Needs and wants (parts)

I've spent some time examining what I need to do to get Cub street legal, and what I want to do to get her looking the way she deserves to. It's not quite a Venn diagram, but there is some overlap. So, in no particular order, the needs for legality:

1. Brake light (including a red filter)
2. Brake pedal spring bracket (to establish more positive brake pedal return force)
3. Headlight
4. Speedometer cable (possibly a new speedometer, but I know that the cable is damaged, so we'll start there)

I took care of part of numbers 1 and 3 today, by going to buy bulbs. Now it's just a matter of determining why the lamps don't light when I turn them on... At least it's an easy system to ring out. The spring bracket is a part I can fabricate myself with some scrap steel- not worried about that. That just leaves the speedo cable- I know they're out there, hopefully for cheap. We'll see.

I should also call the DMV and inquire about what I'll need to provide to get a title (or whatever) and a registration, then go find an insurance policy that makes sense. That shouldn't be too expensive, given how small Cub is, and how cheap they were originally (incidentally, looking at my serial number narrows the build date down to the first quarter of '66, making her 46 a couple of months ago). Still, the only reason I want or need insurance in the next month is so I can do my operational testing on a street where I have room to run up, and those are usually not full of potential claims.

So it's a pretty clear path forward to registration, I think (but no real hurry). After covering the essentials, my list of wants is much longer...

1. New leg shield- current part has a piece missing
2. New head lamp ring, without pitting and a bad coat of silver paint
3. Knobs for the side plastic covers- I can hack it together with bolts, but that'll get old fast
4. Permanent connection for battery charging circuit (not that alligator clips aren't useful)
5. New rubber packing between center and left engine case pieces (I actually have this, but it requires complete disassembly to install)
6. More appropriate air hose for the size of my carburetor
7. Piston rings? Smoky exhaust- likely oil consumption
8. New throttle cable
9. Chain guards
10. Winker relay (unless I have one hidden in there somewhere, which is a possibility)
11. Battery with posts to attach starter motor circuit
12. Rubbers for foot pegs
13. Mirrors (might actually be a street legal thing)
14. Neutral lamp bulb and speedo lamp bulb
15. Actual red filter for brake light (if I end up making one with clear red tape)
16. Cool decal for the side plastics - I should really have a Ride-By-Night logo
17. Cool key chain - perhaps the old Honda motorcycle logo?

There are a few things to do as well- right now I'm focused primarily on inventory. Later this week I'll put together an action list, I think. And continue to enjoy my success, of course.

-The Proprietor

Change in priorities

Yesterday I'd pulled the head off my cylinder to clean the valves, with a plan to clean and lap them. One of the nice things about having such a small engine, of course, is that you can do that by hand. This morning I took a wire brush and cleaned the carbon deposits off, then lapped the valve seats with a bit of extra white toothpaste (the whitening means a higher silica content- bad for enamel, good for old valves). After re-installing the cylinder, and in the process discovering that A) I need a torque wrench and B) it's a damn lucky thing I have a box of spare engine parts with extra cylinder studs lying around in the garage....

This happened:

The kicking you see me doing to get the bike going at first belies a clutch problem- she won't idle in gear, so I have to get some movement going manually first... but the engine runs and the drivetrain does work. Two years, and a couple weeks of dedicated evenings got the job done. I'm ecstatic- it means now I can justify taking time to work on cosmetics, minor parts, etc. Hence the title, as a matter of fact- now my priority isn't getting the engine to run at all, but getting it to run like a Cub should.

More to come- I'm working up a list of things I need and things I want to be ready to take her on real roads, and I'm starting to source where I can get the mirrors, speedo cable, etc I'll need.

Good day today.

-The Proprietor

Two weeks

In two weeks, I've made more progress on the Cub than in two years of owning it. Seriously... Which is fine. She's never taken up space that wasn't available, really, and I've never regretted buying her. Before Audrey and I left Atlanta, I'd tried to hook the battery up to see if the electrical system worked, and after grounding the battery to one of the terminals of the starter solenoid, diagnosed an electrical problem. Some of you should be scratching your heads... I know. Looking back, of course that wasn't going to work- the battery wasn't ever really grounded... I finally got around to printing off a proper wiring diagram for that model of Cub and took another crack at it two weekends ago, with this as the result:

Sure, not too exciting in terms of noise and spectacle, but I'd hooked up a new battery correctly, and was using the button to make it work- pretty exciting to me.

