Topic: Bringing her back to life-1976 CB550

[Leganto]

A short time ago, I traded a Dell mini 10 laptop for a 76 cb550. She is missing parts, ugly, and doesn't run.

But, I think she can live again. Motor is not frozen, but I haven't checked compression yet.

About me: I have a 1 year old that I spend most of my time away from work with, so I take whatever time I can scrounge to work on the bike. I get up early or use time on lunch break mostly. Yes, I am the guy in the parking lot sanding bike parts, with tools and parts in the trunk of the car. I am hoping to line up a day off or two from work to get bigger parts of the project finished.

I have managed to get all the parts I need to make her roll and stop now.

Next step is to get her running. The tank was rusty inside and the petcock stopped up, so I started working on that last night...it's not going well so far. I have a separate post looking for help with that.

I picked up a front fender from a 74 model that was a bit rusty but all there and pretty straight. While I was waiting on the prep and etch to do it's thing last night, I used a dremel to cut the rivets off the brace and then wire wheeled the heck out of the whole thing. I tried the aluminum foil method to clean up the chrome, but it's just too pitted. So I decided to de-rust and paint it flat black to blend in with the tire.   

Here are a few pics.

[Tews19]

congrats and welcome to the site.. Post pics dude!!!

[lucky]

Can you please post some photos?

[Stev-o]

Welcome from Texas! Sounds like you are on a mission to get it running. Do you have a good fully charged battery? Before you try to start it, I would pull the plugs to confirm you have spark.  If you haven't cleaned the carbs yet, it will most likely need to get one before it will run properly. 

Good luck!

[Leganto]

I have a brand new battery. Haven't checked for spark yet. Carbs definitely have to be cleaned. Petcock was solid stopped up with nastiness. Carbs and spark are next up after I solve my tank problems.

More pics.

[Leganto]

Here are a few pics from my recent maintenance window adventures.

More work on fender.  I dipped the supports in Phosphoric Prep and Etch after using a wire wheel on it for a bit....took most of the rust off. Just a little more to go. I destroyed two dremel wire wheels so far. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!

Took me a while to figure out how to get this plastic part of the petcock filter out....thanks forums!  I was worried I was going to break it. But the needle nose pliers did the trick.

I will take a few after pics of the fender soon.

[Leganto]

Maintenance window adventures continued.

Here is my dirty petcock.

I don't recommend this method to stopper petcock bung(finger from nitrile glove and rubberbands)....it leaked overnight.

[Leganto]

Lets make a coloring book. I made a vector graphic with removable parts. I can remove fenders, change seats, or change bars in the layers and play around.

Hopefully I can come up with a configuration and color scheme I like.

[ABikeNamedTrouble]

COOOOL graphic.  What program are you using for that? 

[Leganto]

Thanks. I used Adobe flash cs5. I am most familiar with its drawing tools.
And it doesn't hurt that they retain quality when resizing. I love vector graphics.

[Leganto]

The rubber part of my gas cap is looking a little rough.

Should I replace it? Is it possible to get a new one? Or make one somehow?

[Leganto]

Here is my first draft sketch for color and configuration scheme.

[rickmoore24]

Welcome!! Keep at it, your going pretty good considering your time constraints. You'll enjoying the fruit of your labors soon enough. 

Rick

[Tews19]

Looks good. I used the green blue scheme the sandcast comes in. Should begetting it back this week

[Danno]

I don't believe you have to replace the gasket on the cap unless it leaks it will just vent better if it is cracked a little but if it is cracked a lot and loosing pieces then yeah replace it mine is cracked too and has been for 16 years but is still holding together

[fastbroshi]

Couldn't hurt to replace that gas cap seal.  So your petcock was cruddy; how's the inside of the tank look?

[Tews19]

I just clicked on your drawing and you have some skills. Nice drawing, I didnt realize all the detail until I was able to look at it on my laptop

[Leganto]

Okay, so gas cap seal may be okay for now. Thanks guys.

