Okay, here we go. Let me tell you about this Honda CJ360 I’ve been messing with.
So, I picked up this old Honda CJ360 a while back. It was sitting in a barn, covered in dust, hadn’t been touched in years. You know the story. I saw potential, though. A real diamond in the rough, or at least a rusty, dented, needs-everything kinda diamond.
First things first, I dragged it back to the garage. The tires were flat, the seat was cracked, the chrome was pitted – the whole nine yards. Basically, it was a complete teardown situation. No way around it.
I started by stripping it down to the frame. Every nut, every bolt, every wire came off. Bagged and tagged everything, of course. (Okay, most things. I lost a couple of mystery washers along the way. Who hasn’t?). The frame itself had some surface rust, but nothing major. Hit it with a wire brush, some rust converter, and a fresh coat of paint. Looking good already!
Then came the engine. Oh boy, the engine. Pulled it apart piece by piece. Everything was gummed up, caked in old oil. Carbs were a disaster. Spent a good week just cleaning parts. Soaked ’em in carb cleaner, scrubbed ’em with brushes, blasted ’em with compressed air. Replaced all the jets, gaskets, and O-rings. Got the carbs looking brand new, almost.
The top end needed some love too. Valves were all gunked up, seats were worn. Lapped the valves, replaced the seals. Cylinders looked okay, gave ’em a quick hone. New rings on the pistons. Buttoned it all back up with fresh gaskets.
Now, the wiring harness. This was a nightmare. Wires were brittle, insulation was cracked. Half the connectors were corroded. I considered buying a new harness, but where’s the fun in that? I spent hours tracing wires, repairing breaks, replacing connectors. Wrapped the whole thing in new electrical tape. It’s not pretty, but it works!
Wheels were next. New tires, of course. Cleaned up the rims, polished the spokes (that took forever!). Replaced the bearings. Got ’em spinning nice and smooth.
- Frame: Cleaned, rust converted, painted.
- Engine: Rebuilt top and bottom end, cleaned carbs.
- Wiring: Repaired and re-wrapped.
- Wheels: New tires, cleaned rims, new bearings.
Putting it all back together was like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Referenced my photos (thank goodness I took so many!), and slowly but surely, the bike started to take shape again.
Finally, the moment of truth. Filled it with oil, gassed it up, and hit the starter button. Cranked for a bit, then… putt-putt-putt! It fired up! Ran a little rough at first, but after adjusting the carbs, it smoothed right out. Sounded amazing!
Took it for a test ride. Felt good to be back in the saddle. Still needs a few tweaks here and there, but overall, I’m stoked with how it turned out.
What I learned: Patience is key. And take lots of pictures! Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help. I spent way too long trying to figure out the timing before I asked a buddy.
Next Steps
Next up, I’m thinking a new seat and some fresh paint. Maybe a cafe racer conversion? We’ll see.
