Topic: Got the 550 running, now some questions

[tfrasca]

I've spent the last couple weeks cleaning years of oil residue off my new to me ('76) 550 K. Figured it'd be easier to see where the leak(s) are coming from with a clean motor. I used a bunch of terrible chemicals to do this, so I expected a fair amount of burn-off and smoke once the motor heated up. What I find strange, though, is that the smoke just keeps coming, even after ~10 minutes of run time. And then when I shut it down, the smoke almost instantly stops.

Could this be exhaust leaking directly out of the cylinders somehow? All my header pipes are tight and I thought I was pretty careful putting the spacers back on in their original orientation. Does the outside temp of the motor change so quickly after being shut off that it would stop burning the residue? Seems unlikely.

The second immediate issue is that I have a clear oil leak on the drive side of my valve cover gasket, and another from one of the tappet covers on the non-drive side. Is it possible to remove the valve cover with the top cover still attached? The PO COMPLETELY stripped one of the screws holding the top cover on, and I'm hoping and praying that the screw doesn't go all the way into the head. Wishful thinking?

I also have another problem in that cylinder 2 is having a tough time firing. Last night the pipe was cold after a few minutes, so this morning I snipped a centimeter off the plug lead and now the pipe from cylinder 2 will heat up, but not as much as the others. Weak spark, perhaps? Seems like if combustion happens at all, the pipe would heat up. Unless it's only happening every once in a while. Any wisdom is appreciated here -- this is my first bike!

Thanks so much,

TF

[tfrasca]

Oh yeah, the 4 into 2 side exit Harley-looking exhaust that someone put on my bike is too loud for me. Can anyone comment on how loud/quiet a stock 550F 4 into 1 is? I don't need speed or performance, just quiet and somewhat reliable.

Thanks again.

[flybox1]

where is the smoke coming from?  exhaust?is it white (water vapor) that dissapears, or is it blue?
if its coming from the case, could it be oil?
do you have your headers wrapped?  if so, moisture takes a while to burn off.....but its kinda fun doing it around the neighborhood after a wash 

spark plug caps can go bad.  bad cap=bad spark. 
take each of yours off, and check with an ohm-meter.  one lead in each end.  they might be marked, too   
5,000 or 10,000 ohms.  they should meter out about the same. 

when was the last 3000 mi maintenance done?

[tfrasca]

Smoke appears to be coming from the area of the exhaust ports, but kind of looks like it may be also originating in/around the cooling fins of the jugs. It's a whitish grey smoke and doesn't smell strongly of oil or gas. Just a general "hot poison on metal" odor...

Headers are not wrapped.

I didn't think to check the resistance of the caps. I will do that ASAP. Also, I'll pull the plugs later to see if that tells me anything. Wet, white, dark, etc.

The bike sat for 2 years and this is the second time I've seen it run since I bought it. I doubt a service was done before it was put away. I'll definitely do all that, just wanted to see it run for a bit. I figure I can do all of that during the valve cover gasket replacement, assuming I can get the stripped screw out or can avoid taking it out and still remove the gasket.

Thanks for the feedback!

TF

[flatlander]

what did you disassemble before you started running it and noticed the smoke?
are your exhaust gaskets good still?

as for the stock 4-1 exhaust: i don't think there are many that are more quiet. it's almost too quiet!
depends on what you mean by reliable... they do rust if condensation is allowed to accumulate but no problem if you don't ride for less than 30mins or so.

[tfrasca]

I didn't disassemble much before getting it running. The valve cover and head haven't been touched since I bought it. I removed the carbs and headers, and cleaned the outside of the entire motor with some heavy degreaser, brass brush, and water.

By exhaust gasket, do you mean the semi-circular metal spacers that go between the header pipe and head? There are two per pipe, and they have a shoulder on one end that goes against the ring that holds the pipes on. Is there another gasket I'm missing or not seeing?

As far as exhaust goes, quiet is fine with me. I'm not worried about rust, as I tend to take good care of my vehicles and I'll polish her up really nicely. I mainly just meant I want a nice, reliable bike when all's said and done.

[flybox1]

By exhaust gasket, do you mean the semi-circular metal spacers that go between the header pipe and head? There are two per pipe, and they have a shoulder on one end that goes against the ring that holds the pipes on. Is there another gasket I'm missing or not seeing?

between ^this and the head, there are copper crush washers that seal the header to the head. 
see this...
http://4into1.com/ne-brand-exhaust-gasket-honda-cb500-cb550/

[tfrasca]

Oh, I see. I didn't noticed those when I had the header off, but I'm sure they're in there. I'll check their condition.

[flybox1]

they are a 'one time use' item
once crushed, they'll not seal as well as a new set.
you'll need to pick the old ones out before installing a new set

[calj737]

Just to be clear, you are not letting the bike sit about idling/revving to diagnose everything right? 10 minutes is way too long. By then, without air circulating over the engine it will be close to overheating.

Is the breather cover venting to open air or is the hose in place?

[tfrasca]

Got it, I'll order some new crush washers.

And #$%*, I hope I didn't over heat it. I wasn't even thinking about the whole air-cooled thing. Damn. Thanks for pointing out my stupidity on that one. At least I didn't try to cool it off with a bucket of ice water...   

