Topic: 77 cb 550k

[wtf 77]

im considering on buying a 77 cb 550k from the original owner the only thing that has ben changed from its original form is the exhaust 4 into 1 and seat cover 30thou on speedo the only problem is that it has a few leaks above the header and by the drain plug i have talked with him numerous times since ive found it and he's ben pretty honest about everything he knows is wrong he said that he tried to start it last weekend and when he turned the gas on it just poured out from the bottom good carb cleaning/rebuild not a problem my other concern is that he told me he tried to jump it off his car not good so i hear i just wanted to know what i was in store for being that im preety green at this thanks for any replies

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Hey WTF, Welcome to the forum!

You can't ask for a simpler engine to work on.  The oil leak above the header (between the cylinder block and the head?) is likely the  "pucks" leaking.  If the engine is tight and the leak tolerable, you can get away with stuffing paper towel between the fins to soak up the oil.  Change the paper when saturated.  If it's not tolerable or the engine is needing a rebuild, well, there ya go.

The 4 into 1 exhaust may have lead to a jet change in the carbs.  Did the owner mention that?

Jumping this bike off a car won't hurt it, unless it landed funny and bent the frame     

12 volts is 12 volts.  The current draw is a function of the load.  Jumping a bike from a car battery does no damage unless you reverse the polarity.  That makes the magic smoke in the electrics leak out and pretty quickly.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Snare it. If you have the original PO, that helps.

[wtf 77]

thanks for the replies i dont think a paper towel is going to work for me  allthough things are tight rebuild seems better this just means its going to take a little more time.CANT RUSH A GOOD THING.  question  i have seen many kits and not sure which to go with most that i have found all have somthing that has to be orderd separately do you hav any recommendations on someone that might sell a complete rebuild kit or jus a good one to go with .....

as for the P.O. yes he has it all owners manual and tool kit also.other than the leaks its not bad with a little work it will be great as long as i can get the rebuild done?

[Duke McDukiedook]

You should be able to get the rebuild parts from sources listed in the faq, I don't know much about 550's so I wouldn't be much help there. The carbs/float valves may just need a cleaning.

[bryanj]

Rebuid kits for what?

[Sporkfly]

If it's for carbs they are a little more difficult to find for the '77 and '78 model years. The '77 and '78 model Ks are slightly different than all previous years and some parts don't interchange, where many will. Side covers will be nearly impossible if they're damaged, and very expensive when you do see them. I would recommend going with an earlier year master cylinder if it needs a rebuild as the kits you commonly come across online don't cover the '77 and '78 models.

Just little things like that make it a little more interesting to work on. Parts for the 550 are slightly more difficult to come by than those for the 750, so be prepared for that. Also in the past few years part prices have gone up and availability has been dropping. More people becoming interested in the 550 perhaps?

[wtf 77]

sporkfly thanks every little bit helps.sorry i didnt specify on what kind of kits i was looking for mainly engine and carb kits their are alot out their and i dont want to buy junk i dont like to do things twice i like to get it right the first time. 
my plans are for a cafe bike so while im in the process of finding  info.and parts that i will need im going to powdercoat my frame rims and parts of the motor. i allready have a pair of clubmans,and rearsets and not sure about what seat to use yet im not ready to atempt to fab one myself so on the look out for one

[neudl]

I used an athena top end gasket kit when I pulled it apart to stop an oil leak.  It hasn't leaked in the year since I did the work.  Comes with everything you need, pucks, base gasket, head gasket, valve cover gasket, etc.  I'm sure some other folks have different opinions on the best gasket kit, and I've seen complaints of leaks continuing after using just about any make gasket kit.  I'm not so sure its so much the gasket set, but making sure that all surfaces are mirror clean before putting it all back together.

[Bill Vaughan]

I just did a frame-up restoration on a '75 CB550 over the Winter.  Very straight-forward bike to rebuild.  Virtually everything needed for the engine - including gaskets - was still available from Honda or one of Honda NOS suppliers.

I'd vote you go for it.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Here is a thread I started at the beginning of my rebuild.  I have some sources and part numbers listed, for a '77 anyway.

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=44637.0

[TwoTired]

Are the carbs leaking?

If not, the only gasket you need to replace is the bowl gasket.  I'd try getting those from Honda.  There is also an o ring behind the Idle Mixture screw.  I wouldn't even separate the carbs from each other for cleaning.  Far less issues with linkage to deal with that way.
Then unless the internal parts are corroded, rather than just stopped up, you just clean all the parts that fuel has touched and put it back together.  It's nice to have new bowl gaskets (big oring) but they will reseal if the rubber hasn't gotten too hard.

The cafe build formula usually means exhaust and filter changes.  You will almost certainly need new main jet sizes for this modification.  And then, either a dyno or a test track to check WOT operation.

Cheers,