I bought it for $600 non-running with a clean title in 2018. I got it running with help from the old site and rode it around for two years and had a blast. It's pretty beat up with its 25,000 miles but it still was pretty decent in the city. I installed the pamco ignition and got it running pretty good but it always leaked oil pretty badly out of the front of number 2 cylinder between the cylinders and the cam box. So finally I forced my brother to help me pull the engine out so I could diagnose it. This is what I found:
The inside of the cylinders didn't seem too damaged. They measured pretty much exactly 64.00mm all the way around top and bottom both cylinders. They weren't visually flawless there were some what seemed like very minor scratches but they felt smooth to the touch. I have digital calipers I will measure everything tonight.
Now keep in mind I bought this bike sight unseen on ebay for $600 with a clean title and 24,000 miles from a father/son duo out in rural PA who had bit off more than they could chew and hadn't even attempted to rebuild the carbs yet and it hadn't been on the road since I think the 80s. I've put a few hundred miles on it just tooling around north BK. I think I had the carbs tuned pretty good this isn't the first vintage bike who's carbs I've rebuilt. I'm using the stock filters although they are very dirty i cleaned them as best I could. What the heck caused that chunk the other piston to get bitten off?
Also the cam was badly pitted on one lobe and on rocker face, I'll post a pic later. THANK GOD my buddy gave me a whole box of old cb/cl350 parts since he's built two before me. I know he fully rebuilt and blueprinted at least one cl350 engine. He gave me spare cl350 transmission too. Anyway in that box was a NEARLY BRAND NEW cb350 cam shaft and rockers. Saved me hundreds on this project.
Also one reason I am rebuilding the top end is because the bike would die at stop lights after it got hot/overheated. Like it was getting choked out or something. When dissembling I noticed the outer front stud on the number 2 side with the leak was not very tight, all others were properly tight but not that one. the leak could have just been one loose stud nut. Number 2 piston head and chamber were wet with oil. Oil spraying all over the no. 2 chamber after overheating could have been killing the engine. I have to check to see if its got any leaky/bent valves. I just got my valve clamp today so ill check tonight.
I ordered an engine stand on ebay for $43 shipped and it works great. says 66 pound max weight but it holds the cb350 engine fine and is also adjustable for my cb550 engine later. Here is a link to it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
I'm deciding if i want to split it and rebuild the lower end/trans too. How should I test how well my valves seal? Off the top of my head I know it had good compression when I got it going two years ago I don't remember the exact numbers though. I know I'm a dummy for dissembling it without checking compression again.
I may order over sized pistons and have machine shop do the valves and cylinders, I need at least one piston (?), the problem is I can't find any cheap +3.00mm overbore pistons anywhere for sale. The rest of the bike aint in the best of shape so it's not worth the Wisecos. I was lucky and got a set of +3.00 overbore pistons for my cb550 project for like $120 off ebay a few years ago, I can't find the cb350 equivalent. I will probably have my cb550 cylinders done at the same time.
I would love to install the KA Slipper too if someone has one for sale.
PS if anyone knows of a good machine shop in the nyc tristate area let me know
The inside of the cylinders didn't seem too damaged. They measured pretty much exactly 64.00mm all the way around top and bottom both cylinders. They weren't visually flawless there were some what seemed like very minor scratches but they felt smooth to the touch. I have digital calipers I will measure everything tonight.
Now keep in mind I bought this bike sight unseen on ebay for $600 with a clean title and 24,000 miles from a father/son duo out in rural PA who had bit off more than they could chew and hadn't even attempted to rebuild the carbs yet and it hadn't been on the road since I think the 80s. I've put a few hundred miles on it just tooling around north BK. I think I had the carbs tuned pretty good this isn't the first vintage bike who's carbs I've rebuilt. I'm using the stock filters although they are very dirty i cleaned them as best I could. What the heck caused that chunk the other piston to get bitten off?
Also the cam was badly pitted on one lobe and on rocker face, I'll post a pic later. THANK GOD my buddy gave me a whole box of old cb/cl350 parts since he's built two before me. I know he fully rebuilt and blueprinted at least one cl350 engine. He gave me spare cl350 transmission too. Anyway in that box was a NEARLY BRAND NEW cb350 cam shaft and rockers. Saved me hundreds on this project.
Also one reason I am rebuilding the top end is because the bike would die at stop lights after it got hot/overheated. Like it was getting choked out or something. When dissembling I noticed the outer front stud on the number 2 side with the leak was not very tight, all others were properly tight but not that one. the leak could have just been one loose stud nut. Number 2 piston head and chamber were wet with oil. Oil spraying all over the no. 2 chamber after overheating could have been killing the engine. I have to check to see if its got any leaky/bent valves. I just got my valve clamp today so ill check tonight.
I ordered an engine stand on ebay for $43 shipped and it works great. says 66 pound max weight but it holds the cb350 engine fine and is also adjustable for my cb550 engine later. Here is a link to it:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
I'm deciding if i want to split it and rebuild the lower end/trans too. How should I test how well my valves seal? Off the top of my head I know it had good compression when I got it going two years ago I don't remember the exact numbers though. I know I'm a dummy for dissembling it without checking compression again.
I may order over sized pistons and have machine shop do the valves and cylinders, I need at least one piston (?), the problem is I can't find any cheap +3.00mm overbore pistons anywhere for sale. The rest of the bike aint in the best of shape so it's not worth the Wisecos. I was lucky and got a set of +3.00 overbore pistons for my cb550 project for like $120 off ebay a few years ago, I can't find the cb350 equivalent. I will probably have my cb550 cylinders done at the same time.
I would love to install the KA Slipper too if someone has one for sale.
PS if anyone knows of a good machine shop in the nyc tristate area let me know
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