Honda CB350 Project

[00Reid]

Hi,

Been reading the forums for a long time, but made very few posts. Thought this might be a good way to kick it off. I've just bought a Honda CB350 SG (1988) in good working order and intend do a general rebuild, preferably staying out of the fiddly engine bits (cause I'm a woos like that).

I'm 17, male, pretty engineeringly (?) minded, been boatbuilding GRP yachts for 3 years. Haven't done my test, but this is a kick up the arse to getting it done, planned mid-Feb, post-exams and snowboarding .

Important stuff... Have started ripping the bike apart, intend to get at the frame and do a complete strip and spray (advice here appreciated but will go in to more depth when I get there). I've started from the front. Off come the clocks, handlebars, indicators and headlight, followed by some serious noting down of the wiring (I'm slowly compiling a wiring diagram). A quick picture of the current stage:
https://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb348/Phil_Reid/CB350/PICT0022.jpg?t=1295036659

Now, everything I've done so far is easy, I've just pieced it apart, making sure I know where everything goes back. However, the reason for the photo above is that it outlines my next step, removing the forks. I'd very much like to do this whole and leave the wheel, brakes, mudguard, so on and so forth in one piece, and deal with that lot seperately. I've never undone one of those big old pesky steering bearing nuts, and would appreciate any heads up as to whether it is going to collapse on me or not. Am I likely to find bits and bobs in there that will be difficult to put back together or is it simply a greased pipe through the frame?
Please excuse any stupidity, but I'd rather ask first, as it's new to me.

My next question, alongside this, is to sort some cosmetic stuff. Below is the left hand airbox cover.
https://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb348/Phil_Reid/CB350/dfgdfg.jpg?t=1295037437
Notice 1 lug missing? The right hand side battery box cover has all 3 missing. I figure if I filled a jar or tin with something to make a quick mould, fill that with a little polyester resin with silica or bubbles to make a filler and pop out a few new lugs. Sand, bish, bash, the works and then glass them onto the old covers, standard? Question is what to make the original mould from. I'll have to consider how to split the mould (to get it off). Anyone got any experience of this sort of thing?

I'll have endless more questions, and will try to take better photos (and photos of the whole bike) when I organise some proper lighting in the garage. A torch and the camera is the best I can do at the moment, the overhead lights just don't cut it.

Quick finance stop?

Bike (at mates rates) - £150
Replacement (second hand) Oil Cooler (Ebay) - £25

Total so far - £175

Appreciate any help!

[N cee thirty]

ooh coolio

rob scott on here has one like this,tis nice
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[MaybeGuy]

is that the same piece of shit thats been sat in the breakers for centuries?

and yachts... grp... PYI?

why mention you're male?

and what board do you have? (it's relative)
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[stinkwheel]

It would be making life unecessarily difficult to leave the wheel in in my oppinion. That would make it hard to remove the forks and it would be hard to remove the wheel if the forks are out of the bike.

So, advice 1, remove the wheel. This should simply be a case of undoing the wheel nut and any pinch bolts on the bottom of the forks them pulling the spindle out. There will usually be the speedo drive on one side of the wheel hub and a "top hat" spacer on the other side. The wheel should simply roll out from between the forks. If it's a drum brake, you can leave this in place. If it's a disc brake, you might need to remove the calliper first (depending on design).

Next remove the forks. Simple enough, undo the pinch bolts on both the top and bottom yokes and there is nothing (other than dried grease and rust) stopping them from being pulled out straight down. I personally find it easier to remove the mudguard first so I can remove them one at a time.

If they are being recalcitrant, I find getting a socket with extension bar on the top of the fork caps and giving it a few sharp taps with a mallett/deadblow hammer gets them moving nicely.

Ok, now you have the frame with the yokes in it. Unless they've been replaced before, it will have two sets of loose ball bearings in the headstock. Your'e safe enough to remove the big nut on the top and lift the top-yoke off. Underneath there will be either two lock-nuts (which have notches instead of flats to undo them with) or one lock nut and a tab washer.

