CB500T - The Wild Irishman

KnuckleBustingTwin

KnuckleBustingTwin

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2020
Total Posts
169
Total likes
4
Location
Chicago IL
Hey All ... Figured it was time to post up some pics from a build I am doing right now ... I picked up this '75 CB500T a little over a year ago from a buddy in Milwaukee for $200. He found it in a barn where it sat for almost 30 years and it was a real basket case. The engine was frozen and the front forks were bent ... but I figured for $200 bucks, why not, right? Well it's been a year and I have it back to a point where I feel I can start rebuilding it ... I am not restoring it to original condition because I learned a little something about "researching" bikes before you buy them with this & my last build ... investigate how many years a bike was in production BEFORE you buy it ... my CB360 was in production for 3 years and this CB500T was only made for 2 years ('75 & '76) which makes finding good parts somewhat challenging (especially with the CB500T). But, we live & learn right?

Here's a few pictures of her when i brought her home ... pretty rough ...


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Looks like some critters make a home in her in that barn!

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A few parts & pieces in the oil pan ...

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Engine frozen ...

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Rust everywhere ...

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I'll post some current pics in the next post ... Bill
 
Interesting pics. It's obvious someone was in the top end before you, with a cam chain side plate in the bottom end... good thing you're tearing it all the way down. Lots of rust to clean up. When you take pics with your phone, the orientation angle is everything - which is why many of yours are upside down, if the angle of the phone goes beyond horizontal then the pic will display upside down when uploaded unless you first correct the orientation on a computer (the phone auto-corrects it so it doesn't look that way, and so does Windows 10 so you'd get fooled there too). Here's a link to an article that explains it, but the short explanation is this:

Apple users: hold your phone with your VOLUME buttons DOWN

Android users: hold your phone with your HOME button to the RIGHT
 
Thanks for the picture tips Dad ... I'll see if i can get those straightened out! ... also, what are you referring to by "cam chain side plate" in the bottom end ... I don;t believe I've heard that before? I also think someone had been in this engine before ... there some weird stuff I've found taking the thing apart ...
 
So, here are a few pictures of the clean up ... its coming along pretty well (knock on wood!) ... but not without a few trials to overcome ...

Took the engine completely apart (had to as it was frozen) and glad I did because it was a mess inside ... lots of badly rusted parts, including the crankshaft, the gear shifts, the cylinders, etc ... I cleaned up all of the engine casings and then had them bead blasted (taking care to clean out all the glass from the oil passage ways) ... and it turned out pretty nice. I bought a new crankshaft and gear shifters on eBay, as well as some other misc parts, had the valves replaced and cut in the top end and started putting the engine back together. I also had to find a used cylinder assembly on eBay as mine was trashed ... couldn't bore it because I couldn't find new pistons that would work in it post bore ... luckily I found a really good "old school" retired machinist here in Chicago who honed the cylinder assembly and saved me a LOT of headache ... I also had my pistons ceramic coated at his suggestion to close the gap a bit more. Everything else was taken apart and washed in a parts washer ...

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Here is where I am with the engine today ... the lower end is reassembled and the top end is also put back together with the new vales and valve seats ... but I haven't joined the top & low ends yet .. need to install the cylinder assembly next. Carbs have been pulled apart & cleaned as well, but I think I'm going to do it again (slower) just to make sure I did it right the first time. I used a carb kit from those guys in Houston, but I noticed that some of the new parts didn't look the same as the old ones ... so I'm going back to clean and reinstall the old carb jets & plugs.

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More to come!
 

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Yep, it was in your pictures - a side plate from the previous cam chain when they broke it to pull the top end apart.

Here's something that will help you with replies, so the person you're replying to will know it's directed at them instead of it seeming like a random reply with no reference to who you're answering. Check out the last entry in particular

https://www.vintagehondatwins.com/forums/showthread.php?343-VHT-Forum-Navigation-tips
 
Now for some pictures of current state ... I had all the engine side covers polished ... was debating between powder coating them or polish, glad I went with polish ...

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I also had the frame many of the frame parts & pieces powder coated ... debated for a long time what color I wanted to do here and finally landed on "Jade Black" from Prismatic Powders ... looks awesome! black in normal light but just a touch of green comes through when the sun hits it ... had the brake drums done in the same color ...

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I also cleaned out the tank (luckily the rust wasn't too bad) and had it refinished including a design that I had been holding on to for a number of years ... the skull / shamrock is where the name comes from ... The Wild Irishman ...

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Currently awaiting a new rear rim to come in and am planning to finish reassembling the engine likely this week. Once I get my rear rim, I can lace the spokes and get to a rolling frame ... then it will be on to electrical ... gonna be a while!
 
Everything looks great, beautiful finish and the 4 leaf clover idea is very cool. So, an unlucky Irish guy is represented by the skull...? :lol:
 
KnuckleBustingTwin said:
I also cleaned out the tank (luckily the rust wasn't too bad) and had it refinished including a design that I had been holding on to for a number of years ... the skull / shamrock is where the name comes from ... The Wild Irishman ...