The next logical step, of course, was to try to start the engine. Less success here, unfortunately. I was able to verify that I was getting good spark consistently, and better spark after a bit of contact cleaner. A buddy of mine helped me adjust the timing to about where it should be, with no luck. I replaced the old gas with fresh premium, with no luck. After making other adjustments elsewhere (and noting along the way that I needed to replace the head cover gasket), I took the exhaust back off the bike and kicked the engine over. Here, I found that the fuel/air mixture was spraying from the exhaust port of the cylinder. Last night I took the head off, removed the valves, and found some carbon deposits on the exhaust valve... I'm not sure if it's in the right place to affect the seal, but it's worth a cleaning anyway. I'm also planning to check the tappet clearance once I reinstall the head (got some feeler gauges the other day). If it's not the seal itself, perhaps the rocker is just holding it a little bit open.

My plan at this point is to focus entirely on getting the engine running- that's the key goal. I've got a repair to the engine mounting holes I need to do, a lot of cleaning, and more than a few components to track down before I'm ready to call the project complete, but once the engine is running, the bike should be rideable, and I'll be able to take the cosmetic and detail repairs in whatever order I like. 

I'm pretty optimistic about getting this bike running in the next few days. I've learned a lot about engines, and it's been a lot of fun (I think I'd just procrastinated so long it was just ingrained before- funny what a small success will do for work ethic). Besides, I'm an engineer, and I want to build a plane- this is turning out to be good practice for that. I'll post a set of pictures tomorrow, and (maybe with some luck) a video of the engine running.

-The Proprietor

A clean garage is a happy garage

Similarly, a happy garage is a happy project. I built myself a workbench a couple days ago to help contain the parts I'm working on and the tools I'm using. It actually turned out quite well. Needless to say, having more bench space, a shelf for tools, and pegboard for more tools is helping me find things faster, which is making the work more efficient.

I installed a new right crankcase gasket, which has slowed the oil leaking considerably. It's not stopped, unfortunately. I'd forgotten that the oil drain plug was also leaking. Of course, I've got the carb on, I've got a trickle charger on the battery, and I'm hoping to have the engine turning soon. Not riding yet, but running at least.

For riding, my two main tasks are the rear wheel (I need a new tube so I can put the new tire on) and the throttle cable (either a new one or an adapter to mate the OEM cable to the slightly upsized carb).

It's getting there.... slowly.

-The Proprietor

Progress at last

I wouldn't pretend that my documentation of this project has been anything but sporadic, but that reflects the progress... perhaps, lack of progress that I'm supposed to be documenting. Just as a quick bite of context, in the past six months I uprooted everything and dragged my fiancée (and Cub) across the country to Sandpoint, ID to follow a job. Mind you, a fantastic job, in a great place. Idaho is really an amazing state if you're into the outdoors, and Sandpoint in particular sits on the shore of a big lake, at the base of a ski resort, surrounded by hiking trails. It's also a bit of a motorcycle paradise in the summer, I'm told. There's a motorcycle shop here in town called Cycle Haus, run by a guy and his son. Picture a big shack in the middle of a parking lot, stuffed full of motorcycles and parts, and wallpapered in pictures of more of the same.

Having thus answered the question of income, parts availability, and supplemental knowledge... and having relocated to a place where drivers could typically pass a basic psychological evaluation, of course... Perhaps more entries are forthcoming.

Last we heard from Cub, she needed attention paid to the electrical system, a new carburetor, new tires, lights, a speedo, various cables, gaskets, and a bit of finishing kit. In other words, my straightforward project bike had turned out to be a bit less straightforward than I'd hoped. I decided to start with the carburetor. I'd acquired one that was slightly too big a while back, and after some research decided to file the mounting holes inward to fit the existing attachment points. My office is really just a mezzanine overlooking a machine shop, so I took the carb to work one day and got the job done quickly and simply. It's mounted right now, and appears to seal reasonably well. I put about half a liter of gas in the tank; we'll see how everything holds up over a day or two.

Today I followed the carburetor up with a trip to Cycle Haus for a spark plug cap and some tires. They're currently on order- should be mid next week that I can mount them up. The spark plug cap fits just fine in the meantime. The old one, as I'd suspected, had simply given up the ghost to corrosion. I installed the new cap and decided to do a quick start/no start test. No start, unfortunately.

At least the list of work left to do has become more clearly defined:

1. Electrical system- this will no doubt be labor intensive and massively frustrating. I'm sure that either the horn, lights, or starter should work if I install the battery properly. None do, and I suspect that I'm going to need to wring out the wiring harness completely to track down the problem. It's also entirely possible that I'll need to replace the harness. We'll see.
2. Gaskets- the right case gasket is blown, and I suspect that the others are not in top shape either. I hear there's a place around Spokane that can cut them on the spot for fairly cheap. Audrey and I are going down there tomorrow for some other errands anyway; we'll do a little exploring. Replacing the gaskets forces me to inspect the inside of the engine, which I've thus far been reluctant to touch. It'll also stop the oil leak.
3. Speedometer and cables- I'll start with the speedo cable, which is shot. I also need a new throttle cable, I believe. It's possible that a new cable isn't the answer to the speedo jumping around erratically as I walk the bike, but the cable is the cheaper starting point, and I need a new one anyway.
4. Lights- When I sort out the electrical system, this should just be a matter of replacing bulbs.
5. Springs, loose screws, etc- the brake springs are old and rusty and the ignition switch isn't bolted on. I'll definitely want brakes to work, and I don't like things being loose on vehicles.
6. Seat- the foam is collapsed and the seat cover is torn. I'll need a new one.
7. Plastics and cosmetics- Whether or not this can be considered necessary work is subjective, but I tend to say yes. The point of a classic project is to wind up with an example of classic design. Having intact plastics, shiny chrome, and some attention to details goes a long way. It may not affect how the bike runs, but it'll definitely affect your effect as you ride. I'll save this for last, I think.

