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73 Honda CB 500 F discussion forum:RE: Honda 500 four |
| RE: Honda 500 four |
| RecDude said 2005-04-07 06:10 |
| One of the worst things that you can do to a motorcycle is let it sit for extended periods of time. You didn´t state what the condition of the bike was in before it was parked so I´m going to assume that it had all of the parts and was running (?). First off You shouldn´t have to rebuild the engine just from it sitting for so long. We pulled a 650 CX out of a barn a while back that had been in there for 15 years, and we had it running in no time (low mileage also). This is what we do. THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. If you do anything I recommend then you are on your own. Don´t come crying to me and say "I broke a bolt and it´s your fault". I´m trying to help, but if you are not a mechanic or at least reasonably competent with tools then it is best if you let the professionals do it. That will cost you a lot. However; if you must proceed then 1. Buy a book!!!!!! Get the tech manual. It is worth it´s weight in gold when you are stuck and can´t figure something out. Haynes and Clymer make them. Get one first thing. 2 Have metric tools, as well as Allen head wrenches, and an impact driver. You will use all of these sooner or later. First thing to do is take off the tank and drain any gas/water still left in it. (Discard waste. Smells like varnish eh?). Rinse out thoroughly with water. After the tank is empty shine a flashlight down into it and examine the bottom for rust. If you have a lot of rust in the bottom then you may have a big problem. Those tanks are over 30 years old and finding a good one can be a real pain. If there are no leaks then you can have it sealed later. After you take off the tank. Remove the carburetors. This is a real pain as well. Be careful with all of the cables, rubber boots and clamps. You will most likely have to rebuild them or at least clean them very, very well. After you have removed the carbs. Then take the spark plugs out. Put the bike on it´s center stand so that the back wheel is off the ground. If the center stand is missing then put it on a block, and a board. Anything to get the back wheel off of the ground. Shift the gears up several times until you are in 5th (high) gear. Take a can of WD40 or similar lube and squirt a small amount down through each spark plug hole into the cylinders do not saturate the rings. You just want a little bit in each cylinder. Let it set for a bit. Have a friend hold the bike and then you grasp the back wheel firmly. Slowly and as easy as you can rotate the wheel forward in small increments. If the wheel will not turn then you have a problem. Some of the rings may be stuck. If they are then add some more WD40 and wait over night. The next day bump the wheel forward by hand again. If you can get it to move freely after a bit then you may be OK . IF it still is stuck then you may have to tear the motor down. If it is not stuck then move on to the next step. With the carbs still off and and the plugs out, hook a hot battery to the correct leads and turn the motor over with the starter. (If it will). Do this several times about 30 seconds at a time wait a bit then do it some more. What this does is pump oil up into the rings without the engine running. After you get oil up into the heads then the next step. Use a compression gage on each cylinder. This should tell you the condition of each cylinder and give you an idea on whether you need to rebuild or not. The TECH MANUAL will have the correct ranges. If the compression is good across all the cylinders then you are OK. The rest is just basic inspect, repair, and replace if needed. ONE IMPORTANT THING!!!!!!!. When inspecting the carbs be very careful of the bowl gaskets. They are getting hard to find. Also be sure to check the condition of the metal inside the bowl area where the main jet seats into the stem. This stem protrudes from the base of the carb down into the bowl. It holds the jet as well as a clip for the float. Around the very edge of it check out the wear. This can be a major problem area if it is chipped or broken. A full set of good Keihens are getting hard to find and replacing just one is a real pain. BE VERY VERY careful removing the jets. Especially the main one that is setting in the stem. Do no force it to try and get it out because you can crack the stem. If that happens then uh oh!!!. You will most likely have to rebuild the carbs. Check the tires for dry rot, examine and lube the cables, check the brake shoes and pads. Check the chain. Follow the TECH MANUAL. A little know how, the right tools, and a little work and you can fix up a nice little ride. I could go into more detail, but....I´m not getting paid so..... As long as the engine is not rusted stuck severely then you should be OK. The bottom ends last forever it seems, so you might have to put in a piston kit, and rebuild the head at the most. Good luck. |
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