Time to update this slow rebuild process. I recently changed jobs so I haven't made great progress in rebuilding Nixon, but I am slowly chipping away at things. It is just a matter of taking something completely apart, remove 35 years worth of dirt and rust, cleaning and then painting it. I've got the Carbs done and they look great. I also finished the guages, the toolbox and the exhaust collars. I'm currently working on the swingarm. I replaced the old cruddy bushings with some nice new bronze bushings. The swingarm is going to have the brushed metal finish so I am cleaning all the paint and rust off of it so I can sand it.
I also got the cylinder head back from the mechanic who installed the new valve guide and refurbished the valve seats. They should work much better now. Found out I need to replace one of the cam followers so now I am on the hunt for one of those. Now all I need is a gasket set and the head is ready to go back together.
3 comments:
Looks good. Still think the swing arm should be black as well, so frame, arm, etc disappear.
Surprised to see so many parts on eBay for the vintage 450 with new valves, pistons, etc for the taking, some at decent pricing. When I had my bevy of 350s, it was pre-internet. What an amazing change since then, making restoring and customizing these beasts that much easier.
BTW, I actually found you via "The Ton" seeing that BW photo, thinking I recognized a 450 base.
Did you ever say how many miles were on this engine? Interested to know the mileage on ye olde Nixon. Also, what oil have you been running? This has gotten more problematic for sure.
Enjoye your blog!
- kh
We'll see about the swingarm. Right now I want it to stand out against the black frame and black tires/rims. I can always paint it later.
Yes, Ebay is a great source for parts. I don't think I would be doing this now if it weren't for the availability of cheap parts. It's nice to know that if I screwed up my cylinder head, I could get an entire replacement for less than $100.
I don't think I did say how many miles it has. The odometer says just shy of 15,000 miles, but who knows if that is the original speedo. There have been a bunch of dodgy mods made by previous owners. I have only ridden it for about 500 miles since I bought it a little over a year ago. I don't know what kind of oil was in it before but I am running Honda brand 20W50 in it. I don't think the bad cam follower is due to lack of oil. It looks like it is ground down at the tip that sits on the valve. It looks like someone tried to "fix" it.
Is that your bike in the pics in your link?
Yep, that is my bike, totally stock at the moment. I've modified every honda I've owned and this one is looking to be no different. Will probably go with the clubman bars minus signals. Might cut down the seat foam and am looking for a vintage EU rear fender for the beast. Will undoubtedly end up painting the tank, probably removing the badge for good. I did a really neat black and silver tank on one of my 350s, something I might do again. If I ditch the sidecovers, I'll probably go with the pods filters and blacken out the battery box area. Looking to get a drum front, too.
My 71 has only 6100 miles with the original tires, now a bit dry rotted and worn. The petcock is in sorry shape, needing a rebuild or replacement. Getting the carbs and points spot on makes these CBs run like a top. It's really amazing how much timing and carb settings affect these beasts. It's the difference between running ok and really moving down the road. There's an art to carb and timing setting, mixed with prayer. heh... Get brand new points/condenser if you havent already.
You know, I would move to lighter weight oil once you have new rings etc., especially in the winter. I'm running Shell Rotella T 15w-40 for now. Just change it every 1000 miles. I ran 20w-50 in my worn 350s but moving to slightly lighter oil increased the HP a bit. The Rotella T is good stuff and does not harm the clutch. I got that oil tip from a Britsh bike fiend.
Really enjoy the blog. you need to invest in a quality digital though. heh... Yeah, yeah, I'll shut-up. Keep up the good work. I'm on the NC coast and it's the beast time of year to ride.
- kh
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