[Ma_gel]

Hi there!

Firstly I am pretty new to customizing motorbikes. I used to work on my Ducati Monster 620 a lot and got into the mood of actually building/customizing something myself. A few days ago I bought a 1979 Honda CB400N. It was standing in a shed for quite a while and I want to totally take it apart, clean it, replace broken parts and put it together again with a few customization here and there. But before I can even think about customizing or even just undoing one screw, I want to be sure to make all the right preparations! I have all the basic tools in the shed and got myself an owners and workshop manual. But I still have a few questions, wich I hope can be answered here:

1. The motor doesn't start, I replaced the spark plugs and checked the usual things. It has done, acording to the clock, only 25'000 miles. Should I rebuild the whole engine or not?
2. Whicht honda specific tools do I need (or would you recomend) for a complete rebuild?
3. Wich cleaning products do you recomend for frame, engine (inside, outside), screws, rust, etc.?

I would really apreciate your help and please don't think bad of me if I posted this in the wrong section (I am a newbie). I will post pictures as soon as i started working.

Thank you & Cheers!

 

[MDM]

It may need rebuilding, it may not (a compression test might help you figure that out).

Are the spark plugs firing decently? Is the "air path" clear, or did a family of rodents build a nest somewhere? When you purchased it, did it look like the fuel tank and carbs had been drained prior to storage, or has old gasoline turned to varnish?

It might be that it was improperly stored and that all you'd need to rebuild would be the carbs. To fire/run, all an engine needs is fuel, air, and spark. Now... You want the fuel/air to be mixed/atomized, the spark to come at the proper time, the rings to be sealing well, the valves to be properly adjusted, et cetera.

It's sort of hard to answer a question like your #1 without any information other than "it won't start." For that matter, everything else could theoritically be fine but a broken/disconnected wire at the starter switch would cause that. Someone who knows what they're talking about will probably be along shortly to help you with some basic troubleshooting, a link to the thread about what to check when - or just after - buying an old Honda, and possibly a link to som "Useful Information."

BtW, welcome to HondaTwins, Ma_gel!

Regards,

 

[dtsmjr8dan]

Check this thread out. http://www.hondatwins.net/forums/67...n/16105-basic-checklist-new-you-old-bike.html

 

[longdistancerider]

More info on the no start. Compression? Spark?, New fuel? etc.

 

[Ma_gel]

Thats great! Thank you for the answers.
I will have time to get to know my new bike a little better this weekend. I will try your suggestions and come back later with an update and some pictures.
Thanks guys!