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1971 CB350 . . . 40 year hibernation

I agree, the combination of colors looks great. Nice job envisioning what you wanted to do and getting it all put together, Brody. (y)
 
Thanks, All!

Got a very short test ride in this morning. Two blocks north, u-turn, two blocks south. The left carb has an occasional drip from the overflow tube, so I think I'll remove the carbs to address that after it cools down a little bit. It's heading towards 100 today, but I think the forecast for the remainder of the week is better. With no jacket or helmet, this two block ride left me covered in sweat — no fun.

I need to remove the exhaust to install the new side cover (after it's painted), so I will try to get everything done on the same schedule and remove the exhaust only once. The CL side cover should also allow me to install the lower exhaust bracket.
 
It's always something! Getting the carbs and ignition tuned in is tedious, and Honda didn't make it easy. If it's dripping from the tube it seems like the fuel level in the bowl might be a bit too high, but check the gasket again to be sure it's not catching on the float itself.
 
wentwest said:
It's always something! Getting the carbs and ignition tuned in is tedious, and Honda didn't make it easy.
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The carbs were sitting a while after being rebuilt, so I'm not too surprised by the imperfect float valve. This will give me a chance to verify float height and see how clean the carbs are after some fuel flow from the tank.

I would have preferred that the bowls had the clips found on the CB450 carbs as opposed to screws — I often service the 450 carbs in the frame because it's less work than removing them.

RobMan said:
If the worst you noticed on the maiden ride was this then hopefully bodes well for the future.
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Agreed. There are always little things that pop up, even after a vintage bike is fully tuned and broken in, so this is about par for the course.
 
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It always feels a little wrong painting over original paint, but I don't think the candy panther gold would go well with the existing color scheme...

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I'll let it cure before applying SprayMax 2K clear, but I'll probably try to cut the cure time down to a minimum.
 
St. Louis got a respite from the sweltering temperatures this morning with a good old-fashioned thunderstorm and the garage is much more comfortable. Unfortunately, I don't have much to do out there today. I did remove the lower muffler and exhaust pipe in order to pull the left carb. I was able to work around the upper pipe while removing the left airbox and carb.

Since the bowl had been leaking, I was expecting a float issue and a full bowl, but found the bowl to be almost empty. I filled it with gas and it began to drip steadily. I couldn't see anything wrong with the standpipe, but the fact that any gas remained in the bowl should indicate that the leak in the standpipe was at a higher level than the remaining fuel. In any case, I decided to purchase a bowl on eBay in case this one cannot be repaired.


There was about a foot of water on the road next to my house when I came up from the basement for lunch, but it subsided in about fifteen minutes.
 
Well, it didn't take long to figure out where the leak was. I brought the bowl inside the house and filled it with water. Instead of dripping from the tube, it now dripped straight out of the bottom of the bowl.

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Totally avoidable, had I checked the integrity of the bowls prior to installation.
 
I reinstalled the carburetor this morning and opened the petcock. No drips. Airboxes are back on, waiting on left cover to reinstall the lower exhaust pipe.

I got some Spraymax 2K on the side cover this afternoon. My current plan is to skip wet sanding and polishing right now — I can always do it later.

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Thanks again, Jim.
 
Thank you @Cycleranger for pointing out that I needed the CL side cover and thank you @LongDistanceRider for providing one. The bike is back together and I was able to install the lower bracket on the exhaust with room to spare.


I have one small oil leak from the rotor cover. I'm a little surprised by that, but I can see where the oil is coming out on the bottom edge, rolling down the engine side cover, and then dripping to the lower frame tube and the floor.
 
Looks good and sounds good, hard to beat that. (y)
stl360+450 said:
I have one small oil leak from the rotor cover. I'm a little surprised by that, but I can see where the oil is coming out on the bottom edge, rolling down the engine side cover, and then dripping to the lower frame tube and the floor.
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Is it possible the o-ring on that lower rotor cover screw is old/hard/crushed/possibly torn?
 
ancientdad said:
Is it possible the o-ring on that lower rotor cover screw is old/hard/crushed/possibly torn?
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I looked at all three o-rings. They are all intact and wet only on one side. I suppose if they are too rigid, it will be more difficult to achieve enough pressure on the gasket, so I'll plan to replace them. (Edit: New o-rings are now on the way.)

