Topic: 1974 CB550. Racetech Monoshock. JMR Head. Built Engine. "BLAC"

[BLAC]

There are really cool people hidden around LA and it seems that my girlfriends grandpa (who is letting me use his shop) knows all of them 

So I lost a pin/dowel while assembling my motor, instead of letting me buy another one, or cutting up a drill bit, he says "lets go see Bruce".

Bruce turns out to be one of the most talented gear heads I have ever met. He has built cars from the ground up (including the nuts, bolts, engine castings, body panels,  EVERYTHING). Jay Leno actually bought one of his project.  Anyway, we head over to a 10' lathe tucking in a corner of his shop and turns out a piece for me, chamfered edge and all. 

Then he gives me a tour of the rest of his shop (attache to but 3x bigger than his house) where he has 60's 911s's, classic mini cooper race cars, autographed photos of just about every famous race car driver back to the 30's, every dash plaque (40+) from Ken Miles race cars, and his current project, a built Cosworth powered Lotus Seven.  His goal is to make it as light as possible, this includes everything from titanium suspension coils, a custom magnesium bell housing, titanium hardware for his 3 piece wheels and every nut and bolt he has remade out of titanium.  He hollowed out the hex end to take away material and hollowed the shafts of the bolts that are not "high torque".. he handed me one and I could hardly feel the 3" bolt resting in my hand.  The car is down to 900lbs..

I feel like such an inadequate hack now...

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Your girlfriend's grandfather is one cool guy.  It's no surprise he has cool friends to call his own. 

So cool for you to meet guys like Bruce and learn a thing or two from them.

[Medyo Bastos]

you must be one cool kat to know a cool guy like him

[BLAC]

Your girlfriend's grandfather is one cool guy.  It's no surprise he has cool friends to call his own. 

So cool for you to meet guys like Bruce and learn a thing or two from them.

I told him that I would love to just hang around his garage and lend a helping hand if he ever wanted one just to watch and learn.  We'll see if he takes me up on the offer.  I would love to work on the old 911s 😩

[BLAC]

you must be one cool kat to know a cool guy like him

I'm no more than 65% cool cat 

[calj737]

you must be one cool kat to know a cool guy like him

I'm no more than 65% cool cat 

And let's be honest, your girlfriend is just using you to get to know me... 

[BLAC]

you must be one cool kat to know a cool guy like him

I'm no more than 65% cool cat 

And let's be honest, your girlfriend is just using you to get to know me... 

The long con! That betch!

[540nova]

Whole lotta cool going on.


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[754]

 A long time ago I wanted to be a bit like Bruce. I read a story about a guy like that in Cycle or Cycle World. The guy wrote a coloumn for the mag, and he needed an obsolete shaft or pin made, and he knew a guy like that in Hollywood I think.., and he went there and the guy made it, I think he even heat treated it and finish ground it to size.  He did it for fun.
 I always remembered that the guy wrote , he charges  40 bucks an hour, he picks the hour.. And sometimes while I had my shop I thought like that..(probably to my detriment).
 Anyway I ended up with. a fair amount of equipment and was able to amuse myself and others, but unfortunately....ended up in a position where my machines are not set up and I am able to use them when I need to...major crimp in the overall plan.
 Also we live in a smaller centre where shops dont have a lot of heat treating ir precision grinding capabilities... Unlike the LA Basin where Bruce and the other fellow were.
 Luckily I have a buddy that lets me use his shop sometimes to knock off the odd part, or mod something.. He is well equipped but no grinding or heat treating again. Fabulous welding and metal forming capabilty though.
 That is my story...you are lucky to meet Bruce..

[BLAC]

Well... I did have a roller yesterday, I think I'm going backwards...


I spent what felt like an eternity reshaping and remaking the stock passenger foot peg mounts to use for my rear sets.  I removed the pinch weld and made them pretty.  It took forever and was a massive pain in the ass (I actually threw them into the trash twice) but I am proud of how they turned out 




Not sure how to get it perfectly accurate until I get the rearsets in, so they are just tacked for now.



Done for tonight!

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Are you planning on keeping the center stand (saw that the attachment points are still on the frame)?

