Topic: 1974 CB550 Build Under Way After a Year..... Finally

[Short Round]

Alright Guys,
     My build has been on hold ever since I decided yo begin my own company, some of you guys might know how working for yourself can be stressful.  Anyways my company is doing well and I am now in a position to restart my 550 build.  I bought the bike 3 years ago for $400.  Got it tuned up and running well, rode it for a season and parked it for the winter.  As the temp began to warm up again I got her out of hibernation and got her running nice.  Took her for a ride and when I got back to the house there was oil comming out of the #4 tailpipe and not just a little bit.  I knew that the compression was missing a little bit across the board and that #4 plug kept getting fouled out.  Anyways I hauled her up to a friend of mines shop where she sat till that folowing fall when we finally went ahead and took the motor out and took her apart, This was Last NOVEMBER!
     After tearing her apart I found out that the #4 piston rings were fried and all the other rings did not look good (got to love one piece rings).  Anyways I took the head home so I could check the valves and clean it up a bit and put new valve seals in.  Last night I finally got around to Lapping the valves back in.  So I am moving along slowly but surely.  Pics coming soon and when i ahve a little more time tonight I will give a list of what I have done so far and what I plan on doing. 
         

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Here is what she looked like when i got her.
Second is the exhaust pot during my Tal-Strip Treatment
Third is the Carbon I was getting out of the Exhaust port
Fourth is a shot of the exhaust valve guide
Finally is a shot of the valve guide through exhaust port after the Tal-strip treatment and a little elbow grease

[Short Round]

So here is what I have done so far.

Got the Top End disessembeled
removed oil pan and checked primary (looks brand new)
Removed valves and cleaned ports
lightly ported the head to remove casting marks
Cylinders bored to take the 555 kit
tracked down a ring kit with 3 piece oil ring
top end gasket kit
checked lobes on cam and journals on head (everything look really good)
checked cam chain guide (good shape)
valves relapped and installed with new oil seals
555 piston kit
polished stainless allen bolt kit
New oil pan gasket
New gearshift oil seal

[Short Round]

Sorry for the lack of photos guys, I am going to try and have some more photos up in the next couple of days or so.  So I spent all last night (4:30 am) getting the baked on gasked off of my jugs,  my fingers are killing me.  Didn't really find any good tricks.  I used a combonation of Scotchbrite, 320 sandpaper, gasket remover, and other various solvents trying to get it to soften up a bit.  In the end it was mere elbow grease and stubbornness.  Going to pick up my bottom end tomorrow evening and get going on cleaning it up, getting the new oil pan gasket on, then its on to reessembling my topend.  I am going to try and have it finished painted within two weeks time, any good tips for getting the aluminum prepped for paint.  Any advise would help, Im thinking of beadblasting before primer.  i'll post some pics as work progresses.. Chris