I Lightened Ole Faithful

[LWRider]

My CB350 sans motor. I finally have my Savage running well and rideble so it is time for my baby to get some tender loving care. The motor was an oily mess, in spite of good compression and running well, so out comes the motor to replace the gaskets from the head up. A look at the cams reveals almost new condition, so fixing her up should be relatively uncomplicated. Also up is getting the electric start back to functioning. I have been kickstarting for over a year now.



The only thing stopping me for now from getting on with it are three stubborn screws holding the points case on. It is too close to use my short bitted impact driver on this side because of the very real likelihood of breaking something. I got the other side off and one on this side and have been soaking with Strong Arm and PB Blaster. I pooped out for today and will let it sit overnight before attempting them again, this time maybe with some heat if the soaking doesn't work.



The frame will get a good cleaning while the motor is out, along with the motor itself, so it will be all nice and shiny for my trip to the Smokies in May.

Cheers,

Mike, rider with grimy hands

[Schneiderman]

Very cool, and very clean bike. I've had the urge to get a classic bike again (used to have a cb650) and do a minor resto but I don't have the time. Working on two cars, plus school and work. Plus my concours needs enough maintenance as it is.

[LWRider]

Having one to restore can be fun--as long as you have another to ride while it is tied up. I've been putting this off whiel the Savage got rideable. Ideally, I'd have a modern Bonnie out in the garage to ride most the time and a couple dozen old uns to mess with.

[Lurch77]

I love getting into older bikes. I just replaced all the top end gaskets in my '94 XT350 (base gasket and up). Like your bike, it had excellent compression and ran good, but was weeping oil all over. It gave me to the chance to check the cylinder, rings, cams, etc. All looked well. Unlike you, this bike allowed the removal of the top end without having to pull the whole engine from the frame. A huge savings of labor and time.

[Dodsfall]

I never understood what the heck they were thinking by bolting a bike together with Phillips-head screws.

Since you will be removing them (hopefully), did you consider replacing them with Allen-head bolts?

[WIP]

When I saw the first pic, I couldn't figure out what the tanks where for. I thought you had some sort of water jet bike.

[CookinBeans]

And where in these alleged Smokies do you plan to ride?

[LWRider]

Originally Posted by CookinBeans

And where in these alleged Smokies do you plan to ride?

My brother lives in Greer, so will be stopping by there to see him and maybe he will ride with me some. Must stop in at Bob's PLace on 178. I am heading to Pigeon Forge to meet Badinfluence and I would like to see the museum at Maggie Valley if I can. Probably be in the area from May 7 or 8 through the 13th I reckon'.

Mike

[Biker Dash]

Sweet! Doin your own work like this is half the fun of having a bike. (though it's helpful to have a 2nd bike so you can still ride when the 1st is tore apart lol) While your doin that, you gonna replace the dented fork cover? (at least it looks dented in the pic)

Originally Posted by LWRider

The only thing stopping me for now from getting on with it are three stubborn screws holding the points case on. It is too close to use my short bitted impact driver on this side because of the very real likelihood of breaking something. I got the other side off and one on this side and have been soaking with Strong Arm and PB Blaster. I pooped out for today and will let it sit overnight before attempting them again, this time maybe with some heat if the soaking doesn't work.

Um, Mike, I dont know about you, but I count four screws, not three.

[LWRider]

Originally Posted by Animedevildog

Sweet! Doin your own work like this is half the fun of having a bike. (though it's helpful to have a 2nd bike so you can still ride when the 1st is tore apart lol) While your doin that, you gonna replace the dented fork cover? (at least it looks dented in the pic)



Um, Mike, I dont know about you, but I count four screws, not three.

Upper left is loose. Honda loved those phillips heads. And, yes, I have considered replacing those I can with allen, especially the sides case screws. I hate banging on the thing with an impact driver.

[murphyshuman]

Mike....is it faster with all the weight gone?

I remember when my favorite tool was a yankee screwdriver on my old dirt bikes....the spanish loved phillips heads too!

