2020 Honda CRF110F Refresh

[JWC86]

Winter is closing in on us here in Frostbackastan(Canada) and that means its time for my annual rebuild/refresh,restoration.
Ive been doing this for the last 5 winters, I haven't made threads on them all my here's a few that I have:
PW80 - Click Here
CRF100F - Click Here
KTM500 - Click Here

This year we have a 2020 CFR110F to "refresh". Why this bike? My youngest daughter is getting to big for her PW80 and isn't ready to step into the CRF100F seat height and manual clutch and my oldest isn't done with the 100 yet either. (The CRF100 is much bigger than the CRF110).

My youngest girl likes dirt biking but isn't as serious about it as my oldest so I really wanted a bike with electric start and I also prefer fuel injection so I was watching for a 2019 or newer CRF110F as it checks both those boxes and seems like the perfect size for her.

Last February I came by a deal on a 2020 CRF110F, it was really well used but the price was right and I like a project so it ended up in my garage. It needed some work to be ridable, rear wheel bearings, swingarm bushings, steering stem bearings and a few small things like kick stand spring, etc.

My plan was to just fix those items and have her ride this summer but she had zero interest in riding it as she loved her PW80. I was in the middle of doing a frame up rebuild on a KLR650 so the CFR110F just sat in the garage collecting dust since then.

Now its time to tear into it.

Whats the plan for this bike?
I'm going to make this one nice, for no reason other than I just enjoy the process and haven't done a really nice one for a while. Also I'm getting started on this one early so I should have lots of time.

More to come...

 

[JWC86]

You can't rebuild them if you don't tear them down...

I did this in a few steps, pressure washing some of the really bad components as I went.

After a couple evenings this is what I had.

 

[JWC86]

First thing I want to do is get some parts off to power coat and vapor blasting.

The center case half will not be coming apart however so I wanted to get them cleaned up before I pull the side covers and cylinder.

Here's the bottom of the engine before clean up.

And after:

Note, the only thing I'm concerned with at this point is the center engine cases.

I didn't get a before picture of the top side but here is after:

After looking at it I figured I should pull the starter and clean under that as well.
Before:

After:

Gave the starter a good clean as well:

Ready for engine disassembly:

 

[JWC86]

I didn't take any pictures along the way so here is the motor after tear down.

Everything looked fine and I had no actual reason to tare it down. I did it so I can send the jug cylinder, head and side covers for vapor blasting to make them look nice, valve cover is going to get powder coated as well as the frame and some other parts.

 

[JWC86]

Tore down the forks so I can send the lowers to powder coat, the oil looked great so they must have been serviced not long ago, I think I recall the PO saying something about having the seals done.

Took the rear shock apart so I can clean it up better, going to have the spring powder coated as well.

I'm kind of at a stand still currently waiting for parts to come back from powder coat / vapor blasting.

The PO gave me this oil screen "filter" that can only be changed with the clutch side cover off. It didn't need to be done but I don't plan on being in there again so changed it out.

A set of OEM piston rings was only $13 so figured I might as well put a new set on since I'm here. End gap was in spec so it was a quick job.

That's all for now, might be a week or more until I update again as I'm waiting on getting parts back. Unless I get bored and take on a different component.

 

[We're Metals]

Awesome! - I had one with a clutch swap. Fun to ride around the neighborhood.

 

[JWC86]

Awesome! - I had one with a clutch swap. Fun to ride around the neighborhood.

They are great pit bikes, I'm planning to keep this one once the kids out grow it to keep for scooting around the neighborhood and have something anyone can jump on if they want to tag along for on a ride.

 

[JWC86]

Picked up the parts from powder coat, overall looks like they did a awesome job.

Picture of the valve cover

i thought it would look sharp if I painted the raised lettering black. I sanded it down with 400 grit, I did some trial and error witn a couple paints and application techniques but ended up using VHT chassis paint and tiny brush for fixing rock chips.

Turned out great IMO

The valve cover bolts were in rough shape, typically I would wire wheel them and maybe even have them refinished but in this case they were only a couple bucks each so I just went with new. New seals as well.

Very happy with the final result

Before and after:

Hopefully get engine parts back from vapour blasting soon so I can start assembly that.

 

[JWC86]

Finally some more progress, the shops vapor blast machine broke so I just got the cylinder and head back. It has a much more of a dull finish than other stuff I've seen but the casting appears kinda rough so maybe that's why, either way it looks much better.

