1976 CB400 Four

[Bridgehouse]

So after my bitching and whining in my last post on Show & Tell..

..I manage to find one. A 1976 CB400 Four Super Sport.

It's a high miler, and it's got a couple of bits missing (minor) but overall looks to be in ok shape.

It's going to get the full nut & bolt treatment. I will use professionals as and when (blasting, powder coating etc. and possibly some engineering) but as the missus wants it as a long term keeper I suspect this is going to turn into a no expense spared money pit that will either ruin me or turn me insane.

It's blue at the moment, but it's had a colour change at some point as that's not the original Honda blue anyway. Apparently it was a red one - so it's going back to being a red one.

Let the fun commence:

https://i.imgur.com/vTHke2U.jpg

Not sure how regular the posting will be, but I will try my hardest to keep you updated when I can. Best get in a comfy chair cos I reckon this is going to be a long one..
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Bridgehouse]

Few more piccies..

Will start strip down either tomorrow or Friday.

https://i.imgur.com/wXC72bH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/De0cykN.jpg


65k miles - yerp. Going to be a full engine refurb and many ponds on new bits. Many new bits.

https://i.imgur.com/xOehuju.jpg

I suppose I did say that I wanted a project. Good job the missus bought me a new boiler suit recently..
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Snowdonia Rider]

Nice workspace!
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I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[stevo as b4]

Nice project too!

Is it going to be fairly OEM or a special when you restore it?
It looks nice and complete (ugly exhaust aside), so is probably a good base for an original resto.

Do these in mint condition still go for around the £2500 mark or have they gone up due to classic tax recently?

I'd love to see a Dresda frame 460cc special, but your bike is too original to be hacked into a special Id say, unless you go all sleeper with engine work on it that is>

[Bridgehouse]

[.Chris.]

Oh that's really lovely. Glad you managed to find something in the end. Nice workshop too!

Good to hear you're going to keep it original. Probably not such a big problem with those, but some classic bikes seem to attact angle grinders with depressing regularity.

The nice thing about 70s Honda fours is that spares seem to be fairly readily available from the likes of David Silver, etc. Not all bikes are as well served.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[Bridgehouse]

[DRZ4Hunned]

Keep us posted, I really like these classic bike threads, none of the boring plastic tat

What's wrong with the exhaust? I think it looks fine.
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[Fizzer Thou]

That is a nice example of a CB400F1 with quite a few good condition original parts.
These scans are from the Honda catalogue of the 1975-76 era

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Snaps/HondaLeaflets.jpg
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Snaps/HondaLeaflets008.jpg
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Snaps/HondaLeaflets001.jpg

I had thought about buying one of these myself after I was put off the CB500T,but the physical size of the 400 put me off so I bought a CB550F1 instead.

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Honda%20750/My%20bikes/Tims550s001.jpg

For lots of help from other Honda Four owners check out the SOHC forum

https://www.sohc.co.uk/
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Bridgehouse]

Fizzer Thou - Thanks for the post, those catalogue scans are brilliant!

£699 new.. those were the days!
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Bridgehouse]

Well, I thought I wasn't going to get time to work on her until the weekend, but after a minor change of plan I managed to sneak in a few hours tonight.

First job was to get the seat off. Nice and easy to start me off. Now the seat should be retained by a pair of pins with split pins in the end.. this one seems to have been bodged at some point as it has two different size nut & bolt combos on it!

https://i.imgur.com/GZgsGOl.jpg

Okay, well they will need replacing with originals if I can find some. Next job was the tank. I had a good nosey around inside (doesn't look too bad..) and didn't think there was any fuel in. Went to look at the petcock, and no fuel line connected.

https://i.imgur.com/hc7Q00X.jpg

Popped an emergency receptacle underneath and turned the tap. No fuel. Nice. Popped the rubber off the back of the tank, but it looks like it has split so new one required!

https://i.imgur.com/Yjk9LkE.jpg

After getting the tank off I thought I would strip some of the more obvious bits off that were easy to get to - I had limited time and didn't want to start anything big. I'm trying to be as disciplined and methodical as I can. So rear indicators off, checked and labelled/stored. Then came rear mudguard. It's in a pretty bad way - 40 years of nice furry rust on the underside, and the top is pretty dented. Worst of all though, the tabs at the front that sit on the front plastic under tray and hold the bolts attaching it to the frame are cut up and chewed pretty bad. Will be looking out for another one (the list is growing!)

