Topic: retore/touch up over winter

[cb550fnewb]

Tank looks too nice to get a paint job, are there any rust and dings/dents?

But the newly painted side covers won't match the old tank.  I did this once and regretted it. 
Could keep that tank and buy another to paint....

side covers is a big reason for painting tank. Also plus going through the process to find a good painter for the covers in rural Utah, I feel like I will just end up getting the tank done to match. (unless I go the mail route)

Don't think I would buy another tank.  How much value will the tank/bike lose by being re-painted?
 
This is a decision well into the future, earliest being next winter and is the last thing on my to do list. Seat cover/trim and tank trim/filling in pin stripping will improve it a bit (maybe enough to convince me not to have it painter) The tank emblems I just painted and make the tank look 10 times better.

[cb550fnewb]

If you want to "restore" the tank's original paint, you can carefully wet sand it. Start with 1000-1200 paper. Then go to 2000. Then buff with a good quality polish. I've done a dozen or so this way.

I always wipe the tank down with Denatured Alcohol first to remove any contaminants. Then, I use a clay bar to clean the clear coat (only the green metallic areas of your tank are clear coated, the black is not).

Then I go to the paper steps. Be very careful over the black, only use the 2000 stage there, just a very light scuff that the buffing will remove.

This won't remove the deep scratch, but it will soften it, and the rest of your tank will gleam!

Here's a sunrise orange I did for someone recently that was in the same or worse condition as yours.

thanks for the tip i will give it a shot.

i will have to order some 2000 gr sand paper. no one in town has it when I was looking for it to polish chrome up.

[cb550fnewb]

any one got any tips on painting these up.  I tried this summer with latex paint (they are fiberglass) this summer and they looked good until about a week later after painting, I went for a drive and the paint got a bunch of ripples from the wind i believe (it was 90 F out that week so they had plenty of time and warmth to dry so i think the paint was cured fully)

Any ideas on paint I should use. I will probably sand the paint down a little and am looking for something in a rattle can, just not sure what I should go with yet.  Big thing is durable because to get under seat, I have to take one lid off and put it over the other lid or the ground.  They are about the age of the bike and all cracks have been sealed with two part epoxy on my first attempt to paint them.

No putting them back on is not an option. I use them a lot, even have a 4 piece fly and spinning reel that fits in them perfectly. 
Also any tips on getting my new side covers to match tank (going to get some quotes on painting after I try what calj737 suggested on the tank)

[cb550fnewb]

cosmetic paint work will wait 'til summer when its a little warmer to help paint set better and quicker

Wednesday, weather depending, I am going to take bike out for a ride and see if i forgot anything.  I will take some pics.  Its 40 here in southern Utah so a little chilly but ice free and warm enough for a test ride.

Only thing left is waiting for some m6 helicoils to arrive so I can fix exhaust stud. Despite heat, chemicals and ez out. I ended up drilling out the broken stud which later turned into 2 studs when reinstalling exhaust.  Exhaust currently doesn't sound like it is leaking so test drive will hopefully go good.  Luckily the studs are the 2 on the outside of 1 & 4 so I can easily get to them.

Thanks for all help got a month left to touch up anything before i take a month trip to ohio then a month in the southern california area then when i get back to utah it will be time to get the bike out and start riding.

[cb550fnewb]

one broke off recessed about 1/4" other i use a double nut and heat it up and it snapped the same way. Heat and EZ outs could not budge either. In the future, I will pick u a stud puller at the beginning. Instead of trying to save money which ends up costing more in the long run.

Almost took it out today but after a fight with the spring on the kickstand  (I forgot to put back on) the sun began to set at 45 degrees turned to 30 real quick.

tomorrow hopefully

[cb550fnewb]

went for a short ride which end up being a 70 mile ride to Moab.  Bike ran great.  Was amazed how syncing the carbs completely changed the power.  I knew it was idling better but acceleration was like a different bike all together. 

Did find one issue. Which was there before but seems worse now.  My rear brake pedal (not sure if that the motorcycle term for it) hits my 4 into 2 exhaust. It is adjust up as high as possible and I only get about a 1/2" before it bottoms out so the brake doesn't really do anything. I don't think I have enough travel available for braking.

