Author Topic: New here just accquired a 1974 CB550 Four few questions.... (Read 6328 times)

cb550ict · « **on:** January 23, 2010, 12:41:10 PM »

i need to get some new plug wires, my question is where to get them and what should i get the OEM ones or after market??

also i am going to try and post a pic of my bike thats a 74 but it looks brown to me and brown is not one of the colors listed for 1974 so i am confused. anyways i look forward to hearing everyones input.

Gordon · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2010, 01:00:33 PM »

That's Boss Maroon Metallic. The '76 was brown, but had a different stripe/decal design.

dave500 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2010, 01:18:56 PM »

the wires are encapsulated into the coils .you can use aftermarket coils and wires.

cb550ict · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2010, 02:59:06 PM »

so does this mean that i have to buy new wires and a coil all in one piece? I cant just buy the replacement plug wires?

OldSchool_IsCool · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2010, 03:02:24 PM »

What's wrong with the original wires?

GREAT helmet too, by the way!

Oh and the multi-color car in the background, NICE! Great for "conflicting eye-witness reports"

cb550ict · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2010, 03:09:57 PM »

1 and 4 are good solid connections, but the wires pull right out of 2 and 3, and there is not enough wire left to cut them shorter so the end can screw on. BTW the car in the background is a VW Harlequin Golf, that is the factory paint scheme.

shizzomynizzo · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2010, 04:22:04 PM »

Some people cut the original wires, drill down where the wires plug into the coil, and epoxy new ones in. A little more to it than that, but it's in the faq i believe.

Go to Napa, and ask for 8mm metallic center plug wire. they sell it by the foot. Then you can either replace it like in the faq, or just splice it in with the existing wires. If you cut the originals short enough, you wont see the splice when the tank is on. I did that until I bought new coils.

Good luck

fmctm1sw · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2010, 04:34:55 PM »

Here's my experience: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=63141.0

The last photo is of the coil is a plug wire I cut off and inserted a nail brad into. I then jammed the replacement wire (from Z1) on it and electrical taped it together. It was supposed to be a temp fix until I thought of better idea but I've run it a month or so like that..

dave500 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2010, 06:10:24 PM »

i had a look at some mazda mx5 coils,they run a wasted spark,the coils have two outlets,they look like an easy mod to fit in the honda location,i want to find out the resistance they have.,mine are ok but for the future id like to use spiral wound leads.

cb550ict · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2010, 06:48:02 PM »

does anyone have a link where i can buy new coils?

TwoTired · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2010, 07:24:03 PM »

The red pigment that was used originally, faded to nothing. Take the red out of maroon and you get the brown you see there. I have one the same color. The original maroon was quite fetching, as was Honda's Red colors. But they too faded badly.

You may still see what the original color looked like on the bottom of the tank or the street side of the side covers.

cb550ict · « **Reply #11 on:** January 24, 2010, 01:26:11 PM »

i would love to get this running and repaint it back to boss maroon metallic, anyone know where i could get some paint that would look correct? has anyone here repainted a BMM? if so i would love for you to post some pics so i can see how it came out.

fmctm1sw · « **Reply #12 on:** January 24, 2010, 02:09:10 PM »

Quote from: cb550ict on January 24, 2010, 01:26:11 PM

i would love to get this running and repaint it back to boss maroon metallic, anyone know where i could get some paint that would look correct? has anyone here repainted a BMM? if so i would love for you to post some pics so i can see how it came out.

I think it's called "vintagehondapaint.com"

MickeyX · « **Reply #13 on:** January 24, 2010, 02:12:34 PM »

Looking up the part #s for your coils, it shows that they are the same for all of these if you want a perfect match to original...

1971 Honda CB500
1972 Honda CB500K1
1973 Honda CB500K2
1974 Honda CB550
1975 Honda CB550F
1975 Honda CB550K1
1976 Honda CB550F
1976 Honda CB550K

Ecosse · « **Reply #14 on:** January 24, 2010, 04:51:14 PM »

take good care of those exhaust.

like your bike.

what country are you from? never seen a golf like that around here.

good luck with your coils.

cb550ict · « **Reply #15 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:02:33 PM »

i am from Wichita Kansas, do a google search on vw golf harlequin. unfortunately the exhausts on the other side are dented and rusty, but i am going to try and piece a together a good set. I would also like to know if there is a way to tell the original factory color from the vin#, i really like the candy jade metallic color and it would be correct for this year of cb 550/4 but the boss maroon metallic is i believe the original color and the more rare of the two. I just wish i could find a good picture of what it looks like.

