Fresh meat!

[Loudo]

Okay...so I haven't done much because I'm waiting for an oil seal. Thought I had ordered the correct seal from the Honda dealer but it turns out I ordered the seal under the clutch lifter instead of the one inside the drive sprocket. I need a little more practice at reading these parts diagrams, it would appear.

In the meantime I puzzled over how to remove the clutch lifter from the crankcase cover and it wasn't obvious. The plastic plug on the outside of the case has a slot which seems to invite the use of a very large screwdriver but it doesn't appear threaded. I'm not big on just whacking stuff with a hammer if I don't know what I'm doing so I've put it aside. I'd like to get in there and clean that ball bearing, that's for sure.

So while preparing to clean the cover, after removing some of the hardened gunk I noticed a crack around a gear hole. I've read these covers often exhibit cracking around the kickstart lever hole especially when lubrication has been inadequate. This crack is not at the kickstart lever hole but the gear hole next to it. I've included photos. I don't know if this crack is severe enough to warrant looking for a different cover to replace it...any of you guys have an opinion about that? The crack is not visible on the outside of the cover, it hasn't migrated that far.

[davomoto]

I'd clean it up really well, and bring it to a good welder. The bushing will have to be removed before welding, as it is bakeolite, and the heat from welding will destroy it. It might not be a bad idea to have a machinist make a new bushing out of brass.

davomoto

[LOUD MOUSE]

That part is cast metal and I'd not worry about that crack/line. Have ya cleaned the area to be sure it's a crack and not a casting line?. ...........lm

Okay...so I haven't done much because I'm waiting for an oil seal. Thought I had ordered the correct seal from the Honda dealer but it turns out I ordered the seal under the clutch lifter instead of the one inside the drive sprocket. I need a little more practice at reading these parts diagrams, it would appear.

In the meantime I puzzled over how to remove the clutch lifter from the crankcase cover and it wasn't obvious. The plastic plug on the outside of the case has a slot which seems to invite the use of a very large screwdriver but it doesn't appear threaded. I'm not big on just whacking stuff with a hammer if I don't know what I'm doing so I've put it aside. I'd like to get in there and clean that ball bearing, that's for sure.

So while preparing to clean the cover, after removing some of the hardened gunk I noticed a crack around a gear hole. I've read these covers often exhibit cracking around the kickstart lever hole especially when lubrication has been inadequate. This crack is not at the kickstart lever hole but the gear hole next to it. I've included photos. I don't know if this crack is severe enough to warrant looking for a different cover to replace it...any of you guys have an opinion about that? The crack is not visible on the outside of the cover, it hasn't migrated that far.

[Paul Strassmaier]

This has to be the weakest spot on the CB72/CB77. I think 8 out of 10 of these I've seen are broken! There was a friend of mine up here that was drilling them out and pressing in a better bushing.

[Loudo]

Ed, I haven't yet cleaned the cover but I'm nearly positive it's a crack. There are very thin casting lines on the outside of the case that could be confused with assuming the crack has made it all the way through the cover, but I don't think so.

Does anyone wish to take a stab at my question about how to remove the clutch adjuster assembly? I note that the parts manual pretends the plastic seal on the cover over this assembly doesn't exist.

[LOUD MOUSE]

Twist the steel part out and shove/push the metal adjuster out. What PLASTIC SEAL?. ..............lm

Ed, I haven't yet cleaned the cover but I'm nearly positive it's a crack. There are very thin casting lines on the outside of the case that could be confused with assuming the crack has made it all the way through the cover, but I don't think so.

Does anyone wish to take a stab at my question about how to remove the clutch adjuster assembly? I note that the parts manual pretends the plastic seal on the cover over this assembly doesn't exist.

[Loudo]

Well, er...um...it's the clutch adjuster (with the large slot) and I hadn't taken a real close look at it but now it appears to be some kind of metal. I got hold of a copy of "Glenn's Honda" for two-cylinder bikes this evening and it shows how to adjust the clutch using the adjuster. I've read lots of reference books and this is the first time I've seen a reference to adjusting the clutch this way. Since I didn't know what it was for, and it appeared to just be a plug, and it looked like a gray piece of plastic.....aw, screw it.

I suppose after enough time goes by I'll know more than I ever thought I would about this bike. But to get there I'm gonna say a bunch of stupid stuff. Wait a minute...I've just described my entire life!