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1971 CB350 . . . 40 year hibernation

It looks like later CB350s added a sprocket side plate, which I would guess is a safety improvement. Would this plate fit on an older wheel that originally did not have one?

View attachment 22301
One theory is that plate was added so that in event of a chain break or a dismount it might help prevent the chain from wrapping around the axle and seizing the rear wheel. However, I've the subject discussed before and there's no consensus.

Those gauges look much improved! Good job!

Also thanks LDR for that link to Sparck to the gauge lights. I'm glad those are available now, I could have used some of those ten years ago when I was restoring my 750 and CJ. I imagine I might need a couple for my CL350.
 
One theory is that plate was added so that in event of a chain break or a dismount it might help prevent the chain from wrapping around the axle and seizing the rear wheel. However, I've the subject discussed before and there's no consensus.

Thanks for your input. I guess I don't have to have one, but I'm used to seeing the one on my CB360 and I kinda wanted to put one on this bike, regardless of it's intended function. Maybe LDR can fish one out of his trash or metal scrap for me...
 
Thanks for your input. I guess I don't have to have one, but I'm used to seeing the one on my CB360 and I kinda wanted to put one on this bike, regardless of it's intended function. Maybe LDR can fish one out of his trash or metal scrap for me...
Sorry, long gone years ago. The only place that I know sold some sprockets with the guard was Parts Unlimited but just looked and don't see any.
 
Sorry, long gone years ago. The only place that I know sold some sprockets with the guard was Parts Unlimited but just looked and don't see any.

Thanks, anyways. I was watching one on eBay and I just decided to buy it. I was surprised I could only find two that were sold separately, but saw at least one on a complete wheel and suspect many others could be found that way.
 
Did Honda "once upon a time" offer a factory engine guard? If so, that unused bracket would then be the top mount. Honda used it in just that way for the CB450 police model.
 
I should be rebuilding the hubs on the front and rear wheels soon. In the past, I've used a large punch to tap out old bearings and often used the old bearings to drive the new ones in. Would it be worth buying either a bearing puller or a bearing/seal driver kit?
 
I've just used a drift punch to knock the old bearings out and either the old bearing or a piece of pipe or other something lying around in the garage to drive the new ones in. I suppose a proper bearing and seal driver would be better though, but I'm one that tries to avoid buying a tool that I'd only use once every few years (if that).
 
I've just used a drift punch to knock the old bearings out and either the old bearing or a piece of pipe or other something lying around in the garage to drive the new ones in. I suppose a proper bearing and seal driver would be better though, but I'm one that tries to avoid buying a tool that I'd only use once every few years (if that).

If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me. Thanks, Tom.
 
I used a foot or less of plastic pipe to drive a bearing in. A building supply place that cuts pipe might have a scrap around.
 
I used a foot or less of plastic pipe to drive a bearing in. A building supply place that cuts pipe might have a scrap around.
I have a collection of different sized PVC fittings, reducers, and pipe from the plumbing aisle at Home Depot.
The reducers are pretty solid and I use those to install races in the neck and on the stem when I replace the bearings.
They're cheap to replace when they get beat up.
For wheel bearings I usually just drift them out and use the old bearing to drive in the new one.
 
Pullers are for situations where you can't get a drift in from the other side.

And someone here posted the idea of using a large concrete anchor tightened into the old bearing center to give something to drive against for those bearings where you couldn't get to the edge of the outer race. Driving from the inner race wouldn't matter since you'd be tossing them anyway.
 
And someone here posted the idea of using a large concrete anchor tightened into the old bearing center to give something to drive against for those bearings where you couldn't get to the edge of the outer race. Driving from the inner race wouldn't matter since you'd be tossing them anyway.

I've removed stuck hollow rocker shaft once with an anchor. Slide hammer with a hook is usually my first attempt.
 
And someone here posted the idea of using a large concrete anchor tightened into the old bearing center to give something to drive against for those bearings where you couldn't get to the edge of the outer race. Driving from the inner race wouldn't matter since you'd be tossing them anyway.
The concrete anchor works quite well.
 
