Topic: Need help with Hainds 900cc big bore kit!!

[justinmcgiver]

Hello,

I just discovered tonight that my 750k4 that I thought was stock actually has a big bore kit. The inside of the pistons are stamped with Hainds 900cc and also an SK. I have never heard of this brand. What are my options? As I am poor,  I was hoping to just do a ring job...is this still possible? Will other manufacturers rings fit these pistons? Please help!!!!!

[bwaller]

The concensus has been that Haindst pistons were actually from Henry Abe. The problem will be finding rings. There have been some people before you that have ran into the same problem with these pistons and I never really heard what the outcome was, but be patient maybe someone will add some insight.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Justin,

Congrats on that "stock" engine. Runs/ran pretty good I'll bet. I'm holding in my hand a NOS piston from a NOS Henry Abe Industries. kit that I will be installing. It has HAIND and TOHO cast into them on the inside with an F on the outside side by the wrist pin hole. It has 67 marked on the top. It measures 67mm at the bottom of the skirt and 66.39mm at the very top. This is different than yours. Reason being Henry Abe made 2 different kits. Why? Who knows?! Check out Axl's website - SatanicMechanic.de. He has info and pix on your pistons. With my kit I also have new rings that has HA-67 STD marked on the boxes. Now, I/we could take measurements of the rings and ring grooves but my best suggestion would be for you to contact a piston manufacturer or a ring manufacturer as I did previously to determine what you need. For instance, I contacted Hastings Manufacturing (they make rings) about my 812 Yoshi kit back in 1992. A good fellow by the name of Tom Sutherland had me send in a piston and he ID'd the rings as a 1968+ CB350 twin ring and told me to just go to my Honda dealer. He didn't charge me a dime! I'll bet you have a 1 piece oil ring too. I'd try to update that to a 3 piece ring if you can. Perhaps they can help you too. My invoice has the phone as 616-945-2491.  Once you find out what rings you need this knowledge needs to be made public please. Post it on the forum and let Axl know. 

Jerry

[cafe75-550]

Jumping on the bandwagon...   My 605cc (for a 500/550)  kit from Henry Abe has pistons marked "HAINDST", this is cast into the inside skirt of the piston, with "600cc" on the opposite side... So I guess that makes it 3 votes for Henry Abe.

[maksuttt]

Try Hastings Manufacturing company. They make custom piston rings. Not that expensive.

[bwaller]

Bryan, do those "605" pistons have a flat, no skirt tail, bottom? I quess this a Henry Abe standard. I have a set of these 61mm for my 550. They also came with a one piece oil ring but machined the ring land wider to use a standard 750 oil ring from Honda. The top two rings are a direct swap.

[justinmcgiver]

Yes it ran great...well... good enough. If I had any idea I was going to run into Henry Abe I wouldn't have tackled the top end until it REALLY needed it. Oh well, at least I've got all winter...
Thanks for all the good info. I will try to contact Hastings today. As soon as I know I will post.
I just realized that the head gasket I have now isn't going to work with the larger bore. Any suggestions there!

Thanks,
Justin

[Tim.]

Jumping on the bandwagon...   My 605cc (for a 500/550)  kit from Henry Abe has pistons marked "HAINDST", this is cast into the inside skirt of the piston, with "600cc" on the opposite side... So I guess that makes it 3 votes for Henry Abe.

It that the CB500 'Big Bore' 605cc kit from eBay?  Classic Cycle Parts?  I've used two of the smaller 555cc kit from the same seller, which is an ART set.  I always wondered who made the 605cc kit.  They'd sell a lot more if they mentioned Henry Abe I'm sure.  I would have likely gone that route for the extra $20.

[dusterdude]

Yes it ran great...well... good enough. If I had any idea I was going to run into Henry Abe I wouldn't have tackled the top end until it REALLY needed it. Oh well, at least I've got all winter...
Thanks for all the good info. I will try to contact Hastings today. As soon as I know I will post.
I just realized that the head gasket I have now isn't going to work with the larger bore. Any suggestions there!

Thanks,
Justin

contact cometic,they can you a head gasket

[cafe75-550]

Bwaller- yes the pistons have a flat, no skirt bottom, and although the Ebay seller lists them as 60.5mm, I believe he incorrectly measured the top of the piston as I get 61mm at the skirt. I haven't looked at the rings, but my kit came with them...

Tin tin- also yes, this is the "605" kit from ebay for the 500. My understanding is that "ART" distributed "Henry Abe" stuff, or maybe the other way around, but my NOS box has got an "MC" sticker with a logo just like the old brit "MC" pistons. Even at 61mm though its not a 605 kit, or even the 600 casted into the pistons, my math gets me to 592.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Yes it ran great...well... good enough. If I had any idea I was going to run into Henry Abe I wouldn't have tackled the top end until it REALLY needed it. Oh well, at least I've got all winter...
Thanks for all the good info. I will try to contact Hastings today. As soon as I know I will post.
I just realized that the head gasket I have now isn't going to work with the larger bore. Any suggestions there!

Thanks,
Justin

contact cometic,they can you a head gasket

Yeah, Cometic is the way to go. Tell them you have a 900 kit in your 750 SOHC Honda. Get the base gasket while you're at it. My Henry Abe kit has tapered sleeves at the bottom ends and will fit on a stock case that hasn't been machined and should use a stock base gasket. Yours might not. The base gasket will probably depend on which sleeves you have. Talk to them about this too. 

[Big Jay]

haindst stood for Heney Abe Industries.  The rings were very bastard thisknesses. You are probably not going to find replacements.

Jay