I did a search on this but didn't find much.  Were all sandcast sidecovers date stamped? Does anyone know the coding system?  How about pictures of actual stamps?
Mark

After looking for a while, I finally located my early cables with the short nuts.  (Another story, I've got too much stuff in too many different places.  Not enough room in any one place so I got a storage locker where I'm consolidating everything except what I'm working on at the shop). 

Anyway, does anyone know if there are differences between early and late cables besides the length of the knurled nuts?  With a quick look that's all that I saw.  Here's what I'm thinking.  There is at least one company that makes up cables.  If I could supply them with correct nuts it seems like it wouldn't be a problem to get a batch made (or if they had a drawing maybe they could do it all).  According to the distinctions list they were used up to VIN 2157 so I think there would be a pretty good demand.  When I get a chance I'm going to look at them more closely.

I probably could use the set I have on #97, they're just OK, but I've got a couple other VINs under 2157 so I could use a couple of sets.  Who would be interested in a set?  Unless there are other major difference this shouldn't be nearly as big a project as the mirror stems.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/2986335424.html

Warning: Anal Alert!

Have you ever got your parts back from the plater and picked up a washer and wondered where it was used?  There are approximately 350 washers (flat, lock, special) on a CB750.  About 125 of those are the 6mm (94101-06000) & 8mm (94101-08000) thin (Form B) flat washers.  Even these washers are somewhat special.  The standard 6mm & 8mm washer that you can buy in the US are twice as thick.  Anyway, the remaining 225 or so is made up of over 40 different sizes and shapes, some there are only one of.

A few years back, on my first restoration, I didn’t pay much attention when I took apart the bike and threw all the parts in a can for plating.  When I got them back it was the washers that drove me the craziest.  I actually bought one of many of the different sizes just so I could identify what was what.  It was then that I started putting all the size info on a spreadsheet so I could easily identify each part.  I have since paid closer attention to where the parts came from and did a sheet for screws, nuts and pins & spacers.  By the way, there are approximately 450 screws, 120 nuts and 100 pins & spacers.

Not all of these pieces are plated.  And some of them I don’t bother plating when I can buy them, especially in bulk like the 6mm & 8mm washers.  But some of the washers, larger nuts, spacers, etc., are hard or impossible to find or they are expensive to buy individually and replating makes sense.  In any case, these spreadsheets have been helpful for me and I decided to post them because they might be helpful for someone else.

Now a disclaimer: I tried to make them as accurate as possible but I still occasionally find a mistake, so use them at your own risk.  They will be the most helpful for restorations, especially sandcasts as most of the info came from two early sandcasts, one that had been worked on with missing parts and the other pretty complete and original.  I know that some of the parts are different on other sandcasts and especially later models, for instance some of the screw lengths are different on the K0 valve cover.  I always make sure there is adequate length and that the screws aren’t bottoming out in the holes when reassembling.  

That said there is still plenty of good info there for early K models too.  For example, if you want to compile a list of all the cross-type cap screws to change them to socket heads, this would be a good place to start.  Or if you have a bit you can’t identify you should be able to find it.  I also use them to keep track of what I have so I can figure out what I need to buy.

I tried to list substitutes where possible, superseded parts, where they’re used and other notes so they got kinda large.  That’s not a problem for me because I have a printer that can print on 11” x 17” paper but once you copy them you can change them to suit your needs.

I will try to keep them up to date and add info when I can.  If you see a mistake or have some info to add please let me know and I will make updates.  Hopefully they will be helpful for some one.

I'd like to take one apart and clean and regrease it.  Has anyone ever done this?  It looks like there is a set screw that holds a cap on the end opposite where the cable goes in.  Also are the seals obtainable?
Mark

There's an interesting discussion going on at the SOHC4 site regarding this topic.  Take a look at the hole (circled in red) and tell me if you ever saw a plug for this hole.

Here's a link to the thread:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=99721.0
It has me really curious.

I've been mulling this over for a while and now that I'm sorting through everything for plating I should make a decision on whether or not to replate my studs.  For #5383 and my K0 I used the APE heavy duty cylinder studs and the head gasket and o-rings as recommended in Honda Service Bulliten #42, http://data.sohc4.net/SB750/750_42.pdf, to improve my odds of not having an oil leak.  So far, so good on those.  But on #97 I've taken great pains to keep everything as correct as possible like the 10mm rotor bolt on the crank, stock bore, etc., so would I be making a mistake by installing the heavy duty studs?  Another way to ask it may be would you pay more for it with or without the HD studs, gasket and 0-rings?  I've said this before, I probably won't be putting a lot of miles on it so maybe the oil leak thing is a moot point anyway.
Thanks,
Mark