Author Topic: 1976 Honda CB550 (Read 12652 times)

przjohn · « **on:** December 09, 2018, 03:22:45 PM »

After a Winter off I am starting a restoration of a 1976 Honda CB550 I picked up from toomanybikesmike. The plan is a somewhat close to stock resto with the only real major changes would be to the color, which will be Porsche Speed Yellow and low bars. Here are some before pics.

przjohn · « **Reply #1 on:** December 09, 2018, 03:24:29 PM »

Got the bike torn apart and have the long lead items separated and getting ready to send them out. The Powder Coat will be dropped off tomorrow. The chrome I am waiting on a better rear fender that should be coming in any day now from Ebay. The paint still needs the tank prepped, and I am hoping to get that done next weekend.

przjohn · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2018, 03:27:58 PM »

To make the engine removal easier I removed the oil pan and the breather cover on top of the valve cover. When I dropped the pan this fell out.

I seem to remember reading somewhere on this site the same problem coming up not to long ago and am hoping somebody can guide me to what it is. It is not a piston ring but looks like it could be something out of the cam or primary chain tensioning systems, or maybe transmission?

calj737 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2018, 04:21:45 PM »

Looks like the cam tensioner blade.

Scramps · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2018, 05:06:22 PM »

It seems small, but I can't think of anything else from inside the engine that it could be.

przjohn · « **Reply #5 on:** December 16, 2018, 04:05:51 PM »

It was one of those weekends where you just don't get as much done as you would have liked. Usually I can get a set of wheels built in a weekend including tires mounted. This was a Molasses Weekend. A lot of time was taken up working on the rear hub. I ended up buggering the threads on the bearing retainer and trying every trick I could think of to fix it, and wasting a bunch of time in the process. It isn't like this process was anything new or I didn't have the proper tools, it just went bad. Finally I raised the White Flag and ordered a new hub on Ebay for $38. Here's a pic of the little #$%*.

And of course these guys aren't any help when stuff starts heading South.

Whenever I build a wheel I like to add more grease to the bearings, it's an old dirt bike thing I hang on to. Grease is a very expensive part of the bearing assembly procedure at the factory I figure cause there ain't squat in there. You don't want to pack it in just coat one side.

If you buy a quality spoke set from a company like Buchanon's for a common wheel like this, save yourself some time.

The front wheel ready to come off the truing stand. I like using a dial indicator because I can see the deviations easier with my "Experienced" Eyes. You don't need one for truing but for me it is easier.

The front disc will be shipped out to True Disc tomorrow to be ground and drilled in a minimalist wave patter. This is another non stock mod that I like.

It is that time of year again. The Wife, her Sisters, and Friends get together every year to have a super cookie day. Actually I think they drink more Wine than make cookies but hey, that's just my opinion.

Stev-o · « **Reply #6 on:** December 17, 2018, 07:35:29 AM »

Looks like your off to a good start...

DanJ · « **Reply #7 on:** December 17, 2018, 07:46:32 AM »

Quote from: Stev-o on December 17, 2018, 07:35:29 AM

Looks like your off to a good start...

Doing what, drinking wine and eating cookies.

przjohn · « **Reply #8 on:** December 17, 2018, 01:34:07 PM »

Beer and cookies

przjohn · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2018, 01:45:59 PM »

I don't sub out much, Paint, Chrome, Powder coat, Machine Shop Services, that's about it. But, I think I'm getting close with this polishing stuff as I am developing a kind of hatred toward it, I definitely don't jump out of bed in the morning wisk open the curtains and scream out to whatever Birds are too stupid to fly South, "IT'S POLISHING DAY" Been doing it for years but it is starting to get old. It is a filthy, tedious, and boring process. Anyway, here are the fork lowers with their mars and gouges blended out, bead blasted, sanded, and finally polished on a 1/2" sewn wheel with Tripoli Polish and then again on a 2" sewn wheel with Jeweler's Rouge.

