shop day!

We picked up Funky's frame from the welding shop Sat morning. The splice kit turned out amazing, probably the cleanest weld job I have ever seen. After some running around for misc supplies and tools, we finally got down to business. Funky began painting his frame, while I put the gauge cluster and controls back on my bike.



As I began to route the wiring harness, I found a few issues that I had overlooked. So, I pulled the loom wrap off and found two broken wires and lots of spots with grey electrical tape. I pulled the tape and found very factory looking solder joints. I re-wrapped the harness and pulled the wires that dead end. It took some test fitting to find the best route for the harness but we finally got it squared away. I still hold my grudge with Honda over stuffing all the wiring in the headlight bucket from when I did my CL450. The CB750 is the exact same, so I'll save the fun of connect the colors for another day. I installed my new heavy duty fuse block in the tool tray, so it's a bit more accessible.



Another friend with a 77 CB750 showed up and we checked out some carb issues he's been having. The emulsion tube on carb 1 is stripped out but a quick cleaning made some improvement. We tinkered with the black 77 project bike and got it to turn over but the carbs are too gummed up to flow good gas. So, it goes back to the bottom of the list. At least we got all the bad gas out of the tank.






Once Funky's frame was dry, we began reassembly. Installed the swing arm with bronze bushings and the new tapered stem bearings. There is still a bit of wiring to finish on his bike, so we got it to a rolling frame and called it a night.

Counting all the running around, we put in a roughly 16 hour day in the shop. A great way to spend a Saturday.






Holy crap, I'm a terrible photographer.

Me: 0 Frustration: 1 *update*

Some nights in the shop don't go well, no matter how hard you try. We had a hell of a time getting the swing arm back on. After fighting it for about 45 minutes, we finally won. Then the rear wheel was causing us some grief, my temper started to rise so we switched to the front wheel. Going back to the rear wheel after a break didn't make a damn difference. I give up for tonight.

*update*
I let hunger and frustration get the best of me. I looked at the rear wheel assembly again. Like a moron, I forgot the freaking chain adjusters!!! Hmmm.. maybe that's were the gap came from.

ugh....at least I figured it out. Now it's time for steak!

teaser....now with pics!

Went on an adventure last night, through crazy wind, lightening and sheets of rain. Picked up a 33 year old bike that looks like it's been garage kept it's whole life.

Pics later today if the sun decides to come out.

**edit**

Here you go:

1977 CB750K











Needs new tires, oil change, flush and clean the whole fuel system and a chain. We're going to get it back to stock and then it will go up for sale. The 4 into 1 will get removed and we'll put the beautiful stock pipes back on.

Anyone looking for a beautiful CB750?

Motivation

In response to Gymi's comment about my progess, I thought I'd give a little info on why things are really rocking in the shop with the two CB750s.

I really want to get some riding in this summer on my own bike. My last two projects were sold before I ever had them plated or really got to ride them. I sold my CL450 to pay for wedding rings and sold the CB350 because I was tired of fighting it. I used to be much much worse working in the garage. I would jump from job to job and never really get anything finished. I just didn't have the concentration to get things done.

Turns out, I was battling some health issues that were making a fair amount of my life very very shitty. My thyroid crapped out and now it's getting under control. Found out I have a gluten allergy and drastically changed my diet. Plus, I decided to get into better shape. It's all got me closer to where I used to be in my life. So now, I can actually get things done in the shop. I might also finally take the online motorcycle mechanics course again and finish it! I gave up about halfway through and only absorbed about a third of what I studied. Once again, thanks to my thyroid issues.

So, there you go. The toughest part of all this work on my bike is finding the cash for parts. But isn't that how it always is?

cleaned up

Pulled the pistons and put them threw the parts washer. There is some slight pitting but nothing major (I think). We did a quick test on the valves by spraying carb cleaner into the exhaust/intake. The exhaust side had a few leaks. So, we'll be picking up a valve spring tool and pulling them. We have a set of new guides but the valves might be kaput. Anywho, pics from tonight.

The rings weren't too bad either but no better time to replace them than now.

guts

Got the engine last night and after a quick degreasing, decided to tear into it. So far, we haven't found anything terrible. The pistons have a good amount of carbon on them and none of the valves look burnt or cracked. The rings are in good shape too. Everything will get cleaned up, checked and reinstalled. Tomorrow we'll be cracking the crankcase and digging around in there. The cases need to be media blasted (probably use walnut) to get the terrible paint job off. Whoever painted the engine didn't use hi-temp paint, so it's crinkled and flaking off. Thankfully, they didn't prep the surface, so the aluminum is still in good shape. On with the pics.

easy roller

I installed the tapered stem bearings last night with the 4mm spacer that is included in the kit (Parts+Plus SSH750). This left me with only a few threads on the stem for the stem nut. Plus, it rippled the lower seal and was causing drag with the bearings.





