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CBX Maintenance Log and Modifications/Problems

I'm going to devote this page to any maintenance that I have done and problems that I have encountered.

The bike was purchased with 12,875 original miles. The first 600 miles were driven just as if the bike was new.

13,400 miles. I changed the oil and filter. Since it was a full rebuild, I cut the filter open to examine the innards for any surprises. It looked great! The magnetic oil plug from Tim's had a small collection of "heavy oil", which was a conglomerate of metallic dust. To be expected as the oil flushed the newly constructed case.

I did notice the header pipes turning blue at this stage. It seems that the mixture is slightly on the lean side. If I close the choke lever slightly, it seems to have a better mid-range.

14,000 miles. I pulled the plugs and noticed that they're still almost new looking. Lean is probably the right call. I'll look into this later.

14, 658 miles. The dreaded clutch rattle is driving me nuts! I purchased a set of carb sticks. Following the procedure in the service manual, I synched the carbs. What a difference! The engine just got quieter and quieter as I bought the columns of mercury together. You can read how in the carb section.

14, 987 miles. Time to adjust the valves. Follow the manual, and in a few hours you'll be done. Be sure to get the gasket seated well and torque the valve cover bolts for a proper seal.

15,200 miles. I'm noticing a seepage of oil from the #3 cylinder area where the exhaust bolts onto. I've wiped it before and chalked it up to post assembly oil spillage from the valve adjustment. But it keeps re-appearing after a few days or so. Here's a look.

I think that there's a hairline crack in the cylinder below the combustion level. If you have read the engine rebuild section , you'll remember that this bike had a broken cam, which caused #3 piston to bend the valves and twist the connecting rod. Maybe, the stress has caused a hairline fracture of the cylinder. I can't tell now, but must decide whether to just keep cleaning it or take a closer look. Oh Well! Like Ken Watson once told me, "CBX's don't like to rise from the dead!"

15,600 miles. Oil change, all looks fine. This bike really likes to run! It's still a little noisy at idle, but it's the clutch. I'll either have to live with it or change to a 1981/82 clutch basket.

16245 miles. October's here, and riding it to work in the morning (0600 hrs.) is getting difficult. Tough to wear the full get-up and arrive with the shirt still looking pressed! Now's the time to get the lean situation taken care of. A call to Tim's, and UPS delivers more oil filters, a Dynojet Stage 1 kit, and a K&N air filter.

	Here's how to install it. It's a PDF File...(Need Adobe Acrobat- get it here!)
	To install the kit, the exhaust needs to come off, and the engine tilted forward to remove the carbs. With the engine mounted to the frame with only 1 bolt now, I've decided to remove it and pull the head and cylinders off to try to find the leak. Hopefully, it's a small crack that can be patched with a bead or spot weld by a shop specializing in aluminum welding. If not, I'll need to find a replacement head.
	I'm also looking into the Pipemasters 6 into 6 exhaust. While it's down, this may be the time to change. They're expensive ($1075 delivered from Australia), but look great! I'm told it will make it sound LOUD, like a Ferrari! I'm kind tired of the "Jap" sound it makes with the DG 6 into 1. Stay tuned!

January 21, 2003 Update!

Well, after a few months, I've finally got to the bike. Last month I insulated the garage, and installed a 10 foot baseboard heater! I can now work without a jacket. Boy, that's nice, since the temperature has been in the 20's! I also installed some low pile carpeting from Home Depot. She's well pampered now!

During the "off" season, I've spent some more money on her. I managed to buy:

a chrome engine bolt set- $27.00

a NOS tail light bracket- $17.00

a set of 1979 wheels- $100.00

a front end from Ebay- $107.00 My chrome fork tubes are badly pitted and rusting. Not noticeable much in the daylight, but shine a work light on them and they look bad. I also think the left one is slightly bent. (Don't ask....an encounter with the rear bumper of a Jeep at a stoplight!!)

a nice set of front brake rotors.

As she sits:

I've pulled the engine and have it on the bench. Haven't pulled the head yet......

I've pulled the front wheel off, and am getting the 79 wheels ready. The clear coat (or anodized coating, not sure) has turned rather opaque. I wet sanded a small area with 320 grit, working to 2000 grit. When I apply the Flitz polish, the rim shines like a mirror! The front wheel is now ready for wax, and took about 5 hours of sanding, etc. Here's some pictures of the finished wheel area before and after.

Many of the bolts, washers, nuts, etc have started rusting. That's the problem with a restoration. The bike sits for years, and the parts inevitably start rusting. No problem, right? Just use the bench grinder with a wire wheel, and buff then rust and corrosion right off....sounds easy. And they look like new. BUT...... when you buff the rust off, you also take the coating off, and the bare metal, though shiny, will start to rust the moment it sees water. I'm sure I could spend over $250 from Honda to get the new nuts, bolts, etc, but I may have found a better way. WHAT IS IT ??? Easy, apply a new zinc coating myself! (This should be good!) I purchased the kit from Caswell Plating for $99.00 delivered. Nice web site, support, etc.

PLATING UPDATE TO THE ABOVE (6/03) I saved a lot of money by using the above kit. Brake bolts, banjo fittings, screws, etc. You clean the parts with the wire wheel, dip them into the solution with the zinc bars, and after the allotted time, pull them out and buff them up! Yes, it works!!

Afterwards, I found a great product to polish all the metal on the bike with. It's called WIZARDS POWER SEAL (www.wizardsproducts.com ) So far, this stuff is great! It's described as an" Environmental Shield for all Polished Metals that treats and preserves smooth or previously polished metals against corrosive air, high humidity, water spray and road contaminants such as salt and lime. POWER SEAL transfers an "acrylic" environmental shield to your metal surfaces that helps retain gloss and resist tarnishing, eliminating the need for constant metal polishing" Order some online from the web site. You will be pleased!

September 2003 Update:

The bike is running great now. The Stage 1 Kit fixed the lean situation, the plugs are a nice tan color now. About the oil leak......That's a story in itself. Here's the scoop!!