Author Topic: '78 550K Resto-Mod  (Read 28832 times)

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Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #100 on: February 04, 2013, 09:44:49 AM »
 Well, once more...aftermarket CRAP is a waste of money. The choke cable was stuck in the sheath. It won't move at all. To top it off, the girl on the phone at D2Moto was rude as hell. Know I have to pay to return it and they'll look at it...and THEN refund my money if they find a problem with it.
 I found a used CB650 choke cable in my pile of parts and was able to make it work and get the bike started.
'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline jtran000

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #101 on: May 15, 2013, 05:47:49 PM »
just want to say thanks for such an awesome thread!  was originally looking for a duel disk set up and saw the 650 cam swap.  scored two goals in one thread!  let us know if you sort out your duel disk problems as I'm looking to do this in the near future. 

Also, did you install ss brake lines?  If so, can you show install process?

Thanks!

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #102 on: June 18, 2013, 11:09:46 AM »
 I made some progress with the dual discs, but they're still not as perfect as I'd like.

 One issue was the EBC pads. We found out the hard way that you have to sand the paint off the edges of the pads. They were sticking in the bores of the caliper. That helped some, but the RH disc still drags no matter what I do, unless I loosen the adjuster to where the caliper is, in my opinion, just too loose.
 I can adjust the LH caliper per the manual and make it work properly. I just can't get the RH caliper right. I'm seriously thinking about removing it and going back to single discs. Especially if I go with the Henry Abe wheels, which may come sooner than later, because.....

 It looks like I'm up for a color change. While doing some tuning on the bike we accidentally knocked the tank off a stool, where we had it rigged up to feed gas to the carbs. DOH!




 I never was completely crazy about this paint scheme. While it was PERFECT and expertly done, the colors I picked out of the book just didn't match the colors I saw in my head.
 I dropped it off today to have the dent fixed and a new color applied. Something to go along with the H.A.'s, maybe?





'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline iron_worker

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #103 on: June 18, 2013, 11:14:31 AM »
That really sucks about the tank but maybe now you'll get what you really wanted in the first place.

Silver lining?

IW

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #104 on: June 18, 2013, 11:15:34 AM »
 This thing has been giving me fits in the tuning department anyway.

 When I first installed the Pamco, I damaged it myself by being a little ham-fisted. Pete graciously covered it under warranty, even though it was my fault. Got the new Pamco installed and got the timing right and that's when my carb problems were truly revealed.

 Been through the carbs six ways to Sunday and then started having ignition switch problems. During all that, I started blowing fuses, only to find that I had pinched the wires on the Pamco and was grounding out the electrical system. DOH #2!!

 Repaired the fuse block (it needed it anyway), worked on the carbs some more, etc., etc.,. Finally dropped the carbs off with a pro today. Found another bad wire and repaired it, too. Hopefully...HOPEFULLY...I'm done with all the niggling stuff and will be riding smoothly again soon. With a new color scheme and new wheels to boot!
 Stay tuned....
'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #105 on: July 01, 2013, 04:49:03 PM »
 Well, picked up the tank from the body shop a few days ago and was VERY unhappy. My normal paint/body guy was in the process of shutting down his shop and opening a new business, so I went to a different place.
 Picked up the tank and it was full of trash. They taped up the round filler hole with a square piece of tape, so I could still see the old paint underneath. The side covers and gas cap lid had metallic in them and the tank did not.
 After a few discussions, I decided to cut my losses and go see my buddy, who was now situated in his new business. He put me to work and guided me through the process of removing the trash and "nibs" and prepping it for a PROPER paint job.

  Here, you can see the spots where we had to remove trash.


'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #106 on: July 01, 2013, 04:50:31 PM »
 And now it's all sanded and prepped. Color goes on in  the morning.



'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline RAFster122s

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #107 on: July 01, 2013, 05:45:19 PM »
Not sure what they sprayed it with. But definitely amateur hour on finish with all the debris in the paint.
Glad it is in/will be in good hands.
Wish there w.as some kind of damages paid to you from places like that you have escaped from.

What was their reaction to the bad workmanship?

Care to name them to maybe spare other the same misfortune?
Definitely need to post on Angie's List about their crappy work.
David- back in the desert SW!

Offline iron_worker

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #108 on: July 02, 2013, 07:29:34 AM »
Nightmares with paint shops ... oh do I know them well.  :o

Hope it turns out for you this time around.

IW

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #109 on: July 02, 2013, 06:22:33 PM »
 Got the color and clear sprayed today. It still needs cutting and buffing, but it's already better than what I picked up from the other shop!




'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline RAFster122s

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #110 on: July 02, 2013, 06:59:10 PM »
Very nice work! So, you or your buddy resprayed the tank and side covers? Whomever did it, did nice work. Congratulations.
David- back in the desert SW!

