Author Topic: Another project-1976 Honda CB550K (Read 16390 times)

denward17 · « **Reply #250 on:** February 20, 2024, 02:42:08 PM »

Waiting on CI 0.5mm over pistons to arrive, so need to clean up cases in prep of painting, and clean up/polish side covers.

Lots of oil/dirt underside I assume was coming from head/puck leaks. It appears this bike spent some time on dirt roads.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #251 on:** February 20, 2024, 10:05:57 PM »

Careful using steel brushes, of bits get embedded in aluminum they later rust and it is a mess. Didco makes an abrasive string wheel that you might consider if there is a y heat oxidation to address. Just be gentle and play with variable speed drill for one if the wheels in the chuck, slow is fast as they say...don't be overly aggressive.

Congrats on your decision on your pistons. How many miles?
Check your rocker arm cover for any play in the rocker shafts, not pinning them like the 77 and 78 models resulted in eccentric wear for the shafts. You get changing clearances when that happens ..

denward17 · « **Reply #252 on:** February 21, 2024, 04:59:21 AM »

^Thanks, using a plastic scraper and a tooth brush, with Dawn, Simple green and some mineral spirits to clean.

And yes, I need to check those rocker arm shafts, they felt snug when I pulled them out, bike has a little over 12K miles on the odometer.

denward17 · « **Reply #253 on:** February 21, 2024, 12:20:01 PM »

Bottom of engine cleaned and sanded, cleaned again and painted.

Will remove the oil pan in the next day or so to inspect things, clean up and either paint or polish.

Slowly making progress....

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #254 on:** February 21, 2024, 12:26:20 PM »

Wow. Busy day. Looks great!

Floshenbarnical · « **Reply #255 on:** February 21, 2024, 01:33:33 PM »

Can you show a side image of how you secured your motor upside down? I'm worried about putting too much pressure on the cylinder head studs etc

denward17 · « **Reply #256 on:** February 21, 2024, 02:29:57 PM »

^I just slowly and cautiously leaned it onto the studs. It didn't hurt the studs on my 750 when I did that one.

Floshenbarnical · « **Reply #257 on:** February 22, 2024, 06:22:23 AM »

Alright thanks. Just makes me nervous

denward17 · « **Reply #258 on:** February 22, 2024, 12:22:18 PM »

Oil pan off today, looks pretty good, no chunks of anything, just some slimly oil on the bottom.

Cleaned up, polished a little and re-installed with new gasket/seal.

Was going to paint the valve cover but just decided to leave it with no paint, a little polish.

Received my CI piston set today, measurements look good, smallest is 2.3222" and largest is 2.3226", might visit machine shop tomorrow.

grcamna2 · « **Reply #259 on:** February 22, 2024, 12:40:50 PM »

The engine is looking good Denny;I think it will be a dependable machine.

denward17 · « **Reply #260 on:** February 24, 2024, 09:45:13 AM »

^Thanks grcamna2,

Lucky with a good weather day this morning and painted the top of engine.

Dropped off my head yesterday for re-surfacing, cylinders for boring/re-surfacing with new pistons.

Asked for .0006" piston/cylinder clearance, hopefully they oblige.

Next task will be to remove side covers for cleaning/sanding/polishing, replacing a few seals in the trans cover along with output shaft seal and gear shift seal.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #261 on:** February 24, 2024, 12:00:27 PM »

Looks very smart Dennis! Did you find anyone that does vapour blasting in your area? I had my covers done, before polishing and it was worth every penny.

denward17 · « **Reply #262 on:** February 24, 2024, 12:33:20 PM »

^I did actually, but I didn't think to take him the side covers, just the head and cylinder when I get them back from machine shop.

I need to give this some more thought.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #263 on:** February 24, 2024, 01:16:55 PM »

Definitely take the parts from the machine shop. Nothing we do at home can reach in as deep as vapour blasting.

gearsoup · « **Reply #264 on:** February 25, 2024, 03:20:07 AM »

That's why I'm building myself a vapor blast cabinet

MauiK3 · « **Reply #265 on:** February 25, 2024, 06:49:35 AM »

Please post photos of what you build.

grcamna2 · « **Reply #266 on:** February 25, 2024, 09:00:15 AM »

Quote from: BenelliSEI on February 24, 2024, 01:16:55 PM

Definitely take the parts from the machine shop. Nothing we do at home can reach in as deep as vapour blasting.

John,are you saying to definitely take the parts 'to' the machine shop to be vapour blasted ?
I imagine their vapour blasting system has Lot's of power.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #267 on:** February 25, 2024, 09:56:50 AM »

Quote from: grcamna2 on February 25, 2024, 09:00:15 AM

Quote from: BenelliSEI on February 24, 2024, 01:16:55 PM
Definitely take the parts from the machine shop. Nothing we do at home can reach in as deep as vapour blasting.

John,are you saying to definitely take the parts 'to' the machine shop to be vapour blasted ?
I imagine their vapour blasting system has Lot's of power.

Sorry, poorly written! After any boring, machine work, etc., I’d take the parts to be vapour blasted. Most machining processes leave an extraordinary amount of crap behind.

grcamna2 · « **Reply #268 on:** February 25, 2024, 10:58:55 AM »

Quote from: BenelliSEI on February 25, 2024, 09:56:50 AM

Quote from: grcamna2 on February 25, 2024, 09:00:15 AM
Quote from: BenelliSEI on February 24, 2024, 01:16:55 PM
Definitely take the parts from the machine shop. Nothing we do at home can reach in as deep as vapour blasting.

John,are you saying to definitely take the parts 'to' the machine shop to be vapour blasted ?
I imagine their vapour blasting system has Lot's of power.

Sorry, poorly written! After any boring, machine work, etc., I’d take the parts to be vapour blasted. Most machining processes leave an extraordinary amount of crap behind.

The machinist I go to blasts parts with very fine glass beads after his machine work,then washes all the stuff off;it almost shines,but not as good as vapour blasting.

denward17 · « **Reply #269 on:** February 27, 2024, 09:06:12 AM »

Trans/clutch cover cleaned up, polished and re-installed.

Next is the alternator cover, but it is in bad shape, lots of gravel scratches from the bike being laid down I suppose.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #270 on:** February 27, 2024, 04:00:36 PM »

Dennis….. you’re getting good! That cover looks great.

denward17 · « **Reply #271 on:** February 28, 2024, 11:44:14 AM »

Thanks John!

Today I installed new output shaft (sprocket) and gearshift seals.

Sanded, cleaned and polished the alternator cover. The pop off cover looked so bad (scratches and small dings) I decided to paint it.

Not sure if I like it yet, but it does look better than it did. New pop off covers are just over $100 if you can find them.

Anyway, still waiting on cylinder bore and machining work to be complete.

BenelliSEI · « **Reply #272 on:** February 28, 2024, 01:52:57 PM »

Nicely done. A little “patina” just tells a story. I like it.

denward17 · « **Reply #273 on:** February 29, 2024, 11:53:28 AM »

Alternator cover installed ....

Painted the oil filter housing...

Cleaned valve cover, installed new seal and o ring on tach shaft, applied assembly lube to rocker arm pins and have valve cover ready for install.

Mark1976 · « **Reply #274 on:** February 29, 2024, 02:47:33 PM »

One thing at a time, looks great, looking forward to the topend reassembly.

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Author Topic: Another project-1976 Honda CB550K (Read 16390 times)