Topic: To ring or not to ring?

[0ld_76er]

OK, here's my dilemma.  I have this '76 CB550 that I received for nothing but the title change fees.  The top end has been removed but I'm pretty sure that I have all the pieces except I had to buy a gasket kit to put it back together.  From what I know of the history the bike never smoked or leaked oil.  The bike has changed hands a couple of times and it has been torn down since the original owner.  For some reason the original owner got a bug up his wazoo and wanted to put rings in the motor (??).  Three of the pistons the rings moved freely and only have surface rust.  The last cylinder had frozen rings to the piston head from sitting so long.  I was able to free them up bathing them with penetrating oil.  So my options, because I don't know if this motor will actually run:

1.) Put the thing together, after cleaning the old rings, with the new gasket kit and see if she'll run.
2.) Hone the cylinders, clean up the old rings, install the new gasket kit.
3.) Hone the cylinders, put new rings in, install the new gasket kit.

I don't want to spend a lot of money on the thing in case it turns out to be junk.  So, which option do you think I should take, or is there a better option?

[Greggo]

If the motor had a stuck piston, I'd suggest checking all the tolerances, and at the very least doing new rings and a hone job.  If the cylinders are out of round, you'll need to go up to the next piston size, and have a bore job done.  I guess it depends on how much effort you want to put in, because you could put it all back together as is only to find out it smokes/burns oil/doesn't have good compression, forcing you to tear it down and start all over..

[luap]

#3 hone an new rings an check the valves while its aparts also
METRIC-CYCLE-PARTS.COM he sells rings  for 85.00 shipped real nice guy
I would put a good gasket kit in also most guy for the 550 like the vesrah complete if all the cases are off the bike also
paul

[0ld_76er]

The piston wasn't stuck, the rings just rusted to the piston head from sitting idle causing the rings to not move.  From what I saw on the internet I could get new ring sets for about $40 a set.  If I put the rings in then I'd be in the motor for about $200 off the top and not know if it would have smoked or not.  If I skip the rings then I'd only be in it for about $74 for the Vesrah gasket kit I bought off ebay.  This probably is a mute question if I break any of them taking them off the piston.  It's my third bike so I don't need it for every day riding and could do a ring job over the winter for year 2013.  I guess I'm more worried about doing damage to the motor if I don't ring it now.

[Greggo]

As long as a ring doesn't break while installing it, I don't think you can damage the motor using worn rings...if smoking isn't your concern, just throw it back together...

[0ld_76er]

Paul, thanks for the info on the rings.  I'll check it out.

Greggo, throw it together with or without honing?  I was thinking the rings might not seat if I didn't hone it.

[Greggo]

No experience using old rings on a rebuild, so I can't offer advice there.

[Gordon]

Paul, thanks for the info on the rings.  I'll check it out.

Greggo, throw it together with or without honing?  I was thinking the rings might not seat if I didn't hone it.

The rings and cylinder walls are already worn to fit each other.  If you hone then the rings will have to wear further to create a new fit.  IMO, you either hone and re-ring if it's needed, or do neither. 

[0ld_76er]

OK, so if I didn't want to spend any more money then I could just oil up the cylinders and put the pistons back in.  If i want to spend a little money I should hone the cylinders and install new rings. Option 1 could cause the engine to smoke, option 2 the engine probably wouldn't.

Anybody have a good way of setting up the rings so they are 120 Deg. out when they are installed in the cylinders?

[Danno]

you only need to rehone if you are doing new rings or the cylinder bore is washed it would not hurt to at least take a little emery to the spot that the rings were rusted at so the rust does not catch and break a ring

in all honesty if you got the bike for free and intend to ride it and not pawn it off on someone then do yourself a favor ring it hone it and ride it you may never want to ride any other bike again the 550 was hondas smoothest bike made before the GL1000  anything you do now while it is down will be gravy later these bikes were known to go at least 100k with proper care  if it were me and I had the time and money I would do everything I could afford as you will love it later