Topic: My 1976 CB550 F1 (I think)

[Feyden]

So, I'm rebuilding a 1976 CB550 F1 (or at least, I think it's an F and not a K) and I decided I need some outside help on the matter. So, this thread will be for anyone who wants to sort of help a mechanical noob!

The thing hasn't run since the day I got it, but everything but the Carbs seem to work fine... engine rolls over, electric used to work, but, I'm replacing all that anyway... and, I'm going for the cafe racer theme! Unfortunately Funds have been an issue, but Taxes are coming in!! Looks like I've got about $500 to work with, and I know that some of it is gone already....

$100 to fixing carbs
$200 to electrical
$50 to battery (unless I find a free one in my uncles shop   Cool )
$25 for Clubman Handlebars
$??? For Pod Filters (Old airbox was destroyed due to sitting in shop unused for over 15 years)
(Any suggestions on where to find some decent and inexpensive ones would be great!!!)

So, I still need a few things, AND ON THE CHEAP!!! Quality can come later, but for now, I need this thing to run....

1) New Chain
2) New Tires (old ones are dry-rotted out, and have zero tread left)
3) Rear Sets (Obviously not high priority, but I can't seem to find these buggers for less than $350)
4) Push and Pull Throttle Cables (Old ones are pretty much shot, and I can't seem to find any in my uncles shop)
5) Clutch Cables

Please help guys, I'm taking any and All suggestions!!!!!!!!

[Feyden]

I have a myspace account, that's open to the public, dedicated specifically to this bike building project, URL is: http://www.myspace.com/hondafan550  Check it out, The photos posted are the biked current condition.

[Feyden]

Okay, So I decided after much frustration last week to completely strip the bike down, it was the best and worst decision I've made yet. It was the best, because it went to show me, that I was actually making some progress on this beast!! It was the worst, because in my rage, I also tore out all of the electrical... sort of a mistake, although, I've kept all the parts, and I've found a place online that sells custom wiring harnesses for about $200!!!

With the bike in it's rawest form, I found some good and bad news... first, the bad news, I need new tires, a new drive chain, and if I ever want to put some rear sets on, it looks like I'll need to be constructing them myself, because a set of good rear sets costs no less than $350. Now the good news! I found that my disc brakes (once I wiped old sludge away) are in near perfect condition, and should not need replaced! With this, I discovered that the hoses that lead from the disc brakes are in beautiful condition, and with a bit of TLC will function perfectly fine!!!



http://s822.photobucket.com/albums/zz149/feyden/?action-view&current=frame.jpg[/url]

[Feyden]

So, last night, working on the bike, I remembered I had an awesome set of 4-2 pipes.... Great news!! I was especially excited about this because I wanted to get rid of my 4-4 set, because they are rusted through, and even though I can leave them on, and shine them up to look good, the reality is, they'll never sound too incredible, because of the rusted through spots. The unfortunate news is that the 4-2 set does not work, it's my best guess that they belonged to an older Yamaha or something that had a straight 4 system.

So, last night I started laying the way for making a custom set of 4-2 pipes. The plan right now, is to cut the 4-4 set down, and the 4-2 set down, and merge them together. So, I'm going to be cutting all the pipes down where the main pipe meets the pipe that goes into the engine, right along the weld (re-cutting can occur later if need be... and, it will) I will then attach the main exhaust pipe from the 4-2 set, into the leading pipes from the 4-4 set (since those parts all fit my engine) and, hopefully what will emerge will be at the very least, not ugly, and will sound pretty beefy when all is said in done.


(I say all of this, having not yet gotten my carbs worked on yet, and knowing if the bike will ever even run again... sigh)

Here's the 4-4


Here's the 4-2

[75cb550 (kyle)]

do you have good compression? will it try to start at all?
may have to up that budget for the carbs if you plan on buying rebuild kits.... just depends on what shape they are in.
i cant get on the spyspace at work, so ill have to check out the pics at the house.

[Feyden]

Compression seems pretty decent actually. When the electrical was all hooked up, It would almost start, but the carbs were still a little too gummed up. The biggest problem was that when I turned on the fuel line, fuel poured out of the carbs, all over. A local bike mechanic told me that he'd take them and calibrate and clean them for a few days for only $100, and, I've already put some new jets in them. So, I'm hoping that him cleaning them a bit better will fix a lot of my problems. But, off-hand, he doesn't seem to think I'll need a rebuild kit.

