Topic: First Build: CB550K0 Back From the Dead!!!

[geoluv]

^ I immediately filled it with gas to the top as soon as I got it bone dry.

[geoluv]

I got the MC apart.  Once I hammered down the piston a little I could get my c-clip pliers in there.  Yanked out half a  piston(?), sprayed in some PB blaster, then pushed everything out with a long allen wrench from the other end. 



Turns out my piston had snapped.  That may have been my doing from muscling it too much trying o yank it out.  Doesn't matter because the rebuild kit comes with everything. Got my rebuild kit on eBay, it was cheaper than 4 into 1, even with my super secret discount code.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/162148465095?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And while I am at it here are some other cheap eBay parts I ordered:

I got these in grey/grey.  I think it will look nice and it's a rare color for this part.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/281971672344?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=580938217968&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I got these to put on the inner ends of the clip ons in case they only have one pinch bolt when they get here form China.  I don't like the idea of one Chinese bolt threaded into bargain basement Chinese aluminum so I am going to slide these MTB bicycle grip locks onto the ends so even if the clamp pinch bolt fails the bar won't slide out when I'm going 70mph on I78.  Plus I think it will look unique and cool.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311665979761?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

also got some cheap black fork ears for the light and indicators.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291756485859?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321856360836?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[geoluv]

Airbox questions:

On second inspection my air cleaner housing appears to only be missing 4 pieces: the tool tray and screen, and the rubber gasket and "element" that go between those two metal pieces that sit in the box under the filter.  I have everything else, old crusty air filter, spring, boots and clamps with not one crack, and all the screws and nuts.

The tray was easy to find on eBay, but how do I replace the gasket and element?  Seems like something that is not 100% necessary, and could be made at home out of ordinary available items.  The pieces I am referring to are pieces 19 and 20 in the diagram of the 550F airbox below.  The K and F aircleaner setups are identical aside from the boots being longer on the F model to reach the shorter carbs, correct?  They also have that snorkel on the top instead of the tool tray (where did the tool kit go if your 550 didn't come with the tool tray?   



My next question is which drop-in air cleaner should I buy?  I see there is the Uni foam model which is what I'll probably buy as long as it doesn't require a rejet, or I can get NOS Honda but I don't like the idea of spending a lot for 40 year old paper filters that might be expired, do they expire?  The third option I think is this repop Emgo filter:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CB550F-75-77-OE-style-Air-Filter-17210-390-003-/152148716955?hash=item236cc52d9b:g:wjYAAOSwTZ1XnL9~&vxp=mtr

^That filter is listed as being compatible with F models but is it compatible with K models too?  I am not sure. 

[geoluv]

^ I did more research on those Emgo knock-offs.  4 into 1 lists it as a standard replacement for all the filters that came in both 550 models for all years so I just went ahead and bought it from that eBay link above (4into1 is sold out).   

I know people say you can find the stock NOS Honda filters for $25usd but the cheapest I could find them for was $55.  A little rich for my blood, I'm trying to build this bike as cheap as possible as a rat/brat build. 

[geoluv]

I rebuilt the master cylinder today and reattached all my front brake parts.  I was able to reassemble the MC with just a normal pair of snap ring pliers and a pair of needle nose and a very small flat head.  It was a huge PITA but I just want to let other people out there know it is possible, you don't have to buy the $25 purpose built MC snap ring pliers.  Honestly the hardest part of the whole thing was getting the tiny air hole on the MC body clear.  It is hard to find a piece of wire small enough to clear out the gunk.  After that I slapped everything together and realized my bars are about an inch and a half short, the end of my MC runs into the tachometer with my 27" wide Euro bars.  I really should have just gotten stock 400 bars.  I remove the tach, run the lines a way that I think doesn't kink them too much and doesn't offer any areas for an air bubble to form.  I throw some Valvoline dot 4 synthetic brake fluid in and start pumping with one finger on the grip so I don't make the piston go too far.  I push out all the old nasty crystalized brake fluid and eventually get nice, clean, air-free fluid.  I tighten everything up and it feels pretty solid.  Very tight and responsive.  Not bad for the first mass produced stock hydraulic front caliper!  I can't wait to install black GP levers.  Should I go free floating with the front caliper?   Super vent?   Maybe install a second disk for the needed stopping power in the city?

I also got the stock airbox on and it makes a world of difference.  The bike cruises so much more smoothly now.  I don't have to worry about blowing up my head from running lean.  But I don't think I can go through with taking the carbs out and putting them back in again with the stock airbox.  It was extremely difficult for me.  Is mashing down those precious fragile boots the only way to stuff it in there?  For how well the rest of the bike is designed it perplexes me that this is the only way to remove the carbs. 

I ordered a blanking plug for the tach but I am going to run dual mini gauges eventually.  If anyone knows of good mini speedometers with all four lights plus programable odometer let me know. 

[geoluv]

I checked timing today and it was way off, but then I also noticed it wasn't advancing?!?  I take off the points plate and notice the points cam is stuck all the way advanced.  The springs aren't pulling the two paws closed.  (I'm worried the springs lost some tension from being stuck open for who knows how long, now I need new ones, where do I get those little buggers?) So I close them manually with my hand and slap everything back together and set everything up all proper and fire up the bike again but when I'm checking timing it flips to full advance and sticks there when I rev it.   I pull everything apart and notice the points cam is really binding quite a bit on the advancer shaft.  I'm thinking gunky grease (or no grease) but then I go to yank it off the shaft and it is really stuck on there, it was very difficult to muscle it off.  I get it off but the grease is fine, so it's binding for a different reason.  I think maybe the cam got ovalized somehow, maybe the PO bent it trying to yank it off to grease it, maybe it got stepped on in a work space.  But then I notice something; both the two prongs coming off the advancer shaft have very faint cracks starting at the prong edge and going down the shaft a millimeter or two.  I think someone at some point tried to turn the crankshaft with a wrench (instead of the kickstarter) but forgot it was in gear and it cracked the shaft every so slightly and flared the end.  I'm 99% sure this is what is causing the binding because at the moment I am very carefully and evenly sanding down the end of the shaft with fine sandpaper to sand down the "flair" and I checked a few times and I am pretty sure it started turning easier. 

I am going to post pictures of the shaft damage a little later.  I know getting these bikes timed correctly can be difficult for a number of reasons usually surrounding the advancer shaft and cam or the springs.  Just wanted to add one more possible reason to the list. 

[geoluv]

I got everything back together.  I noticed that even though my shaft and the cam were turning silky smooth after I honed and polished them the springs didn't have enough tension to pull the weights all the way in.  Worn springs.  I might do the spring hack but first I want to try to find new replacements.  I can get used spark advancer assemblies cheap on eBay but Im worried they all have worn springs like mine. 

I checked timing and everything is all good aside from it not going all the way back down to the F mark when I idle.  Thats because the weights aren't closing because of the worn springs, but it is a lot better.   At least now my advancer weights are moving and not stuck at full advance. 

[geoluv]

After getting acquainted to the wiring of the bike hands on and staring at the wiring diagram for a few weeks I think I have a pretty good grasp of how current flows through my bike so I figured from what my bike is doing that the switch for the headlight must be broken and need a rebuild because the high beam comes on but not low beam.  I used a continuity tester and found power is actually going to the headlight, the headlight's low beam is just burnt out.  I am going to convert all the lights in the bike to LED because I am going to be doing mostly city riding.