Author Topic: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time (Read 124862 times)

flatlander · « **Reply #150 on:** March 02, 2015, 09:28:26 AM »

hmmmm.... this morning when i looked at it in the sunlight it did look a bit dodgey indeed. i might do as you say and sand it down to bare aluminium.

strynboen · « **Reply #151 on:** March 02, 2015, 10:43:24 AM »

are you use the right polsish vax. there are difrent types of vax..i have some for steel and other type for aluminium..all this polish kosts not a lot(if you gets it" angro" from a industry delevere..steel/vater pipes/ lines shops sell it for half preis as car part dealers...find a used old 1400 rpm elektro motor..and get made a adapter to fit a 25 cm hveel---and you have a prof machine...i can made the adaptor ..if you not can get made one lokal

flatlander · « **Reply #152 on:** March 09, 2015, 03:37:47 AM »

well that cover got the full treatment now. i started out with 60 sandpaper and worked my way up to 120. that took bloody ages.
while sanding away my mind drifted and i started to imagine i was stranded in some faraway land, being dragged in front of their evil dictator who gave me the choice between 10 years in his dungeons and sanding and polishing a few of his motorcycle parts by hand. probably should've gone for the dungeon $:-\$

anyway, it got done and those blotchy parts of old paint are gone. looks much better now.

of course it will oxydise a bit and i think that will give it a nice, darker sheen.
strynboen was asking about what gear i use. so here it is: the polishing wheel with the brown compound, and the cotton buffing wheel with the blue stuff. the drill spins it at 3000rpm. it may be a bit amateur-ish compared to what other people have but works well enough for me.

i also started rebuilding the clutch. turns out it's missing that "damper plate" or whatever the thicker metal plate is called so there's quite some empty space.
this is also how it was before, from the PO so i guess it can work but is not optimal as i observed a slight slipping after downshifting to get into higher rpms, for max acceleration. probably for relaxed used it's fine but i want to fix this now.

posted the question and got some good input here: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=145565.0
while waiting for the extra plates to arrive that i ordered, i found the old ones that i pulled out so will use those to check the spacing if i add another pair of friction/metal plates. thought that i had thrown them out already but i guess there's a benefit of keeping all your old crap (i'll use this next time she asks me to clear out my stash or used parts!).

jtran000 · « **Reply #153 on:** March 09, 2015, 05:31:29 AM »

Great work so far and nice pictures! I just bought a 77cb550k and will be starting my mild rebuild soon. Don't worry, I used a corded hand drill to polish my previous bike too! I think this time around i'll invest in a bench buffer from Harbor Freight, only 40 usd, I'm all for a little sweat and blood but the drill takes too long haha.

flatlander · « **Reply #154 on:** March 09, 2015, 12:31:43 PM »

thanks for the kind comments, jtran triplezero!
so looking at your signature you sold a 77 550 and now just bought one? withdrawal syndrome??

flatlander · « **Reply #155 on:** March 21, 2015, 02:26:28 PM »

before you guys think i've become lazy (well maybe a little...): while waiting for my topend parts i replaced all wires (clutch, throttle, speedo, tach) and pretty much every rubber piece i came across.

i also got in touch with ikon to see what can be done with my old koni shocks. i'd like to keep the original bodies and get the internal parts replaced with new ones, and get some progressive springs for them.
parts that fit these early konis have been discontinued but they agreed to fit their current 7610 series parts into them. this won't be quick as they need to specifically order some items and modify some existing stuff, then send it to the netherlands where i can get them fitted into the bodies.
maybe this sounds mad but i'm kind of attached to the look of the old konis, and want to make them perform as well as possible at the same time.

strynboen · « **Reply #156 on:** March 22, 2015, 01:43:59 AM »

i have 2 set"s of this old alu type..and one set metal crome body type..like to hear preis on rep set..mine are not leak..but i like to thange oil..and seal..
prob the top vith sealing are to be put nev inn,,and can be destruktive removed

springs are fine..vhy thange them..or any part for upgrate..theis old desein are just fine for a sohc..dubbel as good as the stock daemper
i have problems to schrev the seal part aut..2 small holes to use the tool ...is to small..and i vill brake the tool if i take harder..i dont like heating..build pressure up inside..and make my ovn granate..is not fun at all.

