Topic: 1977 CB550F IDK (first build)

[jonda500]

those locking flaps usually work with any key!
John

[calj737]

or any screwdriver...

I'd use a chemical stripper first on that tank. Then soda blast it. If there's Bondo, you're in for some work grinding it out. I use Roloc discs on an air grinder. And use a dust mask.

[minimo]

those locking flaps usually work with any key!
John

It worked! Thanks, John.

or any screwdriver...

I'd use a chemical stripper first on that tank. Then soda blast it. If there's Bondo, you're in for some work grinding it out. I use Roloc discs on an air grinder. And use a dust mask.

Good on the tips, calj737. I'll definitely go the chemical route first - how could I forget.
Fingernail tapping all around the tank, so far I can tell that it has not been Bondo'd. But we shall find out for sure.
I wish I hadn't coated the inside of my original tank with Por-15 sealer. I'd have tried to pound in some knee indents first before coating it, which is the plan I have with this tank purchase.

[minimo]

Studying the parts schematic and piecing together my engine I discovered that a couple of parts were missing from my last rebuild:

#1 - 13491-283-000 RING, BEARING SET, 57MM
#2 - 13492-283-000 RING, BEARING SET, 52MM

I'm going to guess and go ahead and accept that my omission of these measly parts from my last rebuild was the reason for the recent engine/transmission mishap. I imagine that not having these bearing set rings installed, what with road and engine vibration and plain old shifting of gears would cause the whole transmission assembly to move and shift beyond its limits, getting caught up in other gears in some very bad ways.

Lesson learned - don't forget these bearing set rings!

[strynboen]

just one qest.
..have you often left ower parts.. .
in a other thread somone faund nr 37 (small roller) on his tabel ,,after he had finished the build..he opend the engine and korrekted it..and no harm vas done...

[minimo]

Yeah, now first-hand fear motivates me to make sure I don't forget anything, especially any of those pesky needle bearings. I've made sure to get some grease into those cavities to make them stay in there.

So when it's time to lower the top into the lower part of the case, is there an easier trick to align the shift forks so that they correspond with and land into the gear slots? Is there a default position? I remember this being slightly challenging.

[calj737]

some assemble the motor inverted...

[enwri]

just one qest.
..have you often left ower parts.. .

Not anymore I'd hope, 

[minimo]

So when it's time to lower the top into the lower part of the case, is there an easier trick to align the shift forks so that they correspond with and land into the gear slots? Is there a default position? I remember this being slightly challenging.

Stumbled onto this site (http://blacksquaremotorcycle.com/shifting-gears/) that provides some good info on how the 550 tranny works...

When all the gear sprockets are perfectly lined up, as shown below, that’s “neutral gear”.

I did a dry fit test lowering the top case onto the bottom and came up with a trick aligning the forks into their proper gear channels. With the gears lined up in neutral I rested the piston-side of the engine down (to pivot) and then gently dropped/raised/adjusted the shift fork side - whilst turning the gear shift assembly on the side of the engine to get the fork alignment right over their corresponding channels... repeated this process until the forks line up precisely so when you lower that end it should fit just right - you'll know it when it does.
Now, if I can repeat this with some Hondabond.

[minimo]

Oh, and don't forget those BEARING SET RINGS!

[minimo]

There aren't many high-speed moving parts in this build so my nephew and I are pretty safe.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[strynboen]

lego from Billund i danmark...
got some erly from the 1950....they vas alfabet on them,, to stabel the right Words...somthing i never realy learned
sorry for off topic....

[minimo]

Oh, cool, strynboen! I wish I grew up in Billund, Denmark.

I grew up on Lego. It's changed a lot since I played with them as a child. These mashups with brands (like Batman) are insane. I still prefer the classics and Duplo.

[strynboen]

lego tecnic pleumatic is cool stuff..not realy for (small) kids..but grovn up kids..like us

[minimo]

I should consider practicing some more with Lego before rebuilding bikes.

Those classic Lego pieces are so cool!