I've ordered some things for the project like spoke sets, gaskets/seals, drum shoes, etc., etc. and will be trying to get lots of different things done in parallel over the next few weeks. Today I was working on painting my tank and I'm sharing one picture below. I actually tried two different decals available online and could not get them to follow the tank contour well enough to use them, so I ended up doing something freehand with striping tape. I still need to clear the tank with SprayMax 2K Clear and then I will attempt to wet sand and polish the tank and covers. I am not confident about this part of the process, but will give it a go.

V5CwESO.jpg
 
Looking good.
Some hints on painting. The current finish you have is called "orange peel" due to the similarities. Home paint jobs always get that to some degree. The problem is that each successive coat increases it unless it's sanded out in between coats.
Wet, lots and lots of water, and #400 paper makes fairly quick work of it. It becomes real obvious when to stop because there's no little shiny spots left on the paint. Wipe it down with Isopropyl alcohol right before doing the next coat.
It's best to shoot the lightest color first so you don't have to apply a thicker than needed layer. Dark hides light but light lets dark bleed thru reqiring more coats to hide the dark.
Spray Maxx 2K takes months to fully harden. It's workable in the mean time to a degree. I won't color sand it until @6 months after I've used it.
 
Looking good.
Some hints on painting. The current finish you have is called "orange peel" due to the similarities. Home paint jobs always get that to some degree. The problem is that each successive coat increases it unless it's sanded out in between coats.
Wet, lots and lots of water, and #400 paper makes fairly quick work of it. It becomes real obvious when to stop because there's no little shiny spots left on the paint. Wipe it down with Isopropyl alcohol right before doing the next coat.
It's best to shoot the lightest color first so you don't have to apply a thicker than needed layer. Dark hides light but light lets dark bleed thru reqiring more coats to hide the dark.
Spray Maxx 2K takes months to fully harden. It's workable in the mean time to a degree. I won't color sand it until @6 months after I've used it.

Thanks for the pointers. I didn't really think about doing the white first - that would have been smarter. I do try to wet sand between coats, but I'm always afraid of burning through the last layer of paint and often stop short. Obviously still learning, but it's fun and sometimes satisfying.
 
Thanks for the pointers. I didn't really think about doing the white first - that would have been smarter. I do try to wet sand between coats, but I'm always afraid of burning through the last layer of paint and often stop short. Obviously still learning, but it's fun and sometimes satisfying.
Oh, I understand the fear and have gone thru the layers by mistake also. Might use 600 or 800 but it takes way longer and gives more control.
 
Both of the wheels I have for this project came to me in pretty rough shape. Some corrosion, thick layers of grime, and plenty of rust on the drum surfaces. The brake arms for the front wheel (CL360) were pitted to the point that I bought a used set on eBay. I cleaned everything as best I could this week, but am contemplating purchasing a buffing wheel to clean things a bit more. This morning, I knocked out the wheel bearings and cleaned the spacers for reassembly. I picked up a 38T sprocket for the rear wheel, which is shown in the picture below.

JKug4CY.jpg


I used 150-grit sand paper to start removing rust from the brake drum and then continued polishing with steel wool. The drums feel smooth now, but I wonder if I should do more polishing. The top-most pictures show the front wheel and the bottom-most pictures show the rear. The picture also includes the spacer from the front wheel. Does that look like factory grease? There was a lot of it.

LLmzjAk.jpg


I also tried to clean up some of the parts I didn't include in the powder coat work and painted them with Spraymax Epoxy Primer Black 368 0034. I don't like the flat look, so I think I'll do another coat with Spraymax Hot Rod Satin Black 368 0212. Initially, I was going to paint the brake pedal arm black as well, but decided against it.

4b4kUaz.jpg


M39duYu.jpg
 
The drums look a bit pitted but IMO they should be okay, though even with new shoes arced to them I'm guessing they'll still take some miles to fully bed in. Because Mike cut and welded my brake pedal to shorten it, I had to paint it (or spend big rechrome dollars) but I left the actual foot pedal chrome. It looks like yours would need some "chrome" silver if you wanted that look. And yes, that does look like original grease.
 
The drums look a bit pitted but IMO they should be okay...

If I were to go back over the drums with a coarser grit, say 80, and then proceed to 150 and steel wool, would that be okay? I didn't want to use anything too aggressive, but I think that's what I need to remove the pitting that remains. Hopefully I won't need to go first-over on the drum shoes with all of this sanding and polishing. =)
 
If your new sprocket is a JTR model, then it might not work. Check the side not shown in the photograph and see if there is a recessed channel for the "tab" on each bolt to fit into. I ordered a JTR sprocket for my 360 and it was flat on both sides, which meant that the bolt couldn't be tightened securely. Parts Unlimted is one supplier that carries the correct sprocket (with recessed channel).
 
