Teds new project a CB500 K1 mostly version 0.5 circa 1972.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Started polishing today - long way to go - heaps better than before I started.

I need to find my small buffing wheels to reach the difficult couple of places - I put them in a really safe place!



casing by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Oddjob]

Starting to get the hang of this polishing lark Ted. Looking really good.

There are some Dremel attachments with a small felt drum on them, already impregnated with buffing compound, they ain't bad for those screw holes etc.. Not cheap but they last a while.

Only thing I will say is I would consider doing those small marks on the top surface between the dipstick and kickstart holes, you will start to regret leaving them after a while I find. Although it means doing a bit more sanding on a polishing surface it's only a small area and it will buff up nicely again afterwards. Just my opinion, feel free to discount it.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

That is high praise indeed Ken but not deserved- I have a confession to make, I avoided a different side shot on the photo as there are some quite deep age related scratches elsewhere.

Not sure how, I managed to get fine & very fine soap block mixed up so I have spent another 45 minutes of my life that I will not get back returning to a previously better finish. 

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Spent yesterday removing the valves from my cylinder head, they all look good, all will need decarbonizing & grinding in.

Today removed all eight  rocker shafts (one inner one took some releasing) ready for cleaning & checking the cam bearings - parts book shows four shafts so clearly some sort of modification?

[Nurse Julie]

K0's have 8 shafts and some earlier K1s

[Oddjob]

Personally I've yet to find a 500 that doesn't have 8 fitted from the factory, my engine number is WAY past what Honda claim to be the cutoff point and that had 8 as standard. The K2 parts book for instance shows them still be fitted and by the time that came out it should have changed over to the 4 shafts only, so why show the 8?

[Trigger]

It changed from 8 shafts to 4 shafts in the UK for the CB500 K1 in 1974 

[Seabeowner]

Parts manuals seem all over the place about the number of shafts.
in Aladdin's Cave the Japanese CB500 K0 parts list only shows 4 shafts.
+ the CB500 K0 K1 list dated Jan 30, 1972 also only shows 4 shafts.
+ I have a parts list (downloaded from honda4fun I think) that is supposed to cover K0 K1 K2 as Page 4 pictorially showing both 4 and 8 shafts. 4 shafts to 2006337 and 8 shafts from 2006338. (or maybe this is a mistake and should be the other way round)

None of these had the later 4 pinned shafts fitted to later 550s. SB08 11/08/76 covered this. It seems strange that Honda did not fit this mod for a full five years after 500s were first sold. Or for some reason did it only become apparent on later 550s.

[Trigger]

Four shafts were fitted to the CB500K1 in the UK from the middle of 1974 and all 1975 ones had them fitted. 

[Oddjob]

I think people read the parts book wrong, says 4 shafts UP TO 2006337, 8 shafts AFTER that number. Must admit to doing that myself. My 05/71 parts book only shows 4 shafts, no picture or mention of 8 shafts.

When they changed back to 4 shafts again much later in the production run they weren't staked like the 550 ones, the 500K3 were staked as that's using a 550 style rocker box

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/1511829976

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

My cylinder head is having a very light skim to remove a couple of marks that I was not happy with as they were where the four circular metal seals on the head gasket fit around the cylinder bore. Can't collect it from the Engineers until I test negative for Covid (hopefully Friday).

In the meantime as I am feeling a lot brighter I've started to sort out various electrical connections as it is a bit of a mess in several places with the ravages of age making many of the PVC type sleeves hard plus a bit of a mix of connectors from previous work. You can see why I was thinking of replacing the loom but for now making do with some new connector blocks & some tape work fitting new connections where needed.


..500 loom by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Oddjob]

Not 100% sure but I know the 550 loom routing is different than that Ted. It goes under the lower yoke and is held by a clamp which bolts onto the yoke. Whilst there is no 500 routing diagram to my knowledge I think the 550 routes better. There is also another loom hanger which goes behind the tank mount rubber.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Not 100% sure but I know the 550 loom routing is different than that Ted. It goes under the lower yoke and is held by a clamp which bolts onto the yoke. Whilst there is no 500 routing diagram to my knowledge I think the 550 routes better. There is also another loom hanger which goes behind the tank mount rubber.

I have a spare loom guide for a 400 that fits behind the left front tank rubber so plan to use that if it helps, as regards the route at the front column area I have atm routed mine like this photo below I think its Julie's 500. No wires connected up as yet as I'm taking my time to get the various wires in the Headlamp bowl in the best position.

My cunning plan (if it even works) is to work with the battery earth connected normally, the starter motor cable disconnected for now.  I plan to use an inline lamp between the positive battery post and the live end of loom as a sort of safety fuse (suitably insulated joint).   

The lamp I use is an old lamp unit that used to be part of an old car tool kit from the 1950's that you clipped to the battery before the days of illuminated engine bays. I can put a variety of bulbs in the lamp fitting, atm I have a 12 V 5W bulb in the lamp.  As I connect various wires if I happen to accidentally contact a live wire to earth then it will illuminate the bulb/or blow it instead of overheating the main wiring loom. I will use my AVO meter & additional Hella test lamp where connections are uncertain.

If its anything like my 400 was most wires are a straight forward colour match so the more that are plugged in the loom the fewer unknown wires that remain. Some colours such as light blue/light grey/ light green are not easy to decide what they are. I'm not colour blind as such but faded colours can be tricky to identify as your eye sight ages.

 

.wiring 1 by Macabe Thiele, on Flickr

[Bryanj]

That looks a lot better than when i sent it off in Roos van mate

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I wish lol that's Julie's I think!