Topic: 78 CB550 Restoration

[Retroben]

Not trying to make a perfect chronology here, but just wanted to record my progress.
Bike purchased from estate of original owner, $350, title in hand. Has probably not run since mid-1980s. 11000 Miles.
The cosmetics appealed to me, no rust anywhere. Garage stored under bike cover.
Aftermarket mods: Kerker 4-into-1 exhaust, K&N pods, super ugly King and Queen seat, "Vetter Rooster" mini-fairing, rear luggage rack and trunk.
Key was missing, PO did not know how to remove ignition lock, so the bike had been manhandled around a few times and suffered a couple nicks and a bent rear footpeg. Had key made, $19.00.
Tank was full of gas. Very nasty gas, but not much rust in the tank.
Float bowls removed, full of varnishy fuel residue.
Made the mistake of running a compression check before removing the float bowls. So probably sucked some of that varnish up into the carbs. Oh well, gotta clean them anyway.
Compression #1 148 #2 137 #3 140 #4 145
All four plugs were carbon fouled.
Nicked heads on the #3 phillips screws on the outside corners of the head. Also some sort of goop around the head gasket area. Looks like somebody was in there.
Brake system drained, brake fluid old but still liquid.
Tires, bowl gaskets, needles and brake parts ordered.
http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/i422/bfranchi/1978%20CB550K/2012-08-16_19-34-56_271.jpg

[Steve_K]

Wow, outside of the seat, crash guards and maybe the handle bars it looks stock. The Kerker is a plus,
At this time I would not worry about your compression numbers.  When you get it running it is likely to increase.   It did for me and others on the forum.
Good price with title and a great, fun bike to ride.
Steve

[Retroben]

To do as of 8/30/2012, with parts cost (incl. shipping):
Have new tires mounted and balanced (Dunlop K70 and cheapo tubes, $165)
Inspect wheel bearings
Replace steering head bearing ($50)
Change fork oil ($8)
Rebuild master cylinder and caliper, replace brake line, repaint caliper, install and bleed brakes (Lines $130 M/C rebuild kit $50, caliper piston seal $10)
Finish carb rebuild (sent out to a reputable carb guy) (bowl gaskets and needles $54)
Replace throttle cables ($40)
Lube tach cable
Install airbox, find correct filter element (airbox off a 76 550K $40)
Change engine oil and filter, clean oil pan and strainer ($20)
Adjust valves and cam chain tension
Inspect/adjust points and timing
Inspect/lube swingarm bearings
Clean drive chain and guide
Have seat recovered (sent out) ($100 for cover installed, $40 seat off 76 550K)
$707 in parts so far, plus at least another $50 for the carb work and jets, so let's say $775. Add purchase price tax, title etc. we get to about $1170 cash investment so far.

May need, but don't know yet:

Pamco ignition ($110 + tax & shipping)
Wheel bearings (All Balls Racing, about $37 + tax & shipping)
Fork seals (All Balls, $13 +)
So that would add another $190, bringing us to $1360 cash invested so far.

About 20 hours so far in cleaning, carb disassembly, more cleaning, cleaning, did I mention cleaning?
Probably another 20 hours on the internet researching and shopping.

The frame is covered in a light film of oil, seemingly on purpose. The paint underneath is pristine. Not a spot of rust. Polished a big spot on the rear brake drum to a mirror shine using 0000 steel wool. What should I use to protect it once it's shiny?


Need to look up how to clean the transmission case. Whatever grayish coating that was has mostly flaked off.

Bottom of the engine is grungy. Insides of fenders also. Chain cover very nasty, lumpy oily mess inside. More cleaning.

[Stev-o]

Welcome, nice find. I haveca couple 550's too, fine bikes.

Use Nevr Dull or Mothers alum polish once the alum is shiny. The coating on the trans cover is a clear coat, use aircraft stripper to remove it, then polish.

Gunk Foamy engine cleaner works great on the grimy engine.

Do you always account how many hours you spend on projects? Ha!

[Retroben]

Main jets and slow jets, incl. shipping $58.50 ($50 already counted, so add $8.50 to running total)
Correct 1978 airbox plenum $56
Air filter element $31
Throttle pull cable $20 (already counted)
Tire mounting & balancing $45
That's $95.50
New running total (cash invested) $1310

My guess is at my pace I'm about 20 hours wrench time from getting her on the road.

[Tews19]

I miss my 78 550. Keep the pics and updates coming.

