makes a nice engine paint in that color. Gas and oil resistant.I think it would make the motor really pop. Especially if you polished some small bits. Very race bike looking.
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Funny you should mention that - that's exactly what I tried first

IMG00541.jpg
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Don't buy it! I think I have the rest of the can! That would look killer on your bike. But once I sprayed it evenly on mine it just didn't look right next to the silver frame
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Just ran out to the garage to snap some pics for the reason of me wanting to re-paint. Just opened the garage door and didn't use the flash on the camera:

Doesn't look TOO bad from a distance (ignore the water on the fender)
IMGP2697.jpg


can see the rough spot on the side cover
IMGP2698.jpg


And the sandpaper quality of the paint on the case
IMGP2699.jpg


But it's noon now and I've been up all night so it's past my bedtime.....
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

You probably won't want to do this now, but you could paint the center of the allen bolts and screws black. The easiest way to do this would be buy stainless hardware, paint all the bolts/screws, sandpaper teh heads of teh bolts/screws, and then stretch a thin balloon over teh end of teh screwdriver or what ever you are using and install the bolt. It's a good way to give that custom touch and extra detail to a motor. I'll try and find pictures so of what I'm talking about.
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Here are some pictures... kind of blurry pictures but they should get the point across better.


Here are all the bolts stock:
DSCF1479.jpg



Here they are after having the center blacked out:
DSCF1480.jpg

The three bolts in the box labeled "ALT" have been done, and 3 of the 4 bolts in the box labeled "Valv.."


Sorry I can't find any better pictures.
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

That is a pretty slick idea, but unless I tear everything apart again (probably will eventually anyway) it would be a PITA. I have some hobby paint brushes that I could just dab some paint in there with..... Thanks again though man!
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Made some more progress today. Got the swingarm and bottom of the tree painted to match the frame. Polished the top of the triple, installed the set screw with some loctite and got the whole mess put together. Mounted up the new headlight but I think it's sitting too high and forward. I'll try to flip the brackets and cut the front of the mounts off. Started polishing the forks realized I don't have the sand paper I need.

IMGP2700.jpg


I also started fabbing a mount for my speedo, but it's def a work in progress.

IMGP2701.jpg
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

A flush mount speedo would look neat but it will be hard to do if he moves the head light back anymore. It looks like it would be a really tight fit the way it is. I would say make the speedo gauge bezel flush with the fork caps and tilt it back slightly toward the gas tank (Does that make sense?). If you do this and go with a small 2.xx" speedo with the rounded back you might be able to move the headlight where you want it and still get a relatively flush speedo. The head light does look like it should come down an inch or maybe two depending on how level the bike will sit when you get the wheels/tires on.

With your current gauge panel, I like that it continues the curve from the fork tubes, but what will you do with all the extra space? The only thing that came to me right away was a directional light on each side. Or, you could have one side be a directional and the other be a fuel level light. If you do this use some old 1' or 3/4" plastic covers since they didn't use the tiny LED stuff like on the modern sport bikes.

I'll stop trying to build your bike now... lol
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

Yeah Curb, had to cut the arm off for the trip odometer, but it will be flush mount.

And RG - I have a 2.25" speedo now from MikesXS. That headlight is coming down and back, I'm gonna finish fabbing and fitting tomorrow. Ill post a pic as soon as its done.
 
Re: 68 Honda CL175

racing geek said:
With your current gauge panel, I like that it continues the curve from the fork tubes, but what will you do with all the extra space? The only thing that came to me right away was a directional light on each side. Or, you could have one side be a directional and the other be a fuel level light. If you do this use some old 1' or 3/4" plastic covers since they didn't use the tiny LED stuff like on the modern sport bikes.

I'll stop trying to build your bike now... lol
Click to expand...

I wanted to point out earlier that I'm using aluminum plate for the speedo mount - don't want to add more holes in it and make it any easier to bend. And anytime you wanna come out and build the bike is fine with me :D

Being that I was out and about all day with the family I didn't have nearly the time I wanted to work in the garage. But I did get the hole cut out for the speedo for a little visual fitment:

IMG00563.jpg


All the edges are rough as hell and the surface of the plate has about 1000 teeth marks from the vice but with some grinding, cutting, and polishing it won't look too bad. And yes, I know the edges aren't symmetrical. From this pic you can see how the speedo won't touch the headlight but the cable on the other hand is gonna be the problem.

IMG00564.jpg


I might see about cutting a notch out of the back of the bucket for the cable depending on any water flow/collection issues
 
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