Fastbroshi, I have another thread about inside of my tank.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=97309.msg1087035#msg1087035

Tews19,

Thanks! It is coming along good so far.

-Jeremy

[Stev-o]

Love the blue color, it that your choice?  I'd start shopping for a chain, and probly sprockets too.

[Leganto]

Yes. I want to go with the blue bodywork. A little bit of chrome and mostly black otherwise(most of my chrome is so pitted it's not workable).

In my drawing you can see the black and silver stripe on the top of the tank, but I am not 100% on that. I want to do some sort of subtle graphic work on it...I was thinking a black stripe on the top of the tank with smaller silver pinstripes...then inside the black stripe a different shade or finish of black graphic of some sort.

Of course...I am still working on some other stripe designs or maybe go with a more stock tank look.

My tank still has the emblem mounts on it...although one is very dented in the middle. It may be too difficult to repair. I don't have emblems however.  Decisions decisions.

Will definitely be getting new chain and sprockets on front and back.

[Killer Canary]

I have 49 of the o-rings for the selector lever on the petcock. Let me know if you need one.

[Bob3050]

As far as the gas cap gasket goes it is still available from Honda and is not expensive.
Bob

[Leganto]

I just lost my job yesterday. So, this project is going to slow way down. I will be doing grunt work and cleaning...but I can't afford to buy any supplies or parts for a while.

Wish me luck finding a new gig.

-Jeremy

[Tews19]

Hang in there Leg. I am in a similar situation. I have applied to 25 plus places. No cigar yet. Only thing to do is to keep plugging away.

[rickmoore24]

Oh damnit!! Good luck Leganto!

[Leganto]

It's been a long while...many things have happened and many changes.

But I am back to work on this bike. Unfortunately it has been untouched in the basement these last 10 years.

I am cleaning again, and trying to find where I left off.  It isn't shifting into neutral, so that seems problematic. Maybe where it has sat so long...and no oil in it...
Not sure if I should go ahead and put some oil in and mess about...or if I should start thinking of doing a complete engine rebuild.

Definitely open to suggestions.

thank you

[wolf550]

I had a problem with my 550 like that from the shifter mechanism in the case.
the roller tab was loose and was not rolling on the star shaft mechanism completely.
the other thing was while riding when I shifted from first to second it would fall back into the neutral spot causing me to do an obnoxious loud rev.

welcome back and are you still in TN?

[Leganto]

Hrmmm....I will have to look into that. Back in 2011 when I started this project, I had hoped to do minimal engine work to get it up and going. But now that is has sat in the basement another decade, it looks like I will probably have to just do a complete rebuild. Unless I am missing something.

I checked the oil and the dipstick is dry. That being said, there is a little drip under the bike. So it is still leaking at the oil pan I guess. I need to find out for sure.
I have never rebuilt an engine alone. But I guess if I remove the oil pan to check things out....I will have to get a gasket or make one to put it back. 
.
But I will have to get a complete gasket kit anyway if I do a full rebuild.   I guess the big "what if" is, what if it just needs to be cleaned up, oil put in, battery put on, carbs cleaned, new plugs, adjust the points...and it starts up like magic?  am I fooling myself?

Yes, I am still in TN. I see that you are too. I am in the east near Va.  Still contemplating looking for a cb750 locally. But I think I may have missed my chance by a decade now.

[wolf550]

if the engine is buttoned up and has not had caps or covers open to the elements, you would be surprised how clean they would be inside.
I had a dirty muddy motor I bought from a guy who let it sit outside in california for years. when I got it home and started to dissassemble the inside was super clean. the nuts and bolts on the outside were oxidized and had grime all over them but they were all clean and shiny inside the engine.

keep an eye out for those 750 bikes I see they are mostley all over past knoxville towards the carolinas on F.B. marketplace.

[Stev-o]

Welcome back!   Try rotating the front sprocket and shifting gears at the same time, that should give you a clue whether you have an issue or not.