[Retroben]

Add battery, $55, new total $1365

[Stev-o]

Add battery, $55, new total $1365

After awhile, you won't want to think about how much you spend!

[Retroben]

Noticed this while adjusting the valves:
http://i1093.photobucket.com/albums/i422/bfranchi/1978%20CB550K/2012-09-07_12-53-59_827.jpg

Does this warrant replacing the head cover?
I also saw silicone goop inside the exhaust chamber tappet area. Now I know for sure someone has had the head cover off. Hope they didn't wreck things too bad in there.

Some of the tappet adjuster locknuts showed signs of mistreatment. No wonder the gaps were all over the place.

Carbs assembled and installed. Turns out the airbox boots were unique to '77-'78, so I ordered new ones from http://www.classicmotorcyclesolution.com/ So now between the airbox, plenum, boots and filter (four separate purchases) I'm up to $167. That's what I paid for the tires and tubes! I supposed I could recoup some if I can sell the plenum and boots off the K2.

Still a week away from starting this bike (suppose I could put the pods back on and try to start it, but I already rejetted back to stock)

[Tews19]

I would start looking for a replacement. I would be concerned the goo was in your engine.  I am not sure, maybe others will chime in, but this could contribute to your low compression numbers?

[Retroben]

I would start looking for a replacement. I would be concerned the goo was in your engine.  I am not sure, maybe others will chime in, but this could contribute to your low compression numbers?

I suppose if the silicone goo worked its way under the exhaust valves (didn't see any on the intake side) it could conceivably interfere with sealing. Implausible. Also, I didn't see that goo anywhere except on the outside of the head cover mating surface, and on the inside of the head cover where the exhaust valve tappet is. The goo was stuck until I scraped it off - and that's when I saw the crack, which someone had tried to hide with a dollop of goo.

As for goo in the rest of the engine, I just removed and cleaned the oil pan and screen. No bits of silicone, just a little ordinary sludge in the crevices in the bottom of the pan. 

[Tews19]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-Honda-CB-550-cylinder-head-/110936349502?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item19d4525b3e&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-CB550-550-74-HEAD-CYLINDER-/150680228800?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23153dd3c0&vxp=mtr

cylinder heads...

here are a few valve covers

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-HONDA-CB550F-CB550-CB-550-F-550F-CYLINDER-HEAD-VALVE-COVER-ROCKERS-BOX-/390440073738?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5ae80aba0a&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CB550-1974-Valve-Cover-Rocker-Box-/160872210125?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2574bb1ecd&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-Honda-CB-550-valve-cover-and-rockers-/140825963787?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item20c9e1ad0b&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CB550-CB500-Valve-Cover-bobber-cafe-racer-chopper-/300775850794?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4607a3432a&vxp=mtr

PM dave500 or Twotired,,,, They are the 550 gurus here.... They may be able to help and advise if you should repair the valve cover

[Tews19]

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=108683.0

memeber has one as well for sale, scroll down

[Retroben]

Very close now, I hope.

Front brake system rebuilt, installed and bled. New s/s lines from Spiegler, M/C and caliper rebuilt. Feels nice and tight - a ride will tell for sure.

Airbox boots scheduled to arrive tomorrow. So I should be able to start her and start test riding. Carbs still need to be synched, I borrowed a good synchronizer that I've used before.

I don't know how to do the timing  but I guess I'll figure it out. Set the point gaps already. I  remember timing old American cars and the system seems basically the same. I don't quite understand the static timing process, guess I'll search You Tube.

Then start monkeying with the pilot air screw and needle height if necessary.

Restored seat should arrive day after tomorrow.

Damn it's late in the season now. Goal is just to get the bike on the road and running right, not sure about long trips this year. 

[Retroben]

Started and ran for 30 seconds. Floats need reset to where they were, gas bath. Also header gaskets trashed, real loud (apologies to my poor exhaust valves).  Coupla more tweaks...

[Retroben]

Well, I'm sure this has happened to others, there's probably even a name for this.

If not, how about "Last bolt curse"

After all these weeks and all this work,  the last thing I needed to do was reinstall the exhaust. and start the bike.

Buddy helping me- check.. New copper gaskets - check. Exhaust entered the ports perfectly. Time to tighten it down.

But...when I removed the exhaust. one of my exhaust studs came out of the head instead of the nut loosening. I should have removed the nut from the stud and reinstalled the stud, right? Oops, they teach you that in machinist's school. Or if you're like me you learn the hard way.

