550/4 engine

[MIKE550/4]

hi guys

as some of you may know been stripping a 550, all thats left now is basically engine and wheels

right i am doing this for the first time , i have no previous experience, the engine has done 21 k , its been sat since 83, previous owner bit of a collector, apparently started it every now and again, thats all he would tell me, according to dvla its not been on road since 83 ,

the engine , my question is what to do , it turns over , has compression, what sort of rebuild to go for, what sort of engine rebuild/gasket set is needed, can you guys recommend anyone in northants area for rebuild,anyone on the site who does it?, what sort of cost am i likely to incurr, or should i be brave and give it a go ( give me a verbal kick in for last statement if you wish  )

all help appreciated , while engine is getting built frame is to be stripped and powder coated

thanks

mike

[SteveD CB500K0]

I'm seeing double Mike.

[MIKE550/4]

think me and you have cornered the market 

[Spitfire]

Hi Mike,
         Why do you want to strip the engine, what sort of rebuild are you going for, quick and dirty just to get it on the road, or a full blown restoration.
With only 21K miles on the clock the engine should be OK. If you have checked compression and it is within limits and it turns over fine then unless there is something obviously wrong I would do a cosmetic job on it (polish/paint), change the oil, plugs, filters etc, basically a service and see how it goes. The obvious areas of concern would be the carbs (gummed up), plug leads, electrical stuff etc.
You could do more harm than good stripping it, I stripped the top end of my 76 CB750F as it had sat for 12 years in a garage (19K miles), found very little wrong with it (one nipped up piston ring and one chipped valve) but spent quite a bit of money and time on it, which I could have spent elsewhere.

Cheers

Den

[MIKE550/4]

ok have decided to go for full blown resto, ( engine well its been sat for 25 years, surely it needs some work done to it )

frame is to be stripped and powder coated, wheels to be re- spoked etc, get all metal as clean as i can, tank and panels geting resprayed, seat re up holstered, .

engine i am not sure about hence the question, would like to learn about the mechanics, it is showing signs of weeping, maybe give it a good service , get it cleaned up and when frame is back , pop it back in and try it

sound sensible ?

 steve is maybe helping me out with another engine to learn which is swaying me to just service and clean up, cheers

[matthewmosse]

I'd try running it a few miles if possible, get a few ideas as to how it runs, if the gearbox works ok etc

[Bryanj]

If you are doing all the cycle parts  it wont look good with a scruffy engine and the chances of chipped powder coat increase every time the engine is lumped in and out.

After powder coating you will need to remove small areas where the RH rear engine plate bolts on and at the coil mountings where the small green wire bolts on or you wont get good earths and electrics will play up.

If you look at the RH rear mounting where the battery earth cable goes you will see it is bare metal, and on inside up against engine case.

If you want a 100% reliable, clean engine get a complete gasket kit; a complets seal kit; cam chain; primary chain; 4 gudgeon pin circlips.

Everything else has to be inspected when apart but is usually OK/

HINT get the Honda manual and read carfully the bit about re-fitting the cam cover  VERY carefully or you will bend valves

[MIKE550/4]

hi guys , thanks for comments

i am at stage where engine is to come out ( have been for a week now )
, conflicting comments but both make sense, i would like to rebuild and get the engine looking as good as possible, what lets me down is the know how,

this is something i have always said i wanted to do, so far enjoyed it, comments about the earthing absolutely true, are there any guys handy with a spanner that are local to me on site who could share a week end or 2?

first stage is to powder coat frame , hopefully to send off next week, and then  the wheels to get re spoked etc, neighbour is doing tank and panels, who happens to be paint sprayer ,

i would like to have this looking as good as possible , and the engine is stall point at moment commesnt as usal appreciated

thanks mike

[matthewmosse]

I'd say to scribe a line across the points plate and casings to help getting it running when rebuilt. They are fairly simple engines to work on just take your time and take careful note of things as they come appart and lay them out in order to refer to as you rebuild. vapour cleaning might get you a nice finish then maybe some vht paint if needed? Fraid I'm too far away to help. Good luck, don't hesitate to ask here if your stuck. lots of knowledge here.

[Bryanj]

Well I'm nearer than Matt but not by much, If you get problems putting the engine back together bring it in a box, get here by 10am and take it away tea time (assuming everything is there and in good order!)----Gloucester by the way and yes i can do it in that time i was working on them for a local big dealer in the 70's

[MIKE550/4]

might take you up on that thanks , but what can i do about getting it painted first,

could i strip it, get it vapour blasted and painted, get all the relevant seals etc and then maybe take it to you then ? , ideally would like to watch and maybe learn a thing or two

get in touch and we will discuss

corbyrocco@yahoo.com

[MIKE550/4]

well engine is out, thanks must go to brian and steve,  i took your advice but did come up against a problem but had to over come

problem ,bolt that holds on the oil filter housing is stuck fast , 3 of us had a go with various tools and it wil not budge, brian i will be in touch soon regards the engine , frame is getting done first then the wheels, i will be getting the engine stripped down over next couple of weeks then will get in touch.

meantime anyone any tips on how to get this bolt out,  realise i will have to buy a new one , but it has to come out

thanks mike

[matthewmosse]

tap it sharply with a hammer a few times on the head, this can jar the threads, if it's rounded try mole grips or a socket one size too small forced onto the remains of the old head can work, star type socketts are good for this, If you've an expensive socket set you don't want to hit then just buy a seperate individual sockett for the job. you could also try cuttting the head off the bolt, then removing the filter housing and filter before setting to with a pipe wrench?. I've also seen cutting a screwdriver type slot in the bolt head and using an impact driver work on rounded heads of oil filter bolts. particuarly the original 12 mil headed bolts tend to round off. I've a few spare filter covers thougj obviously on ratty old bikes like mine the fins are all chipped etc if yours gets damaged but thats only really likely to happen if too enthusiastic with the hacksaw cutting through the bolt, better to go slow and steady

[Bryanj]

Cant remember wether its 3/16 or 1/4 whit socket (12 point) is a "Hammer Fit" onto a knackered 12mm hex head (filter bolt) and hammereing it on usualy loosens it enough to undo with a bar or ratchet

[Spitfire]

Yep that's my favoured method, give the bolt a good hammer to loosen the threads, hammer on an undersized socked and off it will come.

Cheers

Den