Quid Pro Quo

I would strip the frame stampings and submerge them in a reverse electrolysis tank. It would remove the paint and stabilize the rust. You would be surprised at how well it works. Saves many hours of labor, and reduces the need for harsh chemical strippers. A must try for someone trying to save a fine old machine.

Next project I'll certainly give it a try. Right now I don't have time or $$$ to build the setup but I do have free access to a sand blast cabinet so you know how that goes.

I don't agree at all with the "Bic Lighter" comment. I have a 1970's era 50cc single cylinder 4-stroke mini-bike that has been neglected since new. The oil to my knowledge was never changed, no fuel additives have ever been put in the tank and it has seen nothing less than abuse throughout its life. I saved it from the junkyard when my brother-in-law was going to throw it away. It has been sitting in my shed for 4 years. The gas smells like low grade varnish, the spark plug is broken at the electrode, etc. My son calls it "the monkey". We were moving some things around last week and my son said jokingly, do you think "the monkey" will start? He climbed on, choked the carb and turned the gas/varnish petcock on, and it started on the first kick. That is what makes these old machines worth restoring. Well made machines all the way. The comment on the cost of setting up a R.E. tanks puzzles me? I made mine using a plastic garbage can, some water, a broomstick to suspend the part from, some old cookie sheets my wife was throwing out, and baking soda to give the solution a base PH. I attached my battery charger and walked away. Couldn't be easier or cheaper. The results are unbelievable, and it can be scaled up or down depending on part size, only limited to the size of your container. I used it to remove what appeared to be hundreds of years of rust from an old cast iron kettle this weekend, used my plastic utility tub as a tank, cleaned the kettle overnight, right down to bare mettle.

What are you going to do - I guess if you don't own one of these older machines you wouldn't understand - I agree it's amazing just how much neglect they will take and keep running.

In regards to the R.E. tanks I just don't have the space or the supplies you mentioned. I agree the investment in a trash can and cookie sheets is minimal - but I don't have either at this point but I do have a sandblast cabinet, so that's the route I'm going. You should setup a part and demonstrate how well it works to the CR4 community I'm sure a lot of people would love to see pictures of it working and your setup.

Why would you bother? It's a Honda, after all. Japanese bikes are like BIC pens, designed to fill landfill sites.

I'm not sure I follow you - Why wouldn't I bother? It's a chance to turn some wrenches and build some new skills on a bike you don't see everyday.

stilljester - way to go man! In the spirit of reduce, reuse, and recycle I salute you! 'Looking forward to the first ride! To those that rush so quickly to fill landfill sites - for shame! Have we learned nothing yet?

-Christian

Thanks

Its been a really fun project as I've never taken a bike completely apart before. I'm sure you noticed in the pictures I'm a bit pressed for space so the bike makes for a perfect winter project. (Just don't tell the landlord)

This project is definitely a waste of your time - you should spend more time with your cat who snuck into the bottom picture than working on this rusted out Honda. Surely, you can turn wrenches elsewhere.

haha - I didn't realize he had snuck into the picture. Good eyes - I'm sure if you asked him he'd agree it is a waste of time.

What is wrong with you people?!?! Instead of ripping him apart, why don't you applaud him for taking the time, responsibility, and skill to attempt a project like this? I for one, commend you for restoring a classic. Regardless of who made it, bringing a well engineered piece of mechanical history back from junkyard status is a feat I don't see any of you "critical engineers" trying. Go crawl back into your caves, cover it with a rock, and don't come back out until you have something positive to contribute.

I agree with you re posts 3 and 7. On the other hand, this series of posts is testament to the fact that this forum is often far less nutty than many others on the web -- most of the posters have been positive, and some have put a lot of effort into their posts.

