'75 CB550K1 Gulf - Round...3, the fun stuff

Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Thanks Garage Rat.

Well guys, I got the wheels trued just now. The front took about 2 hours and it's almost perfect...we'll see what the tire guy says. The rear took all of 20 minutes and it's perfect. Go figure. I also got the static timing set. It's as advanced as it will go; about 4.5* BTDC. I made a quickie timing light from the an old idiot light, and got it set as close as possible. Also managed to get the gaps at an even .013. While I had the points cover off, I adjusted the cam chain, or at least loosened the lock nut and let it adjust itself.

Sooooooo, once the tires are on, I have to: lengthen the kickstand a little, fill/bleed the front brake, get the rear brake dialed, and install the chain.
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Very cool man. I have one bitch though...

MORE PICS! BIG GIANT ONES TOO!!!!!

Thats all. ;D
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Hah, you know all my pics are clickable? They get big(er). Either way many many pics coming this tues or wed in the bright short-lived Montana sunshine.
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked


You'll have to ride it down to my work so I can see it in person!
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Yeah man, if everything goes good around the block, I'll bring her by.
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

There's a guy who makes a conversion kit for SOHC4's. Basically, it's electronic, but uses the points for timing. I emailed the guy about them, he explained it a little better:

"Essentially, it is a "points amplifier" that takes the load off the points, letting transistors do the hard work of switching and tuning the coils. This lets the coils run at 100% all the way through the RPM range, so the spark is stronger at low and high RPM than with points. Points are always tuned (with their condensors) for midrange operation for a given coil type. This gadget auto-tunes for the full range. And, removing the high currents from the points let them last for many years without adjustment: the pitting on the contacts causes the wear on the rubbing block under normal circumstances, because each pit is actually a tiny weld from the previous spark, which then gets bashed open by the points cam for the next spark. So, in the end, the spark advancer wears less and responds better, because it has no physical work to do on the points. It's just generally better all around, and makes things live longer to boot."

I think he wanted about $70 for them. He builds them himself, and gives a lifetime warrenty... If you're interested, I can pm you his email address.
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Thanks Jonesy. That would be the Hondaman ignition, no? I've got his contact info if that's the case, and if I do go electronic, that will most likely be the one I'll get. The only thing that might make me go with a Dyna is the fact that I would like to advance a little more than I am, and the Hondaman wouldn't change that.
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Alls I gotta say about all the stuff going on here is AWESOMENESS!!!
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Jonesy, if you don't mind me tagged in here. I'd love that contact info as well.
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Yeah, it's the Hondaman ignition I was talking about. I keep saying I'm going to order one for my 550, but I've never gotten around to it..
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

I just picked up the Hondaman kit for my build. I haven't tried it out yet, so I can't vouch for it. It looks to be a sturdy unit with good quality though.

One thing to keep in mind if you do get one... the bolts on the outside of the unit ARE NOT FOR MOUNTING. I unscrewed them thinking I would use them to hold the whole unit in place and the next thing I know there's a bunch of parts rattling around on the inside. I had to use a razor blade to get the unit open and everything screwed back together. I probably voided the warranty in the process and it took about an hour to fix.

As for the second unit, that's the one I bought first. Again, I haven't used it, but after assembling it and reading the wiring directions I can tell you its not really designed for motorcycles, no matter what that ad says. It's meant to work with a distributor, so if you want one for your bike, you need one for each cylinder. The one benefit this kit offers over the Hondaman unit is that it's specifically designed to run without the condensors but the Hondaman unit requires they stay.
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Also... if you haven't sorted out the timing yet, make sure you set the gap first, then rotate the plate to get the correct timing. If you time it first and then gap it, you screw everything up. :P
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Good to know about the DIY ignition, Sonreir. Scratch that one off the list...
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked


Here is a little blast from the past. I finally found out that I had saved these to my camera itself, not to the card. Here they are, from paint night!

A raw logo:
001-1.jpg


proud papa
002.jpg


High tech body shop fast-dry technique
005.jpg


In the raw
006.jpg


004.jpg


003.jpg


Congrats man! Hope to see it rolling this week!
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

Nice, glad you found them! The wood stove...haha.


I dropped the rims off at the tire place today; he was optimistic about having them done tomorrow. So if that happens, stand by for a vid of her running!

I also rejetted the carbs (again) with 110 mains, down from the 115s I had in there. I figure this is a better starting point, based on what a lot of people with similar intake/exhaust setups are running on the SOHC4 forums.

Let's see, what else...

Oh, the flush-mount tail light I installed turned out a good bit dimmer than what I wanted, mainly because the epoxy holding the lens in has a ton of tiny bubbles in it. So I wired an LED strip under the seat that turns on with the brake light, and stays off otherwise. It adds a lot to the brightness and is just about unnoticeable unless you're looking for it.

That's about it. I have to say, I don't know what to do with my time now that the bike's basically finished. My nights are woefully boring...
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

I'll drink to that!
 
Re: '75 CB550 - Gulf - stoked to be spoked

The anticipation must be killing you.......because it's hurtin' the rest of us.
 
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