Author Topic: 74' CB550 first bike, first rebuild...  (Read 1565 times)

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Offline kdmi

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74' CB550 first bike, first rebuild...
« on: November 30, 2011, 01:54:27 PM »
So last year we moved across Canada, insurance costs in Ontario are disgusting so I decided this would be the time to rip apart and rebuild my '74 CB550 from the ground up (at least that was my intention).

Having ripped it apart last winter and never getting back to it because I thought I would have 4 years to work on this beast I recently found myself slightly panicked that I'm going to be shipping it back across Canada in pieces as we decided to return to Saskatchewan in June of 2012 (about 6 months)

So I quickly started ripping apart the top end of the engine that has been sitting on my tool chest for nearly a year found some interesting discoveries like a chipped valve (obviously not much a seal there) and half a piston ring missing? So I've been ordering parts like crazy and all I can say now is...

I hope these things go back together as easy as they come apart

I will start posting the tear down photos shortly (unfortunately I shot them all RAW so they have to be exported as jpeg)

So what was originally going to be a cosmetic rebuild has become a mechanical rebuild, engine, clutch, forks etc. and if there is any opportunity I'll try my hand at building a custom seat etc. I really want to ditch that big ugly tail light assembly but we're running against the clock now and time is limited!
I'm a web developer not a mechanic, I spent ten years building some of the best electric bass guitars in the world so I know my way around tools - but again I'm not a Mechanic so bear with me and my questions, and Thanks in advance!

Offline fastbroshi

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Re: 74' CB550 first bike, first rebuild...
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2011, 04:22:46 AM »
You shouldn't have to download your pics directly to this site.  Lots of folks, myself included, just put them on a picture sharing site like photobucket or flicker and link from there.  They come up nice and big, and those that want to view them can see them nice and big w/o having to click on them.   We all know how hard clicking a mouse button can be, right?
Just call me Timmaaaaay!!!

Offline MoMo

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Re: 74' CB550 first bike, first rebuild...
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2011, 04:44:00 AM »
I used this link to help me post from photobucket as my computer skills are a bit lacking, it is laid out so even I could understand.    http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=70243.msg779527#msg779527 

Take lots of pics and notes as you take apart as the gap between disassembly and reassembly can turn into months and sometimes years. 

Welcome and have fun with the build...Larry