Well as promised, here it goes!
First off, I feel I should introduce myself somewhat. I live in Saskatoon, Canada. I just had my 30th birthday so the vintage of my bikes exceeds my own age. I found my first bike (1974 CB750) about 10 years ago and have been in love with the old Honda's since. That bike had sat in a field for years and a young drivers father was selling it because he didn't want his son riding a bike. When I got it, the bike ran good but had some awful sissy bars and rack, huge crash bars on the front and back, a trashed seat and no side covers. I polished it up like crazy, got some new side covers and paint and re-did the seat. I slowly picked up more and more technical knowledge spending time in my uncles garage. I still ride it today.
About two years ago a friend called me from a bar (he'd had a few). He had called to tell me he ran into a fella who had a Superhawk for sale. He told me to run to a computer and check it out. I typed in Superhawk, this site popped up. I bought the bike the next week for $500 against my wife's recommendations.
The bike was filthy and hadn't run for about 6-7 years I was told. Unfortunately, over the last two years it was starting to look like my wife's prediction that the bike would rot in my garage was going to come true. Partly due to my lack of knowledge as to where to start and partly due to my own lack of time. I've spent the last couple years peaking at this site, buying up manuals and small parts here and there. Every now and then I would go out to garage to pull a part off and clean it, but was scared to start anything big. At one point I did get it running but only the right side. I stopped working on it when I did a compression test on the left side to find out there was practically none.
CP77 Restoration - First Timer
CP77 Restoration - First Timer
So now that I have the time and confidence to try and tackle the motor, I pulled it from the frame, removed the head and found a lovely hole in the left piston. I wasn't surprised. Based on what I had read I thought that could be causing the lack of compression.
I wasn't sure if I was going to try to tackle taking the head apart. But after reading Bill Silver's manuals and checking out my cam sprocket I decided to remove the cam and repair the loose sprocket, clean the head and re-lap the valves. After lots of reading and too much time staring at the head on the bench, I finally was able to remove the camshafts. Unfortunately, I damaged the advance system in the center of the sprocket. So for all of you reading this I'm searching for that part (I've included a picture of this part:). I've been trying to clean the parts with little luck. I've been reading the threads on sandblasting and borrowed a home-made sandblast cabinet from my father in law. He dropped it off today. It needs a little TLC before it's usable. But hey free is free. I've had the block to the machine shop and was told the first oversize pistons will be fine. If anyone has a set of pistons and rings for sale please PM me. I ordered a gasket set from Retrobikes today. So that's where I'm at. I'll get the blaster going, clean the parts and hopefully order my pistons/rings in the next week. Stay tuned and wish me luck. I think I'll need it.
Part Needed.Here's a pic of the advancer part I need. It sits in the center of the cam sprocket. Anyone out there with this part?
After market front fender. What are the frame numbers? Get a new cam sprocket. The piston could be advanced timing that side/lean. .................lm
RIDE IT DON'T HIDE IT!
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||