550 F2 started!

[Laverdaroo]

Just wanted them a bit more presentable and all the staining off them so the engine is re set on the inside as the outside if you like. Any marks in the futire will be easier to diagnose if everything is set to a base level of clean I think.

[Oddjob]

You seem to have caught the bug Roo, there is no cure I'm afraid.

[Laverdaroo]

I know Ken, you swine

What do you reckon, a brass wire brush and a drop of unleaded or acetone or similar?
Is there anything I need to be careful of?

Bought the shells just now..........OUCH!

[Oddjob]

Use the new discs, use something like light blue or purple and see how it goes. if it doesn't do to well being metal use red, that'll do it. Don't use dark green unless you want them looking polished  Don't do inside the eye or the flat parts where the stamping is though. Degrease it first with petrol or brake cleaner.

[Laverdaroo]

Sound, thanks mate thats saved me a heap of experimental time, cheers. Just on with doing the 'Ash's replacement of the HT lead' thing today and going fairly well if I say so myself. Looking forward to the epoxy to dry and I can get on with the shaping and finishing bit.

Hot kettle, dog snoozing gently at the door in the sun, planet rock on and a strong cup of tea whilst fiddling about in the shed with bike bits..............utter bliss

[Laverdaroo]

Shells have come…………..partially from a time warp it appears


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[Oddjob]

Ones on the left are production done in the 90s IIRC. The ones on the right are period ones. I have some in pairs in boxes, never seen that in the UK, they were all sold singly over here. The boxes came from Australia originally.

Not sure if I've said this Roo but those discs, when they come they must be fitted with the fronds facing the same direction as the Dremel rotates. Easy way to do this is to look at the disc, one side has a small indent/hole, face this indent to it faces the Dremel and they are the correct orientation.  My BIL just bought some after watching me clean some of his pieces and he complained the fronds were hitting him in the face, he clearly didn't read the instructions on the Amazon page.

Not sure if you've got a Dremel Flexible shaft for your Dremel Roo but if not let me know and I may have a spare one lying around. I've returned 3 Dremels under warranty and they always send a brand new boxed kit in return so I had some spare shafts, just given my BIL one and my daughter has claimed one to but I may have another somewhere. The difference the shaft makes is amazing.

[Laverdaroo]

Top tip Ken, thanks mate, I was going to ask but thought they looked fairly self explanitiry tbh but appreciate the heads up buddy.
A flexible end would be great, I have them for the various drills and for screwdrivers etc but not for the dremel. Mine's a bit shagged out and been usd to death  but working fine still so Im not going to update it until this one dies. A flrxible end bit would be ace mate if you can spare it, youre a gent, cheers.

I figured those were original shells bud haven't seen any like that for ages, only ordered them yesterday, Charlotte is good in their office, she clocks order mistakes and lets you know when you've had that part already or if a kit you order has the extra part in it or whatever. Shes been brilliant at Silver's throughout the 400 build and now the 550. I know they're dear and that the postage is astronomical but, as 99% of Honda dealers are, they are good and dead swift, bless em.


Right, have to ask cos I see it often but have no idea,  what does IIRC stand for................I AM Northen after all!!

[Trigger]

Did you get your crank measured up with a mic Roo ?

Did come in pairs in boxes in the UK. Also came in singles. Here is one dated 1988


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[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

My conrods had that light surface rust so I soaked them in Evaporust - they came out like new castings.

[Laverdaroo]

Thanks ted, I ordered some last night to get the crap off afetr a try with some fuel and some other gubbins. Theyre clean but look a bit rough so evaporust was bought last night for the job. Thanks mate

[Laverdaroo]

Did you get your crank measured up with a mic Roo ?

Did come in pairs in boxes in the UK. Also came in singles. Here is one dated 1988


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Yes I had it done at a machine shop down in Keynsham and went through it all woith him as he was cleaning the mating faces of some engine parts for me. We came to the conclusion that it would be brown shells and that was reinforced by Ken on here. Dave at the machine shop did al the sums as I cant seem to 'click' with all these micro measurements. With the brown shells in an dfitted I sjhould get a plastiguage clearance of a thou and a half which was reccomended in several articles and on the net for a good clearance. Hope we all had our eyes in or I might be selling some shells on Ebay!

Im planning to plastiguage the crank with the new shells in to check,  thats the best way to go about it isnt it?

[Oddjob]

Yeah that's fine to do that Roo.

I suspect the box was imported Graham to cover a shortage of that colour shell over here. The main warehouse for Honda in Europe was in Holland, maybe that's why CMS are based there now.

I used to regularly browse the store room at Queenies and I never saw any shells in boxes, they were all in little bags with brown paper wrapped shells. Which funnily enough is what's in the box, 2 shells in bags. Makes me wonder why they did that, seems a waste of a box.

[Laverdaroo]

nice, cheers Ken, Ive ordered some blinds and a new pair of shades inpreparation of those fork sliders coming

[Oddjob]

Bought the wood to fix my workmate yesterday. £30 for one piece of hardwood, not even a big piece 

Going to see if I can make 2 new worksurfaces later today. This is an original Black and Decker workmate from the late 70s, nearly 50 years old. It's been left outside in all weathers, had engines dumped on it loads of times, I've used it as a step ladder etc. There's very little of the original blue paint left on the metal now  I was thinking of dismantling it totally and having it powder coated, shining up the alloy braces etc so it looks brand new again. There's a TV program in that I reckon