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Messages - Brian.
16
« on: August 03, 2020, 09:38:10 AM »
17
« on: July 29, 2020, 11:00:39 PM »
Now to the question Brian has posted. The standard position seems to have been 4th from top. Source is an America Honda booklet with carb settings for several Honda's.
BTW, based on all the info I was able to find, I have compiled an overview myself. I have limited my search for the oldstyle carbs like you have.
Thank you Deltarider. I'm surprised it's fourth from the top! This would then raise the needle. That will make it run richer than first, second or third groove, won't it? I would have thought that with US awareness of emissions in the 1970s that it would be weaker if anything. Maybe I'm wrong about that. Thank you very much for replying. Regards, Brian.
18
« on: July 29, 2020, 10:55:37 AM »
Only mention i can find is page 178 which is the K3 supplement and refers to PD carbs and its 3rd groove for 550 but 2nd for 500(K3 500 never came to UK officially).
There is also a carb setting table on page 165 (550F-A) which i find confusing.
Thank you Bryan; yes I saw that too from what I've read on here the PD carbs on the K3 are not like mine so I disregarded it. Brian.
20
« on: July 29, 2020, 10:06:14 AM »
Brian,
Have you had a look in the Aladdin's cave section on this forum.
Loads of info and manuals. 
Yes I did, thank you Paul, and I couldn't find it on there either. I agree, it's an excellent resource, I found it to be very helpful when I was doing my head and base gasket replacement recently. I've also downloaded the 550 manual and parts book from Aladdin's cave too. I also checked in the 500 manual because the ever-helpful Bryan J told me that sometimes when Honda omit information from, for example, the 550 manual it's because the 550 manual is an update of the previous (500/4) manual; so I looked on there and I couldn't find it there either. Air screw turns out etc, all there, but not the needle clip position. It's probably staring me in the face somewhere, but despite my efforts I could not find it, hence asking the good people on here because I'd like to be out on it tomorrow, all done and dusted! Thank you for replying, by the way. Brian.
21
« on: July 29, 2020, 08:51:15 AM »
Good morning all, I'd like to ask for some help please. I've done a few searches on here, plus on the net in general, and I can't find it. I've been doing some work on my CB550K1. When I bought it the carb needles were in different grooves  and I couldn't find an answer then, so I put them in the middle groove, purely because every other bike I've had cause to check needles, that's where they were. But I'm sure I've since seen that they should be in the second one down? I'd like to know 100% before I balance my carbs. It has the standard jetting, standard airbox and DSS four pipes. Thank you  Brian.
22
« on: July 20, 2020, 07:40:51 AM »
Get yourself a telescopic magnet, most powerful one you can find on E-Bay. Comes in very handy for fishing out dropped nuts etc Also works for fishing shims out of buckets on later bikes.
Thank you Oddjob, that's almost identical to the one that I retreived it with! Brian.
23
« on: July 17, 2020, 11:20:58 PM »
Update - it's all done.
I did suspect that my oil leaks were caused by the O rings at each end of the head gasket being the wrong ones. However, I was wrong; the leaks were caused by there being no O rings in there at all!
I would like to thank Bryan J of this parish. Part of his reply to my original posting was "my email is in my profile if you want any other help" and he promptly answered every one of my emails - I'm very grateful, as I am for the manual and parts book in Aladdin's cave.
I didn't help myself by dropping a nut down the camchain tunnel either - but that's another story.
Thank you also to Paul Baker 1954, Oddjob, and Trigger. The head had been skimmed already, so I didn't have it done again, and I bought Viton O-rings from Seal Supplies in Loughborough.
I am really pleased that it's done and to be honest I am pleased with myself I've done it myself!
Thank you again to all those who offered help, it was indeed very helpful.
Best wishes, Brian.
24
« on: April 20, 2020, 01:31:53 AM »
The part number for the O-Rings which go in the oil passage space on the cylinder head gasket is 91301-323-000 and is listed as 5 x 2.4. For some reason the 550 parts books don't show a part number but the 500 parts book does.
Hi Oddjob, Thank you for pointing this out, I'm hoping that the leak turns out to be from the end caps, but if it isn't then I shall need to order these. Thank you for your help, kind regards, Brian.
25
« on: April 20, 2020, 01:27:19 AM »
If it is leaking from the end caps, as Bryan has said, check the alloy washers top and bottom on the end bolts.
