Help replacing a tire on a CB350

kougan · 08-07-2009, 02:25 PM

So I ran over a nice rusty nail the other day and got a flat rear tire. I need to remove the wheel to take it in for replacing, but I'm not quite sure how. Looks like I need to remove the drive chain first, but I'm not sure about how to get the master link off either. I'm sure its fairly simple, can anyone guide me in the right direction on removing this wheel or link to a how to video that's not a crotch rocket?
Thanks

Horatio0163 · 08-08-2009, 09:38 AM

Hey! I just did this a few weeks ago. You're right. It's fairly simple.
Do you have a manual for your 350? There's a scanned copy of the cb350 somewhere on the internet, or Clymers has the instructions on p 127. For your convenience, I'll reproduce them here (minus the pictures).
1. Remove master link and chain. [I just used a pliers to push the master link out. Pay attention to the direction of the link]
2. Remove wire safety clip on rear brake torque link [the bar that prevents the rear brake from turning].
3. Remove nut and washer and remove rear brake torque link.
4. On other side, remove cotter pin, axle nut, and washer.
5. Remove brake adjusting nut and disconnect brake rod.
6. Drive the axle shaft out.
7. Pull the wheel to the rear and remove it.

Now the fun starts. It's probably easiest to take the wheel to a shop, but if you've got a couple of tire irons, you can to it yourself.

Installation is the reverse of removal. Make sure to keep the wheel is square with the long axis of the bike, and tension the chain properly. (that's what those adjusters on each side at the end of the frame are for)
Also, get that brake properly adjusted.

Good luck!

markjenn · 08-08-2009, 09:53 AM

It's been awhile, but I changed a few tires on a CB350 (and several other Hondas of this vintage) and I don't recall having to break the chain. You pull the axle, drop the chain adjusters/spacers, and there is enough room to fish the chain off the sprockets and remove the wheel with the chain in place.

- Mark

Jo-Nathan · 08-08-2009, 02:12 PM

Manual:
http://www.hondatwins.com/pdf/CB350-%20MANUAL.pdf
Enjoy, it's come in handy for me several times. Not to mention, saved me a few bucks.

markjenn · 08-08-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jo-Nathan

Manual:
http://www.hondatwins.com/pdf/CB350-%20MANUAL.pdf
Enjoy, it's come in handy for me several times. Not to mention, saved me a few bucks.

Great resource, thanks for posting.

However, after looking at the manual and remembering the arrangement of the axle, chain adjusters, spacers, rear brake, etc., I'm virtually certain that you don't have to break the chain to remove the rear wheel, nor is it customary to do so unless you need to for another reason. (Shop manuals often showed processes involving more disassembly than necessary.)

I don't fondly recall fixing my first motorcycle flat in 1971 on my 1970 CB350 alongside the road in 105-deg Indiana heat and 80% humidity. I didn't break the chain nor did it even occur to me that I might have to.

- Mark

markjenn · 08-08-2009, 04:24 PM

I had a 1970 in blue, just like the 2nd except for the color. I know I'm prejudiced, but to my eyes, one of the best-looking bikes of all time. Much preferred the flat-sided tanks.

- Mark

kougan · 08-08-2009, 07:08 PM

Well unfortunately, I took the chain off before I read everyone's tips, although I did get the wheel off and tire replaced, thanks to your advice.

So as I was trying to get the chain back on, I realized I had no choice but to take the cover off that goes over the small gear, on which I stripped a screw head. Tried a screw extractor but it's not working out for me. So now I can't get it off.
Anyone know of a way around the problem?

Nice pictures, by the way. Here's mine.

l0g1c · 08-08-2009, 07:31 PM

Hose it down with penetrating oil, let it sit overnight, smack it a couple times with a hammer and then apply vice grips. Don't try to twist it straight out, but instead rock it back and forth (clockwise and counter-clockwise).

markjenn · 08-08-2009, 08:00 PM

Common problem. To work on these old bikes, its a requirement that you get one of these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_driver

If the head is not too buggered up, one of these will often still work. Dremeling some type of slot is sometimes necessary and if you can get a good slot, then tapping the screw around with a hammer and cold chisel will often work. If the head is totally gone, then you generally go with some kind of easy-out extractor. If you can get vice grips on the shoulders of the screw head, this sometimes works.

- Mark

Jo-Nathan · 08-08-2009, 11:37 PM

I hate screws and I'm not patient. When that happens to me (and it happens often), I usually just drill the head off and replace all the screws with allen bolts. Just measure/count them and go to a nut/bolt supply house (not a hardware store/Home Depot). It cost me less than $10 to replace all the external screws with stainless allen bolts on my old Yamaha.

P.S. +1 on you buying a manual impact driver. I don't remember how much mine cost, but I do remember that it's been worth every cent.

D-Mac · 08-09-2009, 01:15 PM

Ahhh...we're in the same boat. I'm new at this whole 'restoration' thing too. I was trying to get the oil filter cover off the right side of my 1970 CL-350 and got impatient. I drilled out two of the 3 screws and then tried something different and managed to break off an easy-out INSIDE the third screw. Whatever you do, DON'T DO THAT!!