[BLAC]

Are you planning on keeping the center stand (saw that the attachment points are still on the frame)?

Nope, I'm going to scrap it.  I will cut out all of those mounts once I do some homework and make sure none of them are needed for anything else beside the center stand

[RAFster122s]

You could setup an attachment to use those mount points for a lifting point for doing some work on the bike.  Tne centerstand while not often on the custom bikes it is very useful for pulling a tire off the front or to other work like that, or a bit of  bracing with a prop block and you can even pull the rear wheel.
I guess that is when you pull out the cell phone and call AMA roadside service for a tow, or other company for assist if too far from home to get it back to a work area.

Nice work and very nice to have connections, network of friends who can do things.

[JoeCooley]

Haha nice selfie bro!

[BLAC]

Haha nice selfie bro!

i think it was well framed 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

You can also tap in swingarm spools (see them on several bikes like riverfever's) so you can use a paddock stand.

[BLAC]

thats the idea! im looking at some pitbulls on craigslist

[innovativems]

thats the idea! im looking at some pitbulls on craigslist

I run a pitbull with my cb's.  You can just use the flat arms on the stands to go under the swingarm too.  It's pretty sturdy.

[Godffery]

You can also tap in swingarm spools (see them on several bikes like riverfever's) so you can use a paddock stand.

I've done that on a few projects and it works rather well.

http://www.vinmoto.org/gallery/v/VinMoto-Garage/album03/Godfferys-Garage-123/Cafe+Overkill/CafeOverkillDSC_062.JPG.html

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

You can also tap in swingarm spools (see them on several bikes like riverfever's) so you can use a paddock stand.

I've done that on a few projects and it works rather well.

http://www.vinmoto.org/gallery/v/VinMoto-Garage/album03/Godfferys-Garage-123/Cafe+Overkill/CafeOverkillDSC_062.JPG.html

I like the swingarm spools on Godffery and riverfever's bikes.  I think having a more positive hook-up on a spool is safer than just using the flat portion of the swingarm resting against the stand.  I'm sure it works, but in California we have earthquakes.

[joeyvans]

I am also installing spools on my 550... and hopefully tonight.

The left side flat arm on my paddock stand is starting to bend downwards because of the added pressure on that side whilst standing the bike up. Will feel much more comfortable with spools installed.


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[riverfever]

I really like that new stand I picked up from Cycle Gear but supporting it from underneath the swingarm just isn't ideal (it's got both a swingarm mount and a spool mount). The spools end up in the perfect spot and it's so much more stable. I stole the idea from Dave Barbier but I did go with Woodcraft spools instead of less expensive eBay ones because they use an 8mm bolt but the spool is still the same diameter regardless if you get the 8mm or 6mm bolt. .

[BLAC]

Great info! I have my shopping list put together.  I'll check out you thread (or look up the person you got the idea from) to get pics of where you mounted the spools 

In other news I made a lot of progress on the motor last night.  Pics to come in the AM

[riverfever]

I should also add that the Woodcraft spools (in either 6 or 8mm) use the exact same spool itself which is very nice on our bikes because the spool diameter is the same and space is at a premium down there between the welds. If you would like any measurements let me know.

[BLAC]

About that engine...

Cleaned and lubed:



Sealed up and shifter bits installed:


Pistons joining the party:


What a stud(s):


This is where things took a turn (briefly).... I was down to installing THE LAST case bolt.. the long one at the back left corner, but for some reason it wouldn't go all the way in and it wouldn't catch any threads.  It felt like the bottom half of the hole was filled with Hondabond.. i shined a light down into it, but it just looked like the whole ended before the threads started, but again, the bolt was hitting a rubbery surface, it wasn't hitting metal. 

Now I'm sure that I accidentally dropped a dowel, gasket of SOMETHING in there and I'm going  to have to pull the cases back apart to see what is going on. Before doing that and after scratching my head for an hour, I finally tracked down a long skinny screw.  Being low on patience and other options, I drove the screw into this mystery and once anchored, I used a claw hammer to pull it to the surface..

I'm just as confused as ever.. I have never seen this little bastard before in my life. I hope it wasn't supposed to be in there, because i destroyed it while removing it...




Anyway, that's where she sits!