As a short term measure, I've added a second gasket to see if that will help by providing more material to squash down.
 
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After seeing the price of used CB/CL/SL 350 spark advancers on eBay recently, I decided to put a little effort into refurbishing my spare advancer, which came from the first motor that I disassembled in this thread. It was missing one spring and showed some corrosion on the points cam, likely due to the fact that the left cam bearing had no cover while the motorcycle slept in a shed for about 40 years.

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I disassembled the advancer and found that the plastic pad on one of the breaker arms had separated from the arm. This made me wonder about the function of this plastic pad and all I can figure is that it's there to avoid a metal-to-metal contact and/or reduce noise. Since there is no rotational motion between the arm and the points cam it shouldn't be there to prevent wear, so it doesn't seem critical to the function of the advancer. Correct me if I'm missing something.

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So far I've cleaned things up with a Scotch Brite pad, but should still try some higher grit wet/dry paper on the points cam to do a little more polishing. However, it already feels very smooth to the touch. I compared the one spring to the various generic extension springs I've collected on eBay and decided to use a spring with a length of 15 mm, a coil diameter of 5 mm, and a wire diameter of 0.5 mm (eBay seller: szzyg_95). This is completely untested at this point, but I based my choice on the scientific method of finger tugs and chose the spring that felt closest to the original. Interestingly, these springs felt softer to me than those on the CB450 advancer, where I am now running springs with a length of 20 mm, a coil diameter of 6 mm, and a wire diameter of 0.7 mm from the same seller.

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The rubber pad is kind of a mystery if it's not part of the minimum stop equation. The perishable rubber stops on the 305 advancers do figure on both the maximum and minimum stop limits.
Ahh, the unintended consequences of using 50-60 year old parts. Does problem solving these latent issues make us kind of the 'after hours' Honda design team?
 
stl360+450 said:
I was wondering about that also. It still has the pad on one side. I suspect it would affect things a bit, but it's hard to say how much.
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Even if losing both resulted in an overall range of advance increase, it probably wouldn't be near as much as the 305 advancer which can add 10-15 degree increase.
As Tom says the springs are what will return it to a consistent spot, so even if one splits the difference on timing and idle is a couple degrees closer to T, rather than F, it wouldn't be a big problem.
 
Many earlier advancers didn't have those rubber stops and I'm sure that one would be just fine without them both if the springs were adjusted accordingly. It isn't like the weights need a soft landing spot, and they spend most of their time open anyway. If the points cam gets retarded a little because of it, the timing can be adjusted accordingly.
 
I've always assumed it was there to keep the weight to a desired position for the lowest idle level and to limit rattling. But, like most assumptions, it's probably wrong.
 
wentwest said:
I've always assumed it was there to keep the weight to a desired position for the lowest idle level and to limit rattling. But, like most assumptions, it's probably wrong.
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No I'm sure you're right, but at this point with some of these long-since NLA parts like these and springs, we're gonna have to shift our approach sometimes, that's all I was thinking.
 
I just read @2wheel's post about the titling process in Pennsylvania and am now considering moving!

I am anxiously awaiting the completion of the final few steps in the process of registering this CB350K3 using a Missouri Salvage Title. The process for a salvage title is supposed to work like this:
  • Purchase vehicle with salvage title from registered salvage dealer.
  • Complete required work to rebuild salvaged vehicle.
  • Complete DOR Form 551 ($25 + $6 processing fee) and schedule vehicle inspection with local Troop of Missouri State Highway Patrol. The following documentation is required:
    • Bill of sale for any major components used in the repair plus a copy of the title/VIN for the vehicle(s) from which the components were removed. Fortunately, the only major component for a motorcycle is the frame.
    • Bill of sale or receipts for other essential components used in the repair, e.g., suspension components, etc.
    • Documentation/receipts for any essential components that were repaired.
I didn't know the definition of "major component" until I purchased the form earlier this week. That was a sigh of relief because it would be almost impossible to have VIN/title information for the source of most used motorcycle parts.