https://i.imgur.com/6AYOMD5.jpg

Final job for the evening was to disassemble the mudguard - removing tail light/number plate bracket. Once again I got a pick n' mix of nuts and bolts - so new ones required. However, the bracket itself is in pretty good nick. A blasting and powder coating and she will be as good as new! First part for the powder coating pile:

https://i.imgur.com/9ImxFPv.jpg

Rear light is in okay condition. I've seen new ones (proper Stanley) for not many ponds - will have a clean up but if it's not good enough will buy a new one. The reflector dish is corroded so will have to be replaced as it will be cheaper than re-chroming. The window in the lens underneath for the number plate light was rusty yellow.. due to rust!

https://i.imgur.com/0RQ2BRi.jpg

Spent a good chunk of my time taping bits and labelling, then putting into takeaway boxes for sealing and storage.

https://i.imgur.com/AqZuMz4.jpg

That was it for the night. Here's a few pics of her mid-strip

https://i.imgur.com/Vfbn29o.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RGVhlwv.jpg

More tomorrow hopefully!
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Fizzer Thou]

Well done for not going at the bike like a pile driver.I have seen many a bike succumb to a late night spanner session and not be as careful as you have been to label and store the removed parts like you have.I am in the middle of a restoration job on a CB125T2 but I have mislaid a number of items if only I had been a bit more careful with the stripdown.

Those takeaway tubs are really useful,as are large margerine containers
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Bridgehouse]

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

If you buy (or know anyone who does) the washing machine tablets they come in handy little tubs which click closed too.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Bridgehouse]

Did a bit more on the strip down tonight. Was only going to tinker with a few bits, but you know how it goes..

Tackled the airbox manifold - notorious for getting on and off as the rubbers go hard making it difficult to get of the carb inlets. And yes, they were rock solid. After cursing and swearing aplenty, off it (finally) popped..

https://i.imgur.com/zj1qQUK.jpg

Next, the ugly exhaust. Bolts off from the rear bracket, and on to the front.. what an unholy mess! The first nut I undid on the clamp was actually a bolt.. okay..

Rest were actually nuts.. but one mounting stud sheared off at the nut. Clamps loose, I wiggled the pipes and had a look at the split collars... um, some were sticking out a good quarter to half an inch.. with corrosion, gunk and all sorts gumming them in.

So, lots of wiggling and tugging later and I managed to get the split collars out from three.. the final one was a bugger! It actually looked like someone had liberally applied some exhaust repair or some other gunk on to hold them in!! Finally popped out after copious use of the 'bridgehouse wrench' (plank of wood to lever the downpipe against the frame).

As you can see, the exhaust is a shambles

https://i.imgur.com/GjDP1rO.jpg

Good job I want to put a new original repro on!

Cylinder head is going to require careful inspection once the engine is out and stripped....

https://i.imgur.com/kKueTLF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wQeP1jZ.jpg

If it needs a new one, then so be it.

Here's the gubbins laid out bare:

https://i.imgur.com/gNWyg32.jpg

Carbs look pretty healthy though. Full strip and refurb required, but not too shabby..

https://i.imgur.com/u47GanJ.jpg

Stripped out the battery box too

https://i.imgur.com/54jb9YD.jpg

Finally, here's the obligatory end of session shot

https://i.imgur.com/DNpulhr.jpg

More tomorrow!
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Bridgehouse]

Just in case anyone is reading....!

Couple of pics from today's progress. Loom is out, airbox/battery box is out. Front end is stripped - had a bold shear off so will need to extract the rest of it - you can see it at the bottom of the pic below

https://i.imgur.com/AqvvoSI.jpg

Final job was to drain the oil - got the pan underneath and sump plug off. Out came some pretty black and thick gloop (!). Going to leave her overnight to drain out as much as I can do.

https://i.imgur.com/Zcv6sNC.jpg

I will post some better shots of her in nearly-stripped state tomorrow.
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Bridgehouse]

So had a good morning today working on her..