Here's a example of before and after:

On to assembly, on single cylinder engines I like to install the piston into the bottom of the cylinder and then simply slide it onto the connecting rod and slide the wrist pin over, easy and no need for a spring compressor.

Next I installed the valves, camshaft and valve train into the head.

That's it for now, I'm going to set the valve lash and install a spark plug next but then I might have to wait on the engine side covers before I can install the cam sprocket because I think I need to use the window in the Ignition cover to get a perfect TDC reference for timing the cam chain on the cam sprocket.

I had the side covers vapor blasted but the finish was very dull so I dropped them off at the powder coat shop since the other items I had powder coated turned out so good. However he informed me his machine was down and waiting on parts so I wont get them back right away.

It's not like I don't have other stuff to do in the meantime but I didn't like working on the bench with the engine sitting there opened up and engine parts spread all over, that that mostly wrapped up perhaps I can move on. I'm really excited to get the side covers and valve cover on this engine, I think it's going to look great!

Hopefully more updates soon...

 

[Cujet]

I like to dip or coat bare aluminum cylinders in alodine (chromic acid) to form a bit of corrosion protection on the surface. It won't harm the parts or the internals and can impart a gold color if dyed.

Do you still have the KTM 500?

An example of an aircraft cylinder that was treated this way:

 

[RhondaHonda]

I see a snowblower in the background so probably north of me somewhere. I wish you were in St. Louis, I’ve got a CRF230 an a CR250 that I’d pay you to go through. Nice work and attention to detail!

 

[JWC86]

I like to dip or coat bare aluminum cylinders in alodine (chromic acid) to form a bit of corrosion protection on the surface. It won't harm the parts or the internals and can impart a gold color if dyed.

Do you still have the KTM 500?

An example of an aircraft cylinder that was treated this way:

I sold the KTM500 early last spring and replaced it with two bikes, a 2015 KLR650(705 Kit) and a 2024 KLX300.
I LOVED the 500 but I really needed something better for putting around trails with the kids(KLX300) and I wanted something more comfortable for longer distance trips. While I miss the 500 and would have kept it for sure but with 5 bikes I'm out of space and the other bikes are suiting my needs better.

 

[JWC86]

I see a snowblower in the background so probably north of me somewhere. I wish you were in St. Louis, I’ve got a CRF230 an a CR250 that I’d pay you to go through. Nice work and attention to detail!

Ya I'm in northern Alberta so probably quite north of you.

Speaking of the snowblower I should really be fixing that rather than working on this bike, it needs a new ignition switch...

 

[IndyIan]

Finally some more progress, the shops vapor blast machine broke so I just got the cylinder and head back. It has a much more of a dull finish than other stuff I've seen but the casting appears kinda rough so maybe that's why, either way it looks much better.

Here's a example of before and after:
View attachment 311481
View attachment 311482

On to assembly, on single cylinder engines I like to install the piston into the bottom of the cylinder and then simply slide it onto the connecting rod and slide the wrist pin over, easy and no need for a spring compressor.
View attachment 311486
View attachment 311487

Next I installed the valves, camshaft and valve train into the head.
View attachment 311488
View attachment 311489

View attachment 311490
View attachment 311491

That's it for now, I'm going to set the valve lash and install a spark plug next but then I might have to wait on the engine side covers before I can install the cam sprocket because I think I need to use the window in the Ignition cover to get a perfect TDC reference for timing the cam chain on the cam sprocket.

I had the side covers vapor blasted but the finish was very dull so I dropped them off at the powder coat shop since the other items I had powder coated turned out so good. However he informed me his machine was down and waiting on parts so I wont get them back right away.

It's not like I don't have other stuff to do in the meantime but I didn't like working on the bench with the engine sitting there opened up and engine parts spread all over, that that mostly wrapped up perhaps I can move on. I'm really excited to get the side covers and valve cover on this engine, I think it's going to look great!

View attachment 311492

Hopefully more updates soon...

Very nice work! I was going to ask what reason you had to tear down a 110? I guess no oil, would kill one?
As a kid, I somehow got it my head to turn some screws on the carb to get some more speed out of it, so I managed to seize my CT110 for literally 2 seconds, after holding it WO for a few minutes going to the road, it locked the rear tire, but then it was running again before I lost much speed. I rode it home and then we adjusted the carb back to normal and kept riding it for many years until we sold it.