Today, I reassembled the stock lower bearings and compared them to the tapered set. There was about a 0.75mm difference w/o the spacer. So, I reinstalled them in this order: thin stock washer, rubber seal and bearing cage. This gave me enough thread on the stem to properly seat the stem nut.









I used a "long fiber" grease from Valvoline, Cerulean Heavy Duty. Requesting "long fiber" bearing grease stumped the guys at AutoZone and NAPA. A little googling turned up a comparison of grease. There are two basic types of grease. One is "long fiber", if you stretch it out between your fingers, it has long threads. This is used for low speed applications like stem bearings and swing arm bushings. The other has the consistency of butter. Yum!

After inserting the stem and adjusting the stem nut, the steering is nice and smooth. The front end has been reinstalled. I decided to stick with the rusty headlight ears for now. Next year, I'll go with the lowering kit and replace the fork tubes and use universal ears.




Success! Tomorrow we're picking up the engine. I plan on pulling the top end and seeing just what is going on in cylinder #4. Hopefully, it's just a stuck ring. While we're in there, I'll measure the cylinders and see if it really does have an 836cc kit installed.

bronze my bushings!

Success! They both went in without trouble. One side slid in with minimal tapping but thankfully it's not loose within the swing arm. Tomorrow I'll be looking for the missing piece of the puzzle, the elusive swing arm collar.

The collar races are in the freezer and might get installed tomorrow. If I find the collar, I might very well be able to get the bike back to a rolling frame this weekend.

rusty tubes

My fork tubes are pitted and nasty but thankfully it's not in the travel area. So, it doesn't cause any issues with the fork seals. The stock headlight ears are in rough shape, so I'm thinking about using a universal style. If I go that route, the nasty tubes will show. Part of me doesn't care and just wants to get it on the road on the cheap. If I go the universal route, I'll have to return the fork boots I just received and try to track down dust caps or boots that don't need the stock ears.

Going on the cheap, I could re-use the ears and the boots I currently have. This would look rougher than I'd like but I could save my pennies and put them towards the lowering kit from Cycle Exchange and drop the height by about an inch. This would also give me shiny new fork tubes. While the front end is off again, I could rebuild the forks since it will probably be time.

I happier news, my stem bearings and swing arm bushings are resting in the freezer, waiting to be installed once they're shrunk down a bit. I still need to track down a swing arm collar to complete the rear end. I have a new swing arm bolt w/dual zerg fittings to keep everything nice and greasy.

one piece at a time...

haha!

Saw this in the lobby of the hospital today.

parts

I have a set of bronze swing arm bushings, tapered stem bearings and new fork boots on the way. I also found a new swing arm shaft w/zerg fittings. Now, I need to track down a center collar since mine is in pretty rough shape. Pics to come when the parts arrive.

pics....

Got the shop computer up and running tonight and even found an old digital camera to keep out here. So, now I have no excuse for not taking pictures and making posts about garage time. A few pics from tonight:












I might be ordering my parts this week. Should be getting my bronze bushings, stem / wheel bearings and fork boots. That should be enough to start piecing the frame back together. I need to clean up the swing arm pivot rod to see if it's salvageable or not. I'm trying to keep this project on the cheap and reuse as many parts as possible. The forks had some bad corrosion on the upper area, behind the steam ears. But that buffed out and got a layer of protective grease to keep it from coming back.

progress w/o pictures.

Both CB750s are stripped down to the frames. Funky's bike now has a set of bronze swing arm bushings to replace the worn out pot metal factory set. The tapered stem bearings are patiently waiting in the freezer but they're on hold until we can get his frame modified. There are a few basic wiring repairs/upgrades remaining but they have to wait until reassembly.

His engine is back from Cycle Exchange and man is it impressive. It's been bored out to 97?cc, hot cam and lots of other upgrades I can't remember. Once the frame has been modified, we can shoe-horn the engine back in and start reassembly. This bike will be a monster on the street and hopefully break some records when he runs it at the strip and on the salt.



My 750 is down until I order the needed parts (swing arm bushings, stem bearings, etc). Once I have those (and have degreased the frame again), I'll start piecing it back together. We still need to pick up the engine and see if we can get the #4 cylinder to stop fogging out the neighborhood. Most likely I'll need to hone the cylinders and drop in new rings. I am a bit worried what we'll find once we dig into the engine but we'll see. The running theory is that it used to be someones drag bike (painted over racing numbers on the seat, possible 836cc kit, covers w/cooling fins).

Like always, I've started a project and haven't taken pictures of the process. I did find an old camera, which will live in the garage. Might even get some pics up tonight. I'm trying to build a beat up old shop computer and post directly from the source of all the action.