So with the exhaust already in place, 7 of the 8 studs with nuts loosely started, I try to reinstall the stud with the nut on it...and it goes in a little crooked. I can feel it's starting to cross-thread. I backed the stud out, examined the hole and figured I could clean up the little bit of thread I screwed up with a tap.

Tap went in real nice. Backing the tap out...snap! Now I have a broken tap in my head.
I tried a Walton tap extractor, but the flutes are too full of crap. It's stuck.
'
This is the top stud on the #3 pipe. It's not a clear straight shot - frame's in the way, and you can't even get your head in there for a good look because the front wheel is in the way.

Now I fear it's engine out, head off, machine shop, yada yada...

Last. Frickin. Bolt.

Never again will I buy a bike that is not all stock. Never, never, never.

[Retroben]

I put 20 miles on the bike today.  Road test FAIL. I'm moving over to tech help now.

[Retroben]

http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i422/bfranchi/1978%20CB550K/After/

Not trying to show off the Kerker, I was trying to get a picture of the smoke.

Oil leaks are intense. As in pantleg soaking intense. As in pools of oil when I stop. Still reading on this, but likely I'll want to change the oil passage o-rings and the valve tappet cover o-rings. And judging from the bubbling, the valve cover gasket too.

[Retroben]

Took it for a freeway run today. 65-90 mph. Very impressive little motor, this 550  . Koni shocks are set a bit stiff though. Ugh. Handles magnificently. Somebody please tell me these are not the stock handlebars. They gotta go now.
 
I wore tall rubber boots, soaked in oil by the time I got home...and a couple of dodgy stops too when I put my oily boot down on the pavement and 

Despite the header leak from the broken exhaust stud on cyl#3, the bike sounds really nice. That Kerker sounds pretty cool.

[Stev-o]

Nice clean looking bike! No, those are not the stock bars.

I'll help you with a couple pics...

[Retroben]

Thanks, Steve-o. Not happy with the seat job, but still better than that hideous king-n-queen that was on there.

OK, next report during or after top-end rebuild. Wish me luck.

[Retroben]

Update on my project. Background:

Removing top end because of severe oil leaks and stripped exhaust header stud. Upon disassembly found hardened "pucks" and one oil passage o-ring mangled and cut as if it was installed crooked...

Have taken the head to a machine shop for valve lapping and replacement of valve stem seals and o-rings.  Now that I have it apart I'm thinking maybe I should take the cylinders to the shop too for some precision measurement. Obviously the head has been off before. Obviously there has been some crappy work, as evidenced by the broken valve cover (local weld shop says they can weld the cast aluminum, fingers crossed). Now I have to decide if I want to take the cylinders in for measurement and honing, because it looks like they've been honed before - but there are vertical scoring lines on at least one cylinder wall. Please have a look:

http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i422/bfranchi/1978%20CB550K/Cylinders%20and%20pistons%20before/

The rings look OK, but I don't really know what to look for to determine worn rings. So I think I should play it safe and replace the rings - I have the full engine gasket kit anyway, and the cylinders are off, so it's just a matter of ordering the rings.  The piston faces look so bad I'm tempted to take the pistons to the machine shop too to have them cleaned properly and the new rings installed.

Reasonable? Am I overlooking anything obvious?

[rb550four]

In October you were taking the 550 apart,  in your last post  , you are taking a ride, so ya got it back together?

[Tews19]

Sorry to hear the bike has caused you irratation. I would inform the new buyer or potential buyer of the issues you know of still. If the cam tensioner is loud maybe it was put back in wrong or you spun it to far causing it to break.  Now isn't really a good time to sell in the midwest so maybe Ebay is the way to go. Giving it a good tune should get her singing like new....

Good luck on the price and your future builds.

[Stev-o]

It's unfortunate that your feelings are as such, I can understand your frustration.  But on the other hand, did you not think it would take a lot of time, work and money taking a $300 project bike and restoring it into a daily rider?
I've had over 15 Honda SOHC bikes, bought in various states of cond.  From a $300 project bike, still not running, to a $2500 '74 750K that I have not had a single issue with in two years of ownership.

Restoring these old bikes is not for everybody, there are many others that share your feelings. But I disagree with your comments about parts availability. I have always been able to find exactly what I need, even if not available from Honda. And I buy the majority of the parts I need used and not had the issue of getting the wrong part.
I always research parts before buying and avoid sellers that don't know what they are selling. 
I do agree with you that these bikes are not practical, but no motorcycle is for me (need a truck for work).
But I have no interest in new bikes and if you've price them, they are very expensive.

Good luck with your next bike.