Topic: 1975 cb550 Project SENCHA - bike has found new home

[goldarrow]

Yeah I would think the arm should move up and down freely and no side to side play.  Well side play is gone But up/down play not free.

Will try to remove the pivot shaft, clean out, and re grease. Will also loosen engine hanger bolts a little to see if that will help

[fastbroshi]

It's supposed to have some side play, however minimal.  If you've got none, the arm's possibly being squeezed enough to hold the arm in place.

[IRISHCBRACER]

Judging by your pic, you just used the one thicker spacer.  Is this correct?

I thought the washer is meant to be put behind the race to move it downwards? putting the washer under the bearing on the stem reduces the interference area of the bearing on the stem.

[goldarrow]

Judging by your pic, you just used the one thicker spacer.  Is this correct?

I thought the washer is meant to be put behind the race to move it downwards? putting the washer under the bearing on the stem reduces the interference area of the bearing on the stem.

The all balls kit came with 2 washer/spacer.  One is used and installed on bottom of the stem. The other you can use it to drive the bearing downward. The order they go in for bottom bearing: spacer, rubber seal, bearing, and race. The top bearing order: bearing, race, and rubber seal.

[Greggo]

You greased it correctly.  Wipe off the excess.  What's the torque spec on the swing arm bolt?  I don't have the manual in front of me, but that's what you should be following.  Will it move smoothly, or is it stiff?

[goldarrow]

You greased it correctly.  Wipe off the excess.  What's the torque spec on the swing arm bolt?  I don't have the manual in front of me, but that's what you should be following.  Will it move smoothly, or is it stiff?

Thanks Greggo. I seriously haven't looked at the manual in a long while, and totally forgot that it exists!  Torque spec on the pivot shaft bolt is up to 50 ft-lbs. I put it at 45. The arm feel tight and stiff.

[goldarrow]

So I've gotten a roller!

First thing my mom said - so, it's almost ready to sell? -
And first thing my wife said - it's about time!





I decided to put stock wheels back on for now. Need to get the bike running so I can take care of the title.

I had forgotten to finish the front forks earlier. Not a whole lot. Seals went in to the fork bottoms easy. Everything cleaned up and assembled. Honda manual suggests ATF oil. So I used that pure 100% no mix engine oil like many people do.

Old school union 76 ATF I picked up from yard sale for a buck.


How much of oil to use? 155ml to 165ml, so I used 160ml. Measured using small drinking bottle and suction tube thingy that I use to feed liquid medicine for the kids. 160ml goes up to about top edge of the label



Down I poured to the forks


Forks, swingarm, and steering DONE

Carb next....

[Stev-o]

You're rolling....

[rb550four]

Sounds like somebody didn't tell mom or wife that the 550 plan really is. .....she's gonna ride your but ,ya know.
#1 son will cry when it's gone.
You didn't tell her that you only have $200 in it right? You could come home and have a proud woman at the door holding $500 thinking she got a good price for it.
   What a tangled web we weave.

[goldarrow]

Sounds like somebody didn't tell mom or wife that the 550 plan really is. .....she's gonna ride your but ,ya know.
#1 son will cry when it's gone.
You didn't tell her that you only have $200 in it right? You could come home and have a proud woman at the door holding $500 thinking she got a good price for it.
   What a tangled web we weave.

Nope never mentioned anything $$$ related that went into the bike. Good thing wife dont read this. Or she would be shocked how much already went in or I might have to sleep next to the bike in the back yard.

You're rolling....

Now rolling with feet. Hopefully, soon rolling with the motor


So here is the 022A carb set. Looks really ordinary.


Removed the float bowls, looks too clean! Definitely not what I expect to see someone had definitely gone in there before me that's for sure


Well, I'm not ready to disassemble the rack yet. I'm sure I will have another chance at this. I read that some other people do this like 10 times.

Dont ask me what is what but the Jets sizes:
100
38
1.2 or 1.8 need to look again

Soak everything in bucket pine sol and water mix. Few hours later came back and start blowing jet holes away.



Bench sync the carbs, adjust air mixture screws 1.5 turns out.  Assembled most of everything back. Float heights? 22mm book value, but mine are way out of whack.  Where do I adjust them?



Need to get some gaskets for float bowls and top caps

[Dimitri13]

You adjust the float height by moving the tang that contacts the float needle.

[goldarrow]

Project has been stuck for the past two weeks. Namely the carbs o-rings. Can't find them locally and online sets are pricey when I don't have job.