Kframe · « **Reply #16 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:33:23 PM »

Quote from: fmctm1sw on January 24, 2010, 02:09:10 PM

I think it's called "vintagehondapaint.com"

Great link, thanks for posting that up!

-K

steam-powered man · « **Reply #17 on:** January 24, 2010, 07:57:13 PM »

would coils from a '77cb550k work as well?

(i have a set of inexpensive coils from my '77550k donor bike if needed.)

bobp

78whiteorbs · « **Reply #18 on:** January 24, 2010, 08:02:24 PM »

No need to replace the coils if you just have bad/to short wires. NGK makes splicers for spark plug wire. used them plenty. Actually have a few I'll sell you at cost. It is the same idea s the nail splice only professional manufactured with caps to keep out moisture.
BTW I did not know napa carried copper core spark plug wire. The one were I live doesn't. Accel makes some but they are ridiculously expensive . You can buy from alot of vintage out board motor stores cheap , like less than a dollar a foot.

cb550ict · « **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2010, 07:07:24 AM »

still looking for pictures of boss maroon metallic UNFADED or repainted factory color. thanks

shizzomynizzo · « **Reply #20 on:** January 26, 2010, 10:38:46 AM »

All my local napa's carry it. They have to pull the big book out and look it up. Usually only a few stores per state have a large 1000 foot roll and have to order a small piece. They will ship it to your local store and there ya go!

If you have a lazy worker then they will just say no. Ask to see their ignition catalog if they say no.

Ecosse · « **Reply #21 on:** January 26, 2010, 11:29:45 AM »

Quote from: cb550ict on January 26, 2010, 07:07:24 AM

still looking for pictures of boss maroon metallic UNFADED or repainted factory color. thanks

not the best image but i have another, larger-better, somewhere. will find.

cb550ict · « **Reply #22 on:** January 26, 2010, 01:25:21 PM »

so i guess my bike is pretty close as is to unfaded? i thought they had more of a purplish color to them, i took the tank and side covers off to try and see if there was some different color in the unexposed areas and there really wasn't. thanks for posting the pic.

Ecosse · « **Reply #23 on:** January 26, 2010, 02:02:56 PM »

hope this helps. i see a clear difference between the boss maroon and 'faded glory' brown.

different monitors might alter things a bit too.

cb550ict · « **Reply #24 on:** January 26, 2010, 03:02:47 PM »

yes i too see the difference now!! thanks for that pic! that bike is very clean. i emailed vintage hondapaints to get some new paint.

TwoTired · « **Reply #25 on:** January 26, 2010, 03:25:59 PM »

Quote from: Ecosse on January 26, 2010, 02:02:56 PM

hope this helps. i see a clear difference between the boss maroon and 'faded glory' brown.

different monitors might alter things a bit too.

Whoops, that's a 76 model, and is "Candy Garnet Brown" not "Boss Maroon Metallic".

Ecosse · « **Reply #26 on:** January 26, 2010, 03:32:52 PM »

as the kids say... my bad.

edit: maybe some day someone with a good camera can take (good) pix of each year bike with oem color.

hard to find high quality images.

TwoTired · « **Reply #27 on:** January 26, 2010, 03:43:08 PM »

Quote from: cb550ict on January 26, 2010, 01:25:21 PM

so i guess my bike is pretty close as is to unfaded?

That is highly unlikely.

It wasn't just the red that faded out of it. There was some blue tint in there, too.
The color you see is highly dependent on the type of light that shines upon it. Flourescent and incandescent lights reflect differently than pure sunlight, as they have there own color bias.

The original paint was had a candy/blue/red tint spray over the metallic and a clear coat over that. The metallic flecks in the paint cast a purplish hue in the reflected color. Below are what I recall the color used to be. The first picture is more or less how I remember it when new. The last picture is a bit lighter shade. But, you can see in the complex shape how the color, hue and reflection change how the paint looks on an irregular shaped object.

Even these pics will change hue depending on how your particular monitor render colors. So, it may look different on your monitor than it does on mine.
I'm using 24 inch MAC LCD monitor with the standard iMac color profile, FYI.

cb550ict · « **Reply #28 on:** January 27, 2010, 06:47:01 AM »

now that i like!! was hoping it wasnt too purpley!!

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Author Topic: New here just accquired a 1974 CB550 Four few questions.... (Read 6328 times)