Bringing a long-sleeping CBX back to life

[desertrefugee]

With appreciation to Dave M. (daves79x) and to make his incredibly valuable checklist more "searchable", I've taken the liberty of breaking out his post to an earlier thread and presenting it here:

"I've re-commissioned many such CBXs over the years and these steps have served me well:

A thorough cleaning/degreasing. This alone may reveal problems not evident upon first inspection.

Get a Honda shop manual.

Tilt the engine, remove the carbs. They will need a complete rebuild, including complete separation and new rubber parts. This is the most critical part of making a CBX run correctly. No shortcuts here.

Install new intake rubbers, and a stock air filter, either stock foam or later paper one.

Clean what you didn't get before the engine was tilted.

Carefully blow out all debris in the head and remove spark plugs - you'll be replacing them and use only NGK.

Remove valve cover and check the valve clearances - nothing under .003 inch. Adjust cam chains the correct way, where you can see what they are doing. Carefully inspect the front cam chain adjusting bolt - remove it and be sure it hasn't been replaced with a generic one, and install a new o-ring on the bolt threads. It likely has already been Heli-coiled. Look over the top end, cam cap orientation and numbering and cam cap bolts. Any miss-matched bolts, odd other fasteners need carefully evaluated and corrected. Install all new cam cover hold-down bolt grommets. Your valve cover gasket is likely OK to re-use, but figure on spending a lot of time cleaning it and the cover in preparation for re-installation, per the manual. You can check compression now if you want, but a check after it's been run through several heat/cool cycles is more meaningful. As long as they are close, anything over 120 psi is OK. RE-check valve clearances after a couple of hundred miles, as well as oil and filter and dropping the sump again. If all's clean there, you'll be good to go. I know, it's a PITA, but necessary.

Remove the right crank cover and be sure the o-ring is on the top screw, or in the hole - if not, get an new one, and for the left side as well. New gaskets too. Remove the pulser cover. Remove the pulse unit and the advancer. Clean and re-lube the advancer and be sure it moves freely. Re-install everything and set static timing.

Remove the sump cover and inspect the debris found there. Clean and replace. Install new Honda oil filter. Use Honda 10W40 non-synthetic oil.

Remove the starter, disassemble and clean. Reinstall, making sure all connections, including the block ground wire, are tight. While you're at that, take apart and clean all wire connectors under the right side cover. Note carefully the red alternator connector - it may be slightly melted. It will need replaced if so. If the bike still has the stock 30 amp main strip fuse, replace it with a new one - they get old and disintegrate. Or replace the whole thing with a modern blade fuse. Take apart each spark plug cap/wire. Inspect for corrosion, then screw the caps back on TIGHTLY.

While you have the alternator connector apart - just remove the whole alternator and completely disassemble it. Check every component, replace the bearings and seal and install new brushes. Measure the spring and inspect the clutch surfaces. Volumes written here about alternator service.

Throw away the lead-acid battery if it has one and get an AGM.

That about covers just the engine checks.

Chassis-wise, figure on a complete front and rear master cylinder and caliper rebuild. No shortcuts here either. Replace any not-to-spec components, likely caliper pistons /rubber parts, brake lines, master cylinder kits, front cup, etc. These things actually have very good brakes is they are serviced correctly. If the front forks have been leaking, figure on replacing the front brake pads too, they will have been soaked with fork oil and will be junk.

Rebuild the front forks, leaking or not. New seals and proper fork oil, set to proper height. Again look that up here. Figure on complete triple tree disassembly and new steering bearings also. Check the wheel bearings, these are pretty robust and rarely need changed.

Remove the swingarm and see what bushings are in the pivot. Replace with bronze if still original plastic.

Replace tires immediately with modern rubber of the correct size and of your choice.

Check and clean all wire connectors in the headlight shell and the handlebar switches. Install all-new bulbs for at least the headlight, tail light and turn signals.

Clean out the fuel tank completely and rebuild the petcock - it WILL leak.

Many gaskets, seals, and wear parts are still available from Honda. Those things, as well as all the NLA stuff, are available from the many vendors supported here: TIMS CBX, Louis Mintrone, JR Luksik, CBX Performance International, David Silver Spares USA, Mike Nixon, and overseas from Six Center and others.

Only after attending to these things can you assure yourself of having a CBX that is functioning the way Honda intended and to avoid endless problems down the road. You WILL be addressing all these things, either now or one at a time, when you might least want to."


Tags: reviving, long-term storage, hibernation, hibernating, check list, wake up, resurrecting

[NobleHops]

Perfection.

[Gearheadgregg]

That should be a Sticky for sure ! most excellent !! Now looks like after 4 years i have about 28 more thing's to cover

[NobleHops]

For those of you that use Facebook, we just did complete a project along these lines, and it is chronicaled here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 88b19981b1

Best,

Nils

[desertrefugee]

Welcome back, Nils. (Not jealous at all).

[NobleHops]

Welcome back, Nils. (Not jealous at all).

Thank you! Was a fabulous trip, recommended. Thank you as well for your kind thoughts in that other thread.

N.

[daves79x]

A little update - If your bike is an '80, it has the good swingarm pivot bearing set-up, but still clean, inspect and re-grease them, same pivot for the '81-'82 and same advice. Also on the '81-'82, take rear suspension dog-bones apart and clean and re-grease the pivots. And figure on a new aftermarket shock.

Dave

[Larry Zimmer]

A little update - If your bike is an '80, it has the good swingarm pivot bearing set-up, but still clean, inspect and re-grease them, same pivot for the '81-'82 and same advice. Also on the '81-'82, take rear suspension dog-bones apart and clean and re-grease the pivots. And figure on a new aftermarket shock.

Dave

When ou do as Dave said, be certain to check the seals. They may, well, be cracked in the lips.