The Hodaka Club Forum

Hi everybody. I know the term "barn find" has become somewhat of a cliche' but I just scored a model 95 Combat Wombat that was, no kidding, rescued from the back of a barn that was about to be razed here in rural Iowa. It has all the earmarks of an horribly neglected basket case complete with about an inch of greasy top-to-bottom grunge. It is missing the mag/shifter cover. The chrome tank was replaced by an after market MX-style plastic tank and the steel fenders were replaced with Preston Petty Muders (cool old-school MX set-up). After a thorough carb cleaning and a set of points, condenser, and a new plug, it actually fired up. It will ultimately undergo a racer resto. My current problem is that the kick starter will only intermittently engage and then may rotate the crank shaft through one stroke of the piston. The rest of the time its like stomping on an undercooked mashed potato. Any advice sending me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all!!

Split the cases

I was afraid you'd say that. Hello Hodaka Dave...

Hey Matt, Splitting the cases is not a bad or dreaded thing. Sounds like this victim of abuse and ravages of time needs seals and bearings anyway. Actually you can do it yourself if you desire and get even more satisfaction from your project. Sounds fun to me!

Max

PS--you do have the Gang to help.

Very inspirational max! Years ago I bought a rusted '68 Ace 100 for 25 dollars that had sat behind a barn in N. Dakota completely exposed to the elements for 40 years and entangled in a pile of wrecked farm machinery that was being hauled off for scrap. I turned it over to Hodaka Dave and a year later arrived this absolutely gorgeous, immaculately restored 1968 Ace 100. Its my daily rider. I can't imagine the deep satisfaction of taking one of these insanely cool and utterly destroyed machines and personally bringing it back from the brink of a future as a washing machine. With this great group of immeasurably helpful guys (and at least one gal) I'M GOING TO GO FOR IT!!! One of my favorite mentors during my general surgery residency once said to me as we were about to start a particularly challenging operation, "Don't worry, Matt. There's nothing you can screw up during this case that I can't fix." I'll call this the 'Hodaka Dave effect'. Thanks again, Max.

I'm a Hodie Noob and I say "split the cases". Do a "TLAR" inspection of the rod bearings, and also the main and tranny bearings. DO replace oil seals, especially the one on the clutch side., and on the magneto and trans output/sprocket. Magneto cover is $400 "new" from SH, or you may be able to find an "orphaned" one-up, four-down old shift pattern cover on the cheap. AND it's a great way to bond with the new toy...

My 2c.

--Bill

Good call, Bill. My understanding is that the clutch side cover seal is particularly important to replace for safe motor function. Does anyone know if the model 94/94a engine rebuild bundle here on SH is correct for 95's.

You also need to check the roller bearing retainer on the kick shaft. The original ones were thinner than their updated replacements. They tended to crack which would cause the "mashed potato" feeling your getting. It requires replacement and splitting the cases is the only way to take care of this.

Also check the kick start lever. Mine had stripped splines because the bolt was not on tight enough. It caused the splines on the inside of the kick start lever to strip, and then no matter how tight I made it, it would slip depending on the piston position. The higher to TDC the piston was, the more likely the kick lever would slip.

These are the two most common kick start problems I have experienced. Paul sells the updated, heavier bearing retainer. That and a new set of roller bearings will most likely fix the problem. And since you're going to be splitting the cases to fix it, you may as well do the bearings, seals & bushings while you have it open.

All the instructions are in the Wombat shop manual also available from Strictly Hodaka. ; D Victor

ANd one thing we learned on the BMW kickstarters is to NOT kick them. Use the kickstarter to position the piston at the top of the compression stroke and then with a firm push, push the lever through it's travel. Being careful to not jam the kickstarter into it's locking sprag, which is basically a one-way clutch that starts to engage when the kickstart lever is pushed. Now, I've not started my Hodaka more than a half-dozen times and I may be all wet, but the two mechanisms are similar and care of one ought to relate to the other, too.

FWIW.

--Bill

Bill, you are correct on how to kick start a Hodaka. Take up the slick by pressing down on the lever. When you encounter resistance, then push (kick) it through. Don't just kick away or even a new kick roller retainer will wear out quickly.
Matt, if you can operate on people, a Hodaka will be much easier. Just get the workshop manual and it will take you through the entire process of re-building the engine. If you encounter any problems, ask on here and someone will help you through it.

