CA77E Deconstruction

[Dr. Frankenstein]

I'm in the process of taking apart the '63 305 I have, and thought I would post some photos; man, it's like a haunted house in there - cobwebs and rust everywhere! I even came across a little BLACK spider in the fork debris, and thought I sprayed him good with carb cleaner, but then spied him rappelling off my arm! He did not survive the fall...

CA77E Forks by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr

Headlight bucket -not sure I like that corroded crossbar - but it might still work...
CA77E Headlight Bucket by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr

Left-front fork - not sure if this is a problem or not yet...
CA77E Fork Rust by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr

Meh - what do you think? Coat of paint?? (I'm going to try to fill these little pinholes with solder, see what happens...). That's going to be some Serious primer-filler!
CA77E Fender Pin Holes by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr


And a big Shout-Out to the Harbor Freight Half-Inch Electric Impact Wrench - Only $47.99 ($38 with a 20% Off coupon!). Perfect for those pesky 50+ year old rusty bolts and has yet to be defeated. I've replaced Car crankshafts with this thing...highly recommended! Combine it with some HF impact sockets and I don't think there's anything it can't do; very torquey, too! This is my Go-To when a bolt exhibits an attitude...
HF Impact Wrench by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr

[brewsky]

Did it look like this?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/143996376 ... ed-public/

[Dr. Frankenstein]

No, living in Virginia there's all kinds of things out in the woods here trying to kill you, black widows among them(deer are the worst) - ALTHOUGH, I first thought it Could be a Male black widow, especially while I was examining it as it made it's way first down it's thread and then started back up towards me, but he didn't make it that far..."A" for Effort, though...:)

No, this one had a skinny body, with 3 little sections, it looked like...all black, with little pedi-palps on the front that looked like little scrub-brushes; he looked like he could fit comfortably on a dime, with his legs and all. it actually looked like an ant at first, and I examined it as it went down and up it's thread - no hourglass or anything, but it was a shiny coal-black. "Shiny" is Mother Nature's little warning sign to me. And strangely enough, per your location I got the bike from a guy in West Virginia..! But I don't know what it was. A False Black Widow, maybe...? I was just researching spiders of Virginia/ West Virginia, and that looks like the closest I remember.

[mike1969]

I paid $149.95 for the identical electric impact wrench 30 yrs. ago at Sears!

[rrietman]

John; you have some serious rust going on there. the fork is probably not worth repairing and the fenders can be had for for pretty low $$ as well. you should take a good look at the entire bike and make sure It is a viable project. what you have going for you is It is an early bike.
Good luck
Randy

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Yes, it is an Early bike, with a fairly rare un-holed gas tank which is what made me buy it in the first place, and then decided to go for it when I saw how clean the engine was inside; but the fork coverings are mostly there to hide the triple-tree bolts, and the big bolts on the bottom of the forks go to support the wheel, so I think that sheet metal rust-through won't impact the structural strength of the fork itself; plus with the wheel on, those spots on the fender and forks are pretty much hidden unless you go looking for them.


If I was restoring this bike to show I would replace them, but I mostly have fun rebuilding these bikes as a hobby, to make them look good and run well, and I enjoy the challenges that age and neglect present in the process. They've taught me a lot about mechanics, patience, rust repair and prevention, painting techniques, combustion and timing and more. And it's amazing to me that if you get One, they start to multiply!

Besides those two rust areas, the rest of the frame - while having some surface rust spots - is whole; there aren't any more through-and-through rust spots on it; the coil still tests good, and the starter spins over too! So now it's just a matter of refinishing, repainting and rebuilding - I'm thinking gunmetal metallic, with maybe some blood-red pinstriping...

[G-Man]

I'm with Randy on the fork. Those holes will affect the integrity of the fork. It would be a good idea to look for a replacement. The fender is not structural so that is less of an issue.

G

Yes, it is an Early bike, with a fairly rare un-holed gas tank which is what made me buy it in the first place, and then decided to go for it when I saw how clean the engine was inside; but the fork coverings are mostly there to hide the triple-tree bolts, and the big bolts on the bottom of the forks go to support the wheel, so I think that sheet metal rust-through won't impact the structural strength of the fork itself; plus with the wheel on, those spots on the fender and forks are pretty much hidden unless you go looking for them.


If I was restoring this bike to show I would replace them, but I mostly have fun rebuilding these bikes as a hobby, to make them look good and run well, and I enjoy the challenges that age and neglect present in the process. They've taught me a lot about mechanics, patience, rust repair and prevention, painting techniques, combustion and timing and more. And it's amazing to me that if you get One, they start to multiply!

Besides those two rust areas, the rest of the frame - while having some surface rust spots - is whole; there aren't any more through-and-through rust spots on it; the coil still tests good, and the starter spins over too! So now it's just a matter of refinishing, repainting and rebuilding - I'm thinking gunmetal metallic, with maybe some blood-red pinstriping...