Author Topic: 1977 CB550F IDK (first build) (Read 173567 times)

minimo · « **Reply #125 on:** January 15, 2014, 07:56:58 PM »

How about some ABRACADABRA... Naw. Then it wouldn't be fun :-)

2strokeTrush · « **Reply #126 on:** January 17, 2014, 08:15:46 AM »

so did you ever end up doing anything with the high temp spray??

minimo · « **Reply #127 on:** January 17, 2014, 10:39:54 AM »

I went with Rust-oleum for the engine. Their line of "Specialty High Heat" rattles that boast resisting temps up to 2000F with the black can (right) that I intend to use for the frame (along with a high heat primer) and a 1200F heat resistance with the silver can (left) that I used for the engine crankcase and headers. Made sure all the surfaces and nooks/crannies were immaculate before I painted (power washed, soda blasted, then hot water bath/scrub, and clean wipe down). Applied a few coats pretty smooth and easy. I also baked the engine parts via an interval method I learned from someone here to help with the curing (and also give my muffins an extra flavor kick). It may have been more out of necessity, but if what they claim is true about "gas & oil resistant" with the black can specifically, I'd have looked a little longer for the silver can to get that stuff on my engine instead. But so far, looks to have adhered fairly well. Some engine parts would probably melt before they get close to the heat ratings these paints are supposed to withstand. maybe that was my reasoning. Of course, I won't know for sure if the stuff works well until I get this bike to run; This year, I hope.

Bru-tom · « **Reply #128 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:17:34 PM »

i use normal 2k automotive paint on my motor (the stuff that cars are painted with). The typical outdoor temp here has been around 90-95'F over the last few weeks. My motor has been extremely hot and not one problem thus far with paint. Just saying

keep up the good work Mr! best of luck

minimo · « **Reply #129 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:59:42 PM »

Thanks for chiming in, Bru-tom!
Yeah, the two-part stuff is probably more along the lines of what should have been applied here, but oh well. Live and learn. Thanks for the luck. Needing it.

Bru-tom · « **Reply #130 on:** January 17, 2014, 01:10:33 PM »

No probs, Its not really something many people believe is "right/correct" to use on hot motors. But the way i went about deciding is, is that if your motor reaches the temps that the high heat paints are designed for, you wont have a motor left

i was just scared after the work it takes to get these 30 odd year old motors clean of all the oil and grime, i didnt want anything that could ruin the paint, the main factor for me was fuel. High heat paint is not fuel resistant which scared me. then again, you shouldnt have fuel leaks either hehehehe.

Rustoleum is the biz! i use it a lot on my little projects, absolutely super stuff!

gotta love the russians lol

RodPlunger · « **Reply #131 on:** January 17, 2014, 05:05:07 PM »

What are your plans for your wheels.?. I have the same bike and am having a hard time finding spokes for the rear wheel that are not spendy OEM'S.

I also had a Hell of a time with my wheels. The retaining rings were a pain. The lesson I learned was to drill them out way further than I would have thought. But I was able to punch out the bearings with little fuss.

minimo · « **Reply #132 on:** January 17, 2014, 09:36:07 PM »

I hear ya. Yeah, the wheels alone are a lot to contend with. I hear that the carbs are another big deal; I guess more on that when the time comes.
I'm leaning towards letting the natural look shine through on the wheels. I guess powder coating would get rid of some of the dark spots and tarnished areas and some pitting, maybe even strengthen the wheel some, but at this rate I just want to get the bike up and running and I figure I can make the decision later whether to powder coat. The spokes are in worse condition but I'm going to try to scrub/clean them to see if they can be salvaged. Buchanan's is the popular choice and I read/hear all great things about them but I'll see what I can do with what I have for now. I'm just thinking out loud here. I may change my mind again down the road -- but maybe that's why this build is taking forever?

Bru-tom · « **Reply #133 on:** January 17, 2014, 11:21:55 PM »

bought my spokes here: www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/CB550F1-SUPER-SPORT-1976/ right at the bottom. They are pretty sweet for the price.

minimo · « **Reply #134 on:** February 01, 2014, 06:44:37 PM »

Pffft

minimo · « **Reply #135 on:** February 01, 2014, 07:35:05 PM »

Should this seal under the speedometer gearbox be replaced? I don't see it listed on the manual. Part #?