And yes, the crankcase breather is hooked up to the air box (which is intact and has a brand new UNI drop in filter in it), so it should be evacuating pressure properly.

[calj737]

You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to take for granted the whole " air-cooled" thing while trying to tune or diagnose these bikes.

Beyond all the things that Flybox was suggesting, I'll add:
Now that we discovered you were running the bike stationary, I'd also consider a very lean condition in the carbs. This makes these bikes very hot very quickly, especially while running stationary. Not to say that what Flybox said isn't a major suspect too, but it bears consideration in your diagnosis.

[tfrasca]

What color would my plugs be if I'm lean? White if lean, black if rich?

[calj737]

Yep

[tfrasca]

Great, I'll check tomorrow AM. Thanks for all the input.

[TwoTired]

Oh yeah, the 4 into 2 side exit Harley-looking exhaust that someone put on my bike is too loud for me. Can anyone comment on how loud/quiet a stock 550F 4 into 1 is? I don't need speed or performance, just quiet and somewhat reliable.

Thanks again.

The stock F muffler is almost certainly quieter than what you have.  Much more of a purr.  If you can locate a stock F system, I expect you will be much happier.  Unfortunately, there isn't ANY aftermarket system as quiet as the stock F system (or the 77-78 K model 4-4 system, for that matter).

However, be sure you actually have an F model rather than a K model.  The VIN number on the headstock will have an F after the 550.  If not, it is a K model, and you need frame features only found on the F model to easily accept the F model exhaust system.

Motorcycle noise regulation didn't begin to take effect until after 1978.  So, most of the rowdies think that open pipes are perfectly fine, which it is...for race tracks.  But stupid, annoying, downright belligerent, and anti-social in residential areas, and is almost certainly why government regulations were created do deal with such miscreants.

There are different levels of regulation, federal, state, and local ordinances, with varying degrees of restriction.  Active enforcement is yet another matter.

I applaud your desire for a less obtrusive bike, as this helps the entire motorcyle community.  And, you will more agreeably be able to operate in the RPM ranges needed (higher) with proper noise suppression.

[tfrasca]

I've always hated how obnoxious some Harley's and other twins can be, and I'll be damned if I'm going to make my nice little SOHC 4 just as annoying.

Thanks for mentioning the frame requirements for mounting an F exhaust. I think I have a K model...  Is there something in the serial number that would tell me for sure? This thing has all sorts of different parts and side covers on it, so I'm not really sure.

[TwoTired]

I have parts of the book  Honda motorcycle Identification Guide.

Not sure which year your bike is.  But, here is and excerpt of the early K models.  Chaeck your VIN with these.   Or, look around in the SOHC4 site for VIN and model year listing.

[tfrasca]

Dang. Looks like it's a K model, based on the serial number. I was really hoping to find a used F exhaust and bolt it right on. As far as exhausts go, how loud are the MAC 4 into 1?

Thanks,

TF

[TwoTired]

I had a Mac 4 to 1 on a Cb550.   Came to me that way.  I thought it was too loud, and forced me to use higher gears in residential areas.  The Cb550 has no grunt at low RPM.   I still thought it was too loud as rider.  Before I sold the bike, I loaned the bike to another and rode along with him.  It wasn't nearly as irritating from 100 Ft away.  I admit, when I suspended consideration for others, it had an infectious sound that made me want to make the tach needle go as as high as it could.  But for any distance driving, I'd want ear plugs to avoid sound fatigue.

As I said, I don't think any aftermarket exhaust is quiet.  Most replace or alter stock so it will make more noise, hoping for that craved attention.  So, the suppliers acquiesce to such racer wannabe demands.

[dave500]

I think if the pipe is swapped out for more noise its a personal thing,not like look at me im making a racing motorcycle sound?there are retards though,dont confuse Honda riders with Harley ones please loyd,in the day the clumbsy but attractive though heavy,quiet and efficient exhausts got junked for 4-1 systems in the hope for engine performance and weight loss gains,the weight loss being effective on any brand,the performance upgrade being so-so and the sound note or noise also being questionable,and again a matter of personal choice or perhaps what your mates think?no one liked the looks of this one,i liked the sound,and good performance,not loud but that "tuned"sound,a car straight through resonator,because it looks #$%* that's what most people thought it sounded like!i ran that for a couple of years,i made a reducer in the outlet also which took the drone out of it at cruise,when riding these have a fair amount of induction noise aswell only audible to the rider mostly.
engine revving

[Tews19]

The bike sounds good Dave! In the video I hear squeeking/sqweeling. Were there spider monkeys mating in the trees? 

[dave500]

carrawongs or how ever you spell those birds?theyll swoop down and pluck your eyes out!

[Tews19]

Sounds like they could be fun at a bbq with a few in a drunkin stupor. 

[tfrasca]

Oh, I'm not confusing SOHC riders for Harley riders, trust me. And I've had my share of cars that may have been slightly too loud. But for me, personally, a loud pipe is not what I'm after on this bike (my first bike).

I figured most 4-1 pipes would be pretty loud, but it would be cool to just find a header and experiment with different cans. My buddy had a 550 with 4-1 header and a newer FMF can, and I remember it sounding pretty tame until he opened it up.

Anyone know where to find a good 4-1 header with a commonly sized exit pipe?

Thanks for the video, the bike looks and sounds great!

TF