Author Topic: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project  (Read 50833 times)

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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #450 on: September 28, 2025, 05:51:35 PM »

With the Z series nj the vacuum pressure goes back to -15merc, and though the idle can be adjusted to a happy 12/12.5 afr - whacking the throttle open results in motor stall.  W ith my accelerator pump reduced to what it is - i cant put enough of it through to keep the motor running.
Can you increase the accel pump output?

Yeah, i still have the oe sized pump nozzle.

Will see how it fares under a load.

Online scottly

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #451 on: September 28, 2025, 06:11:57 PM »
Make some marks on the throttle at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full throttle so you know which circuit in the carb needs attention, which is determined by the amount of slide opening. The transition is handled by the accelerator pump, so go ahead and put the original nozzle back in.
It would be nice if you could get the dyno AFR sniffer to work. The wand on mine is just a piece of 1/4" copper tubing that slips into a piece of silicone hose. Got any copper tubing laying around? I would find some way to clamp a piece securely inside of the exhaust pipe so the hose from the dyno could be hooked up to it. It has to be held in place or the force of the exhaust will try to blow it out.
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #452 on: September 28, 2025, 06:38:38 PM »
Hopefully the teams dyno can track the usual data points.  Would be worth knowing if my innovate meter is worth a damn.  Its at least been in the ballpark so far. And i've yet to buy a tach that would work with the dynatek output.

The trouble area with the smaller nj's was under half.  I could trick the pump into letting it zing out at 3/4+. Having to work it a little to load up and go. 

But compared to the instant response and no-brainer use of the bb0 nj.  Id almost like to try getting that to work.  It will hold its rich idle with the idle screw turned up a lot.  So if i go to a tiny pilot and a big air jet.  Maybe it will work out.

Online scottly

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #453 on: September 28, 2025, 06:51:02 PM »
Why did you reduce the accel pump output in the first place?
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #454 on: September 28, 2025, 07:35:10 PM »
Why did you reduce the accel pump output in the first place?

I got the smaller nozzle when setting up the vz21 tiny turbo.

i made a graph to represent some of the test results.

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #455 on: September 28, 2025, 07:48:34 PM »
Go ahead and use the stock nozzle, instead of masking a lean accel pump with a rich needle jet. ;)
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #456 on: September 28, 2025, 08:18:51 PM »
Go ahead and use the stock nozzle, instead of masking a lean accel pump with a rich needle jet. ;)

Alternatively, masking a weak needle jet with a lot of accelerator pump?
I get thats basically how s&s super series tune in.  More pump until its running on main

The dyno will decide.  The 4 series turbo sure can move some air.


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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #457 on: September 28, 2025, 08:53:49 PM »
Remember Grasshopper, the dyno is for testing the carb settings at full throttle, which is 90% main jet. ;) Don't be surprised if the 240 is too rich....
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #458 on: September 28, 2025, 09:23:41 PM »
Remember Grasshopper, the dyno is for testing the carb settings at full throttle, which is 90% main jet. ;) Don't be surprised if the 240 is too rich....

Hopefully its more productive than my last couple sittings with this carb.  Feels like chasing my tail sometimes.

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #459 on: September 28, 2025, 09:32:06 PM »

Feels like chasing my tail sometimes.
I know the feeling! ;D
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Offline LiveeviL81

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #460 on: September 29, 2025, 08:27:30 AM »
https://youtube.com/shorts/0Nu_b8fpKLE?si=wsrpF-mDSZ7hZa-Y

After spending the week dealing with wires and sensors and computers.  Got back to the old motorcycle project.
Carb ran okay with a 30 pilot and the bb0+240 jet combo.  Dropped the jetting from 37.5 to 25 after a couple of starts.  Trying to see 12.5 at idle.  LiveeviL was right about the impact of the bigger main/needle. It dumps fuel in along with the pilot circuit.  Haven't tested the 25 pilot.  Its late and im tired.  Beyond that, i would have to open the air jet.

Spooling the turbo improved too.  With the ability to open the carb, all that air flow put 2psi boost on the meter.  And it made the cool kid sounds.  Unloaded!

Glad to have been able to save someone from the same mistake I made. I ran the bike for almost 2 years with too lean of a main, where I kept having to pull out of the throttle as the boost rolled on, It's like riding a completely different bike now. I am interested to see what Dyno results, and what all tuning you are able to do with it. My operator wanted to do a couple different throttle rolls to redline to help me diagnose different areas of the carb (idle, needle, needle jet, main jet, etc) But I had a tappet nut go loose on the first run and thought I developed a tick and called it for the day.
I still struggle with the 1/4-1/2 throttle zone as I do a quick roll on, where the bike wants to lean spike. I drilled out my accel pump to .09 mm and that helped mask it for quick roll ons, but I also deleted the Thunder Jet cause I couldn't ever see it making a huge difference, 0 or 4 turns.

She sounds great!
Young, Dumb, and Broke, hoping to fix 2 of those.

Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #461 on: September 29, 2025, 08:53:08 AM »
Thanks LiveeviL - your experience got the gears going in the right direction here.

Trying to wrap my head around the inverse proportion of manifold vacuum and turbine ready-ness.

What you heard in the video was the BB0 doing work.  While manifold vacuum was comparatively light - there wasn't much issue going from negative to positive - without load on the motor.

The z series nj brings back manifold vacuum.  But the turbo spends more time in the negative and doesn't want to go positive as easily.

I'm all packed up to heard for the dyno.  Having most of it already packed from the races made it easy.

Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #462 on: September 29, 2025, 07:08:06 PM »
Well.  It only made 10 psi boost on the dyno.

And

80 horsepower at Wide Open Throttle!

EIGHTY!!!

Fumigating my garage these past couple of weekends worked out.  Thanks to this forum.
Theres still a little hiccup when the throttle is whacked.  So, pump nozzle change.
And my idle afr was better than the wideband reported.  The teams machine was equipped to plug right into my sensor... And it errored out.  So the tuner grabbed one of his sensors to put in.
Could take the pilot down a step and be on the money.
Inductive clamp tach wasn't picking up and i didn't have the dynatek tach output anywhere accessible.  So we did the math for wheel size and got the redline to match speed in the computer.

With those two things, we let her eat.
Z4 nj and 240 main. 
Ended up adding 1.5 turns to the thunderjet to get a happy afr all the way up
When the actual z6 nj arrives i'll put that in.  Since the throttle opening leans out considerably.

Tried to get the boost up to 13 psi.  But it didn't seem to wanna go that far.
Big bore kit would help to fix that.  Also, the tuner rode it like he would on the track.  So the power built up a little late in the rev band.  Limiter set to 10.5krpm.

Im trying to figure out where all that power came from!  I didn't think the base motor was that strong to start with.  Just a midsize cam, pipes and questionable port work.  Last year the baseline was only 37hp.  From the boost power estimator, it shoulda took more than 10psi to get 80 at the wheel. (Estimator says 47 + 10psi = 78)

The race team chief really thinks i should finish my body work.  Less drag, more records.

« Last Edit: September 29, 2025, 07:13:12 PM by BomberMann650 »

Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #463 on: September 29, 2025, 07:30:46 PM »

Online scottly

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #464 on: September 29, 2025, 08:20:19 PM »
 ;D ;D ;D ;D The green horsepower and AFR curves look the best overall.(Edit:I just noticed the red reference line on the AFR is evidently 14:1 instead of 13:1?) What was done between runs? At what RPM did you first get 10lbs of boost? I think the RPM calculations on the graph were a bit off, as you can clearly hear the rev limiter kick in, and see the power drop off at 10K in the graph..
« Last Edit: September 29, 2025, 08:48:36 PM by scottly »
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #465 on: September 29, 2025, 08:52:42 PM »
Green line was the off the trailer pass.  He cracked it on hard and it boosted pretty well.

After that he started easing into it.  Life begins at 5000 rpm *allegedly*
Honestly didn't change a thing from yesterday.  Just added thunder jet.
Tried to increase boost to 13psi but it didn't want to get on before redline.

Its hard to see the boost gauge in the video.  It goes positive probably around 6-7k.  Could i ride it in a way that makes peak pressure .. maybe

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #466 on: September 29, 2025, 09:12:42 PM »
Sounds like your motor isn't blowing enough hot air to spin the compressor fast enough to make serious boost until the top end, sort of like the Corvair self-limited to 5-7 lbs, and the carb is too big to feed a 550cc motor until the turbo pumps it up. Classic case of Toobigitis. ;D Could you ride it like it is at the salt? I bet a cyber 6 pack that you could!!! 8) 8) 8) 
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #467 on: September 29, 2025, 09:33:24 PM »
Its more race ready now that the races are over 😩

Got All winter to build the body kit though

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #468 on: September 29, 2025, 09:36:03 PM »
What about the smaller turbo? Were you trying to use the same carb with it?
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Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #469 on: September 30, 2025, 06:21:36 AM »
What about the smaller turbo? Were you trying to use the same carb with it?

Had the same carb from the very conception.  Something i had originally picked up to use with the dune runner (dune runner really needed the 45mm honestly)

Its possible that it had the same issue of undersized needle jetting all along.  Yesterday's dyno picked up similar lean spiking.  (Yay for Science and shifting attitudes in light of new information!)
The small turbo had the disadvantage of getting really hot too.  Granted other issues were making it work really hard to get there.  Maybe if i had cranked up the accelerator i wouldn't have noticed the stall before thunderjet would fully flow.  That and letting the fuel mix go to 11 if it needed to.
Should have asked the tuner to record the early parts of the runs below 5k and boost.  The motor did some interesting stuff.  Yet it was taking it all in stride.

Anywho, am on the market for a new bosche sensor and big bore pistons.
Found some cylinders at the junkyard(ebay) - kicking around the idea of taking it to 63mm.
Need to compare the stock pistons to some monkey business.  Then figure out if the sleeves can be bolstered for it.

Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #470 on: November 01, 2025, 04:23:31 PM »
Our friend MachChicken sent me a video from BMST.  First time i've ever heard the motor coming from a distance at full steam.

91 mph pass, first go at 10psi.  Had the motor singing by tower then dumped it into 5th gear.  Lost the momentum.  Still a good time just crossing the finish line.


Offline richmagee7

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #471 on: November 02, 2025, 09:49:26 AM »
Sweeet!

Offline dragracer

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #472 on: November 03, 2025, 05:20:35 AM »
Nice profile video. Looking forward to updates and your next attempt on the salt. 

Offline BomberMann650

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Re: Turbo Charged CB550 Landspeed Project
« Reply #473 on: November 03, 2025, 01:46:40 PM »
I'll give the Honda one more pull across the salt.
2026 will see how far those 82 horses will take the cb550.

Yet, its time to move on.  Got my eye on another category.  More horsepower, more modern, more speed.  Tragically not powered by honda.