Topic: WTF was I thinking?

[natron602]

Is that #5 tag riveted to the tank?

Just held with wax in that pic and covering a dent/hole. Was thinking about mounting it there somehow while I figure the rest out.

[flatlander]

looks not quite as nice as my '76 550K tank

Yep, looks like a 74-76 550K tank.

must be a US thing. in europe they had these style tanks on the 500 but not on the 550. always baffles me how/why honda came up with these small regional differences.

[natron602]

If you open the engine, I can't stress enough your need for the following (in no particular order):
Manual
Camera
Beer
Torque wrench
PB Blaster
Patience
Some extra hair to pull out later
A good, stable internet connection
More beer
And a healthy dose of realism.

There's no magic or mystery to these things, but they are assembled in just such a way on purpose. Take your time, take lots of pictures for future reference, and expect to do things more than once, or twice, sometimes three times if it's your first time opening one of these up.

All those little o-rings, pucks, and washers are important. The steel ball bearings too, don't lose these little nasties all over the garage floor. Suggest a clean piece of carpet under the engine as you disassemble to help catch those critters that try and run when you loosen them up from 40 years of bondage and neglect.

Everything will take longer and cost more than you are planning. It's not a race, just go slow, step-by-step and it will turn out pretty well for you.

I'll raise the first frosty to your journey!

Have all those things. It's already apart I've just got to get my hands on a valve spring compressor so I can get it back together.  Can anyone tell me how many hours I can expect to spend getting it back in?

[Stev-o]

looks not quite as nice as my '76 550K tank

Yep, looks like a 74-76 550K tank.

must be a US thing. in europe they had these style tanks on the 500 but not on the 550. always baffles me how/why honda came up with these small regional differences.

Hey Flat - your 550 is an F model right? Differant tank.

[knottedknickers]

There's a few threads on here about a DIY compressor for the valves. Motorcycle types are different, and require much deeper offset to reach the springs.

Like:
here
here
here
Good luck!

[flatlander]

Hey Flat - your 550 is an F model right? Differant tank.

yes right. but i think of the k models only the k3 was sold in europe which had a tank like the F, with the little hatch. might be wrong but that's the impression i get after poking around the web a bit.

[natron602]

Thanks guys. Once I get these puppies in I should be al lready to put it back in.

[natron602]

Keep trying to post some before during and after pics but it's not working so I may have to spread the pics here to give an idea of where I'm at.

[natron602]

Also managed to swap my carb syncher for a valve spring compressor for the weekend from a coworker who conveniently went to motorcycle school.

[natron602]

Also renting a three stone honer in the morning. Any other steps to get the new (likely because I'm a dummy) rust out of and off of the cylinders?

[natron602]

Hoping to get her together over the next two days. Peak season at The Evil Empire has me working 55-60 hour weeks and is not conducive to my motorcycle repair schedule.

[natron602]

One more because I think I'm clever.

[natron602]

Ran into a slight snag this weekend. Went to put the valves back in and somehow lost one valve spring washer. Bussed to the junk yard and spent a few hours going through boxes. Finally found it but still no final assembly. Got my new jacket so I'm dying to get it done.

[natron602]

I'm bad at this.she's up and running. Spent some time using cold blue compound from Cabella's to get a little color on the tank tonight.

[natron602]

Be aware, bluing won't tolerate moisture or oils from your hands; it will rust promptly. Use a spray clear coat and cover that thing, test the underside for compatibility before shooting the top.

I live in Phoenix and plan to wipe and oil regularly. It's kind of a test run since what I really need is a new tank and at that point I'll have to pic colours. For now it's more experimentation. Thanks though. If I end up really digging it I'll either clear coat or call my buddy who builds guns for some options (maybe parkerizing?)

[Riceman]

If you clear coat the bare metal make sure you cook the water out of the
metal with a propane torch(or something similar)or it will eventually rust
from within.

[natron602]

Well, I've got her back on the road. Brakes and some swagger (see:cosmetic) parts are next on the agenda. She's kind of taken a turn from my original ideas. Is it a horrible idea to go forward with no real plan and just step by step put on things I like and hope it all comes together in the end?

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Well, I've got her back on the road. Brakes and some swagger (see:cosmetic) parts are next on the agenda. She's kind of taken a turn from my original ideas. Is it a horrible idea to go forward with no real plan and just step by step put on things I like and hope it all comes together in the end?

It's not a horrible idea but having a big picture in mind is a good thing to make the build more cohesive, especially if the end goal stresses certain aesthetics or performance aspects.