Four Wheel Forum

Well, I got the second coat of head resistant paint on the engine cases and back in the storage toolbox for another two week cure. Then a coat of heat resistant clear, another cure week and time to reassemble. The head won't be painted until the machine work is done, but from experience, fully cured paint on the cylinder block won't be affected by oils. The key to fuel and heat resistant parts is being fully cured.

Most folks paint after assembly, since this project is long term, I like to paint before assembly. Makes for cool detail.
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Wish I had the time and resources to do mine right like yours! I know mine runs... but no idea what the insides look like!

Those parts look new... awesome work.

For me it's the journey. I have found a CA95 frame and a way to get it shipped. The CA160 should be in my garage by June, but I have decided to continue with the CA95 build. So in a few weeks I will start taking pics of the frame and parts as I go along. The CA95 is going to be another mild custom. The hard part is getting a good gas tank. The second tank has holes in the bottom.....

I may do some surgery and some metalwork and make it a custom tank, until a good one comes along.

I got the frame in today. The pic shows most of the items collected while waiting on engine paint to cure and seals...taking forever. The frame serial number is only 26 builds from the last CA95, most unbelievable.

I will be collecting wiring, forks, bars and such over the next few months. By late fall, should be tooling down the road. Don't know the final color yet.

The tank is junk because the bottom has more pin holes than a screen door. So, during the meantime I am going to modify it to look like the early Benly tank.

Also, now that I have a frame. I will work on a pic procedure of how to build a chopper seat like the black bike I did. This bike will have the Asian style as shown.

(picture here)

Spokes, if you need anything, I have many spare parts as I've stripped a couple bikes to build mine. Let me know!

I found a complete wire set with rectifier, ign.switch, matching steering lock, starter solinoid. I am going to repair the wiring and add the turn signal wiring.

The switch and lock don't have a key, but I have a locksmith that has made several keys for old honda switches and locks in the past.

I think I found a set of forks, suspension and headlight bucket. I have a great low mile speedo, but it has a crack in the glass. I might replace the lens and reseal it, another custom job awaiting.

But for now, needs are: rear forks, one shock absorber, front and rear wheel assembly, carb, chain case. I am going to buy a couple of burnt out headlamps. I figured a way to rebuild the headlamp, but I need to sacrifice one headlamp to make the other work. I have already done one and it's on the bike I sold.

So if there is anything you have on the list let me know and a price, you can pm me with detail. Oh, the wheels can be bad, I replace the rims, polish the hubs, replace the bearings and seals and relace the spokes, no big deal.
I have a fedex account, so I just need the stuff boxed up, they come and get it at my expense.

Thanks.

Ok, I'll take some pics of what I have for you.

thanks for the tip on curing the paint before exposing to heat/oil. Just wondering what on the C95 engine was actually painted and what was polished? Do you use a type of paint that works better than another (rattle can type I am assuming)

Jim

The points cover and the left side and the oil "filter" cover on the right was the only polished parts. The engine was painted. I have seen polished case engines, they are cool, but takes a ton of effort and has to be maintained. Great for the trailer queen, but I ride my restores when finished.

My trick for painting engine cases is really involved, but done in my shop. There are more ways to put a good resistant coat of paint on engines, but the way I describe how I did it worked. I spilled gas and oil on my paint many times without lifting the paint.

I paint the parts when the engine is apart. Doing it on the bike will work as well but the secret is allowing the paint to cure.

With engine apart I degrease, wash with dishwashing liquid and soak in a phosphoric acid bath an hour. I remove the part from the bath and spray on Eagle brand chrome cleaner and scrub with fine steel wool, then rinse. I try to sand flat any gouges at this time.

I then rinse again with water, dry with a paper towel and rinse the part with acetone-wear gloves!

I wear clean gloves everytime I handle the part after these steps. Now here is the kicker...The paint that I use, again it worked for me once and I am repeating the same procedure at this time.