they are belgium made this old koni"s

vhy dont you self make the mods...this is basis stuff..no gas pressure or explosive inkludet..its pure klean oil and mekanik springs..and small holes to regulate damping...
(nev types are nitrogen filled/ vith oil and pressured...its not a home job..its needet a machine for filling/test..and to get air aut..before be pressured)

flatlander · « **Reply #157 on:** March 22, 2015, 03:04:22 PM »

they certainly are better than stock but could be more responsive. changing oil and seals probably would improve them. i'm pretty sure upgrading them would improve them more but it would be a bit of an experiment as i don't have anything to compare to, that had the same mods done.
anyway, i'm not in any rush with this as the shocks are basically working. have to see where i'm going with this.

flatlander · « **Reply #158 on:** March 27, 2015, 12:06:55 AM »

good news from mike: he's got everything in and will be shipping my stuff soon. also a package from david silver is on its way with carb rubbers, clutch parts etc.
soon the wait will be over and i can put this thing back together!

in the meantime, here some pics of pressing out the shocks bushings from the swingarm. i read about this method using two hex nut bits somewhere here on the forum, and it works like a charm.

i stripped the threads because i had to crank pretty hard so it's good to keep a few of those rods handy when doing this.

strynboen · « **Reply #159 on:** March 27, 2015, 07:06:06 AM »

im thekking ..if i can use some rivals to bore the valve shafts mounts up to 14-15 mm so some bushings can be fitted..for the 12 mm shaft..

flatlander · « **Reply #160 on:** March 27, 2015, 08:28:26 AM »

hey, good to see that you're already busy on that old cover. good luck with it!

flatlander · « **Reply #161 on:** May 08, 2015, 04:22:59 PM »

well it's been a while... but a couple of days ago a big and heavy package arrived from mike so now i'll be able to continue! opening it felt like christmas in may.
here are the goodies:

cylinder from different angles

it's been decked to make sure it's all straight end even

looking down the barrel - it's 59mm

i can hardly recognise it the way it cleaned up!

these guys will find a nice warm home in there:

they're wiseco 59mm, 10:1 CR

then the head

all nice new bits installed

oversize intake valve - exhaust is stock

an exemplary intake port, with mike's great work

and an exhaust port

intake guides are tapered.
this is something like a stage 2.5 porting from mike, stage 2 with some extras to make it more efficient.

intake manifolds

a megacycle 126-00 cam

... and a few other bits and pieces like mls gasket, slotted cam sprocket, etc.

the stuff is so beautiful, it almost hurts having to hide from daylight inside an engine.
on the other hand, it should perform really nicely. as i'll be using this bike mainly for touring i want really strong mid-range and some increase in topend, but not at the expense of reliablity and longevity. so it's not as radical as a racer but should still go pretty well.

i cleaned the cylinder bores today - tomorrow it's time to get to work

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #162 on:** May 08, 2015, 05:12:21 PM »

Mike's work is the hidden treasure of the motor.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #163 on:** May 08, 2015, 07:00:23 PM »

Better to check now with clay than ...

flatlander · « **Reply #164 on:** May 09, 2015, 12:17:13 AM »

Quote from: calj737 on May 08, 2015, 05:45:49 PM

Heads up- I encountered some conflict on the rocker arms and the piston/valve clearance with a similar configuration. Also had to clearance the valve chambers in the head for the cam. May not be an issue for you, as I used a 126-20 cam.

good point. there is no problem with cam clearance, i checked that. piston/valve clearance i still need to check.
the 126-00 has not much more lift than stock (here's a comparison), and much less than the 126-20. i hope that due to the milder cam it will be ok but better safe than sorry.
what problem did you have with the rocker arms, did they get pushed up too high against the cover?

flatlander · « **Reply #165 on:** May 09, 2015, 04:20:09 AM »

ah yes, i see it now. thanks a lot, i'll watch out for that!

bwaller · « **Reply #166 on:** May 09, 2015, 05:24:25 AM »

In carpentry they say measure twice cut once, this is the mechanical equivalent.