[Biker Dash]

Originally Posted by LWRider

And, yes, I have considered replacing those I can with allen

If you can find them, torx head is even better.

Originally Posted by murphyshuman

Mike....is it faster with all the weight gone?

Still faster than a softtail

[LWRider]

One of these days I will tend to the fork cover dents; I think they will pop right out, but I love riding the ole gal too much to disable her for very long.

"Mike....is it faster with all the weight gone?"

Faster than when Crash tried to ride her out of town on one cylinder I can Flintstone her faster than that!

[Biker Dash]

Originally Posted by LWRider

Faster than when Crash tried to ride her out of town on one cylinder I can Flintstone her faster than that!

SLAM!!!!!!!!

[ScrumDown]

Originally Posted by LWRider

I hate banging on the thing with an impact driver.

But I LIKE banging HER with MY impact driver!
.
.
.
Badum tish!

[iamjustifyd]

"A look at the cams reveals almost new condition, so fixing her up should be relatively uncomplicated."

I'm just putting this here for future reference. Whenever I go into something...this shouldn't take too long....bam!!

[j2look]

The only thing stopping me for now from getting on with it are three stubborn screws holding the points case on. It is too close to use my short bitted impact driver on this side because of the very real likelihood of breaking something. I got the other side off and one on this side and have been soaking with Strong Arm and PB Blaster. I pooped out for today and will let it sit overnight before attempting them again, this time maybe with some heat if the soaking doesn't work.




Mike, before putting heat to it try tapping the screws. Sometime the viabration helps to loosen it also. Hope this works for you.

[LWRider]

Originally Posted by j2look

Mike, before putting heat to it try tapping the screws. Sometime the viabration helps to loosen it also. Hope this works for you.

I have been trying that, but so far to no avail. I applied more PB and tried a couple times yesterday but they were not budging. If I could find longer impact driver bits I could get them out. The bits I have are short and the body of the tool will hit the surrounding aluminum. The upper left screw didn't have any extrusions in the way, neither did the tach side, so those came out fairly easily with the driver. I wonder if they make long driver bits and if so where I could find one.

[j2look]

I use one of these if you don't have one get one.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947641000P

along with one like this

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&blockType=G11

[iamjustifyd]

Peanut Butter does not loosen screws. No wonder you can't get them out

[LWRider]

Originally Posted by j2look

I use one of these if you don't have one get one.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00947641000P

along with one like this

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&blockType=G11

Ahhh. I have the top, but I do not have the bottom. We do have a Sears here, so I think it is worth going out there to see if I can pick a bit like that up. The tool alone, the tapered part hits the surrounding aluminum, but something longer like the bottom link woudl probably do; I am not lacking much.

[LWRider]

j2look, thanks a bunch! I went to Sears and picked up one of those socket/bits and off they came. I knew that (and peanut butter ) would work!

Making real good progress now. Thought I was going to have real problems unsticking the cam case, but then all of a sudden it popped. The head came off with no resistance at all.



The cam looks beautiful:



Cheers,

Mike

[j2look]

I'm glad it helped.

Wishing you good luck on the rebuild.

[Dodsfall]

Be sure to use loc-tite on the cam gear bolts when you put it back together.

[LWRider]

Ready for reassembly!

Before:


After:


Clean combustion chambers:


Top of head:


Cam case bottom:


And cam case top:


And various and sundry clean parts awaiting reassembly:


Even the fins are clean and the frame will be before the vroom vroom goes back in.

Cheers,

Mike, who had to trailer a recalcitrant Savage back from Tavares last night returning about two am. (Likely cause was a bad coil connection.)

[iamjustifyd]

Looks good Mike!! Hope you get it all back together and it works the first time!!

[murphyshuman]

lookin good Mike! Be sure to get a good break in and test ride before you start your trip!

[Biker Dash]

Let Crash break it in!

[Deadpool]

I haaaate those screws. Actually, there are many screws on my old machine that had to be drilled out. Most were stuck in from years of abuse. I think the old girl was a learner bike from the get.