You need a c-spanner to undo locknuts. I found a picture of someone doing this exact job on a different bike:
https://faq.f650.com/FAQs/Photos/SteeringPhotos/SlottedNutTighten.jpg

Undo and remove the topmost nut or flatten out the tab on the washer.

The next nut is the tricky one. This is what is holding the bearings together. I can pretty much garauntee that no matter how careful you are, it's going to start raining loose ball bearings at some point. If i was wanting to reuse them, I'd put a big clean sheet down under the bike at this point so they can't roll away when they fall on the floor.

So, you need to hold the bottom yoke hard up against the headstock with one hand while you undo the nut with the other. Under that will be one or more washers then the top bearing race. When you lift this off, you'll see the bearings which will now usually proceed to fall out everywhere. In the unlikely even that they don't, catch them with a magnet.

Now all that is holding the yoke in is your hand. Lower the bottom yoke and all the bottom bearings will fall out too.

It's apart.

To reassemble, you stick the bearings to the bottom race with grease, push it up into position and hold it there. With your free hand, you stick the top bearings on the race with grease, slide the top race over them and screw the nut back down onto it (with the appropriate washers)

Pain in the arse huh?

That's why most people, having stripped one this far, go a step further and replace the bearings with caged taper-roller bearings that just plonk on in one piece. You can buy these as a kit. The problem here is you then need to remove the old bearing races which is a whole other can of worms (there are many threads on this subject).

Regarding the tabs. Since you seem happy about casting up new lugs. Could you make a negative mould of the one that's still there by pressing a big blob of blu-tak over it, cutting it in half with a sharp knife in situ, then gently pressing it together again once it's off? You'd probably be able to add more blu-tak round the bottom of the mould so your new lug has a "foot" on it to assist attachment.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[00Reid]

[Teflon-Mike]

[00Reid]

Damn, thanks Teflon-Mike. That looks like the first two answers in a nutshell.
I am interested to know, as in the link, whether it is possible to remove the top yoke without the bearing, this would suit my needs much better. If it ain't broken and all that

[Teflon-Mike]

[MaybeGuy]

[rob_scott92]

This thread makes me excited! It actually does

If you do so happen to touch the engine, make sure you get the parts before hand. Gaskets is likely to be a problem, aswell as rather important parts such as pistons and valves (see my compression test thread )
Although saying that, i've just priced up new pistons 2 gaskets and valve stem oil seals for £71.

I also notice you've got the black one, not as good as the white in my opinion

You've picked the right bike in my eyes (obviously) great workhorse

EDIT: i also have the FULL workshop manual for it, so if you want any pages scanning dont hesitate to ask.
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First bike: 1982 Suzuki Gs 125 'The beast MK1' > 1988 Honda Cb 350's' FOR SPORT! (Good ol' oil burner!) > 2001 Suzuki Sv 650 's' Made it out of the 80's! > 1997 Honda Cbr 600f :p

[00Reid]

David Silver-
Clicky

Steering bearings £30 + £8.50 for seals. I would, but the steering feels good and I'd rather spend what I can where it needs it.
Japanese eBay knockoffs?-
Clicky

I took the top yoke off and sorted the blocks that stop the steering going as far as hitting the tank.
Also fixed the garage roof, that was dripping constantly on my head.
Drained the oil, removed the old oil cooler which required a very stuck bolt being removed, will hopefully get some practice in with the tap and whip a new thread where I made a mess of the old one (schoolboy error).
Took the rear seat cowl off, which promptly disintegrated into about 11 pieces. Keeping my eyes out for a new one. Fingers crossed this could work .
More dull general cleaning involved. Certainly not as exciting as Turboing it.

Just saw your post Robscott92. Where did you get your manual? I've had a very brief look around online and didn't see one for the SG. The chances are I'll stay out the engine, cause it runs well and I'll end up making it worse.
I'll keep your offer of manual pages in mind, I'll probably need them on the putting it back together stage. Thanks

[stinkwheel]

If you're happy working with fibreglass, might it not work out cheaper (and probably better and stronger) to patch the bits of the seat cowl together with gaffa tape and snot then use this to lay up a negative mould?

Then you could make a super-sexy carbon fibre one.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[00Reid]