Topic: Waxhaw CB550F, first ride, to-do list and journal

[WaxhawFive]

I rode the bike 14 miles to get it home.  I did ZERO troubleshooting over the busy Father’s Day weekend, but here are some initial observations.

1.   High beams don’t work
2.   Horn doesn’t work and switch housing is cracked
3.   Turn signals are very slow
4.   Gas is leaking out of one of the carb. bowl overflows, don’t know which.
5.   The “new” battery isn’t holding a charge.  Put it on a charger last night.  Battery voltage showing 12.2V at idle, 12.8V at about 3000RPM
6.   Rear brake switch spring was disconnected at the bottom.  A little reading here on the forum and I learned that the F model has the switch inside the frame, P.O. had it installed on the outside like the K model.  Simple fix.
7.   Front brake is very squeaky.  One caliper bolt wasn’t even finger tight.  After tightening everything up the pads don’t seem to be sitting square, and it’s still squeaking loudly.  Will need to do a little trimming to get the pads to sit right and move freely.
8.   The carbs are off, doesn’t run smoothly.  P.O. didn’t install the pod filters, so unfortunately he didn’t have the stock air box.
9.   The clutch needs to be adjusted or maybe replaced.  It was seized at first, now it’s slipping. 
10.   Scary sounding engine knock at idle
11.   Oil drip from the filter housing

A few cosmetic items need to be addressed, but that’s just “season to taste” stuff.  First I need to take time to get everything buttoned up and put a tag on it.  The electrical items will be dead simple to troubleshoot, no worries there.  The needle and seats may fix themselves with some miles and stop the leak, but the carbs definitely need to be adjusted.  With these little “issues” I definitely feel like I overpaid, but we’ll make the best of it. 

[flatlander]

did you already download the shop manual for the bike? if not, that's the first thing you should do and then do the full 3000 mile service interval as described there. it will take care of most of the things you mention.
most of these bikes, when you pick them up, have some sort of carb problems. you might just have a stuck float and some cleaning might be needed. before replacing parts, do that. only then proceed to tuning for the pods. or put up an ad in the wanted section for a stock airbox, might save you a lot of trouble and you won't be bothered by rain.

good that you say electrical work doesn't trouble you as you'll need to dive into that. best is to go through all the connections, clean them and measure them all to make sure every single one is good.

and we need pictures!!

[calj737]

I rode the bike 14 miles to get it home.  I did ZERO troubleshooting over the busy Father’s Day weekend, but here are some initial observations.

1.   High beams don’t work Probably switch housing related. Check the filament too.
2.   Horn doesn’t work and switch housing is cracked That needs work
3.   Turn signals are very slow Could be related to for charging, or the Flasher Relay needs replacement
4.   Gas is leaking out of one of the carb. bowl overflows, don’t know which. A full teardown and cleaning is in order anyway. If the PO switched to pods, you've got some tuning ahead of you. Better to start from a "known good" condition of fully clean, properly adjusted then tune from there.
5.   The “new” battery isn’t holding a charge.  Put it on a charger last night.  Battery voltage showing 12.2V at idle, 12.8V at about 3000RPM Begin checking everyconnection for corrosion, tightness, especially the ground stop to bare metal frame.
6.   Rear brake switch spring was disconnected at the bottom.  A little reading here on the forum and I learned that the F model has the switch inside the frame, P.O. had it installed on the outside like the K model.  Simple fix.
7.   Front brake is very squeaky.  One caliper bolt wasn’t even finger tight.  After tightening everything up the pads don’t seem to be sitting square, and it’s still squeaking loudly.  Will need to do a little trimming to get the pads to sit right and move freely. If they were used while canted, the pads may already be beveled out of square. Inspect the pads and replace if necessary before you undertake milling/grinding the caliper mounts.
8.   The carbs are off, doesn’t run smoothly.  P.O. didn’t install the pod filters, so unfortunately he didn’t have the stock air box. See above
9.   The clutch needs to be adjusted or maybe replaced.  It was seized at first, now it’s slipping. 
10.   Scary sounding engine knock at idle May well be carbs need a vacuum synch. Symptom is low-thunking sound at idle
11.   Oil drip from the filter housing Be careful removing that bolt. Many a PO liked to torque to down so hard that removal involves cutting and replacement.

A few cosmetic items need to be addressed, but that’s just “season to taste” stuff.  First I need to take time to get everything buttoned up and put a tag on it.  The electrical items will be dead simple to troubleshoot, no worries there.  The needle and seats may fix themselves with some miles and stop the leak, but the carbs definitely need to be adjusted.  With these little “issues” I definitely feel like I overpaid, but we’ll make the best of it.

[Scott S]

CalJ is leading you in the right direction. I can sync the carbs for you, but you need to do the 3K mile tune up and clean the carbs first.

 The caliper on the 550 has a centering adjustment. If that was off and the bolts were loose, the pads could be worn unevenly. Metal sintered pads squeak and squeal, too.

[WaxhawFive]

I haven't placed an order for the 3k service yet, but will today.  I charged the battery and took my daughter for a ride around the block.  She loved it.  No leaks afterwards, and it started first kick with the charged battery.  Afterwards I took a few minutes to look in the headlight to troubleshoot the high beam and horn.  The headlight wiring is good, so I'll pick up a new headlight at the autoparts store, standard (but modern halogen) sealed beam replacement.  Only 10V made it to the light connector, so I'll need to clean all the contacts in the circuit to try to get a little more light.  Worst case I'll install a relay, but that shouldn't be necessary.  The horn wiring is correct but the switch is inop, so I'll take the switch apart to see if I can repair it. 

I'm happy to have the original owners manual and a mostly complete tool kit.  I seem to be missing one combination open-end wrench, and have one extra Kawasaki 19mm wrench.  Question, is the black-handled dual-tip screwdriver part of the original kit? 

And lastly, I survived the DMV this morning and now have a valid registration and license plate!
 

[Bankerdanny]

I highly recommend ordering the the CK-1 kit from www.vintageconnections.com. It has a selection of the proper bullet style connections and insulators to make proper repairs to your harness. You can't get the right size connectors at the chain auto stores. It is well worth the $25+shipping. I just refreshed my supply of single connectors the other day for my current 550. I would also recommend spending $13 for the pair of spade extractors, that will allow you to replace individual connectors in the multi-terminal plastic connectors.

Electrical issues are pretty common on these 40+ year old bikes and a selection of the proper connections on hand makes it so much easier to make a reliable long lasting repair.