If I were to go back over the drums with a coarser grit, say 80, and then proceed to 150 and steel wool, would that be okay? I didn't want to use anything too aggressive, but I think that's what I need to remove the pitting that remains. Hopefully I won't need to go first-over on the drum shoes with all of this sanding and polishing. =)

You could do more on them, though they'd probably be okay with some time bedding in the new shoes. Let's see how Jim feels, he'll be looking at the pictures too.
 
If your new sprocket is a JTR model, then it might not work. Check the side not shown in the photograph and see if there is a recessed channel for the "tab" on each bolt to fit into. I ordered a JTR sprocket for my 360 and it was flat on both sides, which meant that the bolt couldn't be tightened securely. Parts Unlimited is one supplier that carries the correct sprocket (with recessed channel).

Thanks, Bob. I appreciate the heads-up about the potential suitability of JTR sprockets. The sprocket I'm using is technically not new, although it seems to be in pretty good shape. It was advertised as being taken from a 1969 CB350 and matches the old sprocket in all respects, aside from condition.

MlyK6ec.jpg
 
A question about rear shocks: How do the rear shocks between the SL/CL/CB 350s compare? Are the SL/CL shocks longer? Are they interchangeable?

I'm contemplating a slightly taller stance for my project and was thinking of looking for shocks with an extra inch or so relative to the stock CB350 shocks.
 
A question about rear shocks: How do the rear shocks between the SL/CL/CB 350s compare? Are the SL/CL shocks longer? Are they interchangeable?

I'm contemplating a slightly taller stance for my project and was thinking of looking for shocks with an extra inch or so relative to the stock CB350 shocks.

While I don't know the exact differences between them, if you're okay with inexpensive shocks like Emgo (I bought them for my 450, incidentally shorter than stock at 11.5") 4into1 has many to choose from and some are actually longer than (what I believe is) the stock length at 13.3"

https://4into1.com/shocks/?_bc_fsnf=1&Type=Eye+/+Clevis
 
A question about rear shocks: How do the rear shocks between the SL/CL/CB 350s compare? Are the SL/CL shocks longer? Are they interchangeable?

I'm contemplating a slightly taller stance for my project and was thinking of looking for shocks with an extra inch or so relative to the stock CB350 shocks.
Longer rear shocks will change the balance of the bike with the bias on the front. A little is fine, 1" may be too much
 
I had planned to ask him how he intended to compensate for it in the front end of the bike, maybe the 360 front forks are a bit longer
That would work. When I put the CB900F front end on the road bike I raised the rear just over an inch to compensate. But when you do that you also have to increase the chain slack because you're lower in the swing arm arc.
 
That would work. When I put the CB900F front end on the road bike I raised the rear just over an inch to compensate. But when you do that you also have to increase the chain slack because you're lower in the swing arm arc.

Yep, I went through the opposite when I lowered the red 450 though the swingarm is still just below parallel and it does tighten up when it approaches parallel. I just don't know for sure if his 360 front end is any longer than the original 350 forks although he could gain a half inch by just putting a 19" front wheel on it
 
Longer rear shocks will change the balance of the bike with the bias on the front. A little is fine, 1" may be too much

I think I'll probably stay closer to a 1/2" increase to reduce the effect on trail.

I had planned to ask him how he intended to compensate for it in the front end of the bike, maybe the 360 front forks are a bit longer

I should've thought more about it in advance, because I've made some decisions (read as purchases) that eliminate some options for compensation. I don't think there is a substantial difference in the 350/360 fork lengths. I found replacement tubes online that show the 360 tubes as 2mm longer, but that does not account for the length of the lower fork legs.

Yep, I went through the opposite when I lowered the red 450 though the swingarm is still just below parallel and it does tighten up when it approaches parallel. I just don't know for sure if his 360 front end is any longer than the original 350 forks although he could gain a half inch by just putting a 19" front wheel on it

A 19" wheel would've been a great option. I see that the CL350 used one, but the CL360 had an 18" front wheel and that's what I purchased to use with the 360 forks and triple tree. If that rim weren't being powder coated, I would be asking if the hub could be used with a 19" wheel.
 
