I have a '77 CB550FourK which has a leaky head gaskit. I took it out for a spin on the weekend and when I returned the head gasket was saturated in oil and it was running down the engine block. Not Good. It's got 13K miles on it and I know the carbs need an overhaul. My question is what should I expect to pay to have the engine and carbs overhauled? Is this something I could do myself (doubtful) and would I even be able to find the parts. I don't know much about it and could use some advise.

Motorcycle guys?

 

If your mechanically inclined it's not too hard. The toughest part is working around the frame to loosen all the bolts. Watch that timing chain. If it falls in you got a problem. I always tie it up with a long piece of flexible wire so I can pull it back up. Might as well have the head done at the same time. Carbs shouldn't be a problem either. You'll need to sync them again when finished. Set the valve lash before starting. Warm it up. Sync the carbs. Take the valve cover back off and set the valve lash again. Check the sync again.

 

C, First of all the carbs are no big deal. It's just a matter of going down to your local Honda dealer and ordering the parts kits. They'll know what you need. Once you have removed the carbs from the motorcycle and they will come off in one piece, disassemble them and have the bodies chemically boiled out. Again the dealer can do this for you. By a chiltons manual and follow the instructions.

Parts are no big deal. Go to the DEALER!

The headgasket is probally leaking because the head needs to be retorqued. I'd have a skilled mechanic do this. If you've got the time ask him if you can watch him do it. 13K on a Honda is not unusual. It shouldn't need overhauling. I've seen them with double that and still within factory tollerances. Fix the trouble item first and have the bike properly serviced, with valve, cam chain and general adjustments. You'll probally be supprised at the outcome.

Of course I'm not there to take a look at it first hand so I can't cover all the areas to look at. If the bike is not blowing blue smoke and using oil there is no need to overhaul it. The 550 was a very dependable motorcycle.

Also make sure you do a compression check and check it against factory tollerances. That will tell you alot.

Cheers!, Let me know how things go! Hope this helps. I could go into alot more detail but at this point I don't think it's necessary!

 

C3, unless you're really keen on that bike in particular I would sell it. The old CBs were pretty down on performance even in their day and have been well and truly surpassed by modern designs. In addition, at that age all the rubber bits will have perished (or hardened) and it will not be a smooth bike.

Not that I have anything against old bikes - I still have my old Yamaha RD 350 in my garage which I bought new in '75 and subsequently rode around the world (well Asia, Europe and Africa anyway). I don't ride it much nowadays though

 

I worked on bikes for about 3 years in college. I can give this advice. If the bike runs ok just leave the carbs alone. If it does not run well do not I repeat do not separate the carbs! It is a royal pain in the butt and there is very little if anything to gain. Also do not soak the carbs in a solution if this can be avoided! The soaking solution will destroy any rubber and this means you must remove the low speed mixture screws. They are a real bear to get right. Most of the time you can take out the jets and slides and use a canned carb cleaner to clean things up. The thing that can get tricky is cleaning all of the little passageways in the carb body itself. Use compressed air and carb cleaner and make sure all of the passages flow freely. Then sync the carbs and all should be well.

As far as the head gasket goes it should not be too difficult, but will take some time. If you are mechanically inclined you can give it a shot with a manual in hand. As others have pointed out make sure the chain doesn't disappear or you will not have much fun. Be careful pulling the head off if it gives you a hard time. The cooling fins are a little brittle so use caution when the temptation to pry comes your way Also the exhaust may be a bitch if your exhaust studs are rusted. You may consider replacing them if they are bad. Just always remember that the head is aluminum and is soft.

Also someone suggested a compression test. This is a good idea. If the bike is not running great, especially at idle, that could be the cause, not the carbs.

Good luck!

Ole
White/Red