[LWRider]

Well, got her together and gave her a kick and she started right up. A good cleaning inside the starter still did not solve that problem, so later I will have to take off the rotor and check the starter clutch, but for now kicking works. I installed new Iridium plugs; we'll see if there is any difference as many have reported. Unfortunately, the shift lever decided at this very moment to strip out past useability, so I cannot ride her. (Worked fine before I took everything apart.) Will have to pick up another. I'll be at Leesburg tomorrow, maybe someone will have vintage parts.



Cheers,

Mike

[buellosaurusrex]

.....and the memories come flooding back..... Say, maybe I should write a story about it? Whatcha think, Mike? :

Nice write-up on the build! And such great photos!
(There may be a great future for you in the publishing industry!)

[LWRider]

Thanks BRex. Publishing? hmmmm. There's an idea!

Well I took her out. I had the crazy idea to make a shim out of a Coke can and wrap it around the shift shaft. Worked--for a while. I did a five mile ride or so but the lever kept slipping and getting worse by the minute. Found another shifter on eBay which shoud be here maybe tomorrow.

One concern I have is when I got back there was oil dripping off the left side. When I first started her up, though, I had removed the oil check screw above there to make sure I had good flow to the cam case and I had a time screwing it back in with the motor running and spewing oil all over while I fumbled with it. (I know, I know, why didn't I shut it off?) I was very bad and did a half-*ssed job of cleaning it. So, I am hoping what I saw dripping after the ride was oil that was back in the recesses of the fins that had blown out while riding. It all was concentrated below the area of that oil plug (and blown back all over the carb--of course). I cleaned it up well this time and once the shifter is here I will try a ride again. The right side was dry as a bone, so with the bike leaning on the side stand it makes sense that oil cam from the plug. We'll see.

By the way, I've mentioned it before but these CBs have very shallow points covers. There is hardly any clearance between the terminal on the points (left one especially) and the cover. When I started it for the ride I had cold air coming from the left pipe and it was obviously running on only one cylinder. (Why it did not do the same the first time I started it, I don't know.) I opened the points cover and bent the wire lug on the left points back carefully with a pair of needle nose pliers and the left cyclinder fired once again, with good even pressure from both sides and equal heat. So, if any of you have one of these or similar and lose a cylinder, before doing anything else, look at the points and make sure they do not touch. This has happened to me several times, including losing a weekend of Bike Week last year over it before discovering the problem.

The bike ran fine on my ride, but seemed less powerful, but that may be because I have been riding the Virgin Whore, which while not fast in the top end, will throw my head back when taking off. So maybe I am just used to that extra torque; add to that the fact that I have geared the CB for highway (extra tooth front sprocket) and it might explain that sensation.

Cheers,

Mike

[Biker Dash]

So, no real change from using the iridiup plugs?

[LWRider]

Originally Posted by Animedevildog

So, no real change from using the iridiup plugs?

Too early to tell, really.

[LWRider]

WooHoo! Well, I had not done a compression check until today, I guess partly 'cause I didn't want to see a bad reading after all the work. I drug myself out there a bit ago and plugged in the checker and started jumping on the kick start, WOT. Right side=152psi, Left side=165psi. Manual says between 140psi and 170psi and that the acceptable range (for where I am) between the two is 166psi/124psi. While it would be nice to see 165 both sides; I still am right where I should be. This makes me believe my little oil "leak" is not a leak at all, but left over mess from checking the top end flow.

Mike

[buellosaurusrex]

Nice work on the completion! Those compressions are fairly good numbers and will come up once you start loading up the piston domes with carbon. (trust me here, ok?)
Since you already bought a new shifter, I won't tell you that you could have easily fixed your problem by spreading the split on the spline lug and making a quick pass with a carbide "zip wheel". It would serve no purpose to tell you this now, and might also publicly embarrass you at not having thought of it yourself, so Mum's the Word... 'K?

I still have a soft spot for 350's.......

[LWRider]

I actually thought of that but didn't think I could get a wheel in that tight spot. Maybe I will give it a try anyway; never hurts to have spares.