new owner, need advice

[taber hodaka]

The hodaka tank threads are English. It is great to see you taking on this project! ----------------Clarence

[matt glascock]

Gary, is that second, more modern looking petcock a Clarke product? That would be a good option for those who prefer immediate fuel shut-off.

[Makotosun]

Gary, is that second, more modern looking petcock a Clarke product? That would be a good option for those who prefer immediate fuel shut-off.

Motion Pro I believe.

[hodakagirl]

The hodaka tank threads are English. It is great to see you taking on this project! ----------------Clarence

They're English? That's interesting. Is that the only English thing on the bike? I thought everything was metric.

Will the shop manual tell me what size all the screws and fasteners are? Or do I need a parts book for that?

[hodakagirl]

One more question. When I order the seals and bearings and all that business, should I just get the rebuild package? I'm looking at the one on hodaka-parts.com.

[rlkarren]

One more question. When I order the seals and bearings and all that business, should I just get the rebuild package? I'm looking at the one on hodaka-parts.com.

Probably not a bad idea since everything in the engine is at least 45 years old and without knowing it's history, you have a lot of unknowns. It is generally accepted that bearings and seals need to be replaced at a minimum, but while you have the engine cracked open, it's not a bad idea to go ahead and replace the 45+ year old bushings and o-rings, etc. The rebuild kits from hodaka-parts.com are good in that they contain everything you would need for a complete rebuild. Paul, (strictlyhodaka.com), also sells different packages for varying levels of engine rebuild. But for a "new to you" bike, probably a really good idea to do the complete rebuild, and judging from your comments, it sounds like you're up to it.

$0.02

Roger

[Hydraulic Jack]

I didn't mention just how many types of pipe thread there are in the world, mentioned the two most common in this country simply for clarity. English pipe thread also comes in at least two different configurations, although the Brits call them long joining (straight thread) and mechanical (tapered or varied pitch) designated as BPS and BPM. Amounts to the same thing. Whether the thread pitch is the same between British and US, this I don't know. I expect there is a slight difference.

Why British pipe thread on a Japanese bike sold in the U.S.? Who knows but why use a British fender configuration that didn't work to begin with? I expect it had to do with parts availability at the time manufacturing started. Rather than make every single bit and piece for a bike, Hodaka outsourced as much as reasonably possible to keep costs down and availability up. If that meant welding in a British pipe bung in their tanks, okay, why not? It doesn't get taken apart much anyway, and they did work, and still do.

Usually, if you can't get a cleanly lapped brass petcock to seal, it has to do with the spring pressure on the mating pieces. Too little pressure allows gunk to get between the parts and cause seepage. Then, too, I don't think a pressure cone petcock is a "positive shut off" device to start with. Some small bit of weeping isn't an issue as long as 1) you ride your bike every day, and 2) your carburetor float valve is working as designed.

Welcome to the world of vintage bikes. But then, take a look under the hood of any American car, and count the number of parts made in Japan, Mexico, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, and a dozen other places. Same thing as with the Hodaka. Outsourced to the low bidder.

[viclioce]

Jack, you are so right. I have a Suzuki VL1500 Intruder. I’ve dressed it with hard bags a trunk & a fairing for long distance riding.

I find it somewhat rude & irritating when I compliment someone on how nice their HD looks only to have them treat me poorly because I ride a Rice Burner. Somehow arguing that their bike has both just as many outsourced Japanese parts as my Suzuki & my Suzuki doesn’t require the amounts of Shop time their HDs do, doesn’t seem to matter. They still feel superior because their bike is “American Made.” Too bad people csnt just realize it’s all the same wind in our face, no matter what you ride.

Hodakagirl, I have the complete Ace90/100 manual so if you need a few pages here & there until yours comes in, let me know & I can shoot pages with my phone & post them for you! Ask any time! Victor

[hodakagirl]

I find it somewhat rude & irritating when I compliment someone on how nice their HD looks only to have them treat me poorly because I ride a Rice Burner.

I hear you! I'm glad you guys aren't judging me for riding a scooter. Those haters are just missing out on an opportunity to make new friends and appreciate new things. I feel sad for them.

Hodakagirl, I have the complete Ace90/100 manual so if you need a few pages here & there until yours comes in, let me know & I can shoot pages with my phone & post them for you! Ask any time! Victor

The USPS says my manual will get here Friday! So I think I'll be good then. In the meantime, I've been making a list of needs (to get it running) and wants (to make it look better) and its getting kind of long. Today I'm visiting a local machine shop to see if they can make/weld new brackets on the fuel tank I may use. They're a little chewed up (and one is completely chewed off), see pics below, but the tank looks good otherwise. I still need to de-rust it.

[viclioce]

Wow! Hopefully they can pound them out and weld on without damaging the chrome anywhere but the tabs???
I think I would sand the tabs really good after the weld and spray paint just the tabs silver so you don’t have to rechrome the whole tank, unless that’s your plan? Victor

[hodakagirl]

Ya, hope so. The shop had just closed when I got there but they told me they will give me a quote this week. The spray is a good idea. But then, theres always the silver powder coating idea I saw on here somewhere ...

[viclioce]

Could look OK on just the tabs! Victor

[thrownchain]

Hodaka Girl, when you first came to this site, did you think you'd get this much help so quickly?

[taber hodaka]

Show us more pictures of the tank. It looks too good to alter the chrome, you could also paint the tabs white. Your chrome really looks nice, would the tabs function if they were just aligned? ---------Clarence

[Bill2001]

Agreed. Those tabs look like they would work with a little blacksmithery. Looks like it might have been dropped on the tabs.

[hodakagirl]

Hodaka Girl, when you first came to this site, did you think you'd get this much help so quickly?