The other logistical issue I have is getting the bike to the inspection site. I have asked friends to help in the past, but I won't be able to choose the time of the appointment, so I decided it would make more sense to haul the bike myself. I don't have a trailer hitch on my VW Golf, but I think it's a smart addition for anyone who owns multiple vintage motorcycles and visited U-Haul on Tuesday. They didn't have all the parts in stock, so I am stuck for the moment. Once the hitch is installed, I can schedule the inspection and hopefully reserve a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul for the same day.
 
Yesterday I ordered a 12" x 12" x 1/4" sheet of felt from Zoro Tools on eBay. They ship from Illinois and I received the felt this afternoon. It looks like I have a lifetime supply of points felts for $15.25, including shipping. I used an X-Acto knife to cut one today. If I could cut them exactly at 10 mm by 7.5 mm, the sheet would theoretically be good for 1200 felts.

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stl360+450 said:
I just read @2wheel's post about the titling process in Pennsylvania and am now considering moving!

I am anxiously awaiting the completion of the final few steps in the process of registering this CB350K3 using a Missouri Salvage Title. The process for a salvage title is supposed to work like this:
  • Purchase vehicle with salvage title from registered salvage dealer.
  • Complete required work to rebuild salvaged vehicle.
  • Complete DOR Form 551 ($25 + $6 processing fee) and schedule vehicle inspection with local Troop of Missouri State Highway Patrol. The following documentation is required:
    • Bill of sale for any major components used in the repair plus a copy of the title/VIN for the vehicle(s) from which the components were removed. Fortunately, the only major component for a motorcycle is the frame.
    • Bill of sale or receipts for other essential components used in the repair, e.g., suspension components, etc.
    • Documentation/receipts for any essential components that were repaired.
I didn't know the definition of "major component" until I purchased the form earlier this week. That was a sigh of relief because it would be almost impossible to have VIN/title information for the source of most used motorcycle parts.

The other logistical issue I have is getting the bike to the inspection site. I have asked friends to help in the past, but I won't be able to choose the time of the appointment, so I decided it would make more sense to haul the bike myself. I don't have a trailer hitch on my VW Golf, but I think it's a smart addition for anyone who owns multiple vintage motorcycles and visited U-Haul on Tuesday. They didn't have all the parts in stock, so I am stuck for the moment. Once the hitch is installed, I can schedule the inspection and hopefully reserve a motorcycle trailer from U-Haul for the same day.
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If you've already committed to the hitch, Harbour Freight has some cheap light trailers (that fold for less storage) that would work for one bike. Probably need to add some ramp or track for holding the bike on it.
 
I've used the U-Haul trailer a couple of times, and it's a very easy thing to work with. For about $25 a day it's well worth considering, especially for those of us who live with no place to store anything as large as a trailer, even folded.
 
ballbearian said:
If you've already committed to the hitch, Harbour Freight has some cheap light trailers (that fold for less storage) that would work for one bike.
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That would definitely work worth a little effort and is certainly affordable. I am partial to the single-rail motorcycle trailers, like the Ace from USA Trailer Store, but it's a lot more expensive ($1400) for the amount of use it would get. Their foldable version is about $2400.

wentwest said:
I've used the U-Haul trailer a couple of times, and it's a very easy thing to work with. For about $25 a day it's well worth considering, especially for those of us who live with no place to store anything as large as a trailer, even folded.
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I don't really have space for any trailer in my single car garage (currently housing five vintage Hondas). So U-Haul will be my trailer source for the time being. The U-Haul motorcycle trailers are solid, have a built-in ramp, and offer proper ratchet strap attachment points.
 
