Author Topic: 76 CB550 Cafe build (Read 95136 times)

tshrey · « **Reply #225 on:** August 06, 2018, 07:40:20 AM »

Yeah, everybody settle down. I'm not complaining about the price, the sticker shock was my own fault. I know I ordered a stage 2 port job and as I said above, that was the price I had in my head. Also as stated above, I was too dense to read his very detailed information regarding what is necessary when getting valves.

I don't expect to be fast like Cal doing the wiring, I was just wondering if he had ever written out a wiring plan that included colors that I could just copy. If this is like everything else on this bike it will take me two months to get the wiring done

On the up side I'm going to save $500 and pick up the CR26's that are on the for sale section...

tshrey · « **Reply #226 on:** August 06, 2018, 07:54:49 AM »

Quote from: calj737 on August 06, 2018, 06:55:29 AM

Post the list of components you're using, I may already have a color-coded wiring diagram relevant for you. Which gauges, switches, etc. Key switch or M-Lock? That kind of stuff.

Excellent. I have that sheet at home, I'll dig it up and get back to you.

Thanks

tshrey · « **Reply #227 on:** August 14, 2018, 08:20:47 AM »

Bolting the head on now, it has been so long since I took the motor apart I don't remember some of the o-rings. I bought a generic CB550 gasket kit so it came with the o-rings, including many extras. Can anyone tell me if the thick or thin ones go around the oil passages between the cylinder sleeve and the head? They are both the same external diameter, 10mm. Is the other size for the cam chain adjuster?

Kemp · « **Reply #228 on:** August 14, 2018, 10:03:31 AM »

Thick ones!!

tshrey · « **Reply #229 on:** August 14, 2018, 10:07:13 AM »

Thanks. Any idea if the thin is for the cam chain adjuster?

Kemp · « **Reply #230 on:** August 14, 2018, 10:11:14 AM »

Yes, I think I’ve used the thin ones there with no issues

tshrey · « **Reply #231 on:** August 14, 2018, 10:17:48 AM »

Excellent.

Frame is back from powder, going to get the engine in place once I find all the bolts.

[imghttps://i.imgur.com/1hsjann.jpg][/img]

Godffery · « **Reply #232 on:** August 14, 2018, 11:20:56 AM »

*LIKE*
Oh wait, that's FaceBook.

tshrey · « **Reply #233 on:** August 16, 2018, 05:29:36 PM »

Assembly is supposed to be the fun, easy part of the build. I have the head on and torqued, cam chain guide and tensioner are in correctly, tensioner bolt is set to make it as loose as possible. Took some real wrestling just to get the cam gear onto the chain. What the hell is the trick to getting the cam in through the gear? There is literally no room. This is a new cam chain.

tshrey · « **Reply #234 on:** August 16, 2018, 05:52:53 PM »

So it just dawned on me I should put the came and gear through the chain first, duh. I took the cam out originally because with it in there I couldn't get the chain on the gear.

tshrey · « **Reply #235 on:** August 16, 2018, 09:22:09 PM »

Took one more crack at it and stopped short before I threw the engine across the garage. I can't get the cam gear to drop low enough to fit the chain up over with the cam in place. This is a 650 cam and I'm using my 550 cam gear - do I need to use a 650 gear? Like maybe the opening in the gear is larger and lets it sit down more? Definitely need to walk away from this for a bit before I retry.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #236 on:** August 16, 2018, 10:30:07 PM »

Are you trying to fit the chain on the 550 cam gear with the cam gear already bolted up? That clearly won't work of course.
Try to get a bright light on the cam chain in the tunnel to ensure it is following the guides and doesn't have a catch shortening the chain. Tensioners are fully backed off and you have rotated the cam gear in the slots with the cam? You are not alone running into trouble. Many do. Sometimes it just takes a lot of patience and repeated attempts until things click and you realize why it was not working.

Ask FunJimmy about his Duc motor rebuild after it did a little melting of the piston. If you have the skills to do Duc service and a mentor you can pick it up and do it, otherwise the beasts can be VERY HIGH MAINTENANCE like some Italian women.
Duc service is often 4 digits and mid 4 digits is not unheard of...just think if you paid a mechanics rates for your rebuild. Quadruple or triple that number for a Duc that has something go wrong.

The cost of motorcycles is always much higher than just buying the bike and gear...insurance and mtce sometimes add up to sizeable annual costs on many bikes, luckily once sorted Hondas are not among that group...

David

tshrey · « **Reply #237 on:** August 17, 2018, 05:06:04 AM »

That was my first thought Cal. The only way I have enough slop in the chain to get it on the sprocket is if the cam isn't in place. But once the chain is on the sprocket there is no way to slide the cam through, it just sits too low for that to happen.