 

[JWC86]

One step forward and two steps backwards it seems.

I was installing the cam chain and sprocket, I needed a way to hold the engine from spinning over while I torqued the bolt down. I have these piston stop tools that I have used in the past with success so I used it.

They look like this:

You screw it in through the spark plug hole, rotate the engine over slowly until the piston contacts the tool and then you can torque down the camshaft bolt, crank bolt, etc.

Well I did this and then went to remove the tool, after a couple turns it started to get harder to turn, I stopped and it occurred to me that the spark plug hole is on a big angle on this bike, more sideways than upright so the piston must have made contact with the threads and messed them up.

At this point is where the mistakes where made, I should have just stopped and removed the head and then I guess I could have cut the end of the tool off but I kept going. It was harder than it should have been to remove but wasn't bad. However it messed up the threads quite bad. So now there was a bunch of metal shavings in the cylinder bore, I tried to blow it out with compressed air but since I used assembly oil while putting the engine together the shaving where stuck in there, so off came the cylinder head and cylinder.

The threads look worse in person than the picture, however I think there is enough left that I will still have lots of thread engagement if I re-tap them. My set didn't have a M10x1.0 so I ordered a HHS one that will be here in two days. It that doesn't work I have a Timesert style insert that will be here Friday. I probably have a helicoil for it in my kit but I don't want to helicoil a spark plug hole, they can back out at the worst of times.

Also means I had to order a new head gasket which I'm not even sure when it will be here.

That's just the way it goes sometimes, lesson learned.

 

[JWC86]

Very nice work! I was going to ask what reason you had to tear down a 110? I guess no oil, would kill one?
As a kid, I somehow got it my head to turn some screws on the carb to get some more speed out of it, so I managed to seize my CT110 for literally 2 seconds, after holding it WO for a few minutes going to the road, it locked the rear tire, but then it was running again before I lost much speed. I rode it home and then we adjusted the carb back to normal and kept riding it for many years until we sold it.

No reasonable reason to tear this down lol, I wanted to have the cylinder and head vapor blasted to clean up the outside and since piston rings were only $13 I replaced them, also just wanted to inspect everything well.

 

[JWC86]

The tap arrived yesterday, by the way if you use taps frequently and don't have a set of "tap sockets" they are awesome.

I went to tapping the spark plug hole, it tapped very easy, too easy because there just wasn't much metal left. After tapping the treads looked very shallow, I threaded in a spark plug and it had lots of play even when almost seated.

So I will have to wait for the Timesert style repair kit.

On a positive note, now I have a M10 x 1.0 tap.

 

[JWC86]

The "timesert" style thread repair kit arrived. I like the brand name Timesert products but they are crazy expensive, the kit would have cost more than a new head so I couldn't justify it and went with a knock off that was "finely crafty in China".

Actually not a bad kit.

Finished product:

Happy with how it turned out and should be better than the original threads.

Moving on I installed the cam and rocker arms in the head and installed the head on the motor. Checked valve clearances to make sure they were still good.

I don't have the side covers back yet from powder coat(their oven is down) so I had to eyeball and use other methods to determine TDC, I'll wait until I get the side covers to confirm timing and install the valve cover.

I made sure to buy the proper tool for tightening the cam sprocket bolt this time, if I had it the first time it would have saved this whole mess.

The cam sprocket has these two holes meant for a adjustable pin spanner to hold the cam while torquing the bolt.

With that all buttoned up were back to where we were a week ago.

If I don't get the side covers back soon I will have to move onto something else next, lots to get done.

 

[JWC86]

Got the side covers back from powder coat, they turned out great. I confirmed the timing and my eyeballing it was dead on so I kept moving forward.

Got both side covers on and valve cover.

Had these plugs power coated also but without any clearcoat to ensure the sockets still fit, the slightly different color gives a nice contrast.

Added a shift shaft brace, these bikes are known for bent shafts, this one was actually bent a bit but I was able to straiten it out without replacing it.

I'm making sure to hit all the details, such as painting little wiring hold brackets like this. Wire wheeling all the bolt heads, etc.

 

[JWC86]

Installed the foot peg bracket, it was also powder coated.
New magnetic drain plug while I was down there.

Skidplate installed

The exhaust studs where in rough shape so I installed new studs and nuts