Author Topic: My CB550 K3 Restore Project  (Read 13358 times)

Offline heli_madken

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2020, 08:48:24 AM »
Cheers yes I think re-plating is an option.

I have been wondering about plating, the front and rear mudguards are pitted so either need plating or replacing. I have seen the front available as an aftermarket part but very often I have found the plating to be less than good. Then there is the cost of plating, what are your thoughts on the cost of plating and getting a good finish compared to new aftermarket?

Offline SPR

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2020, 08:51:23 AM »
I managed to get a set of spare fork ears and had them re chromed for £60

There were some repairs needed as although they looked perfect - when stripped there were some pin holes - these repairs I feel could have been slightly smoother - but overall the finished result looks very good 

Offline paul G

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2020, 11:16:27 AM »
Cheers yes I think re-plating is an option.

I have been wondering about plating, the front and rear mudguards are pitted so either need plating or replacing. I have seen the front available as an aftermarket part but very often I have found the plating to be less than good. Then there is the cost of plating, what are your thoughts on the cost of plating and getting a good finish compared to new aftermarket?
Re plating will be much less than new parts and most of those are repro parts of inferior quality and fit.
If you use a good plating company they will be better than original as the plating on the OEM parts wasn't very good.
I use Prestige plating in Mexborough nr Rotherham always done a superb job.
If you use them don't expect a quick turnaround always very busy and taking longer at the moment due to being shut for a while.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2020, 11:18:48 AM by paul G »
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Offline Oggie400F

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2020, 05:05:35 PM »
+1 for prestige.
Quality is very good but, as stated in Paul G’s post, don’t expect a quick turn around.  The last time I collected some re-plated parts they were quoting a 6 month lead time.  I take this to mean that they are very busy due to their very good reputation for quality.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2020, 09:26:55 PM by Oggie400F »
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Offline heli_madken

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2020, 11:11:32 PM »
Thank you, I have to say this is the most helpful forum I have ever been on, I will take your advice and start sorting out the pieces I want plating.

Spent a lot of time today removing all the paint from the frame, primarily used a power file mostly concentrating on removing the surface rust and finished off with wire cup brushes and by hand -
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Then sprayed on an initial coat of primer just to spot any issues and prevent any rusting although I could not have hoped for better dryer weather today -
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Tomorrow I want to spend some time tidying up some of the more visible welds as they are pretty nasty in some parts, also get rid of some of the remaining welding splatters. Once done I will flat this primer back and use some 2K etching primer to get a good base coat on.

Offline paul G

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #20 on: June 25, 2020, 12:13:54 PM »
Wow you must have some patience ;) I would have taken it for blasting  ;D ;D
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Offline heli_madken

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #21 on: June 25, 2020, 06:00:47 PM »
Yeah mum used to say I had the 'patience of a saint'  :) to be honesty I enjoy doing stuff like this so it wasnt an issue for me and I retired a couple of months ago so time isnt a problem.

Got some of the welds smoothed out and the etching primer on today. It really looks like the apprentice welded up this bike, they are worse then my welds! Is this normal on the 550 from this era, looking at the welds on my GL from the same year there is no comparison at all.

Offline Gromitdog

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #22 on: June 26, 2020, 09:46:45 AM »
Hi

Wow a fabulous start to your rebuild I will follow this project with great interest as I have just brought what I thought was uk 550k3 but as from what I have been told it looks like I got a bit of a mongrel 550 k3 and would like to get it closer to how it was if possible.

