CBF Clutch Fix - Part#2 - Putting it back together

I pride myself on being able to fix bikes on the cheap. Second-hand parts, making stuff, bodges etc but when it comes to engines there's no way around shelling out for new parts. The Honda parts are: clutch basket, crank gear, casing gasket & oil filter O-ring. The crank gear is symmetrical so could have been used the other way round but given the cost I got a new one. The oil filter O-ring is unrelated to the clutch but was replaced because it was a little damaged. I also bought a set of clutch springs and a new clutch cable.

The parts took some time to come. That's the downside to having a bike that's relatively rare. While waiting I had the vision of my parts on a slow boat from the Amazon (my CBF was, in fact, made in the jungle town of Manaus, Brazil) I have only myself to blame. I've known about the problem for a long time but waited until autumn before ordering the parts. 

Given the bike's mileage the cost of the parts was probably about three quarter of its value. But since the bike was otherwise ok I did the repair. The alternative was to scrap it, which seems a waste, and I'd have to have found another bike for the winter. I guess if this gives me another couple of years use it will have been worth it.

The bits

All the way from Brazil!

Now a slightly tricky part. The gear on the crankshaft needs to be held to tighten the bolt. I removed it by jamming a copper coin in the gears. This worked to get it off but I didn't want to repeat this when replacing it. Firstly I'd be sick if I chipped a tooth on the new parts and also with the clutch in place there is no space to use a socket and I wanted to torque the bolt to the specified value. The manual shows a special tool for this job and I set out to make my version of it. The tool was made from scrap - yes that plate on the right is an old brake pad!

The clamp holds the gear in place while I tighten the nut. The engine bars help here!

The rest is "reassemble in the reverse order of disassembly" as the manuals say and I'm done.

Well, as it turned out, I'm far from done. The bike was a bit reluctant to start to I removed the spark plug to check it was clean and the thread in the head stripped.

To be continued…………..

Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!