I am sometimes tempted to flame posts like #3, which are so idiotic that they almost defy comprehension. Honda, especially back when this bike was built, was famous around the world for building bikes of vastly better quality than any of the western manufacturers. Frequency of repair records, warranty claim rates, etc (in other words hard data, not just the sort of completely subjective nonsense that makes people claim the Fords are ten times better than Chevies and vice versa) support the fact that Honda has built some really superb vehicles on both 2 and 4 wheels (and even the three wheelers were a hoot, albeit dangerous).

But then, on the other hand, sometimes I think that posts like number 3 and 7 are so idiotic that they are self-refuting... so no rebuttal is needed.

Have fun!!

I've often thought of doing this sort of thing with the CB version of your bike, which I fell in love with on my first ride. For lots of us, the Hondas were a revelation: That you could have a motorcycle that didn't leak oil all over the garage, or shake your teeth loose and leave you stranded like the Harleys and Triumphs of the day, was eye opening. Watch out for the combination of those loose ball bearings and a cat!

If you don't have one, invest in a good quality impact screw driver (The type you press firmly against the screw head and then whap with a hammer.) Essential even when the bike was new.

Yeah an impact screw driver is a life saver - never start a project without it.

You should defiantly do a CB restoration - if nothing else its a great learning experience.

Here are some pics of the result of the reverse electrolysis process as used to strip and prep my old tractor, don't have any pics of the metal before it was painted. I'll have to take a piece of steel and let it sit in the salt for the driveway for a while, then clean it using a makeshift $5 R.E. tank. The bottom pic is the "before" shot. I took every ferrous metal part off the tractor and cleaned them all using reverse electrolysis. Not only did it neutralize and remove the rust, it also made the paint come off with little effort. No harsh chemicals and no risk of warping the metal by sandblasting. I sandblasted the fenders of an old Wheel Horse garden tractor, 0.078" thick sheet metal, when I went to reinstall them they were so distorted the mounting holes no longer lined up. Lesson learned. I will post a before and after of a bare steel plate after it has been exposed to salt.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That looks great, Do you show the tractor at all? Does it still get daily farm use?

Yeah a sand blaster will really mess-up thin sheet metal is your not careful. I look forward to your RE experiment. I guess I better go get a trash barrel and some baking soda.

Think Free. You probably have a battery charger, baking soda costs next to nothing, bleach works too. I used several different size containers, 5 gallon buckets, my utility tub, margarine tubs, a discarded kiddy pool (that one was perfect for the wheels:), any container I could get my hands on. The sheet metal was all pulled from the garbage. I never buy when I can scrounge. Besides, sandblasting is very expensive, from the media, to the massive amounts of electricity required to compress the air, it costs a lot. Current draw from the chargers is relatively low.

Few tips before you start;

1. The container will foam up from the bubbles of Oxygen and Hydrogen released by the process, so get something to skim the rust foam off with periodically or it will overflow, it stains concrete.

2. Don't use stainless sheet metal as an anode, it can release nasty chromium compounds that make the waste water poisonous.

3. Never turn off the charger while your parts are still in the tank, the process will reverse itself and you could end up harming the parts you're trying to save. If your charger has a timer don't use it or it might turn off on you.

4. Clean the parts with water and a wire brush or scotch brite pad as soon as you remove them from the tank. Then try to dry them quickly to prevent rust from forming on the fresh bare metal surfaces.

5. Use a lower amperage charger unless you're in a hurry. I left mine on over night.

6. Don't use any of your wife/girlfriends stuff in the process, it'll get ruined and so will their attitudes.

One question: I have a car battery charger that can be use to charge at 2A "slow charge" or 10A "faster charge". If I was to use this charger, do I do the 2A charge??

MIdniteFighter

I would use the 2 Amp setting for smaller parts, the 10 amp setting for bigger or more corroded parts. It is really something you just have to experiment with. I have used "tanks" that were as small as a margarine tub, and as large as a kiddie pool, with different current levels and different chemicals. It is really pretty hard to screw it up once you have the basics down. #6 is important though.

#6 is clearly the most important step.