Would you please be able to send a picture of the plastic tool tray / air intake that sits on top of the battery & main air filter box as I am missing mine and would like to see if I can get a 2nd hand one

Rgds

Nigel
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Offline heli_madken

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #23 on: June 26, 2020, 10:42:20 AM »
Thanks Gromitdog,

Here is a picture of the intake -
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

On mine there is a document tray which is immediately above the air intake and a plastic flap that covers a place for the toolkit, both are under the seat itself -
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Cheers, Ken

Offline Rob62

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #24 on: July 25, 2020, 11:59:32 AM »
Nice looking project, may well be the most unloved? not sure about that.... but I like it (i owned one). Looks like you’re off to a great start and I hope you decide to keep her fairly standard..  8)

Offline Andrew-S

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #25 on: July 25, 2020, 12:23:54 PM »
Wheels and spokes are beyond saving so I will replace with alloy rims and stainless spokes -
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=22653.0;attach=54509;image

Ken,
Don't be too hasty in binning the rims, the rear seems to be an original DID one, so it's likely the front may be too - if so, very rare and hard to find, I would rechrome if need be.

The rim below is yours, the other is one of the original DIDs fitted to my 750K1 before I cleaned them up and now they are very spangly.

Cheers, Andrew

« Last Edit: July 25, 2020, 12:30:58 PM by Andrew-S »
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Offline heli_madken

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #26 on: July 25, 2020, 11:07:27 PM »
Thanks Andrew,

The rims are very badly scored in a few places, not sure why, so I am not confident they will plate very well. Also there are no markings on the rims, weren't DID rims stamped?

Having stuff plated is new to me and I received a price from a local company of £300 to have the front mudguard plated, is this a ball park figure at all?

Apologies for the lack of progress on this project I have been sidelined with a whole host of other tasks but I have painted the frame and done some alloy polishing which I absolutely love doing.

I am pleased with how the frame has come out -
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Not for the purists I know but I spent some time smoothing out the welds which where really bad on this bike, apologies couldn't seem to get a good picture -
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Been polishing the family silver, this was hard as some parts where badly pitted, still a little more work to do -
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Lots more work for my family to do so it will be a while before I can post any more progress.

Cheers everyone,

Ken
 

Offline SteveD CB500K0

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #27 on: July 26, 2020, 07:03:32 AM »
That cam cover should be in a glass case!


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Offline Andrew-S

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #28 on: July 26, 2020, 10:22:04 AM »
Thanks Andrew,

The rims are very badly scored in a few places, not sure why, so I am not confident they will plate very well. Also there are no markings on the rims, weren't DID rims stamped?

Having stuff plated is new to me and I received a price from a local company of £300 to have the front mudguard plated, is this a ball park figure at all?

Ken,
The original rims have DID cast into them as shown I'm my photo above - I couldn't make out from your photo but im pretty sure that your rim has same casting as mine which Ive circled in red on the crop of your photo I also added above. If you buy new DID rims they have numbers and DID stamped into them on the outer part of the rim and look quite ugly in my opinion.  You may be surprised how much chrome platers can repair scratched or gouged rims.

Honda still supply OE front mudguards, DS sell them for the 750K1 at about £125 so unless they are unavailable for the 550 I don't see why you would pay £300 to rechrome a possibility non-rare part

The bike's looking great and like many other I look forward to seeing it progress.

Cheers, Andrew
1972 UK XL250 K0 Motosport
1976 UK Z900 A4
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Offline heli_madken

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Re: My CB550 K3 Restore Project
« Reply #29 on: July 26, 2020, 11:07:47 PM »
Hi,

DSS do an original mudguard for £157 so it wouldn't make sense to spend £300, but I havent actually had any professional chroming done before so my question was really about expectations, is this the sort of price I am likely to pay for parts of this size or does it feel expensive?

Oddjob, after 44 years of commuting on a bike I dont have to do it anymore as I am retired :) so I have vowed to ride my restored bikes only in the dry whenever I can so i a find a good polish with Solvol good enough to keep the parts in good order. Yes lots of work with a Dremel exactly as you say perhaps some 240, 400, 800 abrasives then a sisal mop with coarse polishing compound working through to a polishing wheel, really just about patience and a bit of hard work.

I did try a coat of lacquer over polished aluminium parts many years ago but it did tend to come off like you say due to the wax in the polishing compounds. I remember doing some fork legs and they looked beautiful, came down the next morning and huge sections of lacquer had flaked off, I was heartbroken!   

Cheers

 

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