So in the mean time, very much all the pieces are put back on the bike.

-Big ticket item includes Stock exhaust set which I bought months before I lost the job.
- front brake set installed. Replaced top hose with braided stainless steel hose I bought from swap meet for cheap.
-all electrical are checked. Blinkers don't seem to blink. Replaced it with two other winkers from other bikes. Don't work. Can't imagine 3 winkers are dead though.
-removed clip-on bars as there were too much clearance and wiring issues. Wiring I could probably find my way tinker with it to fit on the bar, but clearance with the gauges and MC j think will require spending money.

So, here is how the bike sits now waiting for carbs, air, and fuel.











Thanks Matt for the seat.  Came out great after recovered. But seat a bit slanted to the left when mounted.

After all, need cheap price, good quality carb o-rings! Anyone know the source?

[rb550four]

Try changing the blinker relay before going nuts checking wires again., can pick a round one up from NAPA for a few bucks , fits right in the rubber mount under the solenoid . that is usually the problem.
  The carb O rings that you speak of, do you mean the float bowl gasket O ring or the manifold gasket?

[goldarrow]

Thanks RB I'll have a look at NAPA. Do you happen to know part number for the winker relay?

For carb o-ring kit, I decided to order from honda $45 after tax

[rb550four]

I've got a Napa  brand off the shelf #552, replaces#532, it's a 2 blade round unit.

[goldarrow]

Working on blinkers that don't want to blink. Days after days. Hoping this won't turn to months after months.

Then got a call from local Honda that the carb kits are ready for pick up.  Put down the electrical as it was getting no progress. Picked up the carb kits. All went in smooth. Not even much trouble like many members had with the float bowl o-rings. Got many left over o-rings from the kits. Namely the ones for T supply line.



So carbs are done and ready to be put on tomorrow!

Hopefully bike will come alive before halloween?!?!

On a side note, did another damage to my already torn wallet and bank account.  Yesterday I went with a friend on a two hour drive, left home at 6am, spent the day in remote town, came home 7pm with this

'74 750k!


Checked the vin, frame is 74 but engine is 75.

[CafeDawg]

goldarrow you are quickly becoming the rb550four of the west coast!  Kind of a cool look to the new 750.  Is it running, what does it need, what's the plan?

Respect
CD

[goldarrow]

CD, I still have way too few bikes compared to rb, but yeah quickly running out of room to park these bikes. 

The bike doesn't really look promising. No title, no plate, no key, non runner, electrical is shot, front brake is shot, 74 frame, 75 engine performance unknown, rusted tank. Only good things I see is clean pipes, mag wheels (that i like) That's about it.

This one most likely a parts bike for my red 75 with Tracy body that I got few months ago.

[rb550four]

  Hey,  I resemble that statement.
CD may be onto something there, your collection has grown.
Parking is always an issue , especially when there is no garage.
Blinkers: Do you have the correct wires going to the relay? There are usually 3 female blades you'll only be using 2.the black and I think the gray.
Have you checked the condition of the bulbs? The condition of the socket?
Put an ohm meter to the hot line in the bucket on orange(left side)  or light blue (right side) (  Blinker colors)  and the other end to the lead dot in the socket (on the appropriate side on front and back) , you are looking for continuity through the same colored wires through the harness while connected .                             
 Do the same with the green wires in the bucket except this time the other end will be on the bulb mount  not the lead dot. if you don't get a reading you'll know which wire has a short. Be sure to check the probes with each other first so you know if the devices battery is good, or if you have it on the wrong setting.
if all this checks out and you want to be sure, run a jumper wire from your brake light(if that is working, Grren and Yellow) just under the seat and test each blinker individually,just be sure the brake is on so there is current going to the lamp.This activity will bypass the switch on the bars
You could check your flasher relay with a light  and see if there is any energy going through that.
if this stuff checks out the problem could be a damaged wire in the bars or switch.
I'm not near a wiring diagram now so I cant direct you to a color but there is a power feed wire that you could track down and find out if that has current and trace it back to the fusebox if it doesn't.
I should have asked first, Does every thing else in the bike work?
 

[fastbroshi]

What the heck is going on with that tail piece goldarrow?  It looks like it's faired in under plexiglass.

[CafeDawg]

rb & goldarrow .... I have to fight the urge to rescue more and more CB's but understand the compulsion.  I hope when I finish the 550 I can get a couple more projects going, for now I just have to live vicariously through you. 

To bad the new 750 isn't a runner, I do like the bare metal tank and tail.  I guess the Title is the killer, I forget about that 'cause in VT we don't need them to get registered.   Always good to have a parts bike though.

