CB400 Four project

[Rat400F]

If you go back to my first post, you'll see what I was starting with. One bent frame, one frame with a chunk broken out, and a couple engines. Neither bike is something that most people would consider putting back on the road. I prefer stock to custom when stock is practical, but when you're starting with two half parted out rust buckets, you'd be crazy not to go custom.

don't worry about what kiiler douche wrote he's a missimformed narrow minded douche waffle.

 

[noexit]

Some pics of the engine. I'm just about done with it. I need a points plate and cam (which I think I have somewhere. I swear I bought one on eBay a year ago.), am alternator cover, (Mine is cracked) and to clean and assemble the oil pump and starter.

Now I'm working on selling off some spare parts so I can afford a new set of rims and spokes.
I also need an alternator cover. I keep seeing people posts on eBay that the CB350F alternator cover will fit the CB400F, but I'm not sure about this since it's the only alternator part between the two engines that has a different part number.

 

[Ringo]

You ever get this old girl buttoned up?

 

[noexit]

I still haven't finished welding on the frame so I can powder coat... I've been busy building this:


My Girlfriend is on a banked track roller derby league called Tilted Thunder Rail Birds based in Seattle, so another ref and I spent the summer and most of the fall building them a track.

 

[Rat400F]

Where was that pic taken? I've been wanting to go to the roller derby sometime.

 

[Ringo]

No kidding! That's pretty bad ass. I know those roller derby girls get pretty hard-core.

 

[noexit]

Where was that pic taken? I've been wanting to go to the roller derby sometime.

This is at the Comast Arena in Everett, WA. It was our first bout on the track, in front of a crowd of 2500 people. It was pretty amazing from the center of the track where I was. I'm a skating ref, so I have a better than front row view. Our next one is coming up on Jan 8th.

 

[Rat400F]

I'll see if The Wife wants wants go.

 

[noexit]

So I've been working on my bike a lot the last week. I've been gradually accumulating some parts. I picked up some decent wheels that I think I'm going to use a few months back, got some parts orders in from the UK two weeks ago, including some intake manifolds, and finally got my carbs bolted up, the cam cover bolted down, and removed a broken screw from the inside of my alternator cover. Progress after a long time of none.


So last night, I woke up at 2 in the morning with a realization: I have everything I need to start building this thing up.


It's going to be a long day at work...

 

[JustinLonghorn]

Make it so, sir.

 

[noexit]

Evapo-Rust is awesome! I bought a quart a few months back and finally tried it out over the weekend. Lightly rusted stuff just needs a half hour or so. More heavily rusted parts work well with a light scrub with a wire brush. I'll post some pics along with the weekends progress later tonight.

 

[Kanticoy]

You don't see too many 400 four cafe projects, as many people aren't that stupid. The 400 fours are quite rare, and actually sought after! People are restoring them, as they are the original factory cafe race bike. The seats, tanks,and stock exhaust are items restorers are looking for.. don't fuck them up!!!!

Just saw this post and had to comment. This is an example of a non cut up 400f. Cafe'd. And you sir, are doing something awesome. Keep it up. If that bike comes out half as nice as your derby track, you'll have a winner for sure!

Sorry for the thread jack. Carry on!

 

[noexit]

Normally I agree with Killerdwarf, but not on this project. I'm truly cutting up nothing that is worth anything to a restorer. I started with one bent and title-less frame, one titled broken frame, two engines, a good tank, rust and torn seat and a few worn and pitted forks, a dented and rusted pipe, plus a miscellaneous parts box.

I have a nice, stock, complete 1969 CL350 Scrambler that will never be cafed. This 400F just wasn't a restoration candidate.

My engine and carbs are now beautiful, but my frame will never be, and that's why I don't have a problem with cutting off stuff that I'm not going to use. My tank will be restored and painted. The seat pan will be re-covered. Anything that is good enough to be restored will be, and everything else will be improvised/custom.

Sorry for not posting pics as promised. I was busy getting tools for installing my new tapered bearings last night. I'm currently assembling the bike so I know I have everything I need, and that it will fit, then I'll tear it back down, send the frame off to powder coat and work on cleaning up the nuts and bolts.

 

[Owned]

I've lived the life of a purist, but since found more fun collecting others scraps and building what I want.


Below is my project just getting close to completion...1972 CB350F rolling frame bought title-less (now titled), CB400F engine bought for $37 carb-less on eBay (yes, folks that price is right)...throw in a bunch of parts bought on the cheap and a whole lotta elbow grease and powdercoat.


I planned to post an official finished unveil, but with this thread I had to chime in. Not meant to hijack thread...

 

[noexit]

Ok. So here are some pics.

My fork tubes are worn pretty bad, and it seems like if the steel and chrome tubes are this bad, then the lowers have to be pretty bad on the insides also. They are only worn on one side. I can't decide if this is the front side, from the forward pressure of a moving bike, or the back side from the downward pressure of gravity on a slanted fork. Anyone else seen this?

 

[noexit]

I may have answered my own question. There's only a .001" difference between the full width and worn width on the worst fork tube, and less than that on the other. That doesn't seem like enough to worry about. I'm just going to clean up the pitting and use them.

 

[noexit]

Forks:


I installed the bearing on the head tube on Wednesday. Freezing the head stalk and heating the bearing in the oven to 250 worked well. I used a 1" pvc pipe with a slit in it to seat the bearing.


I start off cleaning with Simple Green, then soak the tubes in Evapo-Rust to get to rust out of the pits.

Next, I use an oiled hone to grind down the blistered chrome. No pic of me doing that, but it's working quite well. I'm going to try JBWeld or something to fill the pits.


I'll have to replace a couple studs that were rusted or had stretched threads.

It's starting to look like a bike again! I'm going to put the engine in the frame this weekend and start cutting my wiring harness up to see where I'm going to put everything.

 

[noexit]

Food and posting break!


Polishing Fork sliders: Hand file for the really big scratches, 120 to take out the filing marks, and, 220, 400, 600 to get it up the the point where I start polishing it.

$50 Harbor Freight bench buffer (haven't built a stand for it yet.)

I'm not really going for a mirror finish, so there are still some sanding marks that I could get out if I was patient enough to spend more time sanding. Still, I can see a blurry reflection of me in it. It will still look damn nice.

 

[noexit]

Two months of distractions and side projects (My 69 CL350) are done! Back to the Four.

 

[jeff4uk]

realy nice to see your build coming on, I to did a 400 f1 1975 i run a 4 into one exhaurst with pods K@N are best and stock jets and setting on carbs , It pulls like a train and goes like stink, Its on here some where !!!!
(from rat to cafe CB400/4)
Honda do a real nice tool to set the tappets up (better then flaffing around with a 4mm spanner)
Keep up the high standared