Or has anyone tried this (via dotheton http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=55223.0):

Quote

I'm in the middle of building a 1976 CB550 and took apart the speedometer gear box to get it cleaned up and powdercoated. Since the parts diagram doesn't show the oil seal as a separate part...I was forced to find one that would work.

I found that a 2003 Mazda Protege 2.0L CAMshaft seal is the exact same size. You can get a Victor Reinz oil seal from rockauto.com (Victor Reinz part# 66864) or you can get an OEM Mazda oil seal (Mazda OEM part# FS05-10-602A). I prefer the Victor Reinz oil seal but the oil seal in the pictures below is the OEM Mazda one.

The dimensions are 34mm x 48mm x 7mm.

bambuhiphop · « **Reply #136 on:** February 01, 2014, 10:33:29 PM »

Replaced mine with the one that came with the front bearing kit.

minimo · « **Reply #137 on:** February 01, 2014, 10:47:21 PM »

Quote from: bambuhiphop on February 01, 2014, 10:33:29 PM

Replaced mine with the one that came with the front bearing kit.

Well, I'll be... Looks like my All Balls Front Wheel Bearing Kit (0215-0041) came with some seals. Looks a lot more narrow than the original.
Thanks, B!

minimo · « **Reply #138 on:** February 07, 2014, 10:30:00 PM »

Why is Powder Coating Better Than Painting?
Some days I wish I had a sacrificial (electric) oven.

minimo · « **Reply #139 on:** February 08, 2014, 05:27:01 PM »

What the fork!

Took some steps to polish these suckers. Started kinda late today but having fun and getting back into the groove of this build. Not going for showroom shine, probably more a matted down shine after I hit these with some kind of clear coat.

1) sanded off existing clear coat with 220 grit wet with a dab of Marvel's Oil. A low grit, I know. But again, going more for a rough/tough look :-)

2) quick wipe around and then hit down the sanded peaks with some crumpled up aluminum foil and Marvel's oil.

3) another quick wipe down and a dab of Marvel's again with a maroon Scotch-Brite pad all around. This actually brought it close to the look that I was after

4) but I kept goin. Another quick wipe down and took the forks to the buffing wheel and with a light application of brown compound and buffing all around...

5) and just to test my patience, another quick clean wipe all around and then hand-buffed with a 0000 steel wool pad followed by a application of white buffing compound to achieve this:

Calling the cleanup and polishing of forks and stanchions DONE.

Next up, figuring out a clear coat and then replacing the seals and filling these up with oil. Got some of this stuff via Amazon:

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #140 on:** February 09, 2014, 10:36:22 AM »

You could spring for the Eastwood powdercoat kit (approx $100) and powdercoat them clear.

minimo · « **Reply #141 on:** February 09, 2014, 11:46:06 AM »

Quote from: CB750 Cafe Racer Fan on February 09, 2014, 10:36:22 AM

You could spring for the Eastwood powdercoat kit (approx $100) and powdercoat them clear.

Thanks. Thinking about it. That would be ideal but I don't have an oven that I could bake parts in at the moment. I'm not ready to give up baking pizzas and cookies yet either.

minimo · « **Reply #142 on:** February 23, 2014, 08:16:04 PM »

My rims and hubs are in decent condition. Again, I'm not aiming for showroom/Jay Leno shine, but I'll be surprised to achieve just that when I give this Quick-Glo stuff a try

The stuff is on the way via Amazon so I'll report back if it's worth raving about.
I'm still a ways before I get some rubber on these rims. Corrosion has built up in the channel where the rim strips/tubes go and some spotty rust on the rim surfaces, so I want to try and clean up those areas as best I can before I consider throwing in the towel -- the powder coating towel. Ha! Cosmetic concerns aside, the integrity of the wheels appears to be sound.
At this rate, I'm more concerned about my stock spokes. I know there's some opposition with reusing them, especially as the nickel plating has corroded on most of mine, but I'm determined that with a little sanding/buffing/cleaning/tlc, these lil suckers can get another chance to spin.