[75cb550 (kyle)]

what did they look like when you had the bowls off?

[Feyden]

Initially, when bowls came off, everything was a sludge, and colored like Varnish. Also, all the valves were sticking, but I bathed the whole system in Carb Cleaner, and used carb cleaner and Mineral spirits to loosen everything up, and, Like I said bought new jets and put those in. I've got them to the point now, where they look 'New', and everything moves really great. (In my opinion)

I plan to be posting pictures of what they look like sometime today or tomorrow.

[Feyden]

Hey, so as far as welding exhaust goes, any tips?? Size of welding rods, etc... I don't have a MIG welder, just a standard welder.

[75cb550 (kyle)]

wish i could help you there... im below novice level on welding... im sure some one else will chime in

[Toxic]

Strongly urge you not to assume your 34 year old brakes are in good order just because they look good.

You need to at the very least change the fluid and rebuild the caliper.

There are lots of posts on how to do it and it's not a hard job.

Have fun with your build.

[75cb550 (kyle)]

Strongly urge you not to assume your 34 year old brakes are in good order just because they look good.

You need to at the very least change the fluid and rebuild the caliper.

There are lots of posts on how to do it and it's not a hard job.

Have fun with your build.

i have to agree. definately change the fluid and see how it works. if you have any leaks at the caliper, its time to take it apart. if you do, make sure you lube the seal and verify that piston is perfect. i dropped mine in the driveway. used some 1000 grit to polish it smooth. and also, lube that seal. what does the MC look like?

[Feyden]

Well, as far as the brake system goes, I actually only meant that the pads were in good condition I think they were replaced new, and then the bike wasn't ridden anymore.

As far as the workings go for the overall front system are concerned, I'd like to replace everything before the first ride, except that I think the hoses themselves are alright. I can at least get good fluid movement through them. The caliper itself seems to be in pretty decent shape. It actually just needed a good cleaning, but by no means do I fully trust all of these parts, it's my end goal to replace all of it.

As far as replacement and parts go, you guys have links to forums, shops, etc...?

Once again, apologize for the lack of photos guys, I plan to be uploading some late tonight... I'll get detailed photos to my Myspace page www.myspace.com/hondafan550 , so you get an idea of how these things look!!!!!!

[75cb550 (kyle)]

ebay, bike bandit, hondarestoration.com, there are several sites out there... most of the time i go ebay.... TASclassismotorsports is seller i've bought several things from.
--always check the for sale section of this site for anything you need used...

[Feyden]

Much appreciated, been to bikebandit a ton, a lot of the parts I need seemed overpriced though, def. check out the others, and the ebay seller!!!!

[75cb550 (kyle)]

to be honest, i dont think i've bought anything from them but they have the fiche/part # reference that is nice. hondarestoration.com actually uses bikebandit's fiches

[Feyden]

Well all, finally got tax return back, so in about 5 days or so, I'll know the damage on my carbs. I'm staying optimistic about them, so I made some purchases. Push/pull cables, throttle cables, battery, mechanics manual.... so, I'm hoping in the next week and a half to two weeks if this beast will start. I'll keep yall up to date, and remember for pic updates to check WWW.MySpace.com/hondafan550   

[traveler]

Sounds good.  Your bike could be wired up for about 40 bucks.

As long as you still have your electrical parts......it could be "cafe wired" on the cheap!

Reuse your solenoid, regulator, rectifier.

then you need a small battery, key switch and about 3 toggle switches.

Make a panel out of sheet metal, spray paint it up, mount and terminate some wires, and it's ready to go!

Check out my build thread...the last couple pages....to give you an idea on how to proceed.

~Joe

[Feyden]

Thanks a ton traveler! Makes me glad I kept all the original wiring!
Also, I just bought a full mechanics manual, with color wiring chart, so I'm hoping I'll be able to re-wire it myself... I'll take it as far as I can, anyway!

[Feyden]

So, fantastical news! I got to work on my wiring last night after doing some shopping at Radio Shack, and the situation is looking good, I should only need to refer to the mechanics manual a minimal amount of times. I bought some plastic split tubing to encase the wires in (really helped with the look, and mess) as well as a large project enclosure box, that I plan to keep my fuses, etc. in, but it will require some modifications. I also bought a single toggle switch, for experimenting with, I kinda liked Travelers idea of the toggles. Tonight is going to be the real mess, I got to start plugging the wires that go in the headlight... and, there are a lot of them!

