Topic: CB550 Cafe - My First bike build : Day... lost track

[q2418130103p]

So I finally got a petcock rigged up.   It's 1/4 npt, it was quite the process to modify the 74 cb550 style petcock mount...I really wish I did it before paint.

[Free Booter]

Looks like some high dollar parts being put into this bike.

[q2418130103p]

Looks like some high dollar parts being put into this bike.

[q2418130103p]

So I haven't stopped working on this, but I only put in about an hour a month.  Life has a way of getting in the way of your best intentions.  Anyway, I see that a bunch of my images are now dead because of that complete pile of crap called photobucket so I'm switching to imgur.

Kick-start no longer clears rear-set, so I bent it to fit.  I'm not sure what I should do about the discoloration:





The CR29 carbs come up very close to the frame, it took me a long time to figure out how to make throttle cables.  I rigged up a make-shift hotpot, bought some cables form motion pro, and found some elbows from an italian moped manufacturer that just barely clear the frame:




I hated how I did the electrical before, so I started over.  The battery goes all teh way at the end, its a very slim battery from powersonic, only 0.8ah.  I'm not sure how well thats going to work, but we'll see.  I made sure the headlight control switches I got have an off position:




I couldn't find a nice slim tach with oil pressure and neutral warning lights (at the time.... I have now...), so I used some automotive indicators.  Uhg, look at those ugly fork nuts (or whatever they're called):



I decided to use a master cylinder from 4into1, I like how it looks:



I forgot about making the kick-stand longer before I painted it... not sure if its too short now...

[calj737]

Some steel wool or a scotchbrite pad will remove the heat discoloration on your kicker.

[q2418130103p]

Some steel wool or a scotchbrite pad will remove the heat discoloration on your kicker.

I'll give that a shot, thanks.


So its time to start it now, there is basically nothing preventing me from doing so.

Here's what I have done:
 * I'm pretty sure I have the cam timing correct, or as close as I could get it with the slotted cam sprocket.
 * Tappets are set
 * Static timing is set
 * Cam chain is adjusted

Here's what I have to do:
 * I have no idea how to setup these carbs for a first start.  They are currently set as they came
        * main jet 120, air jet 240, throttle valve 2.5, needle yy8, clip position 4, slow jet 60, valve seat 3.2, starter jet 45
 * I used a lot of assembly lube, but the bike has literally been sitting for years.  I'm not sure if I should try to get oil pressure before starting it.  At the very least I should probably quirt some oil onto the cam.
 * I don't have a tach, but I think I could use a fluke meter to start with

[calj737]

Those carbs and jets will be very large for your bike. Those are essentially setup for a 750, so expect some tuning.

I’d leave the ignition off, and manually kick the motor 10-12 times to circulate some oil. Remove a tapper cover and look for some oil in the head (1 or 4 cover are easiest).

[q2418130103p]

Those carbs and jets will be very large for your bike. Those are essentially setup for a 750, so expect some tuning.

I’d leave the ignition off, and manually kick the motor 10-12 times to circulate some oil. Remove a tapper cover and look for some oil in the head (1 or 4 cover are easiest).

Yea, I sort of wish I went with the cr26s, and jetted up as necessary.  But its 592cc with a ported head and hot cam, so maybe it wont be too bad?  I have a set of jets one size lower as well (115 and 125).


Should I pre-fill the oil filter?  Should I pour oil into the tappets? 

[calj737]

You can trickle a bit of oil into the top end, but filling the filter is pointless.

[q2418130103p]

You can trickle a bit of oil into the top end, but filling the filter is pointless.

good to know, thanks

[dailydose1]

Would dial-a-jet work on these carbs? and that kickstand looks sketchy to me

[q2418130103p]

Would dial-a-jet work on these carbs? and that kickstand looks sketchy to me

Those dial-a-jet things look cool, I've never seen those.

Um yea... the kickstand... Its a bit scary but it seems stable.  It stayed up all week.  So thats something.

[q2418130103p]

Runs

[q2418130103p]

I've read a few different views on whether you should do the timing adjustment static or with a light.  I don't know the right answer but I can share my experience:

I statically timed the dyna S using the fully advanced markers while hold the timing advancer fully clockwise, like the dyna manual says.  When I tested this with a timing light I found that a slightly blip of the throttle put the timing exactly where I set it statically, with no variation at all.  At idle, on the other hand, its a bit bouncy and doesn't line up with F.  This seems good to me.

[q2418130103p]

I might post this on the main forum, but I've found that the clutch on this bike is frozen...

So either I did something wrong during assembly, or the plates are stuck from sitting for so long.