The wheels are now complete after having to purchase another rear hub from Mrmonkeyclaw on Ebay. I almost screwed this one up too. Do not bead blast, even with a very fine bead, the threads on the bearing retainer side of the hub. It's not like I go in there and purposely blast the Bejesus out of them, but they got microscopically screwed up because they are so fine for a large hole is my best guess. I had to take the thread measurement tool you get in a Tap & Die set and meticulously, work it in for a couple of hours to clean up the threads. Next time I will thread back in the retainer before bead blasting the hub, or maybe do a non Honda bike that has cir-clips like the rest of the world.

Tires are Metzler Lasertechs, I like them, but, we will save that for an oil thread. Spokes are the only real choice in spokes, Buchannon Stainless Steel with SS Nipples. I have done a few bikes with OEM Spokes and then, dare I say it, Ebay Spokes, WTF was I thinking? Give your Resto a few years and check the spokes for corrosion and Zinc whitening. SS Spokes and Nipples are worth the money when you think about the time you put into building a wheel.

I will be in South Carolina for the New Year so the project takes a little break. Hoping to get right back to it and have a rolling chassis by February.

Thank You Very Much for following along on my project. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You and Your Family.

calj737 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2018, 03:27:15 PM »

Coat the retainer and threads well with AntiSieze, then cover with tape. Blast away carefully. Helps protect them more than you think. Of course clean up afterwards is required. But at least the threads are in tact.

Stev-o · « **Reply #11 on:** December 24, 2018, 08:34:51 AM »

Great job polishing, John. +1 on spending the extra bucks on SS spokes, that is a decision I have never regretted.

Happy Holidays

przjohn · « **Reply #12 on:** January 06, 2019, 02:54:53 PM »

Got back to things today after the Holidays but only had about a half day today, Here is a pic of the front rotor that was sent out to Tom at True Disk to be ground and drilled with a pattern I have used a few times before, I then painted the core. Not stock but these old bikes live to squeak disc brakes and this helps, it also has a great look IMO.

Got the tank prepped for the installation of the Caswel Tank Liner. I use sheet rock screws in all the rinses. Starts with an Acetone, then water, then Citrus Degreaser, Multiple Waters, Phosphoric Acid, Multiple Waters, Acetone, Multiple Waters. It then gets the air dryer for about 3 hours today. It then sits overnight or maybe a few days open in a warm room along with the kit at the same temp, any flash rust doesn't worry me with the kit. I am hoping to have it lined this week and off to paint.

Got back to the forks. New OEM Seals are installed, for the price of seals why buy unknown junk? New Tubes, New Springs, and new Lower Stanchion Stainless Steel Bolts as the ones that came with the bike were stripped and had to be drilled out. I always coat the threads of these bolts with a thin coating of RTV Silicone as an old timer told me to do when I was younger. He said it was like Loctite but easier than Blue to break free.

And then the wheels felloff a simple fork rebuild. The David Silver Spares Caps I ordered do not thread. The old caps thread both the new and old tubes. The DSS caps will not. They look fine but do not thread. Kind of pisses me off as this is a pretty reputable place to buy parts from. My trouble is I bought them almost 2 years ago and this project sat, we'll see what happens. I would just like to get the forks together and all they need is to be capped.

Time now to ring the bell of the Powder Coater and see what we can do to get going toward a Rolling Chassis.

Gurp · « **Reply #13 on:** January 06, 2019, 06:44:30 PM »

Gonna make a clean ride!

przjohn · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2019, 02:58:33 PM »

Lots of prep work this weekend. Changed the pickling solution in the plating tank and started plating operations. Once this tank goes on the work bench it doesn't come off till the bike rolls out the door. I try and plate as much as possible in a weekend, going through all the part bags and taking out the parts that need plated, plating them, and then returning them to the bag. This way when I get rolling assembling stuff the project doesn't get bogged down because a single part isn't plated. Still though, there is always something I miss, and then there is a whole motor bolts operation, so the plating tank stays set up and ready to go.