Good luck.

I bought a copy of the Wombat workshop manual from SH and agree it is invaluable to this upcoming project. I would personally like to thank you all for sharing your expertise with me and also to Paul for providing this forum. You've all given me a good direction and good guidance. If I ask a lot of naive questions, let me apologize in advance. Now on to the show...

Good luck Matt! ; D Victor

Thanks friend! Hey, I've already ruled out one potential problem. Some helpy helperton has welded the kick crank to the shaft. This is going to be fun!

Well if your kick start lever is welded to the shaft, then it's a good assumption the lever isn't slipping! OMG! That's going to be a huge pain in the A$$ if you have to remove the kick shaft to replace any parts! Good luck! I would suggest getting a second kickshaft and kick start lever and starting over. You gonna have a mess n your hands there Bud! ; D Victor

Hey Matt, welcome to the world of vintage motorcycle rebuilding. These DPOs have had 40+ years to try every poor/bad idea. Push on we say!

Maxie

PS--Maybe they should have used a longer bolt.

Hey Maxie! Where'd you get the picture of my parts?? As I dig further into this bike, its becoming apparent that I'm being punished for my youthful indiscretions with my first bike. It was a '72 Super Rat I bought in '76 for $100. By the time I broke the steering head clean off the frame the bike was cobbled together with so much duct tape, baling wire, mismatched parts, and 'ingenuity' it was barely recognizable as a motorcycle. This is one of these "what comes around goes around" situations. I would have preferred to see that kick crank management scheme in your picture rather than the weld but hey - any port in a storm I suppose. D. Victor is absolutely right. Painful, but in such a great way!!

Best,

Matt

As far as the welded on kicker, usually the previous owner only welds the end (the far outside, where the shaft ends and the kicker meets up with it). If that is the case, just take a grinder and grind off the weld and the kicker should come off. Then, make sure there are no welding joints that stick up past the original kick shaft diameter and you should be able to dis-assembly the cases without any problems.

Hey D.R. You were correct!! About 3 minutes with an angle grinder and the crank popped right off. Turns out it wasn't even a Hodaka crank. Happily, the splines appeared quite serviceable under it all. The weld bead looked really gloppy but on closer inspection, it actually made contact with the kick shaft in 3 or 4 areas with absolutely no flow into or around the splines. One little victory. I'll take it. Thank you!

Good news Matt! Now you can work the problem. Now getterdun! ; D Victor

On it!!

So any new progress, Matt? ; D Victor

Hey Victor,

Digging into this engine is like a warped remake of Fantastic Voyage. Every nut and bolt encrusted with a combination of 40 year old grease and sand. Thank God for the individual who invented the impact driver and brass mallet. Kick roller and retainer snap roached. Crown of piston dented in from use on incorrect reach spark plug. Cylinder (amazingly) on stock bore. All seals and gaskets are rotted and fragmented. One shift plunger spring fragmented and suspended in old motor oil the consistency and color of Brer Rabbit black strap molasses. When I pulled the gear case drain plug - nothing. Oh no. I expected a rusty mess. Not so. Happily, the internals were shiny and relatively clean with the exception of the bottom of the gear case which resembled a separation lagoon at a hog confinement operation. I'm assessing remaining transmission components which at initial assessment appear serviceable. Happily no case damage seen yet. Actually main bearings look good. Since I'm in up to my elbows, they will probably be replaced In other words, your typical Hody barn find that was rode hard and put up dead. I'll keep posting at each new and special "discovery". Do you know off hand whether the 94/94a engine overhaul bundle on SH is appropriate for the model 95.

Best,

Matt

Here's the first fly in the ointment. The rear-most shifter cover mounting boss next to the countershaft sprocket is cracked clean in half. I imagine a thrown chain back in the day is the likely culprit. About 60% circumference of the boss is missing. I was thinking of placing a dummy bolt into the boss and ramming JB Weld around the base to rebuild the boss, then backing out the bolt as the weld begins to set. After it cures completely, grinding it back to proper dimensions. Does anyone have a more reliable approach. It would seem to me that this is a rather common injury.

I had a machine shop repair one before, that is an important part to maintain proper shifting.

Progress on the Lazarus Hodie.

Here is a composite photo I made of the shifter case:


EDIT: hmmm, can't get the imsge to attach. I'll tinker with it later. (still NO)


Let's see how the IMG link works:




--Bill