Very first Cafe build - 72' CB350 " Bloody Wrench"
- Thread starter pacaguy
- Start date
kachunk
Active Member
smeyer said:
The bearing should be a tight press fit over the stem. I suggest freezing the lower triple and stem in the freezer, then trying again. You could try heating the bearing also.
If you are using a pipe, you need to be very careful not to damage the bearing. It would be much better to use an arbor press if you can. If you don't have access to one, a machine shop would be able to help you with this.
I was able to get mine on without heating/freezing using a block of wood and a hammer to press the bearing on. It took some work, but eventually I was able to get it on flush without damaging the bearing.
Just my 2 cents.....
boomshakalaka
Over 1,000 Posts
kachunk said:
pvc pipe is good too as its soft so it wont mar the bearing. Just make sure to get the right diameter so that you are applying force to the inner race when pressing the bearing onto the steering stem. If you are applying force to the outer casing of the bearing then all of that force is being transferred through the rollers to the inner race which is not good at all.
pacaguy
Active Member
Here's an update pic of the front swingarm with the new ( AllBalls ) bearing installed, note the red arrows as I used the old rubber seal from the old bushing set as a filler gasket on top of the bucket ears, fit like a glove and the ears arenice and snug :
Here's a couple of updated pics of what I've completed thus far, I told you this before and I'll say it again " this is a slow project, but I'm getting it done at my own pace" why rush it.
for some reason I could not fix the size of the third pic, sorry.
Hopefully I'll pick up the rear brake pads next weekend and install the rear section. I still need to take the engine to a mechanic as I've got three bolts on both sides of the casing that have either broke off or stripped off completley. I'd rather get that repaired now prior to installing the engine then having to deal with it later and tear it back out later ( do it once, not having to worry later ). I'll keep updating as I go along .
Here's a couple of updated pics of what I've completed thus far, I told you this before and I'll say it again " this is a slow project, but I'm getting it done at my own pace" why rush it.
for some reason I could not fix the size of the third pic, sorry.
Hopefully I'll pick up the rear brake pads next weekend and install the rear section. I still need to take the engine to a mechanic as I've got three bolts on both sides of the casing that have either broke off or stripped off completley. I'd rather get that repaired now prior to installing the engine then having to deal with it later and tear it back out later ( do it once, not having to worry later ). I'll keep updating as I go along .
pacaguy
Active Member
Well I got some time in the garage today, I decided to get the engine re-installed back in. The prep of covering the frame was very important as I wanted to avoid scratching it all up during the install. remember " Duct tape is your friend " . I also made the choice of re-using the original bolts and nuts as they were in decent shape, just a little surface which I took off witha wire brush or circular wire bit that I attached to my hard wire drill, worked like a charm.
Prepping the frame:
I used a hard plastic work box, a few pieces of 1x3 scrap wood and my trucks tire jack, placed it under the bike as a support for the engine which worked great as the install went without a hitch, no swearing or anything ( hell I was amazed it worked, for once ).
Once I got the engine in I decided to instaoil the ignition coils, the hardware looked like crap so tommorrwo I'll be heading to my downtown hardware store to replace a few pieces.
Engine Installed:
I'll be replacing the front tire with a Coker / Firestone ANS 4" front later on,
A quick Pic:
Prepping the frame:
I used a hard plastic work box, a few pieces of 1x3 scrap wood and my trucks tire jack, placed it under the bike as a support for the engine which worked great as the install went without a hitch, no swearing or anything ( hell I was amazed it worked, for once ).
Once I got the engine in I decided to instaoil the ignition coils, the hardware looked like crap so tommorrwo I'll be heading to my downtown hardware store to replace a few pieces.
Engine Installed:
I'll be replacing the front tire with a Coker / Firestone ANS 4" front later on,
A quick Pic:
midnightcafe
Been Around the Block
I did the same with my rusty bolts. Make sure to spray them with Extend or something similar, otherwise they will flash rust quick and more thoroughly than they were before treatment. It sucks, believe me!
pacaguy
Active Member
Big Rich, what would you suggest as a tire ? Granted I'm not going to be hitting the racing circuit any time soon and this will be a weekend bike for the most part. please let me know when you get a chance.
As I had one more day in the garage before hitting the road, I spent some more time installing some of the finished painted pieces back on the bike.
The Horn and Ignition brackets:
I tested the horn prior to the install, still gives of a good sound.
I took my time on the Speedo and Tach for repainting, they came out nice and shiney !
I repainted the header pipe collars, a little color to mix it up on the engine ( yes I used engine paint and engine clear coat )
Now I'm working on stripping the tank, as I'm not able to finish that today, I've at least hit the stripped area with etch primer to keep it from surface rust.
Hopefully I'll be geting a new ( used ) headlight bucket off flea-bay.
bit by bit It's getting there.
As I had one more day in the garage before hitting the road, I spent some more time installing some of the finished painted pieces back on the bike.
The Horn and Ignition brackets:
I tested the horn prior to the install, still gives of a good sound.
I took my time on the Speedo and Tach for repainting, they came out nice and shiney !
I repainted the header pipe collars, a little color to mix it up on the engine ( yes I used engine paint and engine clear coat )
Now I'm working on stripping the tank, as I'm not able to finish that today, I've at least hit the stripped area with etch primer to keep it from surface rust.
Hopefully I'll be geting a new ( used ) headlight bucket off flea-bay.
bit by bit It's getting there.
Big R
Heaven is so far away.
Just got back to this - +1 to Diesel. Duro, Shinko, Cheng Shin, would all be better choices than Firestones. They may not be sport tires, but I've heard the technology in the manufacturing process has improved on all of them. And try to match up to your original sizes if possible. What are they, 3.00 by 18? You could go with some 90/90's i think.