Respect
CD

[rb550four]

CD, please set me straight on this. So if I have an untitled  550 , with only a bill of sale, and I sell you the untitled 550 and give you a bill of sale, you can register that machine in Vermont? Will the new registration be transferable? This could open a whole new avenue to registering cheap untitled machines that will find their way to the scrapyard otherwise, not to mention the "cheap"part. In NY  no title means a machine for under$300 usually.
   Goldarrow, sorry about the highjack, had to know.
I  know you've been Jonesin over Lester wheels for a while now, is that what's on the 750?The tail is interesting, is that a canvas seat?
 The 550. Have you had time to check that fuse panel? Does anything electric work? Took a quick look at a wiring diagram last night, it seems that the brwn wht  is attached to the brwn red out of the panel and up the line. Have you tried a test light on the fuse assembly,to be sure the current is going through it? I'm interested to know what is going on with that bike, you put in a bunch of work on it and I've been keepin up.

[goldarrow]

I have been busy with other things, fixing pipe leak, cleaning working more in back yard to make room for bikes, out of town with friend, etc. for the past few days.  Reading you guys responses and questions but haven't really had time to sit down and type. So let me see if I can answer everything.

All electrical functions fine. Front and rear brakes, running lights, head and tail, horn, even electric start without button works.  Just blinkers don't blink. Went over wires couple of times, will find time to go over again as RB suggested.

Thing about this 750 that I just got is that the guy I bought it from has a 20 feet rocket in his garage! My friend standing next to it.



and another 40 feet rocket sitting outside covered! This one I forgot to ask to take picture.

Well, the bodywork on the bike seems pretty mickey mouse job. The tail hump is plexiglass half painted, smaller tail light is inside there. Very poor cutting job and some sort of yellow plastic used as rear fender



Gas tank is modified with what seems like plane or jet has cap and bondo and gray paint job is coming off. Inside tank is very rusty.



The seat cover? Looks like somebody's canvas backpack was used as cover.

The wheels are Lester's. front disc, rear hub, I think  just the way it should be.  looks in good shape but wrong paint job. I do love chrome spokes and black powder coated rims, but I know I will have hard time keeping those shiny, plus maintenance on them. That's why I prefer mag wheels.

CD, if CA law is same as VT in regards to title and reg. I think bikes prices here would be at least 5 times as expensive as it is now. People hesitates buying bikes without title.

As far as sencha (will get new name later also) the green 550, so close yet so far from being done. Carbs put back on, throttle cables installed. Cables pulls and snap back nicely. I kind of feel bad that I have been stealing small parts here and there from my orange 550, but oh well, the green is almost done. 

Working on filter/airbox housing mickey mouse mod and is almost done. Will add pics later.

[CafeDawg]

That salt flat rocketbikes look really cool, worth the trip all by themselves.  The 750 not so cool as I thought, tail is sort of an abortion I still like the tank but needs some TLC obviously. 

As for costs of bikes here it's still pretty reasonable compared to the rest of the country even with forgiving title laws but you're probably right it would just fuel the fire in CA. 

Sounds like you'll be on the road on the green bike real soon. Good luck with the final touches.

Respect
CD

[goldarrow]

Airbox is done. For some reasons and lots of reading, i went with this k&n air filter, small enough to fit in the original airbox.  Did not find any info on how to make it fit, so I did it my Mickey mouse way, looks alright to me. Time will tell how this will hold up with the performance. 

So here's the detail on my mod.
Start off with the filter RU-2580 for $29



Biggest challenge was adapting the oval port on the air box to fit round mounting port on the filter. Last week I saw this pipe rubber coupling which looks like it should fit at swap meet for $2 do I gambled that.



Cut it in half to my need



Sure enough it fits



Used small PVC coupling as my reinforcement inside the hole so I can tie down with hose strap.



Home depot has it for $7



Put the rubber piece into the air box


Another angle

Another angle, fits perfectly in the hole


Installing all pieces into the bike.

- Carbs already in,don't forget two small breather hose on the carbs.
- front part of air box with 4 ports go in, now should be easy to put in rubber air intake and tie them to the carbs.
- now the other part of the air box, rubber piece is already in during mock up above
- the two bolts to the frame
-PVC coupler into the filter

- filter goes into the rubber piece, hose strap tied, you're done.


So, $2 for rubber coupler, free hose strap, Clean looking mod, I think.  what do you think? Sorry about poor instructions.