You should be good but checking is the right thing to do. Looks good and will feel great!

flatlander · « **Reply #167 on:** May 09, 2015, 06:38:43 AM »

very true. i'm not a carpenter but that's my motto also. no point in getting sloppy now

flatlander · « **Reply #168 on:** May 09, 2015, 02:56:27 PM »

in case anyone's interested, here some comparison shots between the OEM honda piston and the wiseco.

ok this was a test: if you spent more than 4 seconds looking at this, you're a hopeless geek

Stev-o · « **Reply #169 on:** May 09, 2015, 03:06:37 PM »

Guilty. Curious is the Wiseco's have one available for CB with the Armor Glide skirt coating? I installed them in my H1 recently and they did have it, thought it to be good for break in.

http://www.wiseco.com/Powersports/Pistons.aspx

flatlander · « **Reply #170 on:** May 09, 2015, 03:19:02 PM »

on a more productive note, i start installing the pistons and cylinder.

pistons are all set.

also the little oil jets and their orings are back where they belong.
as you can see i decided to leave the old studs in. there's a bit of superficial rust on them but otherwise they're fine. i think they'll do ok.

getting the cylinder on is a bit of a balancing act on my own. it's a bit fiddly to get everything aligned but with some patience it eventually works out. at least the rings go into the bores without putting up too much of a fight.

in the end everything slides into place.

cam chain guide and tensioner are also back... and everything moves freely so far.
i'm installing these lower parts "properly", not just mocking them up although i haven't checked clearances yet. i reckon the chance of having trouble with the pistons/valves is fairly low with this setup and take the risk of potentially having to tear things apart again.

that's all for now... tomorrow is another day.

flatlander · « **Reply #171 on:** May 09, 2015, 03:23:13 PM »

Quote from: Stev-o on May 09, 2015, 03:06:37 PM

Guilty. Curious is the Wiseco's have one available for CB with the Armor Glide skirt coating? I installed them in my H1 recently and they did have it, thought it to be good for break in.

http://www.wiseco.com/Powersports/Pistons.aspx

nobody is innocent here

a couple of months ago when i looked at them they didn't have that kind of coating for the 550 pistons. maybe they do it for the 750? that would be a bigger market, i guess.

flatlander · « **Reply #172 on:** May 10, 2015, 12:45:00 PM »

now's a good time to measure actual TDC.

i mark it off for both cylinder pairs. the factory markings are actually pretty accurate, but better to be sure.

you may have noticed that the points plate and advancer are already gone missing... that's because they'll be making space for the boyer micro power. now while we're accurately at TDC i install the boyer plate and align the rotor.

so that's that: static timing is done!

this will be the base for timing on full advance, with a strobe light. but a lot still needs to happen before then...

i put the dowel pins in the cylinder, and plonk the head on directly, without gasket. they were each only milled 0.004" off so i don't expect any trouble but it takes only a minute... indeed, head sits perfectly flush with the cylinder surface so all is good.

so the head can come off again, and i put the mls gasket underneath, then replace it. just like this for now as i'll use it later to check clearances, with the cam, and will need to lift it off again to apply clay to the pistons.

that looks already pretty real, doesn't it?

this is as far as it goes today. for the reast i'll need the cam instructions that come in a separate envelope by mail.

Stev-o · « **Reply #173 on:** May 11, 2015, 03:38:20 PM »

Looks very real!
Appears there is no paint on the head, will it stay naked? And the cylinders too?

flatlander · « **Reply #174 on:** May 12, 2015, 02:54:13 AM »

yes i plan to leave it bare. i was thinking long about this but will give it a try. as it's not a daily rider and lives in the garage when not being used it should be ok. a bit of curing and condensation will occur but i generally do like the look of bare aluminium. i may regret it but won't know unless i try...

i might polish parts of the head to make a visual transition to the cover. that's something i'll decide on when i have it mocked up.

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Author Topic: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time (Read 124862 times)