Google "Hagon tyre chart" and check it out - very useful.
Google "Hagon tyre chart" and check it out - very useful.
pacaguy
Active Member
Standard tire size for the 72 is Front 18" rim 3" wide , Rear 18"rim 3.5" wide. My opinion is that is to small. I may go 3.5" or 4" front - 4" to 4.5" rear. The rims will not have a problem with the larger width's.
I will look into the other tires that you guy's suggested. Thanks.
I will look into the other tires that you guy's suggested. Thanks.
AVON AM26 or Bridgetone S11 Spitfire. You could try Pirelli Sport Demons or Bridgestone BT45, but Spitfires are sticky enough rubber for most of us.
Prefered sizes 90/90 - 18 front and 110-90 - 18 rear or 120/8 rear if you like phat.
Rims are narrow and need narrow tires to work.
Prefered sizes 90/90 - 18 front and 110-90 - 18 rear or 120/8 rear if you like phat.
Rims are narrow and need narrow tires to work.
pacaguy
Active Member
I checked with a friend of mine who's run 100/90 on the front and a 120/90 on the rear of his CB350. Now the 100 Thousand dollar question : I am finding that thes tires ( Dura/Shinko/Cheng shin / Dunlop..... ) are tubeless tires -- Can you run a tube in a tubeless tire ???? -OR- How do you find the specific tire that is tubeless online ?
Big R
Heaven is so far away.
Check out www.denniskirk.com. Their site is great for finding specific tires.
Certain size tires are made for certain size wheels. If you want to increase the tire size, you have to buy wider wheels to lace up. God forbid that bead breaks loose on a bend going 45 mph.
Certain size tires are made for certain size wheels. If you want to increase the tire size, you have to buy wider wheels to lace up. God forbid that bead breaks loose on a bend going 45 mph.
pacaguy
Active Member
Big Rich - can totally understand. I will take alook at options that are available, I do like what Dennis kirk is offering as well ( hey free shipping on purchase over a hundy - nice ) for the tire selection. Luckily I've got time on my hands before buying. Heck I need to rebuild my carbs first !!
pacaguy
Active Member
Alright, so I decided to try the " Green way" first. I went out to the local Balmart ( $ 8.50 ) for the quart of Citristrip, dish gloves ( $ 2 ), paint brush ( actually have a few ).
I applied the gel liberally over the tank working all the area's around the tank. I finished the application at 17:45 ( that's 5:45pm ). The directions say that you can go back and test an area after 10 minutes, which I will do after I get this posted, myy main goal is to let the strip sink in over night, then see how well it does ( Edit -- as a half an hour has gone by I've done a scrap test, it's working well ) :
I'll update tommorrow.
I applied the gel liberally over the tank working all the area's around the tank. I finished the application at 17:45 ( that's 5:45pm ). The directions say that you can go back and test an area after 10 minutes, which I will do after I get this posted, myy main goal is to let the strip sink in over night, then see how well it does ( Edit -- as a half an hour has gone by I've done a scrap test, it's working well ) :
I'll update tommorrow.
pacaguy
Active Member
Okay, day break has arrived and now it's time to see what has become of this laquer ridden 38 year old tank. Using a 2" spackle blade was perfect. One swipe and off came the paint. The hardest area was the stickers, I should have used a blow dryer to soften the area and take it of that way ( Oh well - next time ). Surprizingly the CitrisStrip Gel worked very well. getting right down to the metal, plus no harmful odors ( smelled like Orange handcleaner )
Here's a few pics of what went down:
These two pics are after I scraped it down with the spakle blade
As I had some trouble with some of the old stickers, I used my hardline drill and this circular sander to get the rest of the crap off
Helps to tie down the tank on my table so I can use both hands on the project. I decided to pull the bottom chrome strips off as they were about to fall off anyway.
About 1-1/2Hrs. later this is what the finished tank looks like.
If anyone has an idea on how to get this dimple out without drilling I'd really like to know, I just feel that amount of bondo would do a shrink job on me prior to or after I paint. Tip: use a circular wire bit to get into the tiny folds, works wonders. Also use your compressor to blow out the crap where the tags are held in place, that Gel gets everywhere.
Who's this Ugly Mug ??
Here's a few pics of what went down:
These two pics are after I scraped it down with the spakle blade
As I had some trouble with some of the old stickers, I used my hardline drill and this circular sander to get the rest of the crap off
Helps to tie down the tank on my table so I can use both hands on the project. I decided to pull the bottom chrome strips off as they were about to fall off anyway.
About 1-1/2Hrs. later this is what the finished tank looks like.
If anyone has an idea on how to get this dimple out without drilling I'd really like to know, I just feel that amount of bondo would do a shrink job on me prior to or after I paint. Tip: use a circular wire bit to get into the tiny folds, works wonders. Also use your compressor to blow out the crap where the tags are held in place, that Gel gets everywhere.
Who's this Ugly Mug ??
Look'n good.
Don't know if you finally decided on tires for your bike or not yet. I'm running Avon RoadRiders 90/90-18 on the front and a 120/80-18 on the rear. Both are tubeless tires and I put tubes in them any way. From what I've been told you can run tubeless tires with tubes but can't run tubed tires without tubes.
Keep up the good work man.
Don't know if you finally decided on tires for your bike or not yet. I'm running Avon RoadRiders 90/90-18 on the front and a 120/80-18 on the rear. Both are tubeless tires and I put tubes in them any way. From what I've been told you can run tubeless tires with tubes but can't run tubed tires without tubes.
Keep up the good work man.
