Disassemble Question

[Chris Taylor]

I recently purchased a '71 CT 70 that I am about to disassemble and restore. Does anyone have any suggestions on the order of disassembly? I would assume the engine and engine guard last so it will set on a stand for most of the disassemble. Any tips is appreciated.

Chris

 

[Coastal Redneck]

If you don't have a stand, a sturdy plastic crate will work, you can place a towel (rag) under the bike and shift it slightly as you remove the wheels. CHP or some outfit sells a crate just for this purpose, but any sturdy crate will do. Whenever I redid my forks or worked on the rear wheel, drive chain, etc., I'd use the crate... had a little wheeled seat thing my dear departed mom used to sit on while gardening, that put me right down by the work area in comfort, I'm sure you could quickly rig some sorta seat with a couple of cinderblocks and a piece of wood. Other option is to raise the bike so you're standing as you work on it... moi, I liked sitting with a cold beer as I wrenched on my FrankenBike, I only stood when I needed to get a better angle at removing a part. Having a low plastic tub, pie plate, whatever for holding parts is a good idea, those suckers can roll into the worst places, meaning the hardest to reach, LOL.

P.S. A good supply of rags also helps, plus a can of WD-40 and some motor oil for cleaning up parts. Solvent or parts cleaner for the worst offenders... and good grease for reassembling stuff, decent chain lube for the chain, even if ya have a new one. Good luck, post pics as ya go if possible, don't forget the beer!!! CHEERS!!!

 

[69ST]

I usually start with the parts that can be removed while the bike is parked on the kickstand...handlebars, top tree, seat, exhaust, fuel tank, brake pedal, etc. The engine guard is up to you; it can come off with the engine & footrest assembly. Once the four upper (guard-to-frame) bolts are out, there's just the two motor mounts holding engine/footrest/guard in the frame (the swingarm pivot bolt can be loosened, the nut removed at this time also)...and they can come out as a unit. Next up, the axles & wheel assemblies, followed by the rear shocks. The frame can then be laid on its side, on a movers blanket, to remove the fenders & swingarm. Next, the front end. Beware, there are 42 loose bearings...21 per race...in the steering head. A magnet will catch most of them, the movers blanket should capture the few that drop out, with a little luck. It's pretty easy to loose one, so count the total as they go into the ziplock bag and replace any that cannot be found. At this point, there's just the ignition coil and top trim left on the frame. The trim can be pried up, starting at the rear edge, 3 spring clips live underneath.

The lower/inner fork legs are removed by first removing the upper bolts then unscrewing the aluminum caps, at the tops of the gators (boots).

 

[Tripod]

Order your parts after disassembly. That way you dont have to pay shipping multiple times. Also do a search here for the tools needed to make tthe job easier.

 

[Chris Taylor]

When I bought it the guy told me it didn't run so my thought was to work on getting it running by doing a carb rebuild, points, condenser, etc. before I started on the restore. I didn't want to spend $ on cosmetics if the engine was shot and needed an entire rebuild. The whole project would be a rethink at that point. As it turned out it does run, not well though. It will only run with the choke on and it shifts a bit clunky. So I am trying to decide do I continue with the original plan of a tune up and get it running correctly before tearing it apart, or do I go ahead and tear it apart and do the engine work (carb rebuild, clutch plates, points, etc) after it is out so I can do it on the workbench where it would be easier. I tried uploading a pic but I get an upload error.

Chris

 

[69ST]

The clunky shifting may be partially, or completely, a matter of mastering an unconventional shift technique. These are semi-automatic clutches. That said, most folks don't really understand what that means. Fewer still understand, learn and master the shifting. At this stage of the process, I would first learn how to adjust the clutch preload, then get the feel of the shift lever. What actually happens when moving the lever is the same as pulling the hand lever, with a manual clutch. Holding the shifter at either extreme (up or down) releases the clutch and the engine freewheels...or it should, if the preload is properly set and everything inside the motor is correctly assembled. Practice modulating the throttle and shift lever movement/release. You should modulate the throttle the same as you would with a hand clutch. Generally speaking, you want to give the shifter a quick stab, then hold the lever, briefly, before releasing it. This is a little awkward to learn, at first. But, once mastered, you will be able to shift as smoothly as with any hand lever-actuated manual clutch.

I suggest sorting out the clutch & carburetor before taking the bike apart. The carb rebuild should be pretty straightforward, with only a couple of CT70-specific quirks. The fact that it runs as well as it does likely indicates an easy carb rebuild.


Of all the various components on this bike, the engine is the easiest to completely restore...relatively speaking. Any and every part that could be needed is available and most are cheap. If you are capable of tearing down the engine and reassembling it, then there's probably $300-500 worth of parts between you and a mechanically like-new motor that can easily deliver a 5-digit service life, with timely maintenance...mainly oil changes and periodic oil spinner cleanings.

If you're planning a total restoration, it really makes sense to go through the engine, i.e. splitting the cases for a thorough cleaning and inspection. I'd expect to find worn shift forks. That was a common problem when these bikes first reached the showrooms. Honda revised the shift fork design for much better service life. These things are easy to replace, once the cases are split. And, worn shift forks, plus pins, can hurt shift quality.

As for the photo upload issue, it's being worked on...

 

[cjpayne]

My .02 is have PLENTY of ziplock backs with labels for the parts and PLENTY of pictures before disassembly and during disassembly. The first time I disassembled the tranny, I took lots of pics and was glad I did. During reassembly, I clocked the kickshaft wrong and couldnt figure out what was wrong for awhile until I looked at the pics. Also, the star shifter that goes on the drum, its mounting screw and hole have to be squeaky clean with blue locktite or it will come loose later.

 

[69ST]

My .02 is have PLENTY of ziplock backs with labels for the parts and PLENTY of pictures before disassembly and during disassembly. The first time I disassembled the tranny, I took lots of pics and was glad I did. During reassembly, I clocked the kickshaft wrong and couldnt figure out what was wrong for awhile until I looked at the pics. Also, the star shifter that goes on the drum, its mounting screw and hole have to be squeaky clean with blue locktite or it will come loose later.

Sage advice...