Any tips on rear brake pedal.  photos attached (muffler hits swing arm in back stopping me from moving it in any more)

No pictures from ride my phone died on me.

[brooze72]

Well if luck is on your side, you could move the pedal upwards on the spline so it is closer to the bottom of the foot peg. If this works & there is enough travel to engage the brakes, you would then probably need to bend the brake pedal straighter to return the foot actuator portion to a more level/lower state. If this doesn't work, you'll then be into modifying or replacing the exhaust or maybe mounting rearsets & all that encompasses.  Neither are inexpensive options.  Maybe others might have a different solution too.  Good luck.

[cb550fnewb]

Well if luck is on your side, you could move the pedal upwards on the spline so it is closer to the bottom of the foot peg. If this works & there is enough travel to engage the brakes, you would then probably need to bend the brake pedal straighter to return the foot actuator portion to a more level/lower state. If this doesn't work, you'll then be into modifying or replacing the exhaust or maybe mounting rearsets & all that encompasses.  Neither are inexpensive options.  Maybe others might have a different solution too.  Good luck.

I moved it all the way up so I'm not lucky.  Bending pedal could work.  But I think I will be need to bend more (upward) right before it hit the exhaust. I dont think I can gain anything bending it straighter.

I will definitely attempt heating it up and bending it before I even think about buying a different exhaust.

Wait and see if anyone else has another ideas before I try to bend it :/

[brooze72]

Yes, that could be an option  for a custom bend, thinking it would also have to be almost a "U" shape under the pedal to get higher on the spline. Before bending anything take some measuremenst of available space between the foot peg & exhaust then try & calculate if it is enough travel for full brake application.

[brooze72]

Nice offer calj, are you thinking to put the pedal behind the footpeg with the shortening idea? I agree with trying to mock up something before commiting the steel.

[cb550fnewb]

okay here's more picture and ideas.  Calj737 I am going to have to send you my bike as a gift with all the help you have offered.

The first one shows where a am losing all my travel.  Looks like I can only gain a 1/4 by bending the right side (in picture) upward just right of red line. Then I will hit the nut my finger is pointing at in second.   (not sure why in the last 30 years no one thought they might need brake.  I know in 1980 this exhaust was on the bike when my father-in-law bought it.)

I think the only way to get it to work without modifying my exhaust   is to make it so the  pedal can come down next to the exhaust. Most-likely but cutting and welding a U in the horizontal plane.  I am playing on photoshop to see if i can show what i mean. Since I am not sure I can understand what I typed. Then if you think that it should work I will mock something up with some measurements.

but here's pictures   

[cb550fnewb]

Nice offer calj, are you thinking to put the pedal behind the footpeg with the shortening idea? I agree with trying to mock up something before commiting the steel.

rear might look better but how can switch the brake around to make pushing down braking? Can i just spin the rod (where the hole in the pedal slips over, not sure what to call it) 180 degrees

[brooze72]

You sure don't seem to have enough room under there to make a normal pedal work.  Calj's idea to bend it away (outwards) from the exhaust then back towards the peg with the pad welded on the opposite side is a good possibility I was also thinking about, he posted faster  .

[cb550fnewb]

ok here's closer view

If I pull bolt for adjusting pedal up and down. It hits the nut on left and metal braket that the bolt was in at the same time. I gain about a 1/4" but still no braking.  I had the bolt out earlier and didn't help so put it back in for safe keeping.

The two points of contact seem to limit anyway I bend the pedal up or down to gain any thing. No matter what I will have a 3/4" of open space between pedal and nut.  I believe I will have to come out to miss exhausted and/or nut.  Or move pedal to rear for heel.

[cb550fnewb]

here what I am thinking. I need to come out about >1/2" to clear exhaust

its crude (made on paint)  but to give idea hard to get a picture directly from the top

[cb550fnewb]

Try this, let's extend the overall length of the spline cover. That will move the lever portion outboard. Then, the arm will run along the exhaust, but the toe portion will be welded toward the inboard side of the arm. Does that make sense?

Think I know what you mean.  If i can get it to move out that will be what I need.