Looks like most of the old gloopy oil had drained out overnight. I knew I'd have some more drips as she was levelled and raised, but not to worry.

First job was to hike her up, get the front wheel off and then get ready to drop the forks:

https://i.imgur.com/QToM55D.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/L5W0qZJ.jpg

With that done, it was on to the back wheel. Highlights include:

- Chain was not too bad - rusted, so getting the split link off was interesting
- Most other bits were not too bad at all - corrosion as would be expected, but no drama
- Torque bar rubber was, um, not very rubbery (see below!)

https://i.imgur.com/bxLcasY.jpg

Yup - that's supposed to be rubber. Makes me wonder when it was last replaced, or was it just shoved back on last time the wheel was taken off?

Anyway, wheel off, and time to tackle the swingarm. Back of the engine casing doesn't look as bad as I expected up close. It's all just surface dirt and grime.

https://i.imgur.com/10gzjgP.jpg

Swingarm off:

https://i.imgur.com/B0SQmlc.jpg

Then back to the front. Forks dropped, and triple trees off - of course being careful not to let the bottom one slip a bit and have 18 ball bearings bouncing around the garage floor. I didn't do that - no, honest guvnor.

https://i.imgur.com/HsZt9Ob.jpg

Finally, made a start on the engine ancillaries - coils, horn, etc.
Carbs are now off (slipped off a treat - turns out there were only 2 jubilee clips on the rubbers not 4!)

Gear lever came off, followed by side stand, and then sprocket casing. And that's where I left it for the day..

https://i.imgur.com/cZtFovg.jpg

First ponder and choice has now come to mind. Having a good look at the front of the frame, I have to decide if I take the VIN plate off, and then reattach after powdercoating, or do I trust their masking?

Tempted to grind off the drive screws, pop the VIN plate and then reattach the same. Its pretty battered and I'd like to keep the original. I'm not sure it will survive the PC baking to be honest.
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Fizzer Thou]

That rubber washer where the rear brake torque arm to the back brake should sit between the arm and the brake shoe back plate,not under the locknut

And there have been times when it is almost impossible to loosen the fork top nut with the forks out of the yokes.You may well find yourself placing the forks back into the yokes and placing them in a vice.

Keep the pics coming
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

As interesting as the bike strip down is, and it looks like hopefully it will be a relatively easy restoration, I am more amazed by your spotless garage!
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Bridgehouse]

[Bridgehouse]

[craigs23]

I believe the correct net-lingo-phrase is "Moar Plz".

[Bridgehouse]

Didn't get home from a work appointment till gone 7 tonight, so no work on the bike tonight.

Will have time tomorrow though, but I thought I would give you some teasers in the meantime.

Tomorrows fun and games will include:

Having a good look at the carbs - here they are on the bench

https://i.imgur.com/R6RhnQQ.jpg

Then it's the engine and getting it ready to take out of the frame:

https://i.imgur.com/XuFhK8F.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/60w6ZzW.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IUPMP9C.jpg

All removed parts are labelled and stored in my 'parts store'

https://i.imgur.com/dR6mJh7.jpg

And the big parts ready for sorting and stripping/organising into piles for the next stage of work:

https://i.imgur.com/FfYn491.jpg

I hope some of you are finding this interesting
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2015 Triumph Street Triple - 2015 Honda CB500F - 1976 CB400 Four (Stripped - and undergoing restoration)

[Fazer Tom]

keep it up, I very nearly bought one of these but ended up buying a 76 z400 twin instead. Oh the horror
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(CBT 01/07/11. Theory, 21/05/12. MOD 1, 01/06/12. MOD 2, 3/08/12)

Past: (1981 CG125) (1992 ZZR250 x2) (1976 KZ400) (1993 400 Superfour) (2002 Triumph TT600) (1998 Fazer) (2001 CCM 636) (2000 CCM 604) (2007 Kawasaki Z750) (2005 Husqvarna SM450R) Current: (1989 Bandit 400)

[skiptalker]

brilliant work had a yellow four hundred four in my yoof loving this post more please...