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That's a really nice finish on the paint KBT :)

Hate to be the first to mention it btw , but you do know that's not a shamrock ? - a shamrock only has three leaves :(
 
The only problem with that one is the bike he's on... and the fantasy that it would wheelie that easily (forget the one-handed wheelie) :lol: cool pic though
 
Hey Gang ... thought it was time for an update ... I've been making progress (slowly!) ... I've really been putting a lot of time & research into getting this right (with a lot of help from this forum!) ... I currently have my new wheels at local mechanic who is going to true them up for me (I wanted someone who has done this before vs me spending weeks trying to get it right) ... I researched rims and spokes and laced them up though ... here's a few pics ...

New Wheel 1.jpg New Wheel 2.jpg New Wheels.jpg New Wheel 3.jpg

I finished the front wheel as well (but didn't take any pics) ... will post up later ... over came a couple of challenges as well (not major) ... the rear sprocket I bought, had mounting holes that were too small ... apparently some CB500T's had 10mm holes and others had 12mm ... I have the 12mm version, so I decided to just drill the holes vs waiting for a return and new ship .... mounted the sprocket to a piece of wood and then drilled it on my press ...

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I didn't want to pony up $40+ for a rear bearing retainer tool so I made one ... a couple of 5mm bolts/nuts and a piece of scrap steel did just fine!

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Once I get my wheels back, it will be game on! ... frame is ready and the engine is ready to be mounted up, so I should hopefully make some fast progress after that! ... more to come ... thanks for the help all!

Bill
 
KnuckleBustingTwin said:
Progress ... slooooowly but surely ... rolling frame almost complete ... then on to wiring!
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Coming along... but why didn't you wait and lay the frame over the engine? It's SO much easier.

Are you sure you're going to have enough rear wheel travel clearance to the hoop?
 
ancientdad said:
Coming along... but why didn't you wait and lay the frame over the engine? It's SO much easier.

Are you sure you're going to have enough rear wheel travel clearance to the hoop?
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I just mocked it up ... it's not done ... I'll be taking it back apart again and laying the engine in with no wheels on it ... also, not exactly sure about the electrical box clearance yet ... suspect it may bottom out ... I'll buy new longer shocks if that's the case ... I shouldn't need too much more room ... worst case. I grind open the edges of the box in the rear and reweld (though that would be a pain in the ass!) ...
 
Hopefully I solved my clearance issue with a bit longer shock ... I know it will effect my stance, but I am also running front fork tubes that are an inch longer than original as well ... now on to installing the engine!

Clearance.jpg

ancientdad said:
Coming along... but why didn't you wait and lay the frame over the engine? It's SO much easier.

Are you sure you're going to have enough rear wheel travel clearance to the hoop?
Click to expand...
 
KnuckleBustingTwin said:
Hopefully I solved my clearance issue with a bit longer shock ... I know it will effect my stance, but I am also running front fork tubes that are an inch longer than original as well ... now on to installing the engine!

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Presumably your rear shocks are so stiff that they can/will never reach full compression because scaling from the observed rubber stop on the damping rod, your rear tire can and will contact the "loop" you have at the rear of the frame, stopping the rear wheel suddenly...... You may phone to discuss how I've arrived at this conclusion if you like........
 
ancientdad said:
Coming along... but why didn't you wait and lay the frame over the engine? It's SO much easier.

Are you sure you're going to have enough rear wheel travel clearance to the hoop?
Click to expand...


Hey Tom ... I finally have my engine back ... I have stripped the front suspension and rear wheel back off the frame ... and am planning to take your advice and lay the frame over the engine to install it in the frame ... thought I would check in prior to doing to doing it, to pick your brain on any "gotchas" that I could encounter installing the engine ... I am planning to lay the engine on its side on some think moving blankets and then lay the frame over it, installing the engine mount brackets with both frame & engine on their sides ... is this correct? any thought's would be appreciated!

Thanks Bill
 
KnuckleBustingTwin said:
Hey Tom ... I finally have my engine back ... I have stripped the front suspension and rear wheel back off the frame ... and am planning to take your advice and lay the frame over the engine to install it in the frame ... thought I would check in prior to doing to doing it, to pick your brain on any "gotchas" that I could encounter installing the engine ... I am planning to lay the engine on its side on some think moving blankets and then lay the frame over it, installing the engine mount brackets with both frame & engine on their sides ... is this correct? any thought's would be appreciated!

Thanks Bill
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Yeah Bill, that's basically what you do. IIRC the 350 engine comes out of the right side of the frame unlike the 450 which comes out of the left, so you'd set up backwards of what I did - engine on its right side, frame over it into the right side.
 
ancientdad said:
Yeah Bill, that's basically what you do. IIRC the 350 engine comes out of the right side of the frame unlike the 450 which comes out of the left, so you'd set up backwards of what I did - engine on its right side, frame over it into the right side.
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Perfect ... thanks Tom ... I'll post up some pics when I'm done .... Bill
 
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