A question about rear shocks: How do the rear shocks between the SL/CL/CB 350s compare? Are the SL/CL shocks longer? Are they interchangeable?

I'm contemplating a slightly taller stance for my project and was thinking of looking for shocks with an extra inch or so relative to the stock CB350 shocks.

I just checked my 73 CL, they are 12 5/8 320mm same as the 73 CB here.
 
I just checked my 73 CL, they are 12 5/8 320mm same as the 73 CB here.

Thanks, Tom. It looks like Honda used more or less the same length shocks on a few different models. I have original shocks removed from this CB350 as well as my CB360 and CB450. They all measure around that 320mm (12 5/8") range.

I found an old post that claimed the 72 SL350 shocks measured about 355mm (14"), while the OEM shocks from my XL350 measure about 370mm (14 1/2").

I have time to think about the best choice for my project, but I will stay at or below 335mm (13 1/8").
 
It's a shame how much time was spent tearing down and evaluating the motor that came with this project bike. It was incomplete and what was there was in rough condition, so when I had the opportunity to take a flyer on a complete motor from the local salvage yard, it made a lot of sense to do so. The second motor came from a bike that was presumably running right up to the point that it was totaled in a front end collision and each cylinder registered 150+ psi on my compression gauge. I drained the oil from this motor today and didn't find anything unusual. There were a few small pieces of a leaf in the oil, but I think they were blown into the oil pan due to my open garage door. I assume the oil drain bolt is a replacement due to the square head, but perhaps that is all that remains of the original hex head, not sure.

AURXchW.jpg


Sometime soon I would like to disassemble the top end of this motor and then flip it, separate the case halves, and have a look-see. I will try to clean up the lower case half at that point and replace seals before rejoining the halves.
 
You'll want to lift the transmission shafts out so you can see the actual condition of the shift forks while the lower case is off, and replace all the bottom end seals so you don't have to go back in there again. And during reassembly you'll want to put some Hondabond around the perimeter of the clutch rod seal to help keep it from popping out causing massive oil loss and devastating damage in the event it happens on the road. Or fab up a plate to bolt against the seal like I did on my 450 to keep it from popping out.
 
You'll want to lift the transmission shafts out so you can see the actual condition of the shift forks while the lower case is off, and replace all the bottom end seals so you don't have to go back in there again. And during reassembly you'll want to put some Hondabond around the perimeter of the clutch rod seal to help keep it from popping out causing massive oil loss and devastating damage in the event it happens on the road. Or fab up a plate to bolt against the seal like I did on my 450 to keep it from popping out.

Thank you. I'll definitely plan to pause and post some pictures for review before buttoning up the cases. And I'll probably have questions about the transmission shafts. I've opened up my 450 bottom end, but didn't disturb the transmission while it was open.
 
I just took apart the CL exhaust that came with my bike to evaluate its condition. There is damage to the tabs where the larger heat shield is attached and the mounting bracket on the upper muffler is broken. The bracket looks like it could be welded, but I doubt my HF flux welder is up to the task. There are also some big scrapes/scratches on the heat shields. I am thinking about having the pieces powdercoated and I'd like to figure a good way to do some rust removal and prevention on the insides.

FdwcJGm.jpg


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R95MXFa.jpg
 
Actually, one of my better HF 90amp welder jobs was a muffler bracket on a Dream. I think I used the higher amperage setting and kept the wire speed a bit slower (not sure about that). Surprised it didn't mess up the chrome very much, just used the wire wheel on it, it's barely noticable. Use a magnet to align the pieces until you get it tacked.
 
Actually, one of my better HF 90amp welder jobs was a muffler bracket on a Dream. I think I used the higher amperage setting and kept the wire speed a bit slower (not sure about that). Surprised it didn't mess up the chrome very much, just used the wire wheel on it, it's barely noticable. Use a magnet to align the pieces until you get it tacked.

I'm certainly willing to give it a go, so thank you for the encouragement. The more I try to weld, the closer I will get to being someone who can weld. Not there yet.

Maybe I'll even try to weld on nuts where the threaded tabs for the heat shield were damaged.
 