Some plated parts. Check out the corrosion on the middle rod. There is some corrosion there but now with a fresh Zinc plate it should last for at least another 40 plus years. It is good to plate even the parts you don't see.

Powder Coat came back. It is Mirror Black, a Gloss finish. I am on the Gloss Finish side of the fence versus Satin for Black frames. In fact I had to get up from the computer and walk out to the garage to get a fresh beer a few minutes ago. Whilst there, (Don't the UK Folks have some cool lingo) I checked out the 1980 CB750F that is bone stock and that stock frame sure looks Gloss to me.

Triple clamps went on with new Tapered Steering Head Bearings. The Honda's seem to have varying head bearing dimensions. The All Balls Kit tells you to measure the existing ball bearing dimension to choose a spacer for the lower bearing. Well, that's great if you didn't just rip everything out and send the frame to powder-coat. I just measure the distance with the upper clamp and spanner nut and come up with a dimension. This is just like the 750F I did and it needed no spacer.

If you don't have a cheap Harbor Freight Press to do basic press work check one out. Pressing bushings in like this along with swing arm bushings and other stuff is soooo much easier.

Ordered some Honda Fork Caps and got the forks wrapped up. I am starting to loose faith in David Silver spares. The Fork Caps that don't fit is one thing that I can understand, stuff happens. But, the extremely long time you have to wait for anything to get shipped to you is getting old.

Rear Brake is ready to go with new shoes and polish. The reproduction shoes required some small mods to fit but should be fine.

Hopefully, next week there will be a rolling chassis. I am waiting on swing-arm dust seals from David Silver Spares, go figure, right? Thanks For Following My Resto.

calj737 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2019, 03:03:27 PM »

You didn’t plate the brake rod stud on the rear plate?

You’re doing really, really beautiful work!

przjohn · « **Reply #16 on:** January 13, 2019, 05:39:23 PM »

LOL no, I missed that one

Stev-o · « **Reply #17 on:** January 14, 2019, 07:48:02 AM »

Plating looks awesome John...

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #18 on:** January 14, 2019, 10:29:32 AM »

Wow! That plating looks good. There are hardly any places in California that do chrome plating anymore.

Gurp · « **Reply #19 on:** January 15, 2019, 10:18:05 AM »

Would love to see an instructional thread on the plating. Great work so far man! That does seem quite frustrating about the fork caps. Those are both very reputable companies.... Have you tought maybe its your fork tubes?

ChromeDreams · « **Reply #20 on:** January 15, 2019, 01:36:27 PM »

Beautiful stuff, would love to know more about the plating-at-home process as well

przjohn · « **Reply #21 on:** January 15, 2019, 03:32:35 PM »

Quote from: Gurp on January 15, 2019, 10:18:05 AM

Would love to see an instructional thread on the plating. Great work so far man! That does seem quite frustrating about the fork caps. Those are both very reputable companies.... Have you tought maybe its your fork tubes?

No, it couldn’t be the tubes because the caps didn’t fit the old fork tubes or the new but the old caps fit both. The Honda caps went on with no problems. The only thing I can think of is the thread count is slightly off on the reproduction caps. The plating process is pretty much just the way The Caswell Manual says to do it. I will say cleanliness and good prep are a big part of coming out with a good finish.

Gurp · « **Reply #22 on:** January 15, 2019, 05:22:38 PM »

Caswell manual? Never heard of it.

przjohn · « **Reply #23 on:** January 16, 2019, 06:51:46 PM »

Quote from: Gurp on January 15, 2019, 05:22:38 PM

Caswell manual? Never heard of it.

If you Google Caswell Plating You can see the stuff they offer.

Gurp · « **Reply #24 on:** January 18, 2019, 04:49:06 AM »

I'll definitely check it out.

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Author Topic: 1976 Honda CB550 (Read 12652 times)