You could always use a carrier like I do. They're a little more tricky for a one-person loading operation, but once you get used to the drill they work really well and are much easier to store. I stand mine up against a shed wall and strap it there between uses. They're a bit heavy to carry so I bolted some caster wheels on one end of mine so I can roll it into position, then lift it up and slide it into the hitch receiver.
 
stl360+450 said:
That setup seems pretty slick. I had assumed it wouldn't work with a small hatchback like my VW Golf. Is there a chance it could handle it?
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Yeah, I was thinking in truck parameters when I mentioned it. I guess there would be the consideration of roughly 400 lbs of weight behind the rear axle, but if you put 2 adults and luggage in the back seat and hatch area I'd imagine it wouldn't be much different. Obviously the hitch carrier would have to be solidly mounted, I guess that's a question for the hitch installers. There wouldn't be many things the Golf would tow that would have that much tongue weight.
 
Even with many options for trailers (from U-haul to other small lightweights) the tongue weight limit on the Golf is a factor. I don't know if additional shocks with helper springs are a possibility to increase that capacity.
 
stl360+450 said:
That would definitely work worth a little effort and is certainly affordable. I am partial to the single-rail motorcycle trailers, like the Ace from USA Trailer Store, but it's a lot more expensive ($1400) for the amount of use it would get. Their foldable version is about $2400.


I don't really have space for any trailer in my single car garage (currently housing five vintage Hondas). So U-Haul will be my trailer source for the time being. The U-Haul motorcycle trailers are solid, have a built-in ramp, and offer proper ratchet strap attachment points.
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I use a tow bar type motorcycle carrier;it's small,easy to store and is meant for the 2" receiver hitch;tongue weight is a factor as it needs to carry 1/2 the weight(front wheel carrier)of the motorcycle while the rear wheel rolls behind it and the drive chain should be disconnected from the bike.
The bike does lean when I go around corners,so that's something I needed to get used to.
I traveled with my old Volvo 240 from W. PA. to South of Birmingham,AL. then purchased a vintage Honda,hooked it up and drove it back to W. PA.
The tie-downs need to be checked and kept properly tensioned because they hold the bike upright.
I like it because I don't need to own,store or maintain a trailer and no trailer lights or registration because the rear automobile lights are all that's needed;the length is only as long as the motorcycle.
This 'front wheel carry' Tow Bar is around $100 and made in the USA out of strong steel.
I can take pictures of it but it's probably best to look it up online and check it out with pictures of it being used to tow with.
 
ancientdad said:
Yeah, I was thinking in truck parameters when I mentioned it.
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A truck would be nice, but I really like the Golf for 99.9% of my four-wheel needs. The back seat goes down and creates a decent cargo area that was big enough to bring home this CB350 project (after disassembly). I get low 40s MPG on highway trips with the 5-speed manual. The hitch should cover that last 0.1%, but I'll have to be modest with my towing ambitions.

ballbearian said:
Even with many options for trailers (from U-haul to other small lightweights) the tongue weight limit on the Golf is a factor.
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For sure. I won't be buying a boat or a camper anytime soon, but it seems like a U-Haul moto trailer and one CB350 should be within acceptable limits. However, I don't think I'd feel comfortable hauling a bagger.

bilbikek411 said:
I use a tow bar type motorcycle carrier;it's small,easy to store and is meant for the 2" receiver hitch;tongue weight is a factor as it needs to carry 1/2 the weight(front wheel carrier)of the motorcycle while the rear wheel rolls behind it and the drive chain should be disconnected from the bike.
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Thanks — I looked at those. I don't have a lot of experience towing things in general, besides a U-Haul car dolly a couple of times. I'd be nervous about the bike tipping, so I'll leave the tow bar option to the professionals for now. Most of my expense will be to install the hitch/receiver. The trailer rental is relatively small.
 
