The Hodaka Club Forum

well so far so good, have some more to clean up, carb, engine ,shocks, i have the forks done and most every thing else, oh yea, the wiring, going to do it all over as its pretty brittle. rather put socks on a rooster but what you going to do. got almost 400 pictures so far should be ok. going to the powder coater this week so can start thinking about putting back together. whats the thought on powder coating the cylinder head? ive heard it would not cool as good as it should. exhaust and steering tree power coated black ......albert

Wait, if you do try the socks on a rooster chore, video it please, be good for a laff when it's cold out, (or warm even).

You can remove the Frame tag on the front steering tube by pushing the screw rivets from the inside of the steering head. In the few bikes I've re-finished, the hole is drilled through. I've used a stout dental pick to locate the hole and push the rivet back out enough to remove it with a pair of pliers.

$0.02

Roger

thanks for the hint on removing the frame tag was going to ask the painter about it, will take it off. and IF i try putting socks on a roster i will be to busy to video sorry.... albert

No powder coat on head or cylinder. It would retain the heat until it started to blister or lift from the heat. Heat proof engine paint on the cylinder is ok and aqua blasting the head is good as it seals the alloy pores so oil and grease won’t stain it.

givergas wrote:. whats the thought on powder coating the cylinder head? ive heard it would not cool as good as it should. exhaust and steering tree power coated black ......albert

ANYTHING you put on a cylinder head or cylinder will increase retained heat. Even paint. Doesn't stop lots of factories from painting heads and cylinders. Color doesn't matter.

The problem with powder coat, which is a lot like baked poly paint, is that it goes on thick. But even if you could achieve a light coat, I would still not powder coat either the head or the barrel. If you have to color your cylinder or head use a light coat of engine paint such as PJ1. Or, I suppose you could have them anodized.

so powder coating the cylinder is out. its has a little rust in places so i will get it cleaned up. i work part time with a guy that builds barrel saunas and he paints he wood stoves him self with high temp black paint so i will throw some of that on the cylinder to clean it up a little. ok next question, is it possible to take the the rear shocks apart? iv taken dam neer every thing else apart why not the shocks,

No. Stock shocks are nor rebuildable, and they don't readily come apart, if at all. Dunk the whole enchilada in Evaporust.

yea didnt think so but had to ask the experts ,i can wreak almost anything i put my mind to, for once i asked first

The shocks can be disassembled to the point of taking off the springs and inner cover. This makes it easier to do a complete clean up job on them, if you are wanting to keep them for the original look. They will also work okay on the street but leave a lot to be desired off-road.

To disassemble, you have to compress the spring. Then, get a wrench on the lock-nut on the top of the shaft (where it meets the upper shock mount). This lock-nut is under the spring, and that is why the spring needs to be compressed, so you can see the lock-nut and get a wrench on it. Once loosened, the top shock mount can be unscrewed from the shaft and removed. You can then remove the spring and inner cover. (It's been a while since I have done one, but I think there is also a rolled pin in the top shock mount that needs to be removed before you can loosen and remove the top shock mount from the shaft).

That is as far as you can do to disassemble the shocks, as they are not re-buildable. But, if you just want to clean them up, it is much easier with them taken apart.

well i wont be taking apart but good to know. sat down with the shocks and took my time with very es cleaning tools , vinegar , steel wool, mystery oil,wire brush, and so on. then as the wife was not home went and scrubbed them in the sink with hot soapy water. they need some touch up but im happy with them

Nice job on the shocks. Lotsa nooks and crannys to polish. I think you've saved them! (I'm speaking from the same experience.)

Max

got the carb off and cleaned up used some GUNK carb cleaner in a one gal can has a little strainer in it to hold parts work very well. soaked for 2 days came out clean as a whistle. so clean i found the float has a pin hole in it from where the old gas hardened on the bottom of the float. any ideas ? theres a older guy in town here that repairs electric motor's thought he would be a good one to go see if he can solder it up

If it is just a pin hole, then yes it can be soldered closed. Just don't want to much solder as it will effect the weight and ability to "float". Also, make sure it is dry inside.

