Author Topic: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time  (Read 119540 times)

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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #625 on: December 03, 2020, 01:52:36 AM »
sorry i don't have the actual specs, it was done by a paintshop. but if you want to match the original paint you can search for the following:
honda sapphire blue (used on 550F1)
honda candy sword blue (used on F2)
i think also the partslist contains the honda colour codes.

hope this helps.

Offline caluser2000

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #626 on: March 27, 2021, 11:58:00 AM »
Pre 1978 Honda didn't keep the pint spec. according to the Honda head mechanic at the time. Best thing for pre 1978 bikes is go to an automotive paint shop and get a color match spray bomb made up which they put a color code on it so if you want another it is no problem,

I did this to match a side cover to the original 1976 orange my CB550F came in I have spare.
Every time you set your ass on a bike, you're playing a game of Russian Roulette between yourself and your own stupidity."

Offline VRodPete

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #627 on: April 05, 2021, 01:27:14 PM »
When I had my bits repainted  my shop found a Ferrari blue (I think from the '80s) that was a very close match.
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The Toys:
1976 Honda CB550F
2016 KTM 1290 Super Adventure
1981 Mooney M20J

Offline ceebee ninja

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #628 on: July 02, 2023, 08:25:53 AM »
Hi old timer - got exactly same koni shocks on my 1979 CB550f2 - except red springs. Would you still have a breakdown of the items used as I want to try & keep the alloy bodies. Busy rebuilding (slowly) - suspension, electrics & brakes to do.

Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #629 on: July 06, 2023, 06:47:16 AM »
oy, are you trying to make friends calling me an old timer?
sorry to be slow to respond - i got your private message as well. i'm just back from travelling and will look for it.

Offline newday777

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #630 on: July 06, 2023, 09:51:49 AM »
oy, are you trying to make friends calling me an old timer?
sorry to be slow to respond - i got your private message as well. i'm just back from travelling and will look for it.

Looks like he just used your own handle....
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A

Offline calj737

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #631 on: July 06, 2023, 12:59:02 PM »
oy, are you trying to make friends calling me an old timer?
sorry to be slow to respond - i got your private message as well. i'm just back from travelling and will look for it.

Looks like he just used your own handle....
Old Timer is not his "handle", Flatlander is. Old Timer is a site-generated reference to length of membership.
'74 550 Build http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=126401.0
'73 500 Build http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=132935.0

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." - C.S. Lewis

Offline scottly

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #632 on: July 06, 2023, 06:22:36 PM »
oy, are you trying to make friends calling me an old timer?
sorry to be slow to respond - i got your private message as well. i'm just back from travelling and will look for it.

Looks like he just used your own handle....
Old Timer is not his "handle", Flatlander is. Old Timer is a site-generated reference to length of membership.
No, the reference is to the number of posts, not how long someone has been a member. ;)
Don't fix it if it ain't broke!
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Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #633 on: July 07, 2023, 05:23:31 AM »
indeed. as really old timers i trust you guys to know this better than a plain old timer such as myself  :D

Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #634 on: July 09, 2023, 12:41:53 PM »
Hi old timer - got exactly same koni shocks on my 1979 CB550f2 - except red springs. Would you still have a breakdown of the items used as I want to try & keep the alloy bodies. Busy rebuilding (slowly) - suspension, electrics & brakes to do.

i'm sure i had an itemised invoice from ikon, for the parts - but can't find it anywhere now. so here's a list of the parts i got, pieced together from emails and notes.

  • Piston rod including eye and new top mounting bush
  • Bump stop
  • Gland nut & seal assembled (custom made gland nut)
  • Rod guide
  • O-ring
  • Rebound stop
  • Piston and valves
  • Pressure tube (to be cut to required length prior to assembly)
  • Footvalve
  • oil, 5W (10W can be used if firmer compression or rebound is needed)
  • progressively wound spring, 205mm (#  205-17/24/31)
  • top and bottom spring seats (only needed if you use the progressive springs as their ID 42mm vs. 39mm for the original linear ones)

i had to increase the ID of the lower spring seat in order to make it fit the body. i think it must have been made for the steel bodies, not the older alu ones.
hope this helps. if you have any more questions please give me a shout.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2023, 12:47:30 PM by flatlander »

Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #635 on: July 11, 2023, 12:04:15 PM »
well now i found it! it was hiding in the basement.
this lists the ikon part numbers.


Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #636 on: July 16, 2023, 11:06:42 PM »
ceebee, are you having any luck with the parts for your alu shock bodies?

Offline ceebee ninja

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #637 on: July 21, 2023, 09:47:59 AM »
Hopefully on their way now from Geoff in OZ. Can you advise sequence of assembly & when to add the oil?

Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #638 on: July 21, 2023, 01:02:25 PM »
that's good to hear. for me, it took them ages to get the parts together. now that they've done it before, hopefully it goes quicker for you.

honestly, disassembly was the hardest part. getting that gland nut to release was tough. and removing the old oil and gunk was no joy. the new parts pretty much fall into place. if you have the zimmerframe page, and the old assembly as a reference it will all make sense when you see it.
in my old shocks there was a brass ring between the pressure tube and foot valve. the new assembly doesn't use this. your new kit will contain some plastic washers that may not be present in your old shocks because they can have dissolved over time.

here's an extra large picture. at the top it shows the complete new assembly. you see the difference to the old parts which are at the bottom.



my old post for easy access: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,134863.msg2142529.html#msg2142529

it's good to do a dry assembly first to make sure you got everything right and that the pressure tube is the correct length. the length should be such, that when everything is fully assembled, the gland nut at the top should not bottom out in its threads but there should be a bit of pressure on the o-ring at the top and the tube itself. obviously, when you cut it to length, if in doubt it's better to leave it a bit too long than make it too short ;)

i used 80ml of oil in each shock. you can just pour it in before you insert the piston.

Offline ceebee ninja

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #639 on: August 07, 2023, 01:30:41 AM »
Hi Flatliner - having problem with new gland nut going into my original aluminium Koni body - too big. New nut is 33.91mm across the threads. Old original - 31.98mm. Notice your part no. From Geoff - J70205001280. Hopefully he can sort this item for me - notice that Stein Dinse also stock similar/same.

Offline flatlander

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Re: 1976 CB550F - making it good, one step at a time
« Reply #640 on: August 07, 2023, 01:47:28 AM »
oh that sucks. did you tell geoff that the gland nut was going into an old, alu body from koni?
i distinctly remember that he had to custom source or make mine, they're not a standard item that they have available. as it was a custom item, i'm not sure how the part number relates to it.