Twin Rat Restoration

[Joe Ormonde]

Just a quick post: Finding the correct bolts for a fair price is tough! So, a seller on ebay motodad24 sells 125 M6 bolts for $20.00. Yes!!! Identical to the factory Hodaka bolts! 125 bolts or 25 packs Actually $19.99 plus $6.65 shipping. Joe Ormonde.

[lc4mike]

Couple notes:
Only the 93 B came with cleated foot pegs. The 93,93A, 93B DID NOT have the brake switch mounting holes on the front backing plate.
The correct backing plate is an elusive part to find.

[efkruger]

That's good to know, I need to buy some M6 bolts, I ran out of the original Hodaka M6 bolts that I had rezinc plated. I will check that out Thanks Joe for sharing that
Pool Noodles? Yes that's an great Idea, Thanks for that idea Roger.

Today I have repaired this Model 93 expansion chamber using some brass brazing rod. It was rusted out in this ubend section. It turned out pretty good. Next I will paint it with some flat black high temp paint and get it on the bike. Good expansion chambers are hard to find, If you buy a new replica they are hell for high too. No better to fix it if possible. It was dented up and it needed new stinger. The old one was cut and was squashed. I found some tubing the exact same size as the original stinger tube on Ebay and bought a few feet of it.
I had this pipe sand blasted but I plugged off the ends, sand would not be good to get inside an engine if it could. That wire is just something I put on it to hang it from. Thanks Guys

[efkruger]

Thanks for that info on pegs and backing plate, that's good to know. I have those holes on the backing plate on this bike but I can easily fill them up with some bondo type product I use. Thanks

Speaking of pool noodles in most hardware stores they sell air conditioning pipe insulation that is black in color with one side split also. That would be good also. It comes in several sizes also.

[efkruger]

Yes motodad24 on ebay has those M6 bolts with plain head just like oem Hodaka bolts. That's good. I will need some. I ordered some from him now. There is quite a few of them on a 93 model. They are used for fenders to number plates. That's good thanks Joe Ormonde
I want this bike to be as original as I can make it.

[Joe Ormonde]

Well, you are more than welcome! The gas tank, perches, front and rear fenders, number plates and brackets,shifter, kick starter, on and on! The M6x16mm work just fine in place of the M6x14mm. The perch are 25mm long. Gas tank front,16mm long. And so on and so on ! If it fits, it fits! You know exactly what you`re doing. When I found those bolts 3 years ago, I wanted to share it then. But I didn`t want to step on any toes! But, $125.00 plus shipping is a little pricey for 125 itsy bitsy teeny weenie bolts! Under $27.00 for 125 sounds a whole lot better, at least to me it does. I know exactly what a bummer it is when you mock up your project, take it back apart and WRECK a bunch of hard to locate bolts! Even the nuts are special: flat on one side with a slight bevel on the other. Some bolts had a tiny little M, on the 25mm perch bolts and the foot rest stay bolts. One variation that doesn`t matter whatsoever are the engine mount bolts. My 71 Rat came with bolts and nuts that have 14mm heads. Some were 13mm. I`m just having a little fun sharing a little triviality! Joe Ormonde.

[efkruger]

Yeah man, a buck a piece for a small M6 bolt? That's nonsense! I also got a small bucket full of Hodaka fasteners from Brother Bruce Young for a cheap price, I think about 25.00 bucks. I will be sending them off to be plated in a day or two. There are some good fasteners in there like shock bolts, and all kinds of Hodaka fasteners. Yes, I ordered a bunch of those 16mm long M6 bolts and also the slightly shorter. Now, when you need perches, Bruce young sells new ones that are just like the OEM perches. He sells them very cheap also. They have a gold plated adjuster for the cable but there is a guy in the phillipines that sells the silver colored adjuster for about a buck a piece or something very cheap. These are very good quality and look just like the OEM. I will need to check what is his email ID.
In the past I threw away some Hodaka fasteners that I regret now. Some of the old Hodaka fasteners have a smaller hex head than the modern metric fasteners that you buy nowadays. Back in the day the metric fasteners went by a different standard than today.

[squid on a 300]

Couple notes:
Only the 93 B came with cleated foot pegs. The 93,93A, 93B DID NOT have the brake switch mounting holes on the front backing plate.
The correct backing plate is an elusive part to find.

LC4mike
Are you sure? The early 93 I have does have the mounting holes in the front plate and the part number (909218) for the backing plate is the same as the ACE 90.
Bob

[efkruger]

Sometimes in manufacturing parts are not available and sometimes they will substitute sometimes parts that will work just to get things done. And this could be an example of this. Normally a substitution would be approved by engineering first. If they approved it then it would be done. The only difference in the backing plates is two holes. It would not affect how the part functions in any way. This could be why some have the holes and others don't.

Anyway Gentlemen, I have discovered the seat I have to use on my 93 resto here is not the correct seat. I have some correct seats but they need a lot of repair. Does anyone have a nice 93 seat they would sell me? I would like a real nice one. I am going to repair this seat better than new, but it will take some time as I have to get my book done soon. If any of my brothers in Hodaka has a nice 93 seat they could sell me, email me at; [email protected] Thanks gentlemen.

[Joe Ormonde]

Everyone, STOP!! Put it together and ride it!!! Joe Ormonde.