The problem with aftermarket gasket sets is the O'rings in the kit are low quality.
Make sure the end brackets are on the correct side, they are market L & R. Push them back as you tighten up the end bolts. Replace the cap O'rings with a good quality O'ring and smear some red rubber grease on to make them go in easier and seal. 
Hi Trigger, Thank you too for this, I'll have a good look at these O rings & alloy washers before I do anything else. As on my reply (above) to Bryan J, I think I perhaps partly assumed it was the head gasket leaking, having read somewhere else that there had been problems in the past with head O rings. I appreciate your advice, thank you. Regards, Brian.
26
« on: April 20, 2020, 01:17:17 AM »
Take the Haynes manual and light a bonfire with it!! Go th the Alladins cave section and download the genuine one and parts book that i scanned and Ash stored.
Read, re read then read again the section about refitting cam cover, then come back and tell us what you think it says and i will agree or not. Get it wrong and you will have bent valves and broken valve guides!!!!
If you go to the US site Hondaman on there has been saying for some time that newer gaskets (since removal of asbestos type materials) are thicker than original which means you need thicker O rings to get a seal.
Retorque was never in a Honda manual and i never have done it.
PM me direct or my email is in my profile if you want any other help.
Hi again Bryan J. Thank you again for replying, and apologies for the late reply. I do take your point about the Haynes manual  - it came with the bike. Thank you also for directing me to the Aladdin's cave - what a fantastic resource! I've downloaded both the Honda manual and parts book. Brilliant. I think the part you you refer to about bent valves and damaged valve guides must be figure 87 on page 32 regarding the tappet adjusting screws not correctly contacting the valves - ouch! Is that what you mean? And would it help reassembly if the adjusters were backed off before removing the cam cover? But before doing anything I'll definitely recheck that the leak isn't coming from the end covers. I've not ridden my 550 since the Autumn, and with hindsight maybe I at least partly assumed it was leaking from the head. I do appreciate your advice and help, thank you. Regards, Brian.
27
« on: April 07, 2020, 08:28:28 AM »
Hi Bryanj,
Thank you for replying. I have a Haynes manual, I've read the relevant section in that. At this stage, I was checking to see the availability of the necessary parts before I start stripping it down. I'll study the manual more closely, stage by stage as I do the job.
Being an infernal optimist I was rather hoping that the problem could perhaps be sorted by re-torqueing? But I can't see me being that lucky!
I don't think the oil is coming from under the end caps but I will check again as you recommend.
There is varying advice on the internet, as with so many things; from just replacing the O-rings & re-using the old head gasket (that is on an American forum) through to ripping the lot down and changing base gaskets too.
I'd rather not go that far, bearing in mind that the bike hasn't done many miles since the engine was rebuilt so I'm hoping nothing is stuck too tight!
There are reports of aftermarket gaskets being trouble free - but mine isn't! So I was hoping that by replacing mine with genuine Honda, plus fitting good quality O-rings, that I could put the problem right.
But all advice is gratefully received.
Thank you, Brian.
28
« on: April 07, 2020, 01:15:13 AM »
Hi all,
I have a 1975 K1 CB550, which has a slight oil leak from the cylinder head gasket joint at each end. I've had this bike for about 14 months, and it's had this leak since I bought it. I've always put up with it because I'd rather ride the bike than take it all to bits! However, because I can't ride any of my bikes at the moment I might as well sort it out now.
I bought the bike from a friend who restored it, including rebuilding the engine. There's a folder full of receipts, including the receipt for the gasket set he used; it was non-genuine.
I suspect, from reading on here, that the leak is coming from the O-rings at either end of the head gasket. I intend to use a genuine Honda head gasket, probably from DSS.
My question is, does this gasket come with the O-rings? I can't see them on Silver's website, either with the gasket or separately.
So, does anyone know what size O-rings I will need please? And do I need Nitrile rings, or Viton, or something else?
Any information or advice will be very gratefully received.
Thank you, Brian.
29
« on: October 09, 2019, 07:56:50 AM »
I use a trace of silicone grease, perhaps you could also use brake grease? Neither attack rubber.
30
« on: April 20, 2019, 08:32:06 AM »
You can't go on where the number is stamped as, some manufactures have the numbers on the end
Now I certainly hadn't thought of that. I know that mine are all the same way round, I think I'll take one float bowl off just to check to eliminate that. Thank you again Trigger. Brian.
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