In a nutshell, my goal right now is to cobble enough of a repair together to make the bike ridable. Once I can limp it to work, I can get into more detail. That way I don't run the risk of mixing my parts into airplane parts, and I won't get in anybody's way while I do things. With a bit of luck and some research, I think that it's reasonable to assume that I can have the engine running in a month and looking good in two or three... perhaps just in time for the summer festival.

-The Proprietor

De-rusting and re-assembling

Today's work involved scrubbing, for the most part. Cub had been kept in a barn of some sort, from what I can gather, and therefore was covered in the usual layer of barn grime. The rear wheel rim was also spotted with surface rust, and some of the bolts were similarly in need of some polishing. So, with the help of my friend Henri, I did just that. The wheels are in better shape now, and the bike is generally brighter for being cleaner, which is always nice.

In other news, I finally found a locksmith with a storefront today, and dropped off my ignition switch so that they could work on making me a key for it. With some luck, I should have some news on Monday or Tuesday about how easy it'll be. I also picked up some classy fuel line today, though about two inches too little, unfortunately... a double male adapter and two inches of extra line should do the job, so it's not the end of the world necessarily. I also used today as an excuse to put the seat and the foot pegs back on and inflate the tires, so I could do the motorcycle equivalent of a high-speed taxi test. Riding it around on the driveway like a toddler on one of those pedal-less trikes, I can say that at least the brakes work well enough to stop me, though how well they work at higher speeds will be a test for another day. On a side note, one of the odd quirks about leading-link front suspension is that the bike tends to pitch up pretty dramatically when you apply the front brake, which is sort of odd. It'll take some getting used to, I suppose.

And, of course, a photographic update of my progress. Yes, that's oil in the plate below it. The right crankcase gasket is a bit leaky, and I wouldn't be terribly surprised if I wound up having to replace all of them at some point. I'll get to that when I've moved out of "make it run" and into "make it run better."

-The Proprietor

Ah good, a fresh tankful of electricity...

Well, I've been ignoring Cub lately, but UPS delivered a package earlier today that will allow me to change this.

See, a while back, I got a hold of a new air filter assembly for the bike. It's in generally good condition- though the gaskets are a bit old- and fit right on without any fuss. I like when parts do that... it's always a huge pain in the ass when things don't quite match up model to model, and retrofitting isn't usually a good idea for something that old, etc etc. With the filter attached, the list of things I wanted or needed to do to the bike before trying to start the engine for the first time in however long shrank down to "battery" and "ignition switch."

The battery came- a brand new, unprepped Power Sonic 6N2-2a-3. It's a conventional lead/acid three cell battery, producing six volts at 2 amps (as the name suggests). It looks a bit different from the MBQ6K pictured in the parts fiche at CMSNL.com (here: Honda 50), but some research told me that it's the current compatible model. I'm not picky- as long as it does the job properly, I'm happy. So the next few items on the agenda:

1. Have battery prepped at Twist N Scoot, install in Cub.
2. Acquire a key for the ignition switch and rewire it, or hotwire it temporarily.
3. Replace the oil and ensure the gaskets are solid.
4. Run something through the gas tank to flush it, connect the fuel lines and give her some gas.
5. Pray to the internal combustion gods and press the start button.

If all goes according to plan, the engine will be upgraded to "running" status shortly. I'm a bit concerned that the transmission might need some work, which would be frustrating. Fortunately, I have a shifting transmission from Spare's engine, though getting at it could be tricky. Worst comes to worst, I guess. Once the engine is up and running, I should be able to just put a chain on and start test-riding to work out the bugs. I'll need mirrors to make it street legal, of course, but I can worry about those in a bit. Audrey's looking forward to riding, and I can't say I blame her. Once Cub is rideable, I can start polishing the chrome and replacing the plastic to make the bike really shine. Ideally, we'll get some good usage out of her and turn some heads in the process.

The Proprietor

Incidentally, if anybody finds a big trove of Cub plastic fairings and covers online, let me know. I'm looking for the front plastic, its related hardware and the side plastic, all in white.