Just for Starters !

[veefour]

Well, my 'new' 1976 CB550f arrived last night ( see Hi from Berkshire ). Started her up for the first time at her new home this afternoon, nice quiet engine no smoke or nasty noises  Alas the first fault appeared after switching off when petrol started running from the 2 right hand float bowl overflow pipes. Now, apart from starting the engine up regularly the previous owner has only done 150 miles in 9 years, so i can imagine there is probably the need for a Carb clean. Does anyone know if & where i can get a Carb gasket kit from or do they only come with a Full Engine Gasket Set !   

[Ewan 500 K1]

hi vee, you can get them at Dave Silvers among others....

http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/CB550F2-SUPER-SPORT-1977/

could also try;
http://www.fowlers.co.uk/parts/from_fowlers_web.shtml

or

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ClassicCycleCity/CB-500-550-Four-/_i.html?rt=nc&_fsub=293250012&_sid=127779182&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=2

[ST1100]

Might be also worth a try: http://www.nrp-carbs.co.uk/index.htm

[Bryanj]

Plus they don't come in an engine set.

Also worth checking the brass overflow tube for cracks

[veefour]

Thanks for all the replies, gaskets on their way from the USA.
Took float bowl off of the right hand side carb to find someone has already soldered the overflow tube, ( is there any way these can these be replaced ! ). Also as i removed the bowl the plate that holds the main jet in fell out, could this have somehow come unclipped & was therefore weighing the float down !
Finally, ( until the Haynes Manual arrives ) i have read on here about float levels but can anyone tell me how to adjust the float's !
 

[Bryanj]

Soounds to me like you need the proper Honda manual for the adjustments, as to the standpipe officially you have to replace the complete floatbowl which i think is teh same as the 500 but the only parts book i don't have is the 550f so i cannot be 100% on that.

I was looking at buying brass tube and drilling out and tapping the bowl then screwing in a tube with loctite but that is all still in me ead.

The jet retainer frequently falls out when you remove the bowl as its teh bowl that holds it in tight

[tom400f]

Soounds to me like you need the proper Honda manual for the adjustments, as to the standpipe officially you have to replace the complete floatbowl which i think is teh same as the 500 but the only parts book i don't have is the 550f so i cannot be 100% on that.

Does this help:  http://www.dotheton.com/downloads/CB550_Parts.pdf

[Bryanj]

It confirms that the floatbowl, otherwise known as chamber set A or B, has a 323 middle part number making it the same as 500 four and all the US 550 K models Up to but not including the 77 K3

[florence]

The tubes are very difficult to solder.  I have found the most effective method is to smear araldite along the crack.  I have one on my bike which was temporarily repaired in this way 8 years ago and still working fine.

[veefour]

Soounds to me like you need the proper Honda manual for the adjustments, as to the standpipe officially you have to replace the complete floatbowl which i think is teh same as the 500 but the only parts book i don't have is the 550f so i cannot be 100% on that.

I was looking at buying brass tube and drilling out and tapping the bowl then screwing in a tube with loctite but that is all still in me ead.

The jet retainer frequently falls out when you remove the bowl as its teh bowl that holds it in tight

OK, so i am replacing all the little O rings on the jets ( managing to do it with the carbs in situ). It seems like the floats in the 2 right hand carbs are just not cutting the fuel off at all so need a big adjustment. I now have a manual & it states the measurement between the top !! of the float to the base !! of the float chamber should be 22mm when the tang of the float is bent so that it is  touching the jet. Could anyone explain to me in layman terms how this is measured ! Maybe a little diagram would help ! Also how could the floats alter so much in general use.

[K2-K6]

As a general rule on any carbs, if you turn the unit upside down and let the float rest on the inlet valve freely without pushng it down......then get a steel rule (starts from zero mm with no space before the scale starts) and put the end of it onto the surface which the float bowl fits to.......then read off in mm where the highest point of the float is.....then that's what the reference reading is talking about.

This is a default way of seting any carb IF no specific knowledge is available to suggest otherwise.

"local knowedge" or a specific manual would give more precise descriptions if there is a different system of markings/ geometry that is used.

Hope that gives you a starting method, maybe another contributor has more accurate info.

[veefour]

Well i have decided to stop fiddling about & to make them easier to work on have removed the carbs from the bike. To do the job properly i have also ordered new jets / needles etc. from David Silvers. Also the floats look like they have been bent about a bit in their lifetime so am thinking of getting new ones of them also, i don't think DS have any of these ( will call them tomorrow ), but if not does any one know where else i could get them apart from paying the horrific prices some sellers are asking in the USA  .
Although i bought the bike as one i could tinker about with it now looks like i might be having to spend a bit more cash than i anticipated. I did take the indicated ( not guaranteed ) milage of 2,600 with a pinch of salt  although the Reg doc confirms the previous owner has only covered 150 miles in the 9 yrs he owned it ! Unfortunately the owner before him cannot be traced, so apart from knowing it was sold originally by Broomfields Motorcycles of Chelmsford & looks like NOO483P has spent its 36 yrs in Essex i cannot get any more info. about the bike, unless any one on here knows of course. 

[Bryanj]

Floats rarely need replacing, just careful attention to detail in getting them square to each other and on straight brackets. Worth polishing the pins so they move freely

[veefour]

HELP, i have almost finished the carb rebuild but i have been & snapped one of the main jet retaining clips  .
I know these are hard to get hold of but does anyone have a spare one they could supply me with please.
Other than that i have seen something somewhere on this site where someone has done a modification using a spring !!
Cheers,
Dave. 

[veefour]

Well carbs all rebuilt & balanced, engine starts on the button & revs cleanly. Problem is when ridden the engine seems to be only running on 3 cylinders, the plugs are new & all have a strong spark. So, what do i try next new plug caps / HT leads, or could it be a faulty coil !! Any clues welcome please.