Topic: 74 CB550 Project. New to forum.

[joec3613]

Hi. Name is Joe and I live in Coconut Creek FL. I just picked up a 74 CB550 for a great price. I intend to make a bobber out of it. 18" apes, and a hard tail. So far so good. I Changed the plugs and got a new battery. It actually started yesterday. I think that is a good sign. Next set is to send the frame to GA so my buddy can title it there and send it back to me. The guy I bought it from had no paperwork and in FL you CANNOT title anything without the previous title..... Stupid I know.

One question at this point. How do you remove the petcock on the tank? I need to clean it out and can't see how to remove it.  One more question. Is there a weld on kit for the CB550?

[Bluegreen]

I just replaced the petcock on my CB500 a couple of weeks ago and if it's the same as mine you just unscrew the bowl on the bottom (I think it's a 14mm) then there are two phillips screws on the inside.

[cafetimmy]

Should be a cool project. I'm building a 550 right now too and I was going to make it a hardtail bobber too before plans changed. I found an ebay business called TC Bros Choppers, they sell good looking weld on hardtail kits for fairly cheap. Here's one of their ads:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-CB750-Weld-on-Hardtail-Chopper-Bobber-Frame-750_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5185b1584eQQitemZ350135343182QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

description says its for a cb 750 but i think it might fit a 550 frame. Not sure though, i've never compared a 750 and 550 frame. Check em out and keep the updates coming!

[joec3613]

I see the "nut" on the bottom of the pet. I tried lightly to move it, but it didn't budge. I guess I need a little more torque! I saw that 750 kit and called TC Bros. They said that they are working on a 550 weld on and should have it in 4-5 months. Not sure I want to wait. I may not go hard tail on it, not 100% sure. I found a guy in Jacksonville that will rebuild and jet the carbs for $295. I am going to go with straight pipes and cone filters.  I think that's a fair price. The parts alone will cost me $120 or so.

[cafetimmy]

That is a long time to wait. A lot of guys on here have actually designed and fabed their own hard tails successfully. Could be worth a try. The cone filters are definately the way to go they look goood 

[c91x]

Check out http://www.its-titles.com/ for the title issue...

[Flying J]

the cone filters don fiton the cb550s. they hit the frame. thats why most have the emglo foam filters. Also just because he cleans and jets them for you doesnt mean it will run right. You need to sync the carbs while on the bike. also how does this guy know what to jet your carbs at? To get the right jetting the first time after making such drastic changes to the carbs and exhaust would be very unlikely.  Now if you just want a bike to put around on and dont care if it runs that well then you will probably be happy with what he gives you. If you really want to have a good running bike i would suggest rebuilding the carbs yourself to get familiar with them. You will have to pull them on and off a few times when you do plug chops to adjust the jetting. I mean if your going to be hardtailin the bike i sure you have some mechanical know how. And if you start paying people to do everything to your bike, well, then you should have saved the money and bought one that was already done.
Just my thoughts.
If you need any help, or explanation there is tons of info on this forum to answer any problem or PM me.

[joec3613]

I need to look at the filters. It says I only need 2.5" from the carbs to the frame. I'll have to double check. I know I've seen low profile ones as well. As far as the carbs, I've thought about doing them. The parts for rebuild seem to cost about $20 each then jet kits for each. As far as how he jets them, all he does is vintage bikes and I explained to him how I want them set up. I know I still need to balance them on the bike. I may try and do them. I pulled them off already that they are pretty dirty and gummed up.

Thanks for the title info. I will call them and see what they can do for me.

Any input on changing controls and bars? I was going to switch to 1" bars and try and get some harley controls to kit. Someone said that the clutch cable is a problem. Any input?

Thanks for the input.

[manjisann]

These old bikes are 7/8" bars, so you'll either have to drill out the bar holders or find/make some kind of adapter riser.

As for the carbs, they are annoying, but I think if you are willing to take things slow, take pics and ask questions, they are within the realm of anyone to do.


Brandon

[joec3613]

OK well the carbs are off and they don't look very clean. This bike has been sitting for years in this guys garage and it shows. I'm surprised it started at all. Exhaust is off as well. Typical holes where water sat. May look for new shotgun type pipes if they exist. Also thinking about the hard tail or moding the frame, getting shorter shocks and moving the shock mounts forward..... Need to think about it.

[joec3613]

Concept......

[Ogri]

That concept is known as 'Konging', after Richard "Kong" Wilkey who made the process well-known.

