1980 390CR Rebuild by Moody390

[Moody390]

Hey guys,
Just joined up and this site is a gold mine!
I'm currently restoring/rebuilding a 1980 390CR and will be needing help with many things over time. I'll post pictures as I make progress to use as a reference for others who may do the same thing.
I will post all the pictures I have tomorrow night (australian time haha)

So far i've rebuilt the frame, swingarm and accessories, the shocks and the forks/front end, and the Mik. The seat is immaculate and the tank has some minor indentations with good paint, so I'll restore a 2nd tank I wont wreck when I'm riding it.

Next step is the motor, the wheels and then take it for ride.


My first area of help is to do with the shock mounts. For the bottom I machined up 2 small bronze bushes to reside in 2 poly eurathane bushes which I also made and pressed them into the eyes of the shock and hard bolted them to the frame, pretty simple and straight forward. Now the top is rather confusing

Can I please get a detailed sketch off anyone of how they are setup? Including bolt length and any bushing dimensions required? I made up a couple, put some new heim joints and o-rings in but it doesnt look right. The heim joints were a press fit into the eye and onto the mount but there is still going to be the chance of having the shock move side to side, about 6mm worth.

I'll throw up some pictures first chance I get.


Thanks guys,
Moody390

 

[rajobigguy]

Welcome to the Cafe. Sounds like you have a nice project going. I'm sure that find lots of help in the vintage forum.
Rajo

 

[HuskyT]

Welcome to the site!

I am the Vintage moderator.

Good to see another guy rebuilding the best Husqvarna ever made.... 1980 CR390****************************************

T

 

[Moody390]

The photos of its current situation

Cr 125 rear gaurd, rm250 front,
Powdered frame, rebuilt shocks and forks etc.

The bottom shock mount

The top shock setup, can i get some confirmation if this is correct? the way it is setup is using a small bush tightened by the washer and bolt pressing against the heim joint inner race. not ideal that's why I am asking for the correct way.

I also have 83 side gaurds for it.

 

[Moody390]

The hubs can been seen wrapped up completley stripped in the above pics. going black with black backing plates and zinc plated hardware and axles thanks to Husky T's thread. Onya mate.

I managed to find a deep gold annodized Akront rear 17" inch rim for it but cant find a front to match. any idea where i can buy NOS gold Akronts? when the hubs are coated and i find a front rim, they are both going in for new stainless spokes, new rim locks, tubes and tyres.

Im also ready to fill the shocks with oil.
How do i go about doing so?

The motor is still in one piece untouched bar the exception of the barrel, head, reed block and carby which has all been rebuilt.

Thanks guys, I'll update as i do more.

 

[tommie d]

Welcome to Club 390! those are sweet looking rear shocks, What brand are they?

Welcome to the site!

I am the Vintage moderator.

Good to see another guy rebuilding the best Husqvarna ever made.... 1980 CR390****************************************

T

You really mean second best right as I just picked up the best Husqvarna made.... 1977 390CR it's got to be the Roach of the Year!

 

[Moody390]

there the factory ohlins rebuilt with plastic coated springs and braided pro flow lines.

thanks for the welcome guys.
Just made a parts list to finish it up so gonna hit up www.husqvarna-parts.com

 

[Moody390]

Im starting to think there is supposed to be a spacer either side of the top shock eye which conceals the o-rings.

Such as the ones in the left hand side center of the pic, and inside the black spring spacer.
http://www.huskyclub.com/OdetailsA.jpg
Can any one confirm this and advise where i can find a new set? or its back to the lathe.

 

[Bryll]

Check with this company if they can help you
http://www.stevecramerproducts.com.au/

It's not a problem to find them in this country, don't really understand why

Your pictures are great
I have a "roach" in the garage, it's a WR390 -79 found in a barn.
Some day when I have enough cash, time and energy will I try to do the same you are doing to your.

Keep up the good work, and please post more pictures.

Peter

 

[Moody390]

Hi Bryll,
Thanks for the positive comments.

I've just had a squiz at your Roach and was wondering if you could do me a favour? i need a photo of all the pieces that hold the rear shocks up to the frame. ie, any spacers or bushes? If you get a chance would you be able to do that?

Cheers Mate.


EDIT:
I have found out how they are assemlbed. There is a heim spacer either side of the shock with an oring on the shoulder which together hug the heim joint. What fooled me was i had not spacers on the oustide and the inner one were left on the frame when it was powder coated, making it look like part of the frame. All is well, 2 new ones on the way from husqvarna-parts.

 

[Moody390]

I've made some more progress.

