1962 Superhawk Restoration: Here I go

Spargett · Post by **Spargett** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:25 am

A nice detailed shot of the piston "pre-dip". It is now soaking in parts cleaner. Can anyone tell if these rings are worn in any way? They look good to me otherwise.

Is that Hondabond on my crankshaft? Also, you'll see there's quite a bit of gasket mess all about the crankcase. Of which has since been cleaned and prepped for a fresh gasket.

As you'll see here, it was a mess before. Full of corrosion and grime built up. I scrubbed and "sanded" it with a Scotchbrite pad & sponge, as well as using degreaser, Simple Green, and carb cleaner to get most of the garbage off. This is part one of part two. Its looking pretty clean right now. Begging for some paint.

Lower crankcase assembly prepped, clean, and ready for a new gasket upon reassembly. I'm debating whether or no to paint the lower crankcase. Right now I'm leaning towards yes-ish.

Cleaning off the frame in preparation for some minor paint touch up.

e3steve · Post by **e3steve** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:51 pm

You don't necessarily need an oven to bake painted parts, but an old electric oven (gas produces too much moisture) from that kitchen refurb is perfect for small parts. Low temp, though ~ around 100ºC (180ºF). Larger parts can be 'baked' using halogen or infrared lights.

Nice clean-up on the barrels' seat, Scott! Paint the crankcases, IMHO. And I'd re-ring it while it's apart, just because it's a pain in the attic to drop the motor again later (see final sentence). Gaskets, seals, bearings too; unless you're planning a tear-down again next year, when that drip starts or the 'box gets noisy through the gears. Just a thought.....

I agree with Davo; I'd keep an eye on eBay for un-chromed fork shrouds. Painting chrome, no matter how much hard work you put into it, ultimately ends in tears -- unless you're prepping to sell and then move home!

Do a job right, you only have to do it once, mate!!

Spargett · Post by **Spargett** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:30 pm

I'm all for doing the job right the first time. Life's too short. I am going to have a handful or pieces sandblasted and powder coated. I'm thinking the chrome fork sleeves would be a good candidate for that. As far as the rear shocks go. I think I'm going to sell the aftermarket pair I purchased from overseas to someone who needs a set, but doesn't have the budget for the Hagons. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and invest in the Hagons at this point and recoup close to what I paid for the others, while saving someone else who's interested in the other pair the trouble.

I hear ya on doing while I'm down here, but costs are starting to rack up alot lately. I looked on RetroBikes at their selection of rings. Looks like they have aftermarket and OEM sets, which range from $60 - $100. Can anyone tell if my rings look okay? (see photos). Would something like these stains (photo 1 | photo 2) be consistent with bad rings?

e3steve wrote:You don't necessarily need an oven to bake painted parts, but an old electric oven (gas produces too much moisture) from that kitchen refurb is perfect for small parts. Low temp, though ~ around 100ºC (180ºF). Larger parts can be 'baked' using halogen or infrared lights.

Nice clean-up on the barrels' seat, Scott! Paint the crankcases, IMHO. And I'd re-ring it while it's apart, just because it's a pain in the attic to drop the motor again later (see final sentence). Gaskets, seals, bearings too; unless you're planning a tear-down again next year, when that drip starts or the 'box gets noisy through the gears. Just a thought.....

I agree with Davo; I'd keep an eye on eBay for un-chromed fork shrouds. Painting chrome, no matter how much hard work you put into it, ultimately ends in tears -- unless you're prepping to sell and then move home!

Do a job right, you only have to do it once, mate!!

davomoto · Post by **davomoto** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:35 pm

You must check the ring end gap to find out if they are OK. Remove rings from piston, and push into cylinder, about 1 inch down , with piston. The check end gap against manual. I personally would not consider re-assembly with old rings. Have you checked ebay for rings? Usually sell for around $30 for both sets.

davomoto

Spargett · Post by **Spargett** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:10 pm

Thanks Davo, I'll look into that. I appreciate the feedback and input from everyone.

davomoto wrote:You must check the ring end gap to find out if they are OK. Remove rings from piston, and push into cylinder, about 1 inch down , with piston. The check end gap against manual. I personally would not consider re-assembly with old rings. Have you checked ebay for rings? Usually sell for around $30 for both sets. davomoto

Spargett · Post by **Spargett** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 11:48 pm

Apparently a CL77 battery was installed on the bike, which isn't a very big deal, just slightly taller than usual. Which means that the original (much thicker) piece of rubber insulation that's here keeps the bracket from clamping down and holding the battery in place. I took an old piece of tire tube, cut it to spec and glued it on with RTV sealant. Problem solved.

The piece of felt that sits between the rear fender and taillight has seen better days. I picked up a rough chunk of rubber from Capitol Rubber Co. Cut it down to size and drilled holes. I matched the holes to the exact placement as on the felt, yet they don't seem so symmetrical. I guess I'll find out upon installation. Either way, simple to rectify. This should stand up much better than the felt. I think I'll put some electrical tape around the edges when mounting so that it looks even cleaner when on the bike. I plan on doing the same for the piece of felt that lies under the battery.

LOUD MOUSE · Post by **LOUD MOUSE** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:24 am

As issued the CB77 didn't have anything between the tail light bracket and rear fender. Check your parts book. ...........lm

Spargett wrote:Apparently a CL77 battery was installed on the bike, which isn't a very big deal, just slightly taller than usual. Which means that the original (much thicker) piece of rubber insulation that's here keeps the bracket from clamping down and holding the battery in place. I took an old piece of tire tube, cut it to spec and glued it on with RTV sealant. Problem solved.

The piece of felt that sits between the rear fender and taillight has seen better days. I picked up a rough chunk of rubber from Capitol Rubber Co. Cut it down to size and drilled holes. I matched the holes to the exact placement as on the felt, yet they don't seem so symmetrical. I guess I'll find out upon installation. Either way, simple to rectify. This should stand up much better than the felt. I think I'll put some electrical tape around the edges when mounting so that it looks even cleaner when on the bike. I plan on doing the same for the piece of felt that lies under the battery.