I tried pushing the bike in gear, I've tried lightly kicking it while in gear, and I've let it get nice and warm.

I'm not willing to just click it into gear while running, seems dangerous, so I think I'm going to have to pull the clutch cover and pry the plates apart.

[MRieck]

OMG....I remember doing the head for this bike. One of the chambers needed welding etc. Down in RI if I remember correctly.

[q2418130103p]

lol, thats the one.  Back then I figured I'd have it running a few months later.... but then someone gave me a fridge for the garage and now the rest is a blur.

[q2418130103p]

So the clutch plates worked themselves free.  I had to turn the bike on and off a bunch of times when setting up the carbs, and I did it using the kick starter with the clutch in.  All of a sudden it broke free on one of the kicks.  So I was able to ride it for the first time.  Mind you, I had a full sized battery bungee corded to the seat, and I still dont have a mud guard, but it did work.

Also, this carb sync tool is great....

[FridgeRaider]

Great build, what exhaust do you have on the bike in your video?

[q2418130103p]

Its from BCR.  I believe at purchase they gave me an option for the type of baffle I wanted.  I went with chambered.

[q2418130103p]

After I lost, or threw away, or something happened to the firsr gas cap I bought I really couldnt bring myself to pay as much money as I did again.  So I finally found one that had the same hole pattern for only $40.  This one didn't come with a mounting ring, so I had to make that part.  Like most projects it would have been more cost effective to just buy the correct one and work some overtime instead of making it... but whatever.

[MRieck]

Runs

Bump the idle up to 1200 or a little more. Letting it idle especially when new is NG secondary to low oil pressure. Put a fan in front of the engine too.

[q2418130103p]

Hm, well that's a bit of a problem.  It didn't idle long in that video, and since then I've set the idle to around 1200 and used a fan while I've adusted carbs and things of that nature...

But I've let this thing idle for probably 45 minutes total now, usually not for more than a few minutes.  Is this a problem, what should I be doing?

[q2418130103p]

So after a few last minute things like air filters, and making a mudflap, I'm officially announcing the end to major combat operations.  Mission Accomplished team!

Mudflap:


Sock style air filters:


Coil resistor mount:








Lesson learned:

• Engine paint looks cool, but its not holding up.  I didn't put enough effort into prep, I probably should have just powder coated them.
• 3-ohm coils were tool small, added a 1.5 ohm resistor.
• I ran out of space for a reasonable sized battery, and had to use a 4-cell LiFePo.  This seems to be working fine.
• With the 4.5ohm coils, and a modem regulator/rectifier, and the ability to turn off the headlight, I have an absurd amount of charge voltage (>14 at idle).  Its probably too much charge voltage for a LiFePo so I'd shop around for a regulator with a lower setpoint than 14.5v.
• Resistor plugs were a must to clean up the rails enough for the lithium battery.
• The CR29s seem fine with the ported head, bored pistons, and hot cam.  I think they are on the rich side still, but not so much that if affects drive-ability.  I imagine I'll be fiddling with jets and clips for eternity, but I didn't have to adjust them at all to get teh bike started and it drives fine.
• I dont know if its the carbs, or the cold plugs, but I have to turn the idle stop screw up to start the bike and I slowly lower it as it gets hot.
• The carbs dont leave a lot of room for air filters.
• The CR29s are so close to the frame that they required very specialty cable ends.
• I should have spent more money on tools and less on parts.  I should have custom made more parts than I did.
• Planning ahead for wiring was a big plus.  While the frame wasn't painted I made sure I had hidden places to zip-tie cables to.  All the cables are hidden behind frame rails.
• The kick-starter is a lot less work than I thought it'd be.  The bike usually starts in 2 kicks.
• I never liked how the seat made contact with the frame.  I ended up making a set of rubber leveler screws that hold my weight when I sit on the bike, rather than having a metal to metal contact.  I should have designed something better before I painted it.
• Getting the engine running was much easier than expected.  Doing the valve timing with an adjustable cam was really not that bad.  I was very concerned about this for awhile.
• I should have left a bit more material on the front fender
• I should have had a better plan for the rear mud gaurd.  Originally I inteded to reuse the plastic, which would have looked pretty bad and it turns out I never had one.  I think my current solution is pretty good, but I left the mounting tabs for the plastic one in place and I wish I hadnt.  I should have planned to make one from metal all along, and welded some tabs to bolt it to.
• After borescoping the cylinders I noticed some light scoring near the valve pockets.  My guess is that its probably fine, and if it isn't I dont really care.
   The lesson here is: if its working, dont stick a camera in it to look at things you have no plan to fix.