You guys are great! It makes me more confident to take on this project since I have such helpful folks to turn to when I have questions.

Clarence, I'll take some close ups of the tabs when I get home later. They aren't too bad. Maybe they can just straighten them out and build up the metal a bit. There is one tab missing, but it's one that's under the seat so it won't really show when it's back on the bike. I can't bring the tank back in to the machine shop til tomorrow.

I checked with an upholsterer about my seat and he estimated $120 to shave the foam down and add more and replace the seat cover. I will probably just order a seat cover and do this myself, tho.

[Bruce Young]

Hello, get your seat cover, then go to Home Depot and get thin sheet of foam and put right over bad areas and under the cover, to temp build up a little to make the new cover fit better, its easy to put cover on, clean old seat pan and repaint. Get some quick set glue while at Home Depot and all will be good. Make sure you warm the cover a little before you try to put on will make it easier, always start at the front of seat and work backward to the rear. Its fun. Bruce Young

[hodakagirl]

Hi Bruce - what am I gluing?? The foam? I thought the seat cover is held on by clips in the underside. Maybe I'm mistaken.

The seat pan actually looks fantastic compared to several I've seen for sale on ebay. There might be rust under the foam, I can't tell, but there's no rust underneath the seat.

[Bill2001]

The petcock threads on the chrome tanks: 1/8-28 BSP (British Standard Pipe threads). I've got a tap for cleaning out the threads in the tank bungs. BSP because it was postwar, this was a world-standard thread and some manuf in Japan prolly had a sackload of these petcocks ready for export.

The sealant I use is Permatex High Temp Thread Sealant, #59214. It is very gasoline-resistant and sets up firmly so that you don't need to snug the petcock up for alignment.

For lapping things like petcocks, use Bon Ami cleanser. The abrasive is the mineral Feldspar, which is only slightly harder than brass and won't gouge or over cut. The carborundum grinding paste can be brutal stuff!

[givergas]

please keep asking questions your helping me out tremendously, lots of great information here thanks

[Hydraulic Jack]

Hi Bruce - what am I gluing?? The foam? I thought the seat cover is held on by clips in the underside. Maybe I'm mistaken...

If you laminate the foam, you will need to glue the layers together or they will shift around in use and end up looking like a bag lady's caboose. Without looking at the existing foam, I could not guess just how useable it is, but ozone degradation will eventually get to all of it, so check closely. If in doubt, replace the entire pad. Choose new foam carefully, as it is much better to have a firm seat than one that is too squishy. You don't want to bottom out, so to speak, on the metal pan. You can also use layers of different resistance to give a firm base and a cushy top layer.

$120 is actually a fair price for a professional recover. Yes, you can do this yourself, but every seat cover I have seen for a Hodaka needed trimming to fit, and just where to trim or not trim isn't obvious. The cover needs to be both tensioned and aligned over the foam, which also has to be either contoured to fit the cover, or be close enough so there are no spots of seat cover not supported by foam. These are mostly cosmetic considerations, but if you are going to do this yourself, you want it to turn out nicely, so don't cut any trimmings until you are certain what to cut.

The metal clips that hold the seat cover can be broken off by aggressive bending, so only bend as far as needed to remove the old one. I believe there is also a circumferential draw wire that needs to be sewn into the skirt of the cover, if the cover you buy isn't already made to be directly installed. Bottom line is to take your old cover off carefully and study it, then use it as a pattern or guide in making the new one.

Having done this once or twice, $120 starts to sound reasonable.

[Bruce Young]

Thanks Jack for the additional details on seat cover, I too think the $120.00 would in the long run be cost effective. Not knowing her budget, our suggestions should help her with a second choice. Thanks again Bruce Young

[hodakagirl]

please keep asking questions your helping me out tremendously, lots of great information here thanks

Nice bike, givergas!! I saw your post. Super cool to be working with your grandson on that bike.

I'm glad to hear that $120 is reasonable for the seat re-upholstery. The guy wasn't going to replace the foam, tho, just slice it off and put new on top. I don't have to do the seat right away, I'll probably be spending $$ on the rebuild kit first. My budget is pretty good, but I won't be buying all this stuff at once. You can't rush these things. I need it to last all winter and maybe spring, too.

Here's pics of those fuel tank brackets for your viewing pleasure. Thoughts??

[Hydraulic Jack]

I would not cut the tabs off and reweld, as this will almost certainly affect the chrome on the tank in proximity. Instead, I would straighten and flatten carefully, and if necessary, weld a washer on either side to reinforce each hole. Since the holes are covered by rubber grommets anyway, you won't really see a washer tack welded to the tab. And I would then paint the tabs with chrome or aluminum paint. The repairs should about disappear.

The inside of the tank should come clean with Evaporust or Metal Rescue. Both are chelating agents that convert ferrous oxide into something else entirely that washes away. The result should be bare steel. These products take time to work, and for a two and a half gallon tank, I would be tempted to use two gallons of product, although one should work. You will need to turn the tank from time to time so that liquid covers and rests on all inside surfaces for a day or two, so dont get in a hurry. When done with the tank, assuming it has no rust through leakage, you can either put it in service, or coat the inside with a tank sealant.

If you use Evaporust or Metal Rescue, don't through out the used chemical. Keep it for dunking steel parts like bolts and nuts. It will eventually stop working, but it lasts longer than you might ink.

[viclioce]

Great insights Jack. But what about the rear tab which is broken nearly all the way off? They will need to weld something in its place. They can cut and shape a new piece with a correct sized hole in it. Then weld it on over the remaining piece starting as far back from the tank as possible. This should keep the chrome from changing too much, right? Victor