Truing a 305 crank

[Nick]

Can a crank be checked for runout while mounted in one of the case halves with only the two center bearings fitted. I pressed off the outer crank wheels to check the bearings (all was well). However, as those who have taken these cranks apart know, a tremendous amount of force is needed to do so. So, is it possible to shift the outer wheels the conventional way with heavy brass hammer if needed?

[Nick]

Good news! With the outer crank bearings removed, the lower crankcase does in fact make a nice truing stand. Better still, even a medium size brass mallet is enough to shift the crank webs in the desired direction.

Turns out all this work was unneeded. My worries about the rod bearings were completely unfounded as the bearings/pins/rods were in excellent shape. The 305 engine is without doubt one the most robust and well-designed street engines Honda ever built.

If anyone needs Superhawk/Scrambler parts I have a partially disassembled engine, complete with carbs and tach drive if anyone needs something.

[G-Man]

Did you check for dirt/sludge in the centrifuges and big-end pin?
I strip the crank completely and clean everything before reassembly.
Like you, I true up in the crankcase but use my press rather than a mallet.

[Nick]

No, I had no idea there were sludge traps there. I just pulled off the outer webs, checked the rods and pressed them back on. Unfortunately, my work environment is very primitive (car port), my work bench is the top of a dryer and the press I use is in one of the old B-24 revetments at Dillingham Airfield on the North Shore of Oahu and may be of WWII vintage.
Never thought of using the press to align the wheels, that's brilliant.

My spare CB engine also has frozen pistons, so I removed the cylinder studs, made a wooden stand to orient the cylinders vertically and, with the lower case removed, will press out the pistons on the press, sparing the crank and pistons any mayhem.
My Dream was so badly frozen that I had to destroy one of the pistons to unfree it and I don't repeat that ordeal.

Thanks for the advice and tips.