Author Topic: 1976 CB500/550 Project "Squirrel" (Read 285405 times)

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #400 on:** April 30, 2015, 07:41:18 PM »

You can always be lazy like me and take them to a polisher, although mine cost next to nothing for all of the work required. ($30)

riverfever · « **Reply #401 on:** April 30, 2015, 08:03:13 PM »

Well I'm still learning as I go with this project. These are the legs after tonight. The one on the left is really looking good. You can see the ear on the one on the right has some scratches on it that I'm not thrilled about. I walked away tonight but may go back and rework that spot again before buffing. I just went down and looked and my bench grinder is 1/3 HP.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #402 on:** April 30, 2015, 08:41:31 PM »

The advantage to the 3/4 HP model is that it will no bind or overheat when you apply pressure to the polishing wheel.

Keep at it Chris. It's coming along.

riverfever · « **Reply #403 on:** May 01, 2015, 04:54:43 PM »

This is the picture I meant to include last night.

I'll go back and address a few areas and then commence buffing this weekend. We'll see if my grinder does a good enough job or if I have to run to HF. Thank you.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #404 on:** May 01, 2015, 10:49:29 PM »

Chris,

I'd give the fork leg on the right a little further sanding to address some of the deeper scratches prior to buffing.

riverfever · « **Reply #405 on:** May 02, 2015, 01:07:02 PM »

I got home last night and had a box waiting for me. Progressive springs, fork seals, and head bearings all showed up.

Bought a grinder stand and got that together.

Today I drilled out the steering stops and installed some 4mm stainless bolts to keep the new bars from hitting the tank.

Old bearings are on the left. New bearings with the thinner spacer from All Balls is on the right. Getting ready to install the bearing onto the triple and then I'll start putting things back together. Tomorrow I'll start working on the fork legs a bit more before I put them to the buffing wheel. I really hope this takes care of the clearance issues between the header and the fender.

riverfever · « **Reply #406 on:** May 02, 2015, 06:04:50 PM »

I bought that stand so I could pull it out in the driveway and work in the sun. Both forks are rebuilt with fresh oil and seals. They feel stiffer but we'll see. I got one leg back up in the trees and should be able to get everything buttoned up tomorrow and know if the fender will clear the header. Really happy with how those lower legs came out. They're not perfect but they look nice. I'll get pictures in the morning.

joeyvans · « **Reply #407 on:** May 02, 2015, 06:08:28 PM »

It will work! It better work, otherwise I'll be dealing with the same situation when I toss on my MotoGP Werks.

riverfever · « **Reply #408 on:** May 02, 2015, 06:18:15 PM »

Here's some pictures.

This is right after I got the bearing installed. You can also see the 4mm bolts I put in the steering stops.

I wish I could say I strategically drilled for these bolts but I totally eyeballed it.

Here's after one pass on the buffer.

I've had a rodent of some sort tunneling in under one of my retaining walls. I think it's pretty smart because it moved a trap aside and didn't touch the delicious peanut butter I had in it. So today I went with a rat sized sticky trap. Stay tuned.

And this is where I stopped for the night.

joeyvans · « **Reply #409 on:** May 02, 2015, 06:33:01 PM »

Watching the fight? BWW is charging $20/head in Fargo. Go Pac!

Stev-o · « **Reply #410 on:** May 02, 2015, 06:36:11 PM »

Quote from: calj737 on May 02, 2015, 02:12:41 PM

You don't want to run that buffer inside....

Ha! Was thinkin the same thing when I saw that pic.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #411 on:** May 02, 2015, 10:42:42 PM »

That fork leg looks damn good after one pass.

riverfever · « **Reply #412 on:** May 03, 2015, 08:43:08 AM »

Thanks Don. It's really hard to get a good picture of how it turned out but I'll try today. That pass revealed some scratches that I hadn't seen before. I ended up buffing it then doing more wet sanding with 1200, repeat, repeat until I was satisfied. Of course I got them all greasy while putting the forks back together but I'll do a final polish with Mothers once they're on the bike.

riverfever · « **Reply #413 on:** May 03, 2015, 03:19:03 PM »

All back together.

Pretty pumped with the end results.

Not a great shot of this side.

Was really hoping to start it up but I have a fuel leak and a broken inline filter so I need more line, clamps, and another filter. Sometime this week I'll start it up.

Bootsey · « **Reply #414 on:** May 03, 2015, 04:18:05 PM »

Lookin' sharp!

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #415 on:** May 03, 2015, 07:36:50 PM »

Chris,

Outstanding polishing job. I'm sending my parts to you and not the guy through my painter any more!!

Don

riverfever · « **Reply #416 on:** May 03, 2015, 08:01:28 PM »

Thank you Don. I really appreciate that. Your bikes are ones that I have often looked to for inspiration/direction. Send me parts. I only have 4 more weeks of school and then I'll have a lot of free time on my hands.

riverfever · « **Reply #417 on:** May 03, 2015, 08:05:39 PM »

I wanted to mention that now, when I sit on the bike, the fender does not contact the header and that easily happened before. If I lock the front brake and put a lot of effort into it, I can make the the fender hit. I suppose there's only one way I'm going to find out if it's an issue and that's to find a safe spot where it's straight (not while needing to steer) and grab a lot of brake and see what happens??

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #418 on:** May 03, 2015, 08:08:17 PM »

I guess that illustrates how worn out the stock springs were. That test sounds a little sketchy but I think you'd be okay with it as described but make sure you are going dead straight.

riverfever · « **Reply #419 on:** May 03, 2015, 08:17:13 PM »

If I wanted to try 15 weight oil (I used 10) could I just drain the oil out from the bottom without taking them all apart again? What do you mean by adding preload spacers Cal.

Cal...great eye and thank you for mentioning that. I'll be sure to fix it.

riverfever · « **Reply #420 on:** May 07, 2015, 07:41:51 PM »

Well I installed the fuel line and new inline filters tonight and fired it up for the first time since December. It started right up and I took it around the block. It runs like poop starting at square one with the new exhaust but damn it sounds good. I went back to totally stock settings with the mixture screws, air filter is back in, stock jets. Didn't take long and the #4 plug fouled out and I dropped that cylinder. The fender hits the header pretty bad still too which bums me out. I figured it would but wanted to make sure. Didn't have to try really.

riverfever · « **Reply #421 on:** May 07, 2015, 08:16:12 PM »

I thought most running a 4:1 usually need to bump up the main jets? I actually wondered if this would improve things. The tuning part is probably the most frustrating part for me because I don't know what I'm doing.

riverfever · « **Reply #422 on:** May 07, 2015, 08:17:45 PM »

And I can't recall now what jets are in the thing. I wanna say 100 mains and 40 idles but I'd have to drop the bowls to know for sure. It bubbles and bogs barely into the throttle and right off idle more than before though for sure.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #423 on:** May 07, 2015, 09:18:06 PM »

Quote from: riverfever on May 03, 2015, 03:19:03 PM

YES, that looks so damn good!! And, NO, that fender never had a chance. Think about bobbing it.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #424 on:** May 08, 2015, 06:30:28 AM »

Just to clarify, are you getting contact between between the header and fender under braking or just standing? The picture above shows the wheel turned with no contact, but I imagine it touches when the fork is compressed.

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Author Topic: 1976 CB500/550 Project "Squirrel" (Read 285405 times)