Revive a CB400F

fasterspider · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:01 pm Post subject: Revive a CB400F

My latest job is to bring this neglected CB400F back to life.

We just got home from Marina Del Rey picking this little baby up that fits in the back of the Dakota with the tailgate up and the Dodge did not even know she was back there, light weight bikes are a breeze.
Her front brake is almost locked, carbs are gummed up, no spark, dead battery, tires are shot, she needs a bath and a regular garage to be stored in when finished but, she looks fairly good on the outside and all of her parts are there.
I love saving old Honda motorcycles from a fate worse than death, neglect. Shocked

MR.CHocko · Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:51 pm Post subject:

Good find and I see lots of potential in that bike.

fasterspider · Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:44 am Post subject:

MR.CHocko · Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 6:10 am Post subject:

Having use to live above a British shop, all I am going to say about working on British bikes is that they are a boat load of trouble. Especially BSA singles. Ride a BSA single for 20,000 miles and you just spent $20 on oil and $600 on a bearing job. The salt does wreck havoc on those bikes.

fasterspider · Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 3:15 pm Post subject:

This is a cool picture of a three 1970s era 2, 4 and 6 cylinder Honda motorcycles.

fasterspider · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 6:29 pm Post subject:

Had a mess of friggin house work yesterday and could not work on the CB400F but, today I took the front brake caliper apart & cleaned it thoroughly finding the piston is shot needing replacement and I cleaned the carbs too.
The carbs were in pretty good shape inside except for the bad gas clogging the idle jets but, the outside was nasty.
I was too busy to take a picture before I cleaned everything but, here is an after shot of the carbs, caliper and shot out piston.
I polish the #1 & #4 float bowls and top caps for shitz & giggles, they are the only ones that can really be seen anyway.

The caliper was beat to death by primitive Pete the wreckanic and there was no way I was putting it back on there looking like it rolled all the way down the ugly hill. That is fresh semi gloss paint on there now that will dull up more as it cures.

The new piston will not be in until Thursday and holy shit they are expensive.
I tried to get a K&L piston but, they don't list them for the 400F anymore so Honda it has to be.

Bikegeezer · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 7:58 am Post subject:

All the brake pistons in my '76 Gold Wing had the same issue. That's what happens when the brake fluid hasn't been flushed since the Nixon administration.

Stu

fasterspider · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 2:56 pm Post subject:

MR.CHocko · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 4:12 pm Post subject:

I love it when a bike comes back to life.

fasterspider · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:18 am Post subject:

I found out why there was no spark, rust in the kill switch.
The ignition switch base is bad also.
I can fix the kill switch but, the base for the ignition switch is getting replaced.
She will be running this morning.

fasterspider · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:04 pm Post subject:

After 30 years sitting in someone's garage, she runs good again and looks fairly nice too.
I took it down the street and she shifts through all the gears nicely but, it needs a new master cylinder and a clutch cable.
She is in pretty good shape for a neglected sweet little Honda. Cool

.

Rat · Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:26 pm Post subject:

Good work Ray.

Love those pipes

Gord Very Happy

fasterspider · Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 3:47 pm Post subject:

Cleaned the caliper out of 36 year old crystalized brake fluid & put in new EBC pads, rebuilt the master cylinder and replaced the useless as tits on a bull "ballooning" OEM brake lines with black coated stainless steel brake lines and she can now stop on a dime. Wink

fasterspider · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject:

Evidently cleaning the caliper was not good enough for the 400F, she also wanted a new o-ring next to the new piston.
All done now.

fasterspider · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 5:31 pm Post subject:

New ignition switch base, new battery, all new fuses but, no power anywhere except the new battery.
36 and almost 37 years old, neglected for 20+? years and things will go wrong on revival, it's a given.
She ran great for 25 minutes and then left the owner stranded on the side of the road 10 miles from his house, it is a good thing I was escorting him home with my VFR and my AAA Premier RV/Motorcycles card to get him the rest of the way home safely.
I think it is the new ignition switch base but, I have a GL1100 here now for a new stator and anyone who has an old GL know's what I am in for with that job. Just don't have the space now damn it.