In my situation, I was able to get off the whole right-side cover (which has the oil filter cover on top of it) and take it to a machine shop. It looks like they're going to use EDM to remove the stuck screw/easy-out from the outer cover (for free! normally it would cost more than a cover off ebay).

Anyway, since I had to remove the right cover, I got a routine down for getting off the case screws. Here's what you should try:

(1) Buy a can of PB blaster and hose down those screws twice a day for two days. Time DOES matter.

(2) Apply some heat from a propane torch (wave it back and forth for about a minute).

(3) Place your manual impact driver onto the screw (you can buy one cheap at Harbor Freight).

(4) You need to smack the driver pretty hard (harder than you think you should) and you want to take up the 'slack' each time by gently holding it to the left (counterclockwise) while pushing it down onto the screw. The driver will actually embed itself into the screw, so it works even if the screw is stripped pretty bad. It took anywhere from ~5-30 smacks with the driver to get off each screw. The vibration WILL work it loose. Make sure you have the driver facing the right way.

I was able to get one screw off using a JIS #2 screwdriver (JIS is the Japanese version of Phillips and doesn't strip as easily - you can buy these online). The impact driver worked much better though.

If I knew what I know now, I could have saved myself a big hassle.

Of course now I'm dealing with the inner oil filter rotor, which is FROZEN on the spindle. Argh!

markjenn · 08-09-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-Mac

Of course now I'm dealing with the inner oil filter rotor, which is FROZEN on the spindle. Argh!

You probably know this, but there is a Honda special tool for this. I have one rattling around here somewhere.

- Mark

kougan · 08-11-2009, 02:19 AM

Ah, the impact driver worked! Thanks for the tip.

Note to self: Never remove the chain when taking off a wheel. Way more of a pain than it should have been!

markjenn · 08-11-2009, 09:49 AM

Glad you're making progress.

Make sure you get that master link clip on correctly and securely. It goes in the direction where the closed end of the clip points in the natural direction of chain travel. And the slide plate needs to be pushed onto the master link far enough so that the clip correctly seats in the grooves in the master link pins which may require some compression with vice grips or pliers, especially with o-ring chains. (I believe that failure to get the side-plate compressed far enough to allow the clip to seat in the grooves is the problem with most master clip failures.)

- Mark

kougan · 08-13-2009, 12:26 AM

Thanks for pointing that out. Got the clip on, got the wheel on, ready to go. Unfortunately though, after being back on the road for a day, all of the electrical on the bike died. Must be a connection on the battery which I'm not even going to bother looking at until the frustration from the chain passes. Ah, what would we be doing with our time if not continual bike maintenance?

08-07-2009, 02:25 PM	#1
kougan ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2008 Location: New York Oddometer: 114	Help replacing a tire on a CB350 So I ran over a nice rusty nail the other day and got a flat rear tire. I need to remove the wheel to take it in for replacing, but I'm not quite sure how. Looks like I need to remove the drive chain first, but I'm not sure about how to get the master link off either. I'm sure its fairly simple, can anyone guide me in the right direction on removing this wheel or link to a how to video that's not a crotch rocket? Thanks

08-08-2009, 07:08 PM	#7
kougan ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2008 Location: New York Oddometer: 114	Well unfortunately, I took the chain off before I read everyone's tips, although I did get the wheel off and tire replaced, thanks to your advice. So as I was trying to get the chain back on, I realized I had no choice but to take the cover off that goes over the small gear, on which I stripped a screw head. Tried a screw extractor but it's not working out for me. So now I can't get it off. Anyone know of a way around the problem? Nice pictures, by the way. Here's mine. kougan screwed with this post 08-08-2009 at 07:14 PM

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08-08-2009, 09:38 AM	#2
Horatio0163 Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Oddometer: 118	Hey! I just did this a few weeks ago. You're right. It's fairly simple. Do you have a manual for your 350? There's a scanned copy of the cb350 somewhere on the internet, or Clymers has the instructions on p 127. For your convenience, I'll reproduce them here (minus the pictures). 1. Remove master link and chain. [I just used a pliers to push the master link out. Pay attention to the direction of the link] 2. Remove wire safety clip on rear brake torque link [the bar that prevents the rear brake from turning]. 3. Remove nut and washer and remove rear brake torque link. 4. On other side, remove cotter pin, axle nut, and washer. 5. Remove brake adjusting nut and disconnect brake rod. 6. Drive the axle shaft out. 7. Pull the wheel to the rear and remove it. Now the fun starts. It's probably easiest to take the wheel to a shop, but if you've got a couple of tire irons, you can to it yourself. Installation is the reverse of removal. Make sure to keep the wheel is square with the long axis of the bike, and tension the chain properly. (that's what those adjusters on each side at the end of the frame are for) Also, get that brake properly adjusted. Good luck!

