1972 450CR

I have a junkyard dog that I picked up for a winter project. This CR450 has 90 psi compression, I haven't performed a leak down test yet. She has a weak spark and she will not start despite my best efforts. I suspect the ignition system is the culprit and will investigate this further.

Regardless I plan on going through the engine and carrying on with a complete restoration.

I welcome any nuggets of wisdom concerning the restoration fine points.

Looking forward to posting pictures as I progress.

Mike

i wouldnt bother with the leak down, it likely needs new seals and a top end with 90 psi. low compression likely isnt helping with starting either. lets see the pics!!

CBX's?....as in more than one? Lucky guy

that is quite a few sparkplugs

lets have a valve adjustment party

Pics to follow. I am on duty for the next four days and waiting on a flywheel puller anyway.

The Husky is so much simpler that the CBX yet just as mesmerizing. I am really looking forward to wrenching on the Husky.

I have four more CBX's to restore, it takes me a year or so to complete a restoration. Once these are done I should be sufficiently broke and have to sell them to fund retirement .

These are my completed CBX's

Here are the pictures I took when I picked up the 450, pretty sad case she is and I am fearful of what I'll find when I split the cases. At least she was in a low humidity environment.

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View attachment 52657

not bad at all, usually poor wrenching is the biggest problem from previous owners..

Another shot.
Anybody seen those rear shocks before?

are they off a honda CR250? (74-75ish)

How about that.

I plan on putting original shocks back on so when I do the Elsinore shocks will be up for grabs.

Thanks for the ID of those shocks, seems this bike is a girl of many colors.

I am going to pull the top end tonight, I suspect you guys are right about the bore and rings being worn out. Once the flywheel puller gets here I can get the ignition off to Vance. From there I will come up with a puller and split the cases, see what's lurking in there.

Mike

Yeah, the handling sucks and the 80 was marginally better with the redesigned swing arm; they kept the 35mm forks and added an air cap on the 80 to. The 79's I restore get the plastic swing arm bushing for originality; the modified ones get a needle bearings in the swing arm. The motor is awesome. I have a six into six on one and she sounds like a Ferrari on crack. Honda just did the frame and suspension so wrong in a rush to get that engine out. Today a nice 1980 CBX would bring you 2-3 x what you may have paid for it. Possible more if that 80 was one of the 1800 made in Japan....yep only 1800 were made in Japan that year, the bulk of 1980 CBX's were made in Marysville Ohio of parts sent from Japan.

I do believe the 450 will bring just as much satisfaction. I may have to join a vintage club and do some riding. Not building it to sit in the living room!
Crap! going to look at that WR360 tomorrow....here goes more hard earned deniro. The bug has struck.....arrggghhh.

Any words of wisdom regarding a 73 WR 360?

Mike

If you bought that 450 in New Mexico, you just beat me to it (quite identifiable by those rear shocks). Had just called the guy (on Craigslist) one day too late. Good luck with the project, you'll find plenty of knowledge and help on this site. I also have a CBX, but it's an 81, which are not as highly sought after as the earlier ones, but I did buy it brand new.

I'll be damned.

Well she needs a lot of work. Total restoration but most of the parts are there. I should have been the one a day late ...lol.
Always up for a challenge though.

Nothing wrong with an 81 CBX. I prefer that color over the white 82.

I have yet to work on an 81 or 82, suspect just fairing removal to make valve adjustments easier.

Mike

I've got the 72 parts manual and the 68-74 shop manual for Huskys on PDF. If you'd like a copy pm me your email address and I'll send them to you.
Steve

Are they the same ones as on this web site Steve?

I'll be damn if someone didn't swoop in and by that 360WR. I had an appointment to look at it tomorrow. The owner called to say he sold it this evening.

Guess it wasn't meant to be.

Soooo, back to the 450. I pulled the cylinder head and could see where a foreign body had rattled around and hammered the outer edge of the head. The piston/rod assembly doesn't make a smooth rotation so I expect I will be replacing the rod, bearing and pin.

I tried to get the cylinder off but it's seized tight, didn't want to beat on it so I sprayed some penetrating oil around the studs. heated them up and I'll give them overnight to soak.

I saw a thread here some where about getting those stuck cylinders off So tonight I will see if I can find that thread.

Good night to be indoors anyway, a storm is forecasted and I am wuss in regards to cold anymore.

Mike

I got up early today and began pulling the 450 apart. Spent a lot of time getting the cylinder off. The studs were rusted solid in the cylinder. heat and penetrating oil helped but the tie down strap trick I found on this site did the trick.

Looks like a new sleeve, piston, ring, bearing, circlips, rod, rod bearing, rod pin, bottom end seals and bearings will be needed.

The triple tree will have to be replaced, the knurled nut won't thread out. Previous owner rode the bike with loose bearings and the threads of the steering stem were destroyed so the lower knurled piece will not come off. I'll use a die grinder later and see if I can get the triple tree off.

Other than that the 450 is now a bare frame ready to be sand blasted.

I am enjoying this bike so far. tonight the hunt for parts begins.


Mike

What was the tie down trick?

Yes, the parts manual is the same as on here, unless I missed it I didn't find an MJ (1972) series shop manual, but the MK/ ML manual should be pretty much the same. Sounds like you're rolling right along.
In case you're wondering, I didn't get the 360 either...