Also, I should be getting my handlebars in today, I bought the 7/8" variation, we'll see if that messes everything up as far as fittings and such go.... I doubt they will. I already bought new grips, but, it looks like I'll need a 7/8" throttle sleeve.

I also discovered, after a lot of work on the master brake cylinder (cleaned it with CLR, and finally got it almost spotless), that I'm gonna have to get a new one. It leaks fluid out of the push cylinder and gets fluid everywhere.... So, I don't have enough pressure.

[Feyden]

Grrr.... bad news, Called the motorcycle expert working on my carbs, to order some more parts, and he informed me that my carbs were shot. On the upside, he's been working on CB550's since they were new, so he had some spare carbs laying around, so he's going to clean those, and use the best parts of both to make one good carb. Good news to have an almost brand new carb, bad news to have to shell out an extra $100

My clubman handlebars were put on hold for shipping, but got that sorted out today, so I should see those by the end of the week... Everything is slowly, but surely coming about.

[Feyden]

I've started making plans for painting!  

Bought a brand new paint gun yesterday from Amazon, and it looked like a solid deal!! This is a 1.7mm all Aluminum and Nickel spray gun, with a 600cc canister, pressure valve, and 40 PSI, average air consumption: 4.5 CFM... which is okay, I was looking for something sort of low powered, I want to do good even layers, and ensure no running....



I'm having a friend whip up a design from scratch that will be some sort of tribal or celtic stripe running from the front of the tank, to the back where it meets the seat. Going to be Black with silver design.

And, going to do an engine design where the whole engine is black, except for the outside edges will all remain silver, giving it a pin-stripe effect.

Originally I was going to use powdercoat (because it's awesome!) And then, thinking back to my time at a paint factory I remembered that the best powdercoats require about 400 degreesF of heat... so, that kinda shot that idea, so I'm going to use a Urethane based paint, and going by the book on activators and thinners to give it all a good shine. I figure on this being my plan (depending on paint quality) 1 layer primer, 3 layers base, 1-2 layers clear coat.

Painting rims either all Silver, or Black with Red pinstripes.

I also sort of want to paint the exhaust system, since when all is said and done, I'll have welded the pipes, and I don't want them to look tacky, so I thought that a good way to go is black painted exhaust with Gray Sleeves.

I know a lot of people think a mostly black bike is overdone, but I think it's a very solid look for this style of bike, and I think the silver flares will make it pop!

Thoughts?

[Elkie]

I was thinking of doing all black as well, but decided I wanted a little color. Its up to you really, and its not like you can't repaint it later if you decide to change it up. Theres a lot of threads on people painting their engines, do a little searching, get an idea what you like. Does that gun have multiple tips? I think the 1.7 tip is generally used for primer, and for base coat and clear coat you use 1.3-1.5 range. I actually used the "touch up" gun to paint my tank and side covers, which was 1.0. Next time I'll use the regular gun, which has a 1.3 and 1.5 needle, as sometimes it sprayed a little thin. Your expected number of coats is about standard. I would add a primer coat and in between spray a contrasting "film" and wetsand it down to find any high or low spots.

[Feyden]

I would add a primer coat and in between spray a contrasting "film" and wetsand it down to find any high or low spots.

ROFL!! Great Idea!!!!! I knew I was forgetting something, the wetsanding!!! Sigh, it's always the small things, yea, I agree if wetsanding I def. want to add another coat of primer to the list! What is your particular process when you do your wetsanding?

[Elkie]

Fill a bucket with warm water and dawn. Get a sanding block, and wetsand sandpaper. For the primer I use 600grit. Try to follow one direction, not circular. Hard to reach areas have a small piece and just use a finger. Realize when you use your hands you tend to take a lot more off. Make sure to wipe it down with a sponge a lot, and rewet. and clean off your sandpaper often. Process for the clear coat is about the same, but I use 2000 grit, followed by scratch remover and then polisher. This will somewhat dull the paint until you can wax it, most likely 2-3 months later, so if you can live with the finish and there aren't huge defects might want to skip it. Shouldn't have to do it on basecoat unless fixing a mistake, and then you'll want to repaint the area before clear coat.