The hubs have been powder coated along with the backing plates
Machined some new parts up,
New bearings and seals are installed.
Nice new gold rims retaining the 17" on the rear.
New Tyres, tubes and locks,
Brand new stainless steel spokes,
Awaiting the arrival of my braided brake, clutch and throttle cables.
New resevoir lines and ohlins oil,
I have all my little springs, arms, spacers, axles etc at the zinc platers due back in the next couple of days,
New sprockets,
Carby has been bead blasted with annodised bowl bolts (looks tops haha)
And asside from that, EVERY SINGLE nut and bolt has been replaced, zinc plated 8.8 on the stressed bolts, stainless steel on else where.

I'll put some photos up soon when the zinc plater returns my parts.

Last on the list, the bottom end. Im getting excited now haha.

One question though, how do i go about filling the shocks with oil, am i supposed to bleed the air from the shocks? how is this done?

regards,
Moody390

 

[Bryll]

Here's a description how to repair a rear shock. It's in Swedish, but you could try to get the page translated by Google or some similar translator.
Sorry but I couldn't find anything in English

Edit:
I found this 75-81 Workshop manual and it's in English . It's a quite big file 70+ MB to download as a PDF.
Don't know if you can find anyting about the shocks in there, but might be useful for something else.....

 

[Moody390]

Well this is where I am at with her now

Back wheel assembly is together and same with the front.
The carby has been rebuilt, top end honed, intake manifold rebuilt, 3 new braided cables run, bars finished etc. Everything back from the zinc platers and looking good as new.
Machined up a couple of spacers to mount the side gaurds and another to allow usage of the Gunner Gasser Throttle cable on my throttle. On the left hand side gaurd, there is 1 mounting hole only.
How do I secure it to the frame without the use of cable ties? as I don't want to wear them out over time.

I've tried to set the front brakes up aswell but there is no way on earth I am going to be able to get the pull required without fouling the brake arm on the fork body. Can anyone help me with this? This is how I have it currently setup

Arm position

Cable setup

On the rear brakes, this is the setup;
1)

2)

3)

4)

Does everything look correct? If not, what needs to be changed.

It's been 4 years since I tore it down so my memory is a little hazy. Not too mention I was 15 at the time so I was a little careless (ie. no photos or sketches)

I also have another dilema with the shock resevoir lines. The pro-flow braided items were ditched in favour of the repro husky items of www.husqvarna-parts.com but I have the same problem, heres some photo's to compare.

Old vs New

Old line in resevoir, finger tight

New line in resevoir, finger tight

New thread size ( start of thread)

Old thread size (start of thread)

There is 0.5mm difference in thread size so the thread is binding up early due to being a BSP Taper. I was going to open up the internal threads but I can't get a tap deep enough in the reservoir without it fouling, so that idea is gone. Is it safe to run a button die down and cut it tighter?

Cheers guys, I'll update as more progress is made.

 

[Bryll]

Is it not possible to cut a new straight thread at the resevoir line end?

Great pictures by the way, post more

 

[Moody390]

The actual problem is that they are all tapered threads in the shocks and the resevoir ends, so if I cut new threads, they wouldn't seal up properly.

I have plenty of photos of everything I've done, so if there is anything in particular some-one want, ask away.

 

[Bryll]

Sorry , I didn't understand that you got tapered threads in the shocks.
I took for granted they where straight threads and the new lines where tapered.
It looks like that on one of your pictures.

I might ask for pictures when I start working on my 390 -79.

 

[tommie d]

Looking Great! My 77 just keeps collecting dust waiting for the day I find the time and cash.
If I got screwed on the brake hoses i'd be returning them at their cost.
Do you have a local shop that can make you new hoses? that would be the best way to go.

 

[schimmelaw]

Moody390,

Great work. Nice to see another one "in the process of". Update often. Its interesting/enjoying seeing what others are doing.

Like the "plastic coated" springs. Explain.

Left side guard/number plate attach to silencer?

Keep up the good work and post up projects.

Rick

 

[Moody390]

Plastic coated springs are similar to powder coated ones except its a bit more flexible, your local coater should do it.

I've found some plastic d clips the size of the frame tube for the left hand plate so thats all fixed.

 

[Moody390]

Okie Dokie.

My rebuild is going to Resume. My house is about 3 weeks away from completion meaning I have an imaculately clean (well as clean as the missus will allow, no kitchen) area I can rebuild my motor.

I couldn't sort out any 1-8th BSPT fittings for the shock hoses, so will just by a nice set Ohlins when I find some suitable or some Fox Airs.

Thanks to Husky-T for the research, his detailed build, his information and being very helpful in general, I have just about sorted the front end.

Scotts upper mount, Windham Bars (I went and tried a pair and perfect ) sussing out the lower mounts at the moment. A new set of Magura levers should be somewhere in the air at the moment.

Bring on the motor

Upper mount and bars

Excuse the messy-ness of my build thread, oneday I will journal the whole lot as I have a Bazzilion pictures to do so. And also the poor photo quality. 1, it's on my phone, and 2, I would't know the first thing about taking a good picture.