Case paint: Duplicolor Engine Enamel-500F-Silver
Duplicolor Engine Enamel-500F-Clear
Cylinder Paint: Duplicolor High Heat Black 1200F
Cylinder Head: VHT Flame Proof Very High Temperature Header Paint-Silver


Case :Each color can be recoated within an hour. I apply two coats and wait at least a week.
Repeat.
After the case paint is fully cured I clear coat it twice and let cure for a week at least and reassemble.

Same for the cylinder and head-BUT NO CLEAR COAT STEP.

If you can't do the same prep steps as I do. Take the time to degrease the engine and use steel wool to prep the surface.

When you paint the engine have some acetone ready. If you see that the paint is not sticking, or get "fish eye" wipe the paint off with acetone before it dries, allow to dry and start again.

To the readers of this procedure: I am aware of powder coating, 2 part enamels, baking the paint and so on. My way is an "at home" procedure when you have more time than money and no spray equipment (yes, I have spray equipment)

yeah I think I share your opinion on the polished engine casings. I would look really good but would be hard to keep nice. I have all of the spray painting equipment too but will try your method. I want it to look as it did new.

Now if it would stop raining long enough, I could back the mustang out of the garage and start painting bike parts........

Found and bought a complete CA95 front fork assembly with suspension and headlight bucket. Should be here in 10 days or so. The gas tank with the holes in the bottom has had the rusty bottom removed and will have the inside sandplasted clean. New metal will be welded and while I am repairing the tank, I will install a new modern petcock mount in the bottom metal before having it welded closed. I may or may not modify the tank other than correcting a modern new chrome petcock. Once all of the body parts are found like the air filter side cover, rear swing arm, one shock absorber, front fender and when the tank is tested and restored, it will be time to paint.

As the paint cures the engine will be assembled, wiring will be rebuilt with signal wire integrated into the harness and the search for wheels exaust and small parts will continue.

Pics will start in 10 days of where the bike is.

Target date August. Still thinking about color....part of me wants candy red, part of me wants pearl white. Can't be stock.

Well, another saga of an ebay find. When I buy a batch of parts off of ebay I always look for whats unusual, not the total package.
This listing offered all of the electrical package, coil, switch, matching fork lock, rectifier, harness...I love it when they say.."all of the ends are good on the wiring harness"

Keepers are Ignition switch and matching lock, already at the locksmith having keys made. I have a locksmith here in Bowling Green..She makes keys for all of my Honda project locks....

The coil is as of course has been wire bastardized. The coil tests good, wires will be corrected and new spark plug wires and caps installed.

The Rectifier still has the insulation on it, but pretty dry. I will renew the dry insulation.

The wiring harness....wow, taped, spliced, cut. I will probably source another harness. But for $21.00 and shipping for the package, a gamble worth taking.
I always save all connections from an old wire harness. Also, always save as much of the good wire as possible. It comes in handy to have donor wire during a rebuild to match color codes. When I find a good harness I will unwrap it and include turn signal wiring and then rewrap it.

Next week, engine paint will be cured and the engine rebuild begins, hard frame parts should be arriving.

I've gotten many "mint" parts from ebay only to get what you got! Is it a scammer or do they REALLY think that is in good shape??

Sorry I'm dragging my feet with the parts too. I have the list and I'll make it back over to my shed at the parent's house today!

I don't think it's scammers. It is rare that people know vintage parts to any degree. That's why I always look for items within a "package". In this case the prize was a matching ingnition switch and a fork lock. If you have a locksmith as I do a matching set with a key increases the value of the find.

Being able to update good original ignition coils and starter solinoids helps as well. The wiring is the least of the find.

Take your time with the parts.

I realize you already have the locksmith involved in your key situation, but as a note for future endeavors - I've used http://hondakeys.com/ many times for matching NOS keys to ignitions when the number is available. I've purchased spares and even keys for the recent CA95 find that I'll start in the spring. No problems at all.