I'm starting to wonder if there isn't a link binding funny on the lower gear down in the case. I'm going to pull the sprocket and cam out and crank the engine forward and make sure the chain is moving on the primary correctly.

tshrey · « **Reply #238 on:** August 17, 2018, 06:16:38 AM »

Well this is some #$%*. See pic below. I rolled the engine forward a full rotation to make sure nothing is binding and then installed the sprocket on the chain. I measured the diameter of the hole in the sprocket. The centerline of that hole with the chain installed is below the centerline of the cam carriers, so there is no way this is going to work. I'm wondering if I just got a bad cam chain. It isn't original, it is the replacement one that David Silver sells. Anyone happen to know how many links it is supposed to have?

tshrey · « **Reply #239 on:** August 17, 2018, 06:41:00 AM »

Well thanks, youtube. I just watched a video on cylinder/head installation and realized I have the cam guide plastic on the outside of the chain guiding the chain to the inside. This is wrong by 180 degrees and should be inside the chain.

I have already torqued the head nuts down. Do I need a new head gasket if I release the nuts and pull the head off?

RAFster122s · « **Reply #240 on:** August 17, 2018, 07:09:28 AM »

MLS I believe you will be fine since you have not heat cycled it, but Cal will be able to answer for certain. Composite traditional I think you risk leaks trying to do that...
Cal and others following will chime in with the definitive. Having oil pan off can give you more viewing capability? And lighting...

The inexpensive cell or computer horoscope tools come in handy for times like this...

RAFster122s · « **Reply #241 on:** August 17, 2018, 07:12:38 AM »

Quote from: tshrey on August 17, 2018, 06:41:00 AM

Well thanks, youtube. I just watched a video on cylinder/head installation and realized I have the cam guide plastic on the outside of the chain guiding the chain to the inside. This is wrong by 180 degrees and should be inside the chain.

I have already torqued the head nuts down. Do I need a new head gasket if I release the nuts and pull the head off?

Sometimes it is 1 1/2 steps forward and 2 or 3 back when learning...at least you are learning...so don't let it get you down!

tshrey · « **Reply #242 on:** August 17, 2018, 09:56:10 AM »

Next backstep. Unsurprisingly it isn't much of a chore to get the chain on the sprocket and the cam in place when you have the chain guide in the right orientation. But now a new issue, the cam is out of phase of the crank by ~90 degrees.

The manual shows the cam mark pointing right and the nearest lobe pointing up and left but my lobe is down and left. I checked my stock 550 cam and it is the same so I guess it is just a drawing error.

Any ideas?

tshrey · « **Reply #243 on:** August 17, 2018, 10:21:32 AM »

I'm tempted to delete all the posts from today just because of the number of stupid things I've done. It just dawned on me that the sprocket can be oriented in any position AND THEN get the chain on it. I feel so dense. Thank you all for the help.

tshrey · « **Reply #244 on:** August 17, 2018, 12:58:52 PM »

I have to buy an ignition system yet, so that will be a bit. I did pick up CR26's so that is the biggest single expense left on the bike out of the way. I just wanted to get the top buttoned up so I didn't have to work around the frame. Next step is to get a bolt order together to put the engine into the frame, just have to find all the bolt sizes.

I think you said you wound up machining your own bolt for the big one that goes in the back of the engine. Now that I have a lathe I'm going to do that too, just weld a nut on one end and then thread the other.

tshrey · « **Reply #245 on:** August 24, 2018, 09:09:07 PM »

Pretty stoked, finished buttoning up the motor tonight. Still have to adjust all the tappets, but it is now oil tight so I can lay it on it's side and put it in the frame tomorrow.

Need to make a big order for fasteners but I thought I'd get it in the frame, measure everything once I figure out which bolt goes where and then I can swap them out one at a time when I get them.

tshrey · « **Reply #246 on:** August 25, 2018, 05:31:38 AM »

Only by accident since I had to pull the head back off to fix the orientation of the cam chain guide

Godffery · « **Reply #247 on:** August 26, 2018, 07:30:39 PM »

Quote from: tshrey on August 24, 2018, 09:09:07 PM

What keeps your Tach plug in place?

tshrey · « **Reply #248 on:** August 27, 2018, 05:19:16 AM »

Sheer force of will?

It is a really tight fit with the oring I machined into it, was going to ask how much actual pressure is in that area. I could always add a screw with a tab on it.

flatlander · « **Reply #249 on:** August 27, 2018, 05:33:34 AM »

i'd add a screw. not sure i trust a piece of alu to have much of a will of its own

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Author Topic: 76 CB550 Cafe build (Read 95136 times)