1972 Honda CB175 Super Sport restoration

[911hillclimber]

Yes, all bike of this 70's era have much the same multiple-plate wet clutch system, even my old Terrot had the same, just rather smaller!
Long afternoon on the bike and a few fights along the way.
Keep on finding parts that are missing that stops progress or completing a stage before I can move on.

Clutch and centrifugal oil filter went together well and the side cover too except the gasket was punched in 2 places for 6mm bolts and not the dowl tubes, but easy to sort. The stainless bold kit off ebay is missing some bolts.. , and has 6mm washers of different diameters...but had some in stock.

Over to the generator/starter motor side and that went ok for a while, the starter drive chain gear guide was missing and I can't remember taking it off with the starter chain and gears and it looks like it had never been there from 1972. So, made a new one and all's well.
Generator magnet popped on, starter motor too and then came to the side cover and the eccentric clutch adjusting boss. The clamp fork is missing... Cast steel so can't make one but might try if I can't easily find one.

The adjustor was seized in the cover (die cast alum with a die cast boss, a good galling combination, but sorted.

There has in the past been a mini adventure in the engine primary sprocket/chain area that as tweeked a few parts, maybe why the bike came off the road in '86?

So, Hamilton won, Mrs HC made a cuppa to celebrate and that closed the garage for the day.

Lots still to do while missing parts are found, boxes are rapidly emptying and going in the bin.

[911hillclimber]

The long build continued this afternoon.

Pistons went back on after one fight with a flying pin wire clip, what ever happened to circlips?

The pistons are closely guarded by 8 cylinder head studs and access is tricky, and I've got very small hands, prob Japanese size..
Cam chain tensioner next followed by said chain nearly making a total escape into the sump of the engine, but caught quicker than Freddie Flintoff could.

The cylinder block was eased on over the rings, no compressors required but always making sure one is not trapped along the way.
Then that was that!

Moved onto the head and assembled the valve seals which are only fitted to the inlet side, the exhaust has no stem seal.
Guides are steel! seems odd, but again waiting a spring seat spacer from David Silver's so just did 3 valves.
Those collets are so small.

going to have a break from the bike for a few days, taking the chrome to another place in Coventry on Thursday, hope it is better than the Brummie!

[jwhillracer]

JW

[911hillclimber]

HA!
Some parts arrived today, so can finish the valves in the head and the clutch actuator.

Great that you can buy these small misc parts for a 1972 Honda and pay £5 each and 36 hours delivery from a choice of 3 suppliers! Lots of the bits are in Honda packaging too.

Mind you, need to be careful, set of points looking suspiciously like Morris Minor ones, from 2 of them are listed @ £29, NOS on ebay, £5.

Just the ticket for an old 68 year chap in a garage..

[911hillclimber]

Back on the job late this afternoon.

Cylinder head on after a tense time threading the small cam chain through the slot in the head and then assembled all the cam and rocker arms/tappets into the tight spaces only to find the chain (new) was 2 links short...

The cam has to be at 12.0'clock with the crank at tdc, the crank marks are easy to see, the cam? Talk about a faint mark, but found it. All loosed in place the 2 sides of the chain are wrapped round the cam sprocket and thus 2 links short was apparent.

Had to enlist the apprentice to help, aka Mrs Hillclimber who really is not mechanically minded, but after lifting the head a few times the chain was to one side of the crank sprocket and once back in the right place it all slotted together.

Loose link in the right way round and turned carefully the crank over to check there were no tight spots and that the engine timing marks came round to where they should be.

All present and correct.

Then it dawned on me...the condenser of all things is clamped under a cylinder head nut (!) and perches on top of the engine, the other cb was the same, what a strange place to fit it, almost an after thought. Of course, I don't have a new or old one, previous owner must have misplaced it along with (so far) 12 other major parts.
Thus I can't really torque the head down until I have paid £28 for one !

Anyway the base engine is done, ignition side to be done and the engine timed, then into the frame. Big step in that sentence.