You might be interested in:

http://konga750.blogspot.com/2008/08/konging-frame.html (if you want to fit longer forks)   or

http://www.hondachopper.com/garage/konging/konging.html  

[Flying J]

is this more like the frame style your thinking?

[joec3613]

Yeah that's nice. I like that look a lot. Thanks for the pic. I'm looking forward to getting into it. I found some low profile shocks on

www.crc2onlinecatalog.com

Who has the best prices on gasket kits and old parts? Any one stop shop I should know about?

[Flying J]

Who has the best prices on gasket kits and old parts? Any one stop shop I should know about?

ebay

others...
Bike bandit
z1 http://www.z1enterprises.com/
http://www.tasclassicmotorsports.com/
david silver spares
dennis kirk
stay away from Old bike barn!
there are more depending on what your looking for but that's who i generally use.

[joec3613]

I'm trying to remove the pet so I can try and clean the tank. One of the screws holding it in is stripped and stuck. Need to figure out a way to get it out.........I'm sure stuck bolts will be the norm on this engine!

[joec3613]

OK the motor is out! Now what? Well I need to title the frame first. I don't want to put all the time into this if I can get the title. Carbs need a rebuild. I'm not sure what the motor may need at this point. Should I rip it apart and check/replace parts? What is the minimum I should do? There looks as if there my be a leak in the heads, but it's hard to tell since the bike has been sitting so long.

[cafetimmy]

OK the motor is out! Now what? Well I need to title the frame first. I don't want to put all the time into this if I can get the title. Carbs need a rebuild. I'm not sure what the motor may need at this point. Should I rip it apart and check/replace parts? What is the minimum I should do? There looks as if there my be a leak in the heads, but it's hard to tell since the bike has been sitting so long.

I think your best shot would be pulling the engine apart and inspecting everything. Especially since most of these project bikes that we pick up for cheap have been sitting for a long time. That's my next step too (checking the condition of my engine) but I'm on a tight budget so before I tear it apart and start spending money I'm going to try everything possible to fire it up. You can always get a better idea of an engine's condition when it's running.

[byfbo]

yeah do what you can before you tear it out.  My 550 was a non runner, the carbs were gummed shut and lots of things were rusted off, like the throttle cables.  You might be pleasantly supprised about the inside of your motor though, mine sat outside uncovered for around 8 years in upstate NY.  My motor was excellent inside.  Ive only had to replace gaskets so far.

[joec3613]

I finally got the pet off with a little help from my uncle and an ez out! So now the tank.... There is a tan rubbery substance on the inside. I assume this is a coating that was put in it. Problem is it's all coming off and peeling. I took the pressure washer to it and large pieces started coming out. I need to strip that stuff out, any ideas? 

As far as the frame, it's stripped and ready to be modified after I get it back from my buddy in GA who will title it for me and send it back. I looked into a title service, but they want a lot of money. I'm in no rush so I'll wait a few weeks.

I have some time to work on the tank for now. How do you get the emblem brackets off? Thanks guys!

[joec3613]

OK well the frame is stripped and in GA getting a title. I started pulling apart the motor to see what's what. So far so good. I see some marks on the cam lobes, but nothing serious. I'm trying to get the head off, but it's a little stubborn. The rubber mallet didn't move it at all. Next is a chisel.

Tank is shaping up. I used MEK to remove the old Kreem coating, they have instructions on their website. Then I used "The Works" and the tank looks great on the inside. I bought the sealer from Master Series Paints to coat the inside. Once that's done I'll strip the paint and get the bracket off the tank. Haven't figured that part out yet. Any ideas? Are the welded on?

After that I'll be rebuilding the forks. One thing at a time right?

[joec3613]

I have the head off tonight. Man there is some carbon build up on the pistons! I took a few pics. One of the valves looks weird, it's a different color than the others. Not sure what that means yet or how to clean this up. I also cleaned the tank and gave it a coat of the Master Series primer. Wow, what a difference. Looks good. I'll do the second coat before bed tonight as it needs 3-4 hrs to dry. Any input on cleaning the pistons/valves?

[joec3613]

Well things are moving along. The heads and pistons are cleaned gaskets are off. I'm ready to sandblast the heads and paint them. I made a stand for the motor and a small box to sandblast parts in. We'll see how it works. I need to hone the cylinders and am going to change the rings. Another $140 into this....... It will be worth it when I'm done.  

[torchmonkey]

You've just inspired me to make a soda blasting cabinet! Thank you so much for your Canadian ingenuity!

[joec3613]

I am thinking of changing the tank for something smaller. Does anyone know if a 350 tank would work on a 550? They look smaller and may fit my look better.