Topic: 550 Happy Ending! - with video!

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

3 months and more hundred dollar bills later than I care to think about and she's at a very pleasing 97%

Here's the before video after a tune up and tank clean (running on 3, sometimes 2 cylinders at idle) -

And here she is this afternoon -

So here's the list if you dare:

Complete top end rebuild -
Rings
Cam chain tensioner
All new gaskets, o-rings, misc.
Valve seals
Valves lapped
Stainless allen bolts
Oil pan gunk cleaned
Static timed, full tune up
Plugs
Exhaust gaskets
Exhaust painted
Cracked cases welded

Carb overhaul
OEM gasket kits
Rebuilt petcock
Feul line, inline filters
Sync
Foam air filter

+ Brake caliper rebuilt
Front fork seals & oil
Spitfire II tires
RK 530 Chain
Front & rear sprockets
Seat cover
Clutch cable
OEM chain adjuster bolts
Centerstand spring
Fuel cap rubber seal

It's a damn laundry list.

Did 120 miles yesterday on county roads & interstate highway, performed beautifully.
Compression #'s - 130,130,130,135  

Remaining problems
A new development after I let a guy sync it - a weird high pitched metallic rasping at higher RPM, especially at the top of 2nd gear before going into 3rd. Sounds oil starved to me, but it's just below the full mark. It's going to take some detective work and help from you guys later on. Shifter is also still pretty clunky, more so than I think would be expected (when new at least). A weird 'tin can' sound persists on heavy deacceleration.

[Hush]

Sounds good, you don't want them perfect otherwise we don't get to fiddle.

[robe0531]

sounds and looks good

[Dave-and-his-550]

Those exhaust joints/connectors. (The ones that hold in the exhaust to the cylinder head) Are they stock? I like them flat like that. The ones that came on mine are finned.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Those exhaust joints/connectors. (The ones that hold in the exhaust to the cylinder head) Are they stock? I like them flat like that. The ones that came on mine are finned.

I assumed it was part of the aftermarket exhaust.

[ateamsam]

i have the exact same bike, except that yours looks nicer and sounds like it runs better!  Congrats!  Did you do the work yourself?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

i have the exact same bike, except that yours looks nicer and sounds like it runs better!  Congrats!  Did you do the work yourself?

All of it but the carb sync. He leaned my needles out too since she was still running a little rich. Although I'm thinking of picking up a Morgan and syncing myself in the future. Rolled the bike in my house and rebuilt the motor in my bedroom. Ah, single life! 

[750goes]

Good job Boxnife,

It is hard to diagnose from video, but your tappets still sound quite chattery, and also possibly the cam chain tension ??. Not being critical or picky, thats what it sounds like to me.

But it could well be just a carb sync to bring it all together..

the more you do it , the better it gets..

Just rebuilt my carbs for the second time in two years, because I let it sit for a year with old fuel in them.. plugged mains and idles, plus I did the floats again, and found one carb was way out of spec..

reset all to standard and it started straight up and idles very nicely - they still need to be synched though..

 

[razor02097]

Good to hear you got her going,  projects are never "done" they just start a new volume 

I just love happy endings

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Good job Boxnife,

It is hard to diagnose from video, but your tappets still sound quite chattery, and also possibly the cam chain tension ??. Not being critical or picky, thats what it sounds like to me.

But it could well be just a carb sync to bring it all together..

the more you do it , the better it gets..

Just rebuilt my carbs for the second time in two years, because I let it sit for a year with old fuel in them.. plugged mains and idles, plus I did the floats again, and found one carb was way out of spec..

reset all to standard and it started straight up and idles very nicely - they still need to be synched though..

 

The old tensioner was destroyed. No face on the slipper, broken tensioner adjuster. I'm guessing the cam chain is a little wiped out. It may sync up better after tuning, he said the mercury wouldn't flatten out all the way on all 4 carbs.

[andy1976]

That sounds mint! Just recently got my 750f running, but to be honest she's to quiet.
What exhaust do you have?

[bikerbart]

Happy Ending!I heard about loving your bike,but not LITERALLY!!!ha ha

[Laminar]

This isn't the kind of happy ending video I'm used to.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

That sounds mint! Just recently got my 750f running, but to be honest she's to quiet.
What exhaust do you have?

It's a 4 into one - not sure who makes it though. Seems like a generic old aftermaket setup.

This isn't the kind of happy ending video I'm used to.

Happy Ending!I heard about loving your bike,but not LITERALLY!!!ha ha

I just told my girlfriend "I'm either doing it with you or the bike" - I spent a lot of time with the bike.

[Accolay]

Man, that is some great stuff! Your video just helped to motivate me through my own 550 project....hopefully done soon...

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Man, that is some great stuff! Your video just helped to motivate me through my own 550 project....hopefully done soon...

Keep on it man. I did it over three months and just didn't give up. My roommates thought I was crazy and that the bike was a piece of junk because I was literally working on it every day after work or up to my eyeballs in my shop manual. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel!!

[razor02097]

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel!!

As long as its not the headlight on a train