Author Topic: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts  (Read 85 times)

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Offline CommanderRevz

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76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« on: April 02, 2026, 02:05:48 PM »
The receptical "ears" that secure the starter stud rods into the top crankcase have broken. Without splitting the case to replace or weld, there is the suggestion of building this area back up with JB Weld or similar. I'm wondering how much success people have had with this kind of repair. I REALLY do not want to split the case. I did a top end refresh with new rings and lapped valves to get the compression up on this barn find. The bike is going back together and splitting the case would be a major setback. I also don't want to f around with the JB Weld method if it isn't going to work. Thanks!

Offline newday777

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2026, 04:18:45 PM »
Pictures would be a good idea here to see the damage and what is left.
Starters are high torque and need to be secured properly.
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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Prior bikes....
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Offline CommanderRevz

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #2 on: Today at 03:46:15 AM »
Thanks,
Here are a couple of pictures.

Offline newday777

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #3 on: Today at 05:33:11 AM »
Those can be welded back up without splitting the cases then drilling and tapping the threads.
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, 1 K2, 4 K6, 1 K8, 1 F1, 1 F3
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 CommanderRevz

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #4 on: Today at 07:40:40 AM »
Thanks for your advice.
So you are saying not to try the JB Weld option; they should be welded.
So it's ok to weld with the crankcase together?
Is it ok to do this with the engine in the bike?

Offline newday777

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #5 on: Today at 08:21:52 AM »
Talk to your welder that is capable of welding cast aluminum
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, 1 K2, 4 K6, 1 K8, 1 F1, 1 F3
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 CommanderRevz

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #6 on: Today at 08:26:36 AM »
Will do.
Thanks again for your advice.

Does anyone have any suggestions for who could do this type of welding in the Twin Cities are of MN?
« Last Edit: Today at 08:39:45 AM by CommanderRevz »

Offline scottly

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #7 on: Today at 09:30:18 AM »
Thanks for your advice.
So you are saying not to try the JB Weld option; they should be welded.
So it's ok to weld with the crankcase together?
Is it ok to do this with the engine in the bike?
Welding that close to the cylinder base gasket or the split in the case halves could possibly create leaks, and the machining would require that the engine be removed from the bike. I would just kick-start the bike if I were you.
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Offline HondaMan

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Re: 76 550F Broken Starter Stud Mounts
« Reply #8 on: Today at 10:01:07 AM »
What Scottly said ^^^...

I have had similar situations with the CB750 cases nearby that area (chain crashed thru cases) and can only offer a little bit of advice that you should take to a KNOWLEDGEABLE and SKILLED welder with some form of wire-feed welder (not stick welding), as JB Weld can't take the torque a starter can dish out:

The case can get hot enough to warp and sag if the welding continues too long. This happens because welders like to heat up the whole area first so it is easier to lay new weld onto the site. Instead, it must be first filed (or ground) flat, then the bosses built up a little at a time with lots of cooling time in between weld sessions: lots of welders I know won't do it. If it is done by heating the whole case up until it is easiest to dab on new weld, the case can warp: then the case may have to be machined very precisely flat again so they will mate, or it will leak oil where they join - right next to the weld (they soften and lose some shape).

I might suggest this approach if you still want the electric starter: make up some small bosses (round or square) that will fit on those mount sites, then file those bosses to have a flat surface, then have the new parts welded onto those original bosses. Then hand-file them until they will mount the starter straight and in-line with the nose of the starter so it will fit perpendicularly to the face where the starter shaft inserts into the engine. Otherwise the starter shaft will sit at an angle and troubles will happen with the engagement inside the engine. After all this, mark and drill & tap the new bosses for the 6x1mm holes, drilling just into the old bosses for a couple of extra threads to help bind the starter, new bosses, and case together when the starter's mounting bolts are installed, This might entail using slightly longer (or custom-trimmed versions of even longer) bolts to mount the starter.

It is do-able, but painful. I usually only do this stuff on sandcast 750 engines, as they are valuable enough to support it. The last one I did (cases crashed with chain) cost more for the crashed-case welding-machining repairs than the whole rest of the engine's rebuild, and it started out as a mass of rust and dust from 40 years of sitting in a Texas shed, engine open, needing every "update" that Honda had for the sandcast engines, to boot.
« Last Edit: Today at 10:02:51 AM by HondaMan »
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