Lack of Tools
After a three-month delay (much to my chagrin) I've finally gotten started on a little Honda CT70 that was brought into the shop back on June 08. Mind, at the time I told the customer that I wasn't a motorcycle shop, and that I couldn't promise anything other than to have a look at it.
Having finally gotten to other mouldy-oldie jobs done, I was at last able to tackle the bike; Its problem is that it doesn't have any spark, and that's caused by a failure in the points-and-breakers. In theory, I could replace them with an electronic module as I've done with a few other engines, but the way the bike is designed I'm not sure that I can do that. The bike doesn't have a magneto coil poised above the flywheel - It has a small alternator that charges the battery and provides power to trigger the coil when the breaker-points open. This arrangement allows the engine to be started even if the battery is dead, since it's not relying on the battery itself for power. Thankfully, this bike has a smaller, less complicated engine; Some of the larger ones require draining the oil and cracking open one side of the crankcase to access this area, but this version just requires the removal of a single cover - no messing around with oil or other gunk. Removing the flywheel nut was easy enough - Just grab it with the flywheel strap, and turn the bolt with a 15mm socket. The problem comes with removing the flywheel itself; Honda uses a special flywheel puller that's basically an external-threaded, left-handed, 27mm section of pipe with a pressure-screw in the middle. Apparently, such a tool is actually quite common for a motor-cycle repair shop, but that's not what Iron Pony is. :/
So now I'm stuck trying to find one of these tools; I could probably order one directly from Honda, and have my butt stretched wide open without the benefit of Vaseline, or I can try to get one from numerous sources on the Internet, including Amazon and Ebay. The tool isn't expensive; A single unit sells for about $13, or you can get a 10-piece set for just under $40, and be ready for just about anything. That's the route I'm planning to take, except... No one in Canada seems to have one - all of the ones I've been able to find are in the USA or overseas, and attempting to get one through Amazon.com has it coming up saying "Oooops, there's a problem with your order, we can't ship to the selected address." Well, why didn't you say so in the first place, before I put the item in my cart? The seller lists Canada as a destination, but Amazon seems to be having issues. So, I sent a note off to the seller asking if he does ship to Canada. Now I have to sit back and wait for an answer. This isn't the first time I've run into this kind of problem; Canada really does seem like a third-world country at times when it comes to getting access to stuff. Or perhaps like the little sibling, having to watch the "Big Kids" play with all their shiny new toys, and hoping for some hand-me-downs later on... :P
On the plus side, some poking around Google for "Honda CT70" found me a complete shop-manual for the bike, and several other old Hondas. More stuff for the archives! :)
I'm at the bowling alley now, wondering if there's any likelihood of anyone showing up. You never know though, so here I sit, waiting... Trixstir is home, resting, and aching all over as the due-date for the Munchkin Mark-II draws nigh... She was a little worried that the kid might make an early appearance, but it seems that those aches and pains have subsided for the moment. Still, we're pretty much ready to go at a moment's notice, and that could be any time now...
Having finally gotten to other mouldy-oldie jobs done, I was at last able to tackle the bike; Its problem is that it doesn't have any spark, and that's caused by a failure in the points-and-breakers. In theory, I could replace them with an electronic module as I've done with a few other engines, but the way the bike is designed I'm not sure that I can do that. The bike doesn't have a magneto coil poised above the flywheel - It has a small alternator that charges the battery and provides power to trigger the coil when the breaker-points open. This arrangement allows the engine to be started even if the battery is dead, since it's not relying on the battery itself for power. Thankfully, this bike has a smaller, less complicated engine; Some of the larger ones require draining the oil and cracking open one side of the crankcase to access this area, but this version just requires the removal of a single cover - no messing around with oil or other gunk. Removing the flywheel nut was easy enough - Just grab it with the flywheel strap, and turn the bolt with a 15mm socket. The problem comes with removing the flywheel itself; Honda uses a special flywheel puller that's basically an external-threaded, left-handed, 27mm section of pipe with a pressure-screw in the middle. Apparently, such a tool is actually quite common for a motor-cycle repair shop, but that's not what Iron Pony is. :/
So now I'm stuck trying to find one of these tools; I could probably order one directly from Honda, and have my butt stretched wide open without the benefit of Vaseline, or I can try to get one from numerous sources on the Internet, including Amazon and Ebay. The tool isn't expensive; A single unit sells for about $13, or you can get a 10-piece set for just under $40, and be ready for just about anything. That's the route I'm planning to take, except... No one in Canada seems to have one - all of the ones I've been able to find are in the USA or overseas, and attempting to get one through Amazon.com has it coming up saying "Oooops, there's a problem with your order, we can't ship to the selected address." Well, why didn't you say so in the first place, before I put the item in my cart? The seller lists Canada as a destination, but Amazon seems to be having issues. So, I sent a note off to the seller asking if he does ship to Canada. Now I have to sit back and wait for an answer. This isn't the first time I've run into this kind of problem; Canada really does seem like a third-world country at times when it comes to getting access to stuff. Or perhaps like the little sibling, having to watch the "Big Kids" play with all their shiny new toys, and hoping for some hand-me-downs later on... :P
On the plus side, some poking around Google for "Honda CT70" found me a complete shop-manual for the bike, and several other old Hondas. More stuff for the archives! :)
I'm at the bowling alley now, wondering if there's any likelihood of anyone showing up. You never know though, so here I sit, waiting... Trixstir is home, resting, and aching all over as the due-date for the Munchkin Mark-II draws nigh... She was a little worried that the kid might make an early appearance, but it seems that those aches and pains have subsided for the moment. Still, we're pretty much ready to go at a moment's notice, and that could be any time now...