Here, I sanded with minimal polishing on the two right spokes (pictured against the one rusty spoke on the left) using the spoke-in-drill-chuck technique -- spinning each spoke whilst slowly stroking up and down with 600 grit soaked in Marvel's Mystery Oil (love this stuff) followed by Scotch-Brite and then some 0000 steel wool...

That same spoke on the left after some quick sand/polish. Sure, they've lost their luster but I kinda like the finish of these and since I'm more about the patina'd vibe, I think I'm going to carry on this route and reuse my old spokes. Mistake?
After I'm done polishing the spokes, I'll acetone, dry them them down and then hit them all with some kinda 2k urethane clear coat (matte). Waste of time?

I spent a lot of time reading about these wheels (truing/mounting/balancing/etc) so I feel like it's about time I step into action. I stumbled onto this video on how to manually mount/balance a tire at home using a small oil drum, simple tools, and baby powder (the guy even gives some casual lessons on Pythagorean triples while muscling on the tire). Could it really be this fun/easy? Makes me want to try it and find out

minimo · « **Reply #143 on:** February 24, 2014, 05:24:21 PM »

OK, it didn't take long to convince myself that I probably should consider replacing my spokes with new sets. Reading this thread affirms that: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=82674.0

Since I'll probably order other items via Dime City Cycles, can anyone confirm that their spokes are the same as Buchanan's? There's a slight cost diff (maybe offset by s/h?):

http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-caferacer-cafe-racer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-motorcycle-wheel-tire-parts-honda-cb550-front-stainless-steel-spoke-set-khon711ss-550.html
http://www.dimecitycycles.com/vintage-caferacer-cafe-racer-bobber-brat-chopper-custom-motorcycle-wheel-tire-parts-honda-cb550-rear-stainless-steel-spoke-set-khon517ss-cb550r.html

I also got to quickly try some of the Quick-Glo. Not a big wow but it did seem to remove a lot of the oxidation from my rims. It didn't quite remove the rust pits spotted all around, but I'll give it another go tonight as it suggests multiple efforts for harder to remove areas. Maybe my rims could use a fresh powder coat now that I've got everything off; as many of you know, it wasn't easy. I'm now sliding toward throwing in the powder coat towel. Ugh. Anyone in LA have good recommends?

Thanks!

minimo · « **Reply #144 on:** February 25, 2014, 09:25:11 PM »

This guy's funny rant on Harleys: http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html

Quote

A Harley is the world's best selling motorized wheelchair for hippies and wannabes, and for those who would rather buy an reputation than earn one.

minimo · « **Reply #145 on:** March 10, 2014, 11:38:07 PM »

Here we go.
Rust-Oleum FlexiDip Removable Rubber Coating - Application Video

minimo · « **Reply #146 on:** March 26, 2014, 09:14:59 AM »

Every little step I take...

Pickup @ Buchanan's Spoke and Rims

dagersh · « **Reply #147 on:** March 26, 2014, 12:40:13 PM »

Nice Work so far!

Keep it going, can't wait to see the finished product!

Gersh

minimo · « **Reply #148 on:** March 27, 2014, 01:10:27 PM »

Thanks, Gersh! It's all going ever so slowly... Thanks for tuning in and checking on my progress. Quite an impressive list of bikes you got going in your signature.

Quote from: dagersh on March 26, 2014, 12:40:13 PM

Nice Work so far!

Keep it going, can't wait to see the finished product!

Gersh

rtbmrgl · « **Reply #149 on:** March 27, 2014, 05:20:16 PM »

Quote from: minimo on February 23, 2014, 08:16:04 PM

My rims and hubs are in decent condition. Again, I'm not aiming for showroom/Jay Leno shine, but I'll be surprised to achieve just that when I give this Quick-Glo stuff a try
Get Rid of Your Rust! - Jay Leno's Garage
The stuff is on the way via Amazon so I'll report back if it's worth raving about.
I'm still a ways before I get some rubber on these rims. Corrosion has built up in the channel where the rim strips/tubes go and some spotty rust on the rim surfaces, so I want to try and clean up those areas as best I can before I consider throwing in the towel -- the powder coating towel. Ha! Cosmetic concerns aside, the integrity of the wheels appears to be sound.

It got me hook, line and sinker, just ordered

News:

Author Topic: 1977 CB550F IDK (first build) (Read 173567 times)