08-08-2009, 09:53 AM	#3
markjenn Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2003 Location: Swellvue, WA Oddometer: 9,739	It's been awhile, but I changed a few tires on a CB350 (and several other Hondas of this vintage) and I don't recall having to break the chain. You pull the axle, drop the chain adjusters/spacers, and there is enough room to fish the chain off the sprockets and remove the wheel with the chain in place. - Mark

08-08-2009, 02:12 PM	#4
Jo-Nathan Gnarly Adventurer Joined: May 2009 Location: Fayetteville, AR Oddometer: 154	Manual: http://www.hondatwins.com/pdf/CB350-%20MANUAL.pdf Enjoy, it's come in handy for me several times. Not to mention, saved me a few bucks.

08-08-2009, 04:24 PM	#6
markjenn Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2003 Location: Swellvue, WA Oddometer: 9,739	I had a 1970 in blue, just like the 2nd except for the color. I know I'm prejudiced, but to my eyes, one of the best-looking bikes of all time. Much preferred the flat-sided tanks. - Mark

08-08-2009, 07:31 PM	#8
l0g1c Adventurer Joined: May 2009 Oddometer: 22	Hose it down with penetrating oil, let it sit overnight, smack it a couple times with a hammer and then apply vice grips. Don't try to twist it straight out, but instead rock it back and forth (clockwise and counter-clockwise).

08-08-2009, 08:00 PM	#9
markjenn Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2003 Location: Swellvue, WA Oddometer: 9,739	Common problem. To work on these old bikes, its a requirement that you get one of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_driver If the head is not too buggered up, one of these will often still work. Dremeling some type of slot is sometimes necessary and if you can get a good slot, then tapping the screw around with a hammer and cold chisel will often work. If the head is totally gone, then you generally go with some kind of easy-out extractor. If you can get vice grips on the shoulders of the screw head, this sometimes works. - Mark

08-08-2009, 11:37 PM	#10
Jo-Nathan Gnarly Adventurer Joined: May 2009 Location: Fayetteville, AR Oddometer: 154	I hate screws and I'm not patient. When that happens to me (and it happens often), I usually just drill the head off and replace all the screws with allen bolts. Just measure/count them and go to a nut/bolt supply house (not a hardware store/Home Depot). It cost me less than $10 to replace all the external screws with stainless allen bolts on my old Yamaha. P.S. +1 on you buying a manual impact driver. I don't remember how much mine cost, but I do remember that it's been worth every cent.

08-09-2009, 01:15 PM	#11
D-Mac Studly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2007 Location: Mid-Michigan Oddometer: 613	Ahhh...we're in the same boat. I'm new at this whole 'restoration' thing too. I was trying to get the oil filter cover off the right side of my 1970 CL-350 and got impatient. I drilled out two of the 3 screws and then tried something different and managed to break off an easy-out INSIDE the third screw. Whatever you do, DON'T DO THAT!! In my situation, I was able to get off the whole right-side cover (which has the oil filter cover on top of it) and take it to a machine shop. It looks like they're going to use EDM to remove the stuck screw/easy-out from the outer cover (for free! normally it would cost more than a cover off ebay). Anyway, since I had to remove the right cover, I got a routine down for getting off the case screws. Here's what you should try: (1) Buy a can of PB blaster and hose down those screws twice a day for two days. Time DOES matter. (2) Apply some heat from a propane torch (wave it back and forth for about a minute). (3) Place your manual impact driver onto the screw (you can buy one cheap at Harbor Freight). (4) You need to smack the driver pretty hard (harder than you think you should) and you want to take up the 'slack' each time by gently holding it to the left (counterclockwise) while pushing it down onto the screw. The driver will actually embed itself into the screw, so it works even if the screw is stripped pretty bad. It took anywhere from ~5-30 smacks with the driver to get off each screw. The vibration WILL work it loose. Make sure you have the driver facing the right way. I was able to get one screw off using a JIS #2 screwdriver (JIS is the Japanese version of Phillips and doesn't strip as easily - you can buy these online). The impact driver worked much better though. If I knew what I know now, I could have saved myself a big hassle. Of course now I'm dealing with the inner oil filter rotor, which is FROZEN on the spindle. Argh!

08-11-2009, 02:19 AM	#13
kougan ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2008 Location: New York Oddometer: 114	Ah, the impact driver worked! Thanks for the tip. Note to self: Never remove the chain when taking off a wheel. Way more of a pain than it should have been!

08-11-2009, 09:49 AM	#14
markjenn Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2003 Location: Swellvue, WA Oddometer: 9,739	Glad you're making progress. Make sure you get that master link clip on correctly and securely. It goes in the direction where the closed end of the clip points in the natural direction of chain travel. And the slide plate needs to be pushed onto the master link far enough so that the clip correctly seats in the grooves in the master link pins which may require some compression with vice grips or pliers, especially with o-ring chains. (I believe that failure to get the side-plate compressed far enough to allow the clip to seat in the grooves is the problem with most master clip failures.) - Mark

08-13-2009, 12:26 AM	#15
kougan ^OP Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2008 Location: New York Oddometer: 114	Thanks for pointing that out. Got the clip on, got the wheel on, ready to go. Unfortunately though, after being back on the road for a day, all of the electrical on the bike died. Must be a connection on the battery which I'm not even going to bother looking at until the frustration from the chain passes. Ah, what would we be doing with our time if not continual bike maintenance?