[dgallagher]

Well I guess I am hooked, I found a second cb 450 to work on, its a 1973 cb450 with 7900 miles on it and pretty good shape, plan to do another cafe but this time with a 350f tank and maybe go all red we will see. The compression is 178 on both, I ran it for just a minute when I picked it up and it ran fine, needs the usual tune up and carbs rebuilt. The carbs were leaking out the over flow and slight smell of gas in oil so I drained oil and cleaned filter. Filter did not appear to have been cleaned in a very long time and maybe only once at that as the Phillips head screws were pristine which is rare. I found some metal in the filter enough to get my attention anyway, and the o ring on the slinger was mangled, which is not a good thing, so here is my question to you guy's, look at the pictures of the cam and tell me if you think this is to much ware and I need to be looking at a rebuild, or should I pull the side covers flush the engine clean the filter screen, verifiy oil is going up top and just leave it alone. I change my oil every 1000 and clean filter at same time however with this engine I will probably change oil right away after a short run and then fill it again. What do you think?

 

[Rich Ard]

Re: cb450/2

I vote tie it back up and pretend that you never opened it - what a find!

 

[66Sprint]

Re: cb450/2

Cams are trashed..... Probably all the tappets except the one on the nice lobe (right intake) are gone as well....
This is a good example of what can happen with even a little fuel in the oil.....

 

[jeepkj2005]

Re: cb450/2

Great thing about 2 cb450s is that you can:

1. either rebuild one engine while the other is running.
2. run the them both until they can't run anymore and then fix or replace the engine that breaks first.
3. take the best parts from both and combine them on one of the two bikes

It's really awesome I would love to have a spare bike

 

[Rich Ard]

Re: cb450/2

hahaha - posted my response in the wrong thread. I'm best ignored.

 

[dgallagher]

Re: cb450/2

well not what I wanted to hear but it is what I was expecting. 66sprint any chance I could email or call you on what my best plan of attack would be? let me know, in the meen time I will start review all related post to beef up my knowlege.

 

[66Sprint]

Re: cb450/2

Phone anytime....************..... You'll have to call back at 540-427-4256 once I shut down computer..... E-mails are also fine, but slower..... :lol: :lol: :lol: Steve

 

[dgallagher]

I have started the mock up, the handle bars are the stock ones turn upside down as I am having the new ones made and they have not arived yet, the fairing is also a week out so I can not chop and section the rear fender untill I get it mounted. I am also waiting to finish the rear section of the seat and the rear sets, need that fairing to size it all up. Oh forgot to mention, RedRover is going to be a caferacer/racer replica, still along the lines of as if someone had built it in there garage back in the early 70's.

Happy holidays to all.

Dan

 

[dgallagher]

Man is it nice here in Iowa, 55 in Jan, had to take the bike out for a ride, put 40 miles on today hope to do more tommorow. Still waiting on my fairing from http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/vintage/Rickman.htm they say I will have it in two weeks. I am getting the wind screen and nose cone from http://www.bikescreen.com/ Gustafsson Plastics, those pieces should be here at the same time then I can complete fabrication. I finished up the seat as much as I could for now and have completed some of the fairing mount based on this, http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=47027.0. Well just had to post on riding in Jan in Iowa, it is a first for me, post more after I get the fairing mocked up.

 

[frogman79]

Yes sir, make as much use of this weather as you can, unseasonable as it is. Heck, I took off work early just so I could rip around for a few hours. Had a blast and I intend to do more for the next few days!! Ride safe.

 

[dgallagher]

You ride safe as well, I wait until noon and did not go on my favorite rodes as they are tree lined and the sun does not remove all the moisture, but there are still some great rodes here to ride. It is suppose to be 50 tommorow and in the mid to low 40's over the next 6 days. I love it but do wonder as well. Have fun I know I will.

 

[dagersh]

DG,

Yeah - the Cams and Followers are trashed. But the engine is a pretty easy rebuild.

I have to say, that 350 tank looks AWESOME!!!!!!!

Keep it up!

Gersh

 

[dagersh]

Oh yeah - I think MegaCycle can resurface the followers for you and maybe get you some sharper Cams.

The followers are pretty expensive from Honda, but Western Hills had them in Stock as of a few months ago. i had to replace all 4 on my 450 build.

 

[74shovel]

Cams seem to come up on e-bay all the time but it's hard to know the true condition of them.

This one looks pretty nice: http://www.ebay.com/itm/REAR-CAMSHAFT-C ... 588fac4a13

And this one looks ok as well: http://www.ebay.com/itm/71-HONDA-CB450- ... 484340c733

Or you could buy a complete head (I'd ask for a couple photos of the cams though): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CB450-CB- ... 53eb018930

I look forward to seeing how this project comes out.

 

[dgallagher]

Thanks for all the info. For know I purchased a head off ebay complete, cam and followers in great shape, clean valves. I figured it would be the simple solution, the cost was 120 so does not break the budget. I have been reading up on cam chain set up so I may have some questions when the time comes to put it all together. I need that fairing to complete the mockup, then the rearsets and then the engine once I tear it all down. The tank is actually from an 80 cx500 I was looking at 350 tank but went with the cx500 instead, it fits well with some modifications, again need that darn fairing to finish the fit. Thanks again.

 

[maduncle]

Aha - that is what the tank is from.

For some reason - CX500's provide good cafe racer parts for other bikes!

I just bought a great set of CX500 blinkers for the 450, look period and have a great bullet shape to them.

I also look forward to seeing your half fairing mock up - always liked those.

 

[dgallagher]

Well making changes certainly has a cascading effect. After my fairing showed up I put it up to the bike and the cx500 tank had to go, so I put my last bomber tank on and it just looks right, however there are many things left to figure out like the brake switch, mounting the gauges, neutral, high beam, and turn signal lights. I will be modifying the fairing to make all work but it should be a fun project as long as the cascading effect does not do me in. Red Rover is no longer going to be a caferacer / replica racer and red is not looking like the color any more, so it looks like a name change could be in the future. The pic shows the fairing slapped on for now hence the blue tap, I need to finish some of the brackets and put on some clubman’s before It will get its final mount, I am going to try Carpy’s clubman’s as I love there look and his products are excellent. I will make every effort to document the fairing install including all modifications and brackets as I go and post it when done for any one else who wants to go down this fun but head scratching road. Maybe I can help to alleviate some of the head scratching.

 

[dagersh]

Ahhh - CX500, that makes more sense. But the Bomber Tank looks killer with the fairing.

I am definitely looking forward to seeing how you get the fairing all mounted up, as my next build will have a fairing.

Keep it up!

Gersh

 

[nigelrharris03]

I thought I recognised the lines of that tank, but of course on the CX it was up at a slight anlge, which it was not quite so instantly recognisable.

 

[maduncle]

That bomber tank and half fairing makes the bike look a little BMWish to me - which is neither a good nor bad thing.

The seat will complete the style picture - are you planning on a cafe style seat with a rear hump?