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stl360+450 said:
I won't be buying a boat or a camper anytime soon, but it seems like a U-Haul moto trailer and one CB350 should be within acceptable limits.
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I've towed one of those U-Haul trailers twice, and I'll tell you they are not light. Most motorcycle trailers are light enough you can move them around by the tongue when there's no bike on them and they're disconnected from a vehicle, but the U-Haul bike trailer is quite heavy even when empty.
 
AD is right. The U-Haul motorcycle trailer is 870 pounds. Do you have an equipment rental company near you? We have a rental company here that has motorcycle trailers much smaller and lighter than UHaul offers........just a thought.
ancientdad said:
I've towed one of those U-Haul trailers twice, and I'll tell you they are not light. Most motorcycle trailers are light enough you can move them around by the tongue when there's no bike on them and they're disconnected from a vehicle, but the U-Haul bike trailer is quite heavy even when empty.
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ancientdad said:
I've towed one of those U-Haul trailers twice, and I'll tell you they are not light. Most motorcycle trailers are light enough you can move them around by the tongue when there's no bike on them and they're disconnected from a vehicle, but the U-Haul bike trailer is quite heavy even when empty.
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Thanks for pointing that out — I hadn't checked the empty weight, but I just found it's 870 lbs, as @Grumpybugger has already posted. Looks like my bike is around 280 lbs. I found one article indicating the towing capacity of a 2021 Golf is 1600 kg with brakes and should not exceed 750 kg without brakes. Right now, I think I'll be okay if I keep it at low speed on mostly flat roads, but I'll do more checking.

Grumpybugger said:
We have a rental company here that has motorcycle trailers much smaller and lighter than UHaul offers........just a thought.
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I'll see if I can rent a motor trailer elsewhere. That's a good idea. It's not a chain, is it?
 
stl360+450 said:
Thanks for pointing that out — I hadn't checked the empty weight, but I just found it's 870 lbs, as @Grumpybugger has already posted. Looks like my bike is around 280 lbs. I found one article indicating the towing capacity of a 2021 Golf is 1600 kg with brakes and should not exceed 750 kg without brakes. Right now, I think I'll be okay if I keep it at low speed on mostly flat roads, but I'll do more checking.


I'll see if I can rent a motor trailer elsewhere. That's a good idea. It's not a chain, is it?
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No. They're a small two or three rail motorcycle trailer..depending. The only thing they're good for is hauling motorcycles. They probably don't weigh more than 300 pounds empty. Be perfect behind your Golf.
And you're right.......don't go too far and take it easy you can make the U-Haul work
 
General rule of thumb is the tow vehicle should be substantially heavier than the loaded trailer. Always load trailer to have more weight forward of the trailer axle too, like 60/40.
Like was said, if you keep your speed down, any instability is greatly lessened. Stay off the interstates.
 
ballbearian said:
General rule of thumb is the tow vehicle should be substantially heavier than the loaded trailer. Always load trailer to have more weight forward of the trailer axle too, like 60/40.
Like was said, if you keep your speed down, any instability is greatly lessened. Stay off the interstates.
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Thanks, Tom! Definitely going to drive slow and avoid highways. I'll need to go about 11 miles each way for the inspection and there are two U-Haul facilities within about 2 miles of my house. The front wheel goes to the front center of the trailer, so the motor will be as far forward as possible. My car weighs about 3800 lbs, so about three times the loaded trailer weight.
 
stl360+450 said:
Thanks, Tom! Definitely going to drive slow and avoid highways. I'll need to go about 11 miles each way for the inspection and there are two U-Haul facilities within about 2 miles of my house. The front wheel goes to the front center of the trailer, so the motor will be as far forward as possible. My car weighs about 3800 lbs, so about three times the loaded trailer weight.
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You'll be fine. Only load or unload with the trailer attached to the tow vehicle. They can easily tip back and, well, you know...

I just use the simple flat 4 wiring connector, so check trailer connector compatability with what the installer puts on your Golf. I'm not sure what Uhaul has on their small trailers but having to buy an expensive adaptor seems silly.
 
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