Topic: cb 550 exhaust clamp cleaning

[bike54]

hi every one
nice to meet you all
 being a born again biker i am strugling with some of the basic things and wondered if any one has any ideas how to clean the exhaust clamps at the engine mine have been attached for 27 years so i do not really want to take them off (original four into four) and the chrome has disapeared over the fullness of time all i can think of is wire wool and a good crome cleaner any ideas?
i have put pictures of the old girl in the gallery if any one wants to look

thanks for any advice

bike54

[jotor]

wondered if any one has any ideas how to clean the exhaust clamps at the engine

bike54

Great looking bike.  Is the tank color license plate bracket original?  I've only seen chrome or black but it might be a UK thing.

I've used a Dremel with a little brush to get rust out of the nooks.  Have had some success with rattle can chrome paint--not permanent but looks OK on rough chrome parts for a while.  Spray some in cap & brush it on.

I also use 0000 steel wool and WD40 to clean up minor rust on polished parts.

Joe

(Obviously I'm not a concours kind of guy.)

[SteveD CB500F]

That's a nice set of K3 exhausts you have - you say they are original?  Mine are original too (1977) and have no baffles in the right hand side - sounds like an old G5 250 with the 180 degree firing cycle! Here's mine  http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=2095.0

Pedant time.
I see you have an early (two strut) front mudguard - this can't be original?
You also have 550F sidepanels...
Put us out of our misery and post the engine and frame numbers.

To answer your question, don't be frightened about taking off the exhaust clamps as they're almost impossible to clean up on the bike.  I've had good success with Solvol Autosol and those green potscrubbers that you get from Sainsbury's.

Jotor: the brackets were all black in the UK, this is a custom paint job.

[bike54]

hi all
thanks for all the info
 i shall use most of it
your right the color is not original it should be red but it was changed quite a while ago by the look of it .the frame and engine num are cb550k  2072668 and cb550e 1144862 i have only had it a couple of weeks so still chasing round after its history and working out what needs doing not interested in making it concourse but i want it as good as i can get it ordered some blu job crome cleaner fot the exhaust blue near the engine will report on it when i have used it.thought on the side panel is that some time in the old girls life they have been replaced and the mud guards have a habit of rusting away so SteveD is probably right

bike 54

[SteveD CB500F]

According to my book you have a K3 frame (CB550K 2000001 on) and an engine from an F (CB550FE 1000001 on)