[efkruger]

Ok here is a pic of my seat. I think I will put a reinforcement plate under where the two boltings ears are. They have cracked the pan out pretty bad and then I will makes some new ears out of some 10 gauge sheet metal. Just slightly heavier duty than what they are made out of now. Then I will rivet everything on to the pan with some 3/16" pop rivets. Those rivets are hell for tough, and strong also. Here is a pic of the damage. I will weld up all the cracks on both sides of course with brass brazing rod.

[efkruger]

Ok guys, here is my baby with the rear tire mounted on now. Everything fit just like its supposed to. The only thing is that you have to put that bolt that fastens the brake stay bar on the hub before you put the wheel on the bike, or you cannot get it on later. But anyway all is coming along. Slowly as I have to finish my book. I wonder if the seat cover goes on easily? If someone has experience with this please share it please. I have seen some seats that don't look like a factory seat as if its hard to get that cover on properly. Everything is good with the posts made here. Nothing like good debate and discussion as long as its done in taste which it has been. Its been very educating listening to these posts. I am glad that I checked for fit of parts before I painted everything. Thats why everything is going together so good. Just like the swingarm. I made sure it was correct on the width before I painted it, also the chain guards I made sure they fit on correctly, those I had to tweak and straighten. Even the triple trees I put them on and discovered I had some damage to repair. Glad I did it before I painted everything.Thanks guys

[efkruger]

Do you know that since I got my gas tank back I noticed they dropped it at the chrome place or something because it has a small dent on the bottom now. That was not there before. That's ok, its on the very bottom and you cant even see it. Thank God it was not on the side. On the first tank something similar happened while at the rechromer because right in the middle of one the circles where the tank badges go, there was another small dent. No big deal because the badge covered it up. Accidents happen and nobody is perfect. When I clean out my tanks using sheet rock screws I secure them with rope so that If I drop the tank the rope which is secured to my roof will not fall and get that nice new chrome buggered up. What A bad day that would be right? Yeah man, shaking that tank and have it come out of your hands, then go bouncing across the concrete floor. No that's nonsense.

[efkruger]

BY the way gentlemen those wheels were done for me by Buchanans spoke and rim in Azusa, CA. using there stainless polished spokes and nipples, Just beautiful work they do. Those fenders almost match the tank in shine don't they, not quite, but almost. Today I am going to try and repaint an air cover with a different reducer, Hopefully the paint will dry a little quicker. I will let you know what happens

[squid on a 300]

Erick
Your seat pan actually looks pretty good.. Mine was a mess ...I had it sandblasted the cracks drilled and brazed, a new mounting tab fabricated and some missing cover tabs attached where they were missing. To help reinforce it I had some additional 1/2 inch wide metal strips attached to the foam side of the seat pan to help reinforce it where needed.
bob

[efkruger]

I know its not bad, I just thought the one I was going to put on here was a 93 model. But it wasn't. I just wanted to get this baby finished up soon. Now I will have to fix this and recover it. But things happen.

[Thunderdogdownunder]

Wow the bike is looking damn sexy !

[Bullfrog]

I'll second that! Some mighty fine buildin' goin' on.
Ed

[hodakamax]

I'm still in along the sidelines. Lookin' good!

Max

[efkruger]

Thanks Gentlemen, yes it is looking sexy. Just like a beautiful woman, Right!

[matt glascock]

Well, that was the mother of all set-up lines, ef. Its very difficult right now to maintain my wispy facade of decency with so many crass one-liner options to choose from .

[efkruger]

Roger Karren suggested doing this the other day with a "pool noodle." I used a water pipe insulator because of the color. Slightly more masculine than a Pink Pool Noodle. Great Idea, shoved it right up under the tank and then trimmed it off. That's just what we needed, a little protection from tank to frame contact. That should have been an OEM item back in the day, but they weren't invented back that far if I can remember right. My "Noodle" is a little foggy these days. Ha! Here are a few pics.

[efkruger]

Yes it was Ha! Maybe I should have used a pink pool noodle after all!

[Bullfrog]

Um, isn't tank/frame contact pretty much limited to those times when you are removing or installing the tank?
Ed
PS: Don't surround the ignition coil with foam. While I don't think it would actually cause a detrimental heat retention problem, there is the chance that it could.

[efkruger]

On this bike I only had about 5/32 " of clearance at the most between the tank and the frame at the very rear of the tank. With rubber bushings mounted in the tank just your weight could easily push down the tank that much from sitting over the tank. Also there is some further play in the bolt and the tube it goes through. This accumulation of play from the rubber bushings and bolt hole translates into very possibly metal to metal contact. I had to remove the rear bolt to get the noodle shoved in, Then it was hard to get it back in. Because there was not much clearance at all. No need to take a chance with that.

Evidently, Roger Karren also noticed this lack of clearance on his bike as well, it was his suggestion using the pool noodle to protect the tank from rubbing on the frame. He used a pink one from his daughters swimming pool toys. I have only so far done work on this Rat 93 model, maybe other Hodakas have more clearance between the tank and frame. I will find out some day coming up
The coil is well under the frame tube that the foam goes on so it will not be affected at all. You can see this in some of my previous pics. Thanks gentlemen