Author Topic: 1976 CD550Fss high idle when hot  (Read 1827 times)

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Offline HondaMan

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Re: 1976 CD550Fss high idle when hot
« Reply #25 on: April 21, 2025, 07:42:24 PM »
She always looks better in the twilight... ;)

Where did that bike come from? I have only seen those carbs once before, and it wasn't on a North American bike.
My guess, based on the type of idle-mix screw you have, would be a setting range for those of between 3/4 and 1-1/2 turns, richer as the screw goes out.

But, don't overlook these other possibilities:
The sparkplug heatrange should be 7, not 8. And the X22ES-U plugs (heatrange 7) tend to work a little better overall with those early-style mixers. While this won't necessarily affect the idle, it will help them stay cleaner: also use Regular grade gasoline instead of Premium today, as our modern Regular grades burn closer to the rate of 1970s era Premiums. If there is some unburnt fuel in the intake passages (which is a 100% possibility in the 500/550 intake design) it will help if it has a lower boiling temperature - like Regular grade does.

Try retarding the spark timing (under a timing light, for accuracy) about 2 degrees to see if it improves things a little bit. If so, then the spark advancer springs are sacked from heat-annealing (softening) and they are not retracting the weights as soon as they should during deceleration. This is EXTREMELY common on the 500/550 engines, because the springs were marginally too soft in the 1970s. I recommend cutting off 1/2 turn from both springs as a start: most of them I fix take 1 full turn off both springs in the end to make them idle down well when hot, and the slightly slower advance reduces the flat spot that happens just as you are fully releasing the clutch, too. This also helps match fuel burn rate and spark advance angle.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2025, 07:55:23 PM by HondaMan »
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Offline Deltarider

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Re: 1976 CD550Fss high idle when hot
« Reply #26 on: April 22, 2025, 12:25:54 AM »
All CB550Fs, even the last F2, had the oldstyle Keihins. Stamped in number was 069A.
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Offline 550Fss

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Re: 1976 CD550Fss high idle when hot
« Reply #27 on: April 22, 2025, 01:38:33 PM »
Thank you all for your questions and suggestions. I guess I will try out the #38 slow jets and see what happens.  May as well get some new plugs as well. Happy to hear any other ideas anyone might have. Thanks again.

Offline newday777

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Re: 1976 CD550Fss high idle when hot
« Reply #28 on: April 22, 2025, 01:43:19 PM »
Have you found the carb numbers yet?
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!
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Online pjlogue

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Re: 1976 CD550Fss high idle when hot
« Reply #29 on: April 22, 2025, 02:46:12 PM »
If the bike ever had aftermarket idle air needle springs put into the carbs, they may have shaved off metal from either the idle air screw or the carb body.  After market  springs (cheap ones) have the ends of the springs cut at 90 degrees to the wire.  This gouges either the air screw or the carb body and deposits shavings in the air passage. 

Use original OEM springs or sand the ends of non OEM springs so both ends are smooth and will not gouge metal out of the air screw or the carb body.

-P.

Online pjlogue

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Re: 1976 CD550Fss high idle when hot
« Reply #30 on: April 22, 2025, 02:49:55 PM »
Also, there needs to be a little bit of slack in the throttle cables when the bike is cold.  If cables are "snug" while the bike is cold, it will have a high idle when the bike is warm.

-P.