I don't day dream too often about bikes I don't own but man would I love to have one of these (and I'm not a H.D. fan).

changing direction

*



Originally, this "blog" was about motorcycles. Then that faded and it focused on guns and misc stuff. Soon, I'm going to bring back the motorsickle content and steer things in that direction. I also plan on incorporating some crazy Japanese content. My stepfather is from Japan and I'm starting to really dig my new "step" culture. Oh man do I want to ride the streets of Tokyo!

In exchange for wiring repairs and some other upgrades to a friends bike, I'm being paid in the form of a CB750 SOHC. Needs plenty of work but I'm looking forward to it. I've started on the project bike but like an idiot, I haven't taken a single picture. I'll try to remedy that this weekend.

You might see some layout changes, link changes and I'm going to kill the "paleo blog" I started. I'm still following the diet (for the most part) and working out but I can barely keep up with this blog, I don't need a second.



*image from the 555

burning!

The stove is in and we have a small fire going. The paint will have to cure (stinky) as the stove heats up. Found out my Ash isn't quite seasoned yet. It will take us some time to learn the ropes of heating with wood but it will be worth it.

tick tock tick tock...

In about 17 hours we'll be lighting the first fire in our wood stove! I'll post pics once the installation is complete. =]

the sickness...

The wood burning sickness is in full swing. I had my first stack collapse last night. Need to rebuild it tonight and make room in the garage for the seasoned wood.

Zombieland

The Mrs and I finally saw "Zombieland" Saturday night. It was freaking hilarious! I'd like to see it a second time. The rules are a great idea, especially #1 Cardio. Having tons of tacitcool gear won't help you survive if you can't run from the staggering horde. I bet Zombie Squad will get a rush of people signing up.

I'm a pretty die hard purist when it comes to zombie movies but with "Zombieland", I feel differently. I like the "zombie" concept they use. They aren't undead but infected much like "28 Days Later" but minus the super speed and strength. Unfortunately, they know how to climb, work door knobs and use tools. That's not so good, however, no head shots needed! The chance of survival is much higher with "infected" like this. =]


Go see it, it's worth the money.

the scale of things...

It must be awesome link day. Think you're a small part of this world...you aren't so small.

(H/T to SayUncle)

Hearth Pad

The hearth pad is done and the wood stove will be installed on the 13th. We built the pad out of 1/2" subflooring, 1/2" cement board and ceramic tile. The trim is a composite, I doubt it will hold up. I'll save the pics of the stove until it's installed. It was rusty and in rough shape when we got it but a some sanding and a few coats of hi-temp paint and it looks great.

specialty "MREs"

I found a vender online that sells kosher MREs. Thankfully, they make GF (gluten free) meals as well. Turns out, the Mrs and I have sensitivities to gluten. I'm still doing the whole "elimination" diet thing but I have my slip ups. As a wanna-be homesteader, this actually kind of works to my advantage.

Over the past year, we've been trying to reduce the amount of prepackaged and processed foods in our diets. Once we get the garden going, we'll have even more control over what we ingest. Plus we want to get a dehydrator and learn to can. Don't think we're going all Mother Earth or Conspiracy Theorist, we just want to eat healthier and avoid all the crap and filler. A poor diet can greatly decrease the amount of fun time you have on this planet.

In addition to eating better, I tried the whole exercise bit but it didn't last. I don't mind running but it's not fun. I hate lifting weights or other "gym" type activities. But I do like splitting, chopping and stacking firewood. So, if you need some trees "taken care of", let us know. I need the exercise and the free firewood.

Anywho, back to the MREs. My Own Meals makes kosher, GF and other specialty MRE style meals. Pretty cool since our stock pile of ramen and other instant noodles is now out of my diet. I'll eat them if I have to but I'd rather not.

welcome home Simon!

We picked up the newest addition to the family yesterday. His name is Professor Simon, he's a rescued German Shepherd about 9 months old. He's underweight and suffering from Panosteitis (growing pains). In the future, he'll need surgery on his hip to correct moderate hip dysplasia. He and Puppers are getting along great. Until the growing pains go away, we need to keep his activity to a minimum but we can't let him get overweight either.

I've never had two dogs, it's pretty cool.


Sorry for the crappy cellphone pics. We'll get more tonight.

Wherever I go...

Wherever I go, I hear footsteps:
My brothers on the road, in swamps, in forests,
Swept along in darkness, trembling from cold,
Fugitives from flames, plagues and terrors.

Wherever I stand, I hear rattling:
My brothers in chains, in chambers of the stricken.
They pierce the walls and burst the silence.
Through the generations their echos cry out
In torture camps, in pits of the dead.

Wherever I lie, I hear voices:
My brothers herded to slaughter
Out of burning embers, out of ruins,
Out of cities and villages, altars for burnt offerings.
The groaning in their destruction haunts my nights.

My eyes will never stop seeing them
And my heart will never stop crying "outrage";
Every one will be called to account for their death.

The heavens will descend to mourn for them,
The world and all that is therin will be a monument
on their grave.



Shin Shalom, translated by David Polish taken from the New Mahzor