[911hillclimber]

Well, try 36 euro for one condenser!
Something special about them I guess.
As a twin, both pots firing at the same time is thecondenser something special?
Cannot find a cheaper one anywhere.

[Nine One One]

Took about 30 seconds...............


https://pitstophull.co.uk/index.php?rou ... order=DESC

[911hillclimber]

Nearly bought that last night, price doubled with post, vat etc.
Got mine today, ordered from CMSL. Most of their parts come in a Honda package.
The mounting tab is also the wrong orientation, maybe a pattern part?



Many of their other parts look cheap to buy, levers etc.
I still have tons of bits to get sadly.

[smallspeed]

i've used a stock looking lucas one on my CB160/175/190 frankenstein - seems to work ok, but was about £8
wisdom when i was looking for one originally (and had the same issue as you re: cost! ) was both cylinders firing together isn't a major deal for the condenser even at the higher rpms of these engines

[911hillclimber]

You could well be right, but I thought (advice off HondaTwins) the rpm/2 cylinders would get to a 'normal' condenser..not sure, but I hate unreliability.

Had the day in the cool garage while the world bakes.

Plan was to finish the engine build/timing and press on with the forks and other painting/cleaning tasks.

The mega condenser arrived yesterday, so armed with all the right parts the came and lobes were drowned in assembly lube, head and head cover were all torqued down using new stainless domed nuts. The fasteners came as a kit off ebay, and one of the nuts had no thread cut inside! Oddly, I had a spare, how come

All done inc the 'hidden' M6 bolts, the cam chain tensioner was released and tightened.
Next came the small tappet adjusters, 0.002" clearance, feels like working on a watch.

The 4 adjuster covers were very corroded, and new ones are long gone, so machined the faces on my old lathe and after a skim, some harsh rubbing pad action, all were painted and look good, would have cost about £30. Off-set that pesky condenser!

Next came the ignition timing which is delightfully easy and all set in 20 mins. The timing for both cylinders is a compromise as the timing is not dead the same, this engine uses one contact breaker set and two lobes for the twin, but pleased with where I have it set. Getting this timing close is very precise, hairs splitting the timing positions to the mark on the crank.
Polished some more alloy covers to 'seal' the engine off for now.
I expect to get the engine in the frame on Sunday while Lewis is doing us proud at Silverstone. Hope to get the bike on my trusty assembly table too.

Cleaned the forks, washed all the debris out of them, dead fork oil and more and did the first polish on the lower fork castings. Looking good, hope to finish them tomorrow.

Good progress, good feeling.

[911hillclimber]

A long afternoon in the garage.
Engine slotted into the frame, went in a dream, all paint intact.
Fresh bolts, stainless washers, nyloc nuts, I love doing this stage of the job.

Frame mounted to the assembly table which saves my back and is a DIY godsend, this is the 5th 2 wheeler to sit on it.
Started to add lots of parts esp the loom (hate these wire bits) and I'm convinced half of it is missing. The loom is new, many of the ancillaries are missing.

Found a spare headlamp switch so save a lot there, but no horn. Why has the horn gone?
Painted a few more parts getting ready to fit the rear suspension which will include all new coil-overs.

As a rest, re-assembled the front forks which was a snip until you have to fit the seals. Managed to find an exhaust pipe reducer from at least 35 years ago which happened to be the perfect diameter to drift the seals home and the circlips popped into place like new!

A good day in the Den.

Oh, and fixed the creeeeeeeking noise on the rear of the wife's Citigo too! (VAG German Engineering at it's not so best....)

[KS]

Would you consider doing the engine for my café racer project when you're done? Serious question, because I don't have the facilities here...

[911hillclimber]

Can I please answer that question when this one is done?
These twins are not hard, just a bit awkward, but, so nice to do!
Could be Xmas, wife saying I'm doing this one too fast...so need to slow down.

Spending tomorrow on a Boxster issue, that should slow me down somewhat.

[smallspeed]

Looking good

[Gary71]

Looks really good Graham, you’ve got to be happy with that

I’ve not forgotten about the seat, couldn’t get into the house!