New guy with new old bike

[Walmart Ninja]

Hey, thanks guys!
Carg, do you use a cleaning product with those items?
Hinsky, thanks for the pics. Is that a hard area to access?

What is a reputable parts business?

Any preference for Clymer vs Haynes manuals? I do have an online copy of the Honda tech repair manual

 

[dirtdigger]

Honda manual only. The others have inaccuracy's. Have found incorrect torque specs, incorrect capacities, incorrect sequences, and other issues. They are very generic. Only thing they are good for is laying parts on to keep them clean while using the Honda manual to get your torque specs.

 

[dirtdigger]

Only place to get engine parts is cyclex or honda, I wont send people anywhere else. vintagecb750, 4into1 are about the only ones I use for other misc parts for these bikes. If I want oem use either ebay or check with honda dealers for parts availability, still a lot of stuff available.

 

[carg3]

Hey, thanks guys!
Carg, do you use a cleaning product with those items?
Hinsky, thanks for the pics. Is that a hard area to access?

What is a reputable parts business?

Any preference for Clymer vs Haynes manuals? I do have an online copy of the Honda tech repair manual

Plain water works just fine for chrome, just wet the steel wool and go to town. Flitz metal pre-clean and Flitz metal polish paste have worked well for me to remove aluminum oxidation.

 

[Old_Crow]

Only thing they are good for is laying parts on to keep them clean while using the Honda manual to get your torque specs.

In 55 years of working on vehicles for fun and profit, this is the best use for a Haynes or Clymer manual I've ever heard or read.

 

[PWBII]

Seems to me Haynes are written in England, so everyday speech is a little different. I use them OK. I never had any trouble with Clymers when I can find them. Of course FYI, Haynes is no longer in print, you gotta find a NOS, used or download a PDF & print it out yourself if you want a hard copy.

 

[hinksy]

Hinsky, thanks for the pics. Is that a hard area to access?

You do have to remove the exhaust and then get at it from underneath . I cheated and had removed the engine when I took my pics . It still can be done , but it will need a camera to look into the engine or if you have one of those flash workbenches for a bike , you can lift it high enough to see into the engine

 

[Walmart Ninja]

Thanks again guys! !
Hinksy, ok. I saw your pics and was hoping not to pull the engine.
Skip Haynes and Clymer
I got the replacement points and condenser mailed to me from the PO. The bag it came in says “1979 CB 750A”. I assume they are interchangeable with a 72 model. In looking for parts, what years are interchangeable with a 72 model?

Thanks

 

[hinksy]

The A is an automatic and I think they were only in the SOHC , didnt know they still made them in 79 , as honda went to DOHC in 79 . Just compare them I dont think they changed from model to model ( SOHC ) and I think the DOHC is fully digital . But hey , I`m not an eggspurt

 

[dirtdigger]

They didnt make them in 79, has to be missmarked. points set are all the same, most aftermarket sets are junk though. Its best to look for oem sets or change out for dyna ignition setup

 

[Walmart Ninja]

It's definitely used, so guessing oem. Thanks

 

[Walmart Ninja]

I got spark, and got it running! WOOT! What I did - Changed out points plate, spark advance, coil, and spark plug caps. Plug caps tested bad, plug wires were messed up with adhesive or some goo at the ends. Points plate and spark advance may have been salvageable, but I had a spare from the PO so I went ahead and swapped them out as PO was convinced that was where the problem was. She runs!! Wife is a less happy than I am as I fired it up in the basement, and it got pretty stinky down there. Whoops!

 

[Walmart Ninja]

The biggest thing to worry about is the timing chain tensioner and primary tensioner wheels coming apart. The rubber wheels get hard and brittle and start to break apart, makes chains rattle more and can eventually break the chains. you can drop the oil pan and check for chunks and other debris. The oil pump check valve rubber tend to leak as it gets hard and doesnt seal well, that causes the oil tank to drain back to the engine pan.

Hey guys. Got the carbs squared away, and want to check on the timing chain tensioner and primary tensioner wheels. Is it adequate to just look for chunks in the pan, and if I don’t see any, leave well enough alone? There isn’t a lot of info on how to check them. One on top of the motor, and one is under the motor?

Edit: Doing some looking - so only the primary chain tensioner has the wheels - correct? And the timing chain tensioner can be removed under the carbs and there is a tensioner pad hat can wear, but there are no wheels? Sound right? Thanks!

 

[dirtdigger]

If you pull the pan you can see the wheel on the primary tensioner, would give a decent idea of condition of the timing chain tension although they tend to be in worse shape then the primary. If the primary is bad the timing chain wheels are bad. The should be soft enough to dig your fingernail in. You cant see the timing chain wheels without pulling the valve cover and then you cant see much.

 

[Walmart Ninja]

Thanks again Digger. I will take a look!

 

[dirtdigger]

No the sohc 750 has two wheels. The wheels contact the chain and do the tensioning, the part under the carbs only pushes the wheels into the chain. The wheels can not be replaced without pulling the head and cylinder block off the case.

 

[Walmart Ninja]

I see. Thank you very much for clearing that up.

 

[hinksy]

Both the tensioners are numbered as " 3 " in these pics

 

[Walmart Ninja]

Awesome - thanks Hinksy!

 

[Loki]

Couple of questions which will be helpful to have answered, when I did my top overhaul I replaced both cam tensioner wheels with new genuine Honda parts in Honda packaging and the outer part of the wheels were a hard plastic material so Dirtdiggers comment about being able to dig your fingernail in seems to be incorrect or maybe only applies to the primary tensioner which I didn't disturb.
Secondly I believe there is a specific process to set the cam chain tensioner but I can't find it now in amongst all the usefull info on this forum, maybe someone can post it up for us?

Loki