[minimo]

Back in biz

Or, at least the engine is back in the frame. The engine does have the BEARING SET RINGS this time. I triple checked!
A little worried about the cam chain tensioner. It felt real tight going in (that's what SHE... Eh hem). I almost had to force it in just so the adjustment screw could poke through the cylinder. Without tightening the adjuster nut I barely get movement on the screw. Hmmm. I can hand crank the engine and it all feels and sounds normal though so I'm moving on...

Attempting to multitask so while mounting the engine I'm removing the paint from the tank I purchased from eBay. Using this stuff called EZ STRIP ("The Eco Alternative") that's supposed to be baby/puppy friendly; in other words, it doesn't work very well. I've gone through more than a few coats and I gotta dig in real hard with a scraper to scrape the layers of paint off. We'll see how it goes. So far I'm not asphyxiated by the fumes, at least not that I can notice, so that's a good thing. It would probably help to leave the tank outside to get some sunlight, soften up the paint a bit, maybe get a little warm for this stuff to work better; it's kinda chilly in the garage.

Coming back to the tank now, the previous owner of this thing seriously caked on not only the paint but there's seriously at least an eighth of an inch of primer under all of that - almost as good as having Bondo on there. But so far I'm uncovering that there's no Bondo applied to the tank. Phew.

[calj737]

Grab some Paint Thinner or Acetone, and wipe that tank down. After the EZ Strip, it may be just loose enough to wipe off a layer or two...

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Not so EZ strip!

[goldarrow]

A little worried about the cam chain tensioner. It felt real tight going in (that's what SHE... Eh hem). I almost had to force it in just so the adjustment screw could poke through the cylinder. Without tightening the adjuster nut I barely get movement on the screw.

I'm worried about this one, too

[strynboen]

the tensioner must be full and easy adjustabel vith the chain NOT mounted on the cam..

i had mine aut and inn more times..before i vas 100%..it vas full in grib dovn in oil sump..and still full adjustabel at top..i had to lift the sylender block half up..Mount the adj bolt, through thr hole,,then slovly press the vhole dovn...but not teight anything before it are in full grib..

[minimo]

Thanks, y'all. After a few more coats of EZ Strip and cleaning up some of the residual gunk with acetone, as calj737 suggested, the tank is starting to look more like a bare metal/naked tank. Looks cool. I may like to keep the bare metal look (with some kind of 2k clear on top to keep it from oxidizing, of course).

Thanks, strynboen. I had the cylinder block raised a bit for the chain guide but not for the tensioner. I installed the tensioner right before I installed the cam and chain and sprocket assembly and had some bolts down tight to keep the cylinder from lifting - maybe this was a mistake? Should I have installed the tensioner at the same time as the guide; with the cylinder loose to get the position right?
Looking up from the bottom of the engine I can see that the bottom point of the tensioner has inserted itself into the recess at the lower crank case. This points to normal. But instead of keeping my fingers crossed that the tensioner is fine, do you think I should take it back out and do it the way that you suggest to be sure everything fits right? Did I just answer my own question?

[strynboen]

try just to take the chain off the top cam hveel.

.vith loosen chain.
.the tensioner must be free to adjust full in and aut...if that is fine...no problems..

[minimo]

(Sigh) I already Hondabonded the 6 rubber pucks onto the header Even torqued the bolts down to spec and everything - would hate to have to do it again, but if I must...

I did indeed get to do what you suggest, strynboen - not to say that I wouldn't do it again - I was definitely getting movement on the tensioner adjustment screw with the chain loose. Of course, it was when the sprocket (w/ chain) went on the cam that tightened up the chain and tensioner a bit.

Before getting the chain onto the sprocket, I fitted (nearly forced) the tensioner down and jabbed a long flathead screwdriver down between the chain and tensioner spring. This helped ease the tension back a bit so I could maneuver the tensioner down to get the adjustment screw through the hole at the bottom (through the cylinder)... There may have been some force applied to the tensioner, perhaps even some bending to get it to fit and the screw to poke through and that's what worries me.

Well. I guess there's only one way to find out.

[goldarrow]

Should be able to reuse those rubber pucks. Cleaning old hondabond off is a pain

[minimo]

Thanks, goldarrow. That's what I intend to do