I'm certainly willing to give it a go, so thank you for the encouragement. The more I try to weld, the closer I will get to being someone who can weld. Not there yet.

Maybe I'll even try to weld on nuts where the threaded tabs for the heat shield were damaged.

If you have other older pipes you won't be using, practice on them for a few rounds to get more experience since the thickness will be similar.
 
The bracket I mentioned welding was fairly thick, so I might have used the high amp range, but usually used it on low to avoid blowing thru the thin metal. I found that clipping the wire as short as possible and keeping the tip real close, even touching the piece helped. When welding thick and thin, like a nut to tubing, you want more penetration in the nut, not the tubing.
Doing fender cracks with a patch piece taught me to go as slow as possible, sometimes only welding for one second at a time. Then move to the other edge and go back and forth, a spot at a time. The heat builds up so fast, stop, wire brush, inspect, gives it time to cool a bit. Set the wire feed as slow as possible on thin stuff.

That pic of the tube with the bracket missing, I would try to weld the bracket to those two existing welds, thick to thick, with as little gaps between the two as possible.

I would try to remove the bit of bolt from that T nut that is hanging by one edge. clean and file so it sits flat again and tack around it's edges. Similar thicknesses like that are easier. Clamp tight in place with a Vice-grips, C-clamp to start. Weld any other cracks you find.

Just go close and slow, in general. Keep cable from kinking for a smooth feed speed. I hope my amateur advice will help or get corrected by others with more experience here.

The one with the square chunk missing, I would try to stick a piece of thick washer or flat stock under it then tack in the hole gradually fill it in.
 
That pic of the tube with the bracket missing, I would try to weld the bracket to those two existing welds, thick to thick, with as little gaps between the two as possible.

I would try to remove the bit of bolt from that T nut that is hanging by one edge. clean and file so it sits flat again and tack around it's edges. Similar thicknesses like that are easier. Clamp tight in place with a Vice-grips, C-clamp to start. Weld any other cracks you find.

The one with the square chunk missing, I would try to stick a piece of thick washer or flat stock under it then tack in the hole gradually fill it in.

Your advice is very much appreciated, Tom. Thanks for taking the time to look over things so carefully. I'm going to add some photos with a little more detail and information below.


  • Bracket #1: I like your suggestion to remove the threaded stump and try to tack the original t-nut back to the bracket. The PO managed to get a bolt and nut in this bracket, probably by bending that t-nut out of the way.
  • Bracket #2: Hopefully I just need to remove or drill out the threaded stump on this one.
  • Bracket #3: As there is no Bracket #3, I guess I'll try to use something I have lying around, but I'll follow your tip to try tacking it to the thicker weld remnants of that missing bracket.
  • Mounting Bolt: The new photos show that this is a fairly thick area and that the mounting bolt is floating unattached. I suspect that the bike went over hard on the exhaust and the portion where the weld had been got punched out. The picture shows how it fits in like a puzzle piece, so I'm hoping this won't be hard to tack and strengthen. I'll probably work on this first.

I'm probably still a couple of days away from attempting the repairs.

vA0fyRN.jpg
 
Perfect on that mounting bolt. Jam an old screwdriver , etc. under it to hold it tight and practice getting your weld penetration correct.

Hope you can find a good pic of the missing bracket for re-creating it. I haven't looked at my CL exhaust hanging in a corner in a while, maybe it still has that and I could take a pic.
 
Hope you can find a good pic of the missing bracket for re-creating it. I haven't looked at my CL exhaust hanging in a corner in a while, maybe it still has that and I could take a pic.

I just checked eBay and grabbed two screenshots of the missing bracket. It's more or less identical to the other two. I will likely tack on a tab with a slot hole for a bolt + nut, otherwise I'd have to figure out exactly where the threaded hole needs to be.

20230622_213822-COLLAGE.jpg
 
I just checked eBay and grabbed two screenshots of the missing bracket. It's more or less identical to the other two. I will likely tack on a tab with a slot hole for a bolt + nut, otherwise I'd have to figure out exactly where the threaded hole needs to be.

View attachment 22606


It's satisfying to me to save these original parts but it does take time to test, fit, adjust, re-test,......
 
If you get all the other mounts fixed, maybe you can mock assemble the whole exhaust, even with a spare head, to get that last bracket just right and tack it on with the bolt holding it in right.
 
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