Offline SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #111 on: July 02, 2013, 09:54:17 PM »
Nice spray job.  Coming along nicely.
1975 CB550K1 "Blue" Stockish Restomod (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=135005.0)
1975 CB550F1 frame/CB650 engine hybrid "The Hot Mess" (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,150220.0.html)
2008 Triumph Thruxton (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,190956.0.html)
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"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them — but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one.... Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles, Bubba." Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature, Cycle World, March 1995.  (http://www.latexnet.org/~csmith/sausage.html and https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1995/3/1/song-of-the-sausage-creature)

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Offline iron_worker

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #112 on: July 03, 2013, 07:02:04 AM »
After a cut and buff those tins are going to POP!  8) They look great already.

IW

Offline Bankerdanny

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #113 on: July 03, 2013, 09:27:06 AM »
Shiny!
"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you never know if they're true" - Abraham Lincoln

Current: '76 CB750F. Previous:  '75 CB550F, 2007 Yamaha Vino 125 Scooter, '75 Harley FXE Superglide, '77 GL1000, '77 CB550k, '68 Suzuki K10 80, '68 Yamaha YR2, '69 BMW R69S, '71 Honda SL175, '02 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, '89 Yamaha FJ1200

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #114 on: July 18, 2013, 01:50:16 PM »
 Well, here she is!
 The carbs are better than ever. I'm not calling them 100%, but I'm in the high 90-something percent range. Runs the best she's ever ran, even if it does need some very minor tweaking.

 But the paint! Wow! It looks like a whole different bike now. I couldn't be happier.









'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline Bankerdanny

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #115 on: July 18, 2013, 02:15:20 PM »
Don't let 'perfect' be the enemy of good. That is, don't tweek a good running bike because you think it can be better. Maybe it can be better, but it can definitely be worse!
"The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you never know if they're true" - Abraham Lincoln

Current: '76 CB750F. Previous:  '75 CB550F, 2007 Yamaha Vino 125 Scooter, '75 Harley FXE Superglide, '77 GL1000, '77 CB550k, '68 Suzuki K10 80, '68 Yamaha YR2, '69 BMW R69S, '71 Honda SL175, '02 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, '89 Yamaha FJ1200

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #116 on: July 18, 2013, 02:28:47 PM »
 I may adjust the idle mixture screws ever so slightly, but other than that, my only plans are to maybe swap over the Henry Abe wheels and go back to single disc. I think the RH disc still drags some. At the very least, I'll remove it and run the wire wheels for a while.
'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline seanbarney41

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #117 on: July 18, 2013, 03:34:06 PM »
Come on!  ...fix the brake drag.   I was just gonna tell ya how factory that bike looks, almost didn't notice the dual drilled discs...but when I did... 8).  What a sleeper...
If it works good, it looks good...

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #118 on: July 18, 2013, 06:38:20 PM »
 If I could, I would. I have tried every trick mentioned in every thread about dual discs. I kinda want the H.A.'s on there anyway....
'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline cwchan

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #119 on: July 18, 2013, 08:59:48 PM »
Please share your other jets settings:)

Offline Scott S

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #120 on: July 19, 2013, 03:25:34 AM »
 Dropped the needle back to stock, 95 on the main vs. the stock 90. IMS screws are at 2 turns out at the moment but I'll adjust those individually eventually.

 These carbs MUST be vacuum synched, no matter how good your bench synch is. I also found some plugged vent holes in the carb bodies that may (or may not) have had an effect on float levels on those two carbs.
 The O-rings on the fuel supply lines were leaking. Not enough, initially, to cause a fuel leak, but the needle/seat valves would not hold a vacuum when hooked up to a test rig. Again, may (or may not) acted as a vacuum leak while running and may/may not have affected fuel levels.

 All I know is that after fixing those things and going back to near stock on the jetting, she runs the best she has so far.
'71 CB500 K0
'17 Triumph Street Scrambler
'81 Yamaha XS650

Offline RAFster122s

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #121 on: July 19, 2013, 04:17:55 AM »
How do you get your black paint to be transparent so you can see the car behind it in the gloss? :D

I liked the blue and orange paint better, more unique, but it is a very pretty bike. Congrats on the tuning improvements.
David- back in the desert SW!

Offline iron_worker

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #122 on: July 19, 2013, 08:51:03 AM »
The high gloss is due to a nice layer of clear coat which is then cut and buffed completely smooth. The clear is what gives it that glassy/wet look.  8)

IW

Offline RAFster122s

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Re: '78 550K Resto-Mod
« Reply #123 on: July 19, 2013, 02:19:29 PM »
How do you get your black paint to be transparent so you can see the car behind it in the gloss? :D

I liked the blue and orange paint better, more unique, but it is a very pretty bike. Congrats on the tuning improvements.
I was joking on the reflection in the last pic and like the 3rd from last pic with the car in the background and the reflection of the similar car in the gloss of the paint...kind of like a black fishbowl seeing the car through the tank...
an attempt at humor. 

Nice and glossy paint job with high polish scheen, very nice job.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2013, 02:21:33 PM by RAFster122S »
David- back in the desert SW!