If you are in a pinch and need a needle for your 1977 CB550 and don't want to pay $38 bucks for an OEM honda float needle valve go to your local lawn equipment parts shop. These shops are not closed on Mondays!!! i still cant figure that work schedule out!
it's a briggs & stratton part number 715155
aftermarket OREGON part number 49-361
OEM price is about 12-14 each...aftermarket for this needle may be cheaper. Not as cheap as a K&L or other aftermarket needle built for our PD carbs but if you are in a pinch and need one ASAP it's a local solution to getting your bike back on the road.
This needle is used on a Mikinu carb put mostly on generators or pressure washers. It is gravity fed. The spring loaded plunger may be a different height than OEM, it's way smaller than my aftermarket K&L needles but luckily the tabs adjust nicely. What i believe was stock Honda needles that came out of my carbs look much closer in plunger height to the briggs needle but since this bike has been through at least a pair of PO's i cannot verify this nor am I going to spend $38 bucks on an OEM honda needle.
Either way...it will fit in your carb and work properly. It's the same height, shape, diameter as the new ones I ordered and waited a week on.
I have been trying to remember what engine these needles went to since I pulled my carbs apart. I broke down and ordered a set of K&L's because i gave up trying. Then this week a pressure washer comes in flooding out because of a stuck needle. I didn't have the briggs needle in stock but I did have some of the old needles from my Honda PD carbs laying around and 1 or two were still good so I cleaned the guys Briggs carb and threw the honda needles in them. Needless to say it worked great.
here is a pic that's much better than what i can take with my cell phone
http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=C0e1vhi7oUZPoIYm_ggfVlYCAB6DP8f0D-IHWp1So4LuORAgGEAEgtlRQnr6q0gFgya69jNik4BGgAfiT_uUDyAEHqgQnT9DiFvulwhZu670v7CBND0AOf3HZEV4xX9Z7OvpYpySCdGoTHhiHgAWQTsAFBaAGJoAH8OuBGuASgLLs-N74-8MV&sig=AOD64_00QoIvR9o0hv1fuxCMryXFDna2yg&ctype=5&rct=j&q=briggs+715155&ved=0CJwBEPQO&adurl=http://www.equipatron.com/briggs-and-stratton-float-valve-715155.html%3FAdID%3D10430cm00cm0BS0cm0715155
