Topic: CB550K Clutch repair, broken adjustment screw and wrong springs?

[tkarahalios]

Hi all,
I'm working on replacing my 1975 CB550K1 clutch disks and springs and was having a hard time removing the clutch cover. I persuaded it off with a rubber mallet today but may have broken the clutch adjustment screw in the process. I think I should have removed the screw and clutch adjustment linkage before trying to remove the cover but I didn't. See photo. I looked on eBay and all the linkages and covers with linkages in place seem to have the same broken adjustment screw situation. Three questions.

1) I have about 1/2 inch of travel on the adjuster right now. I am going to all stock Honda parts. Do you believe it is critical to try and find a replacement screw or is that enough travel for me to get a good adjustment?

2) Any ideas on where to find another adjustment screw that is not broken? I tried eBay and David Silvers but no luck yet.

3) The springs I found in there are quite long (36mm). I found 4 supposedly new but not in original packaging (22401-323-003 written on an envelope) springs on eBay that are shorter (31.6mm). In the Clymer manual it says "check spring lengths to make sure they are greater than 30.5mm, if not replace them. Does this length of 31.6mm seem right for new original springs, or should I buy new ones from David Silvers?

Thank you for any guidance!

[qside]

it is my experience that the clutch adjustment screw are all notched at the end like that. I thought it was to keep them from being screwed too far out when adjusted and then you would have to remove the cover to put it back on.

[tkarahalios]

Can anyone else confirm that? I would be really happy if that is the case!

The piece of broken screw I found near my clutch cover when I removed it but am not certain it was inside there...

[work9to5]

I believe Quail is correct. I will confirm tomorrow as I'm opening up a clutch on a 550

[flatlander]

the adjustment screw looks correct to me. to be sure, you could take a picture from the top, showing the end of the screw.
the cover comes off without removing the adjust screw. the whole lever assembly inc. the screw just stays in the cover and comes off with it. you can't get this screw without the lever, by the way.

get OEM honda springs. in my experience, other springs (unless high-quality performance parts) are usually softer or wear out much faster. how does the ebay guy guarantee that they are genuine?

[tkarahalios]

I will reorder the Honda oem springs from David Silvers. I can't guarantee the eBay sellers are the right ones. I don't want to risk sealing everything up with bad springs.