Topic: '76 CB550-inside look at tappet noise

[denward17]

Just got back from a little vacation and my neighbor had a package for me.

It is the valve cover I ordered a couple of weeks ago with the pinned shafts.  I think it looks ok to install as is, with some cleaning of course.

What do you guys think?

May polish it up some before installing.

[BenelliSEI]

I’d pull it apart and make sure the shafts are clean and polished….. one at a time and put them back where they came from. Add a few drops of oil.

[bryanj]

I disagree, but only because i always fing those locking pegs a real swine to remove and never got them out without damage.
Yes to oiling all the pivot points, idealy fit new pucks and definately read up a lot on refitting so you dont bend valves

[RAFster122s]

I would consider installing a few adjuster studs or screws, whatever they are called... A few look mushroomed over. You might be able to harvest better ones off your old head. Or pop for a few new ones. Otherwise, wear patterns look consistent and it looks good. Pop in a new tach drive seal and clean it up. If running a cb650 cam it would have to have the cb650 tach drive assembly fitted along with a cb650 or cb750 tach ..it ONLY if using the cb650 cam. The head normally would need a little relief work when fitting a cb650 cam and often with high lift or long duration camshafts you might have relieve a few interference points...

[denward17]

Does anyone know the torque rating on the pinned rocker shaft bolts?

Search does not bring up anything, nor the service manual.

[BenelliSEI]

Snug with a drop of Locktite blue.

[Oddjob]

I’d remove the pins and the shafts and check the shafts for wear patterns. Someone has been mucking around with the pins as the nuts on them are not standard. They look to have been replaced with nyloc nuts as they are normally a black plain nut and the washers underneath are the same kind of black stained washers. It’s possible the cover has been replaced with a nos one but the old rockers and shafts refitted at some time, in which case they really need to be inspected.

The cover itself is in great condition, journals are exceptional, like new. The tacho drive being fitted is a bonus but I’ve found a few broken but still looking ok until you go to remove them. I’d remove it and check just in case.

I’ve got quite a few of the pinned shafts, I even had 8 of them hard chromed to try and stop the wear patterns they show after a while, the pins can be hard to remove and easily damaged if you’re not careful but generally they come out ok. Got quite a few spares ones of those as well.

Tappet adjusters look ok to me, but clearer pics would help to clarify their condition.

[denward17]

I screwed in  6mm screw into each end of the shaft and tried to move in all direction, there is no movement, so think I will leave them in.

I did replace the nylon loc nuts with standard nuts, and some blue loctite.

[Oddjob]

No offence but with the shafts being pinned there wouldn’t be any movement, really no need to locktite the nuts on although it won’t hurt I suppose.

[denward17]

No offence but with the shafts being pinned there wouldn’t be any movement, really no need to locktite the nuts on although it won’t hurt I suppose.

None taken, I will take them out tomorrow and check.  Anything in particular I should look for?

[denward17]

The pins came out easy, so the shafts felt ok to me, and look ok.

This is the worst one.

[grcamna2]

The pins came out easy, so the shafts felt ok to me, and look ok.

This is the worst one.

I've never done that job,but wondered:can that shaft be flipped-over for a different wear/surface ?

[denward17]

The pins came out easy, so the shafts felt ok to me, and look ok.

This is the worst one.

I've never done that job,but wondered:can that shaft be flipped-over for a different wear/surface ?

No they can't.  The wedge style pin (bolt) only goes on one side of the shaft.  I guess they could be moved from bore to bore, not sure if that is ok or not.

[Oddjob]

It’s fairly common practice to move the pins so that the wear pattern is also moved. Try moving front left to rear right and front right to rear left.

Quite a bit of wear on that pin but consistent with the mileage it’s supposed to have done. If you can feel a lip on the edge with your fingernail that’s when you should start to consider replacing them but as said, these pins are very hard to find now with no wear or new and quite expensive when you can find them.

[denward17]

New used valve cover installed with pinned shafts, had about a 20 mile shakedown run today, sounds much better.

The old valve cover had a barely worn shaft, #1 intake side (outside shaft).  I thought I had checked all of them before initial install, but apparently that snuck by.
I'm really hoping the new valve springs I installed(Kibblewhite- Spring Only Kit, High Perf., 0.460" Lift, Honda®, CB™ 500/4 - 550/4, 1971-1978 × 1) didn't put too much pressure on the shaft.  Time will tell....

[Little_Phil]

Looks great. Enjoy, you deserve it.
Presume that's badly worn shaft.