[brooze72]

Try this, let's extend the overall length of the spline cover. That will move the lever portion outboard. Then, the arm will run along the exhaust, but the toe portion will be welded toward the inboard side of the arm. Does that make sense?

Yep, extension on the spline should help a lot of clearance issues, hopefully.  Maybe cut off an old one to weld to inner side of the original.

[cb550fnewb]

I've been re-reading this thread, and a thought just popped into my head; you say you arent getting any braking because travel is too limited. Have you also adjusted the brake rod arm (connects at rear wheel, spring tensioned on the rod that connects to the actuator) to test that you have brakes?

To do this, raise the rear wheel (center stand, lift, wheel chock) and spin the wheel. Then manually move the brake arm at the rear wheel. This should stop the wheel. Please confirm this portion is working, then we can continue on the travel/pipe conflict.

*the reason I'm asking! you should get some braking pretty quickly with the arm! even though there's conflict. The nut at the rear of your pic actually prevents the arm from being pulled too far back by the return spring. The should be a limiter farther forward to prevent over-travel, perhaps in front of the lower engine hangar bolt? Or your return spring (coil wrapped around the arm and pinned to frame) will return the arm to de-brake, if you will. That's where the limiter nut comes in...

did this tire stops fine on stand, but can easily turn it by hand when pressed all the way down until hits exhaust. And if bike is rolling has very little to no braking affect. Tested it rolling it with my feet so only like 2 to 5 mph had no affect.  If I tighten it anymore then the brake drags until it wears down and ends up same as before, nothing. 

I messed with on my ride today.

[cb550fnewb]

ok moved petal out 3/4"on actuator.

This Puts it right on the edge of the actuator. And gives me enough clearance to miss exhaust. and will press down about 2" and locks tire up fine.

here's photo to make sure I understood.


(removed cannibalizing another pedal thinking about it definitely weaker than lengthening spline)

[brooze72]

So calj's idea will work, extension on the inner spline end of the arm & switch the foot pad to the inner side of the pedal.  Problem solved!

[cb550fnewb]

So calj's idea will work, extension on the inner spline end of the arm & switch the foot pad to the inner side of the pedal.  Problem solved!

Took spline out and looks like a spacer will be best bet.  Think 3/4" will give me the enough for proper braking.

[cb550fnewb]

Yeah, just to be clear, I'd weld a spacer to the end of the spline that sits outside the actuator housing. This leaves the machined surfaces in tact. Then, the arm operates in the same way, just in a new horizontal plane outside the exhaust.

I think this will require modifying the toe tab. Certainly you want that element directly in front of your foot for optimum safety and control. Double-check that with the arm moved outboard, will the tab still be wide enough (once cut and re-welded on its right edge) to reside in front of the peg.

If all this will work, I'll dig through my spares and see about fab'ing one up for you. (I just hope my eldest son didn't throw them away last weekend while we cleaned up the most recent teardown...)

Okay, when i move pedal 3/4" on the actuator, it moves the toe pad exact same amount 3/4" (makes since, right)  so to get to its original position it needs moved 3/4".

But (there's always a but) when i move it out the pedal it is more centered on my foot.  With my large feet (size 13 in the boots I normally wear for riding),  the original position feels to far in.  When I move it out, it feels like i have a better pedal control and more natural.

So not sure if the toe pad needs modified.

Curious, how you will modify the spacer to except the pedal? (I am confident that you have a pretty good Idea, already)

[cb550fnewb]

ok looked at it that will give me the right distance out but would definitely need to be straighten to make it longer because how it sits now pretty far back on my foot.

A idea (similar to cutting pedal and welding to outside edge) is to cut a share pedal off the part that hooks to the actuator and weld my pedal to it after trimming it to 3/4" (take out side off so bolt would still lineup) I wouldn't lose length this way. Downfall is one pedal gets complete destroyed to be used on the other.

Not a welder and not sure which one would be easier and/or stronger.

here's photo I made on paint to give an image

[cb550fnewb]

nope mines straight until the upward bend then slowly angles out.

Looks that makes an easier solution.

[cb550fnewb]

ok its on its way.

Thanks for all the help!