Years ago my model "T" float had a hole, I used just a touch of (Seal All) and it worked for years. They still sell it today, can be used on leaky gas tanks. -------Clarence

I have repaired many a brass float with a pinhole. Personally, I don't think you could put enough solder on it to change float level. Even perimeter repairs take only a tiny amount of solder.

The problem with repairing hollow brass floats is heat. If you overheat the float while soldering, it will seal, but as it cools it will start to collapse. So you have to solder carefully and quickly so as not to raise the air temperature in the float.

Several things will help. Don't use a torch or a gun with high heat. Don't use an old style massive soldering iron. Don't use paste flux. Do use liquid flux, even if you are using flux core solder. Use an electric gun on low heat. Use small diameter solder. Chill the float before starting so the walls of the float are cold. You don't need to freeze it, just get it colder than ambient. Solder quickly and don't dwell on it even if you know for a fact you didn't get it sealed the first time. If that happens, stop, cool it down again, and try again.

If you get it sealed and the float shows signs of collapse, start over. If all else fails, drill a very small hole in a part of the float that has thick material, seal the pin hole, cool it down, and then seal the drilled hole. Don't overheat the perimeter joint or the joint between float and lever. If these come apart, it can still be fixed, but it is tedious.

In the alternative, find the small dot of solder in the middle of the float wall and remove the solder. The hole underneath is the original assembly hole. Repair your pinhole then reseal the assembly hole.

By the time you are done fixing a brass float, you will be a lot better at soldering small parts.

hi every one well i just saw that its bin a month since the last post. well life through us a big monkey wrench and were [my wife and i] are getting back to normal or close to it, so this afternoon i went and soldered the holes in the float and it looks like it worked . i soldered a bunch of stuff for practice then went and got to it. no pictures till im sure it holds its submerged for the night i have high hopes. i picked up a 30 watt light soldering iron from harbor freight for 4 bucks ,60-40 solder. money well spent ....albert

starting to think again of the project and need some advice the fin is broke off of the head and i happen to have the piece that got knocked off ,, weld it back on if possible or some other fix. or live with it much appreciated....albert

Find a good used head and switch it out.

ok but for the sake of argument, cant i use it as is?

Better to look good than to be practical. Yeah, but there's lots of these around really cheap. An excess part. See our man Bruce Young. I might even have one I'd give you. I'd have to look. Maybe this is a sign for you to put a bigger finned higher compression model 93 Super Rat head on for more performance and cooling. I'd never forgive you if you put that tacky old head back on. Nor would anyone else.

Maxie

Rather than argue, yes you can but if you blow out a tire don't blame us. I would not be afraid to use it, if I had to. -----Clarence

well ive always had to be practical cause the looking good part never really worked for me.i was just seeing what my options are, i would never blame any one on this forum for any information that is posted on this forum. im very thank full that i got hold of an old bike thats been sitting around decomposing and that i can ask questions here and pick the brains of some of the most knowledgeable people there are. ive gained far more than ive gave back so far and i have a long road ahead so i would like to say thank you for all the help....albert

Back track here, yes it can be fixed, but may be cheaper to get a good used one to replace it. Can be run as is if the cosmetics don't matter. You can claim the missing fin as a weight saving measure if someone asks. You have several options, up to you which way you go.

well thanks i think my plans have change a little so im going to start putting it back together. with that head on it. its important to me to get it together and see how it runs.i will keep my eyes open in the mean time.now this is still going to take a while and the wiring well you know. but on the bright side the carb float fix worked and i got the frame and the rest of the pieces back from the powder coater only thing is he had it since the last part of November and never got the paint on so he charged me 20 bucks for sand blasting it all, frame, head light and brackets, battery box, swing arm, triple clamp and muffler and chain guard. he either felt bad he had it so long or what ever he was smoking gave him a conscience. now thats customer service. now my grandson can learn a little about painting ,all good