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

[bwaller]

Same same, as well the locating pin for the shift fork on the drum.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Bummer. It must have escaped custody from your CSI bag and tag.

[BLAC]

I think I left it in there on accident when I mailed it out to be cleaned. It might have jumped out during shipment... alas, I will sacrifice a drill bit for the cause

[BLAC]

Every bearing is measuring .0015 so I'll be reusing them


Lubed with some redline:


So fresh, so clean 


Stopping point last night due to the runaway dowel

[BLAC]

So getting this put back together was a tricky little pain in the ass until I figured out how to do it 



Rebuild the caliper with Geoffrey's piston and installed it.  I actually put the caliper in a mill and flattened the face. A previous owner hammered on it to get the piston out so I smoothed it out so it will look nice once it's powder coated. Oh I used the DOW vacuum grease on the backs of both pads.


Rods installed, torqued to 18.8lbs

[MRieck]

You want to resurface that brake disc. Send it Tom at Truedisk and have him Blanchard grind it.

Also, you might want to apply a decent layer of assembly lube on those "hard parts" to insure they're slick and protected when turning them, and for first start. It's just insurance against galling and reduces friction as you go.

I agree with that.

[Godffery]

You want to resurface that brake disc. Send it Tom at Truedisk and have him Blanchard grind it.

 I can also provide Rotor service for that and at nearly half the weight... http://www.vinmoto.org/gallery/v/VinMoto-Garage/album03/Godfferys-Garage-123/Parts+and+service/

[BLAC]

You want to resurface that brake disc. Send it Tom at Truedisk and have him Blanchard grind it.

Also, you might want to apply a decent layer of assembly lube on those "hard parts" to insure they're slick and protected when turning them, and for first start. It's just insurance against galling and reduces friction as you go.

Yep, the rotor is a little nasty and I was planning on a Blanchard grind. 

I have a pretty good amount of Redline assembly lube  on all of the bearings and all of the shafts where two pieces meet.  She is pretty slicked up when you try to move or rotate anything.  The only parts that don't have assembly lube on them are the actually gears, rods (excluding the ends) and the crank weights.  Should I be more liberal with it and just get a little bit on everything?

[BLAC]

You want to resurface that brake disc. Send it Tom at Truedisk and have him Blanchard grind it.

Also, you might want to apply a decent layer of assembly lube on those "hard parts" to insure they're slick and protected when turning them, and for first start. It's just insurance against galling and reduces friction as you go.

I agree with that.

Do you put assembly lube on the primary chain, and the transmission gears?

[Medyo Bastos]

I would soak chains in oil overnight before assembly


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[BLAC]

I wet everything during an initial assembly. Gear teeth get brushed, surfaces, lobes, etc. You name it; if it's steel it gets lubed because oil is not present until you pump it up and it takes several seconds to literally get everything wet the first time.

Sounds good, I'll give everything a good lube